Cloning hard drives to SSDs isn't something we're covering for the first time, and I imagine it won't be the last either, especially with Windows 11 on the horizon. Previously, we explored the exact process with Macrium Reflect Free but today it's Drive Snapshot's turn—a small program we can use to clone a hard drive to an SSD and make backups at the same time, generating compact images that are easy to move around.
Before you begin
We generally try to recommend programs with good wizards that reduce our direct intervention to a minimum. However, Drive Snapshot is a different creature. As its name suggests, Drive Snapshot's main task is to create 'images', snapshots that reproduce the current state of the drive, without making modifications.
Backups, backups, backups
Once again, just in case: Back up your data! External drives, USB sticks, the cloud, whatever. Good backup discipline is essential, and Drive Snapshot presents itself as an excellent complement. Plus, it will help you reduce the final image size and processing time. Why trap music and videos in an image when you can move that content to a secondary drive, simplify the cloning task, and save time? Don't hesitate to evaluate the state of your data. Less is more.
How to clone your hard drive to an SSD with Drive Snapshot
The first step is to visit the official Drive Snapshot page, get a copy of snapshot.exe (the 32-bit version works fine, don't worry), and run it. The program doesn't have a Spanish translation, but the menu is so simple that the lack of alternative languages isn't a problem. The button you're looking for is the first one, Backup Disk to File.
Remember: The goal is to create an image of the current disk. That means the disk needs to have enough space to store that image, or alternatively, you'll need to save it on a secondary drive. The second menu shows the list of partitions, and here we encounter some of Drive Snapshot's limitations:
- If the source and destination drives are identical (for example, you've prepared multiple machines and use the same brand and capacity of SSD in all), there's no problem, and you can proceed with the cloning by selecting all partitions.
- If the source drive is larger than the destination (say, you plan to clone 120 GB of data on a 500 GB drive to a 240 GB SSD), you'll need to make sure the entire image fits on the new drive by consolidating the data. The best way to do this is to shrink the main C partition as much as you can (with the help of Windows Disk Management) before creating the image. This video from the Adamant IT channel explains the process, cloning a 1 TB drive to a 500 GB SSD (skip to 20:00).
- If the source drive is smaller than the destination, the only problem is the Windows recovery partition that appears after the main partition. When you want to extend the partition to cover the rest of the drive, you'll find you can't. You'll need to manually delete the recovery partition with Diskpart to perform the extension.
Once the partitions are selected, click Next. Drive Snapshot will ask for the exact location to save the image, and I recommend it be inside a subfolder, since it will be divided into several files. If the program throws a 'Filename Error', it will fix it automatically. Click Start Copy, and let it work.
Wait
Obviously, this phase depends on the amount of information Drive Snapshot has to process, and the natural speed of the drives. That's why we recommend moving all possible data off the original drive: smaller images, less time.
Connect the SSD and dump the image onto it
You don't need to do anything on the destination SSD to continue with the cloning, not even initialize it: simply connecting it (whether via SATA, NVMe, or a USB adapter) is enough. Reopen Drive Snapshot, and this time click the Restore Complete Disk from Images button.
Select the image, and you'll see all its partitions are automatically marked. Choose the destination drive (in our example, it's a virtual 60 GB SSD), make sure the option "Restore the partition structure" is enabled, and click Next. With one final warning, Drive Snapshot will dump the image contents onto the SSD.
Boot from the new SSD
Once that task is done, turn off the computer, and leave only the SSD that just received the image connected. The operating system should boot from that drive without difficulty and completely transparently.
If the destination drive is larger and you need to extend the main partition, it's likely the recovery partition will become an obstacle. A good alternative is to create a new drive with the remaining space. Otherwise, you'll need to delete the recovery partition to perform the extension. That's done with Diskpart:
- Open the system console with privileges, and run Diskpart
- Select the disk (in our case, select disk 0)
- Locate the recovery partition (list partition)
- Select the recovery partition (select partition 4)
- Delete the partition in forced mode (delete partition override)
Cloning your hard drive to an SSD: In summary
I'll be the first to admit it: Drive Snapshot isn't as user-friendly as other similar utilities. If you want to clone your hard drive to an SSD following a simpler path, download Macrium Reflect Free and follow our guide. However, we can't ignore the value of making backups, and deploying the same image across multiple machines with identical configurations. The last detail to share is that Drive Snapshot works as a 30-day trial, but has no restrictions during that period. Good luck!
