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dan99t
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How to replace HDD with an SSD

Mon Aug 29, 2022 6:22 am

Hi,

I have been using 3.5 inch 500 GB HDDs & have never used an SSD.

I clone my 500 GB HDD every night using Acronis software so I have a spare HDD in case something goes wrong.

Now I want to buy Western Digital Blue 500 GB SSD.

My question is would I be able to clone it just like regular HDD ? Meaning I will have to make this new SSD as a slave drive & clone it from my HDD so I will have a new bootable SDD with OS & data from old HDD ?

Thank You
 
Captain Ned
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Re: How to replace HDD with an SSD

Mon Aug 29, 2022 6:47 am

Just plug it into SATA and power and use Acronis to clone your HDD to it, then swap out the HDD for the SSD. Easy peasy.
What we have today is way too much pluribus and not enough unum.
 
meerkt
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Re: How to replace HDD with an SSD

Mon Aug 29, 2022 8:04 am

BTW, I wouldn't get the newish WD Blue SSD. They've recently replaced the model (it's now SA510) and the full specs and performance are unknown, with no real reviews.

Seems safer to go with known-specced and reviewed models.
Either the Crucial MX500 (cheaper, 180 vs 200 TBW in the WD Blue), or Samsung 870 EVO (more expensive, 300 TBW).
 
dan99t
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Re: How to replace HDD with an SSD

Mon Aug 29, 2022 9:48 am

All my HDDs are "MBR"
Should I choose "MBR" for SSD too or "GPT" ?
 
Captain Ned
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Re: How to replace HDD with an SSD

Mon Aug 29, 2022 10:20 am

That'll be driven by your motherboard. If it doesn't do GPT, then MBR it is.
What we have today is way too much pluribus and not enough unum.
 
dan99t
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Re: How to replace HDD with an SSD

Tue Aug 30, 2022 4:21 am

Captain Ned wrote:
That'll be driven by your motherboard. If it doesn't do GPT, then MBR it is.


My motherboard does both.
All my 500GB SATA HDDs are "MBR"
Other 3 TBs are GPT.
I was under the impression that if HDD is smaller than 3 TB you have to go for MBR OR for 3 TB & Larger you have to do GPT.
Please advice.
 
meerkt
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Re: How to replace HDD with an SSD

Tue Aug 30, 2022 6:22 am

You can use either.
GPT is newer and is mainly needed for large sizes, and possibly (not sure, in some cases?) if it's a boot drive and you're booting in UEFI mode.

I tend to use MBR as long as GPT isn't required.

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