If startup hangs or fails, or you encounter critical errors after startup, you may need to power down and put the old drive back in to repeat the procedure. The startup process may take slightly longer than usual as Windows adjusts its configuration to accommodate the differences in the new drive.

Remove the original system drive, replacing it with the new drive if both have the same type of connection (for example, both are SATA or IDE drives). Test the image afterwards, if your software provides this feature. Mount the new drive and assign a new drive letter using 'Start | Control Panel | System and Security | Administrative Tools | Storage | Disk Management.'Ĭreate a full image of your system drive (usually the C: drive) using your preferred cloning or imaging software.Ĭlone the image to your new drive. Several free cloning and imaging tools are available as well, such as DriveImageXML and Paragon Backup & Recovery.Īttach the new drive hardware to your system using SATA, USB, IDE or other connections. Popular applications include Acronis True Image, Norton Ghost and Macrium Reflect. Install or access the appropriate cloning or disk imaging software for your hard drive.

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