From: Paul@Houston.Texas   
      
   Steve wrote:   
   > On 1/4/2026 4:47 PM, Steve wrote:   
   >> The holidays are over and I should have time to continue the project I   
   >> was working on 2 weeks ago.   
   >>   
   >> I'm trying to switch to my new Samsung 870 EVO SATA 2.5 inch drive.   
   >> The paper in the box said to use Samsung Magician to clone the data.   
   >> I'm starting to believe that it doesn't work with a SATA drive!   
   >>   
   >> People suggested I use a different cloning tool. I dismissed that idea   
   >> because, certainly, Samsung Magician would work after I got my   
   >> computer to recognize the new drive. Well I did that. It's now showing   
   >> on File Explorer as drive (J:) and I have formatted it. I tested it by   
   >> copying a file with several pictures inside to (J:). It went right in   
   >> and the pictures opened just fine. I formatted again to empty it.   
   >>   
   >> I looked at you tube videos about using Samsung Magician. They all   
   >> showed a ssd that did not look like my SATA drive.  Samsung Magician   
   >> seems to have 2 ways to get to "Data Migration". One way pops up a   
   >> message that the drive isn't compatible. I originally feared that it   
   >> was warning me that the new drive wasn't compatible with my computer.   
   >> Going in the other way, it shows my C: drive as the source drive but   
   >> it prompts me to connect the Samsung SSD. It doesn't see it even   
   >> though it IS there and it works.   
   >>   
   >> What cloning software is going to work with my SATA SSD?   
   >   
   > OK, here's my update:   
   > I downloaded Macrium Reflect and used that, because several people   
   > recommended Macrium. I have now cloned all of my Drive C: onto the   
   > Samsung SSD.   
   > Back when I was still trying to get Samsung Magician to work, something   
   > I read said just shut down and swap drives and Windows should boot right   
   > up from the new drive.   
   > Both drives are already in the computer so, while it was shut down, I   
   > unhooked the old hard drive and started it up. I didn't really expect it   
   > to be that easy and of course it wasn't. As it tried to start up, it   
   > listed my DVD drive (E:), followed by the SSD (J:). Then it moved on to   
   > a screen that was blank except for a dash line in the upper left corner.   
   > I plugged the old drive back in and waited for it to slowly start up so   
   > I could get back here again.   
   > I notice in File Explorer the drives listed are...   
   > (C:)   
   > Factory image (D:) (Which is probably a copy of Windows 7) (I did not   
   > clone (D:) onto the new SSD.) It's on the old drive as a partition.   
   > DVD RW E:   
   > System (J:)  (J:) I had labeled as SSD (J:) before something changed it.   
   > "This folder is empty" comes up when I click it.   
   > (K:) It shows the same list of files as when I click (C:). Why is that?   
      
   My main windows machine two drives are cloned monthly.   
   There are 3 essential partitions that MUST be cloned:   
   1)  Unformatted Primary, (no name) (none), 128.0 MB.   
   2)  FAT32 (LBA) Primary, NO NAME (none), 100.0 MB.   
   3)  980 (C:) NTFS Primary, 465.54 GB.   
      
   The clone's first two partition names are the same as above.   
   The 3rd partition is named 980 (D:) NTFS Primary, 465.54 GB since it is   
   not the active drive.  If I booted from that drive then it would be   
   named C:.   
   The other machines are similar.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)