By Ailsa / Last Updated January 29, 2021

The Case: Clone HDD to Intel SSD Problem

Can I clone HDD to Intel SSD?

I was trying to clone my hard drive with the Windows 10 64-bit installation to an Intel 600p M.2 SSD. However, the Intel SSD Data Migration Software not detecting SSD at the first time you run it, you have to go back to the Zip folder and execute the workaround file, then it finally recognize the Intel SSD, and it will prompt you to restart or cancel the cloning while cloning the WD hard drive to Intel SSD, Then the Intel SSD Data Migration Software not cloning no matter which option you choose, it’s so frustrating. How can I fix it, please help. Thanks.


How to fix clone HDD to Intel SSD issues easily? Let’s have a look.

Solutions to Intel Data Migration Software not Cloning

The Intel Data Migration Software will help you to migrate data from an old hard drive to an Intel SSD, including Intel SSD 600p, 660p, 665p, 760p, DC series, etc. At this moment, the Intel Data Migration Software is no longer available after March 24, 2020, and no updates supported.

To fix Intel Data Migration Software not working problem, you may try the following solutions:

  • Make sure your Intel SSD connect with an SATA-to-USB cable correctly.

  • The target Intel SSD should be initialized as GUID Partition Table (GPT) with NTFS file system formatted.

  • Disable the full disk encryption before cloning.

  • Remove all administrative profiles before migration.

Clone HDD to Intel SSD with Intel Data Migration Software

After process all the operation to fix, you could follow the steps to clone HDD to Intel SSD with Intel Data Migration Software:

1. Run Intel Data Migration Software, then click the Start Now button.

Intel Data Migration Software

2. Choose the Automatic (Recommended) mode, and click Next.

Automatic Mode

3. Select the source HDD to migrate, hit Next.

Select Source HDD

4. Choose the Intel SSD as the destination to save data from HDD, and click Next.

Select Destination Disk

5. Press Proceed to clone HDD to Intel SSD.

Proceed

If the problem still exists, It’s highly recommended to use the best free Intel SSD cloning software - AOMEI Backupper Standard to clone.

Better Way to Clone HDD to Intel SSD

AOMEI Backupper Standard, as powerful yet free disk cloning software, will clone everything from the HDD to Intel SSD without reinstalling, and it’s available in Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP (all editions, 32-bit and 64-bit). No matter what file system on your source disk and destination disk, it will clone successfully without any issue.

Before cloning hard drive to Intel SSD, do the following:

  • Your Windows 7/8/10 computer contains the HDD that you would like to clone.

  • Connect your Intel SSD via SATA cable and SATA Power cable (on your computer host) with your computer.

Connect Intel SSD SATA Cable And SATA Power Cable

  • SATA-to-USB cable to connect your Intel SSD with your laptop when there only one drive bay. If you don’t have a SATA-to-USB adapter, clone HDD to SSD without adapter.

  • Please download it first on your computer and have it a go:

Download Freeware Win 10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Here is how to clone HDD to Intel SSD in Windows 10 (for example) with Intel Data Migration alternative - AOMEI Backupper.

Step 1. Perform AOMEI Backupper Standard after installing, select Clone -> Disk Clone at the main console. (To clone Windows 10 OS to SSD only, please refer to System Clone)

Disk Clone

Step 2. Choose the Windows 10 HDD as the source disk, and then click Next >>.

Select Source Disk

Step 3. Select the Intel SSD as the destination disk, and click Next >> button to go on.

Select Destination Disk

★Tip: The Intel SSD will be overwritten or deleted after the cloning process, if there are important files that value to you, please backup files in advance.

Step 4. Check the SSD Alignment option to optimize for Intel SSD performance.

Start Clone

Step 5. Press Start Clone >> button to clone HDD to Intel SSD safely in Windows 10.

★Useful tips:
▶Sector by sector clone: If the Intel SSD is larger than your source HDD, you could check this option to clone all the sectors on the source disk even it’s blank or not.
▶Edit Partitions: upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional or other advanced editions to edit partitions to fully use the storage space on Intel SSD while cloning HDD to larger Intel SSD. You will generate an unallocated space on Intel SSD after cloning smaller HDD to larger Intel SSD if not using Edit Partitions option, to fully use the space, merge unallocated space to existing partition easily.

Moreover, AOMEI Backupper allows you to clone larger HDD to smaller SSD if the SSD could hold all the data from the source HDD. Apart from Intel SSD, you could upgrade HDD to other SSDs like Samsung, Toshiba, ADATA, HP, WD, Crucial, etc. and vice versa using the same cloning process.

Boot from Cloned Intel SSD

If you cloned a boot drive to Intel SSD, when the Intel SSD clone is done, do the following to boot from the cloned Intel SSD:

If your computer owns more than one hard drive bay:

  • Shut down the computer (and install the cloned Intel SSD in your computer if it is connected as an external drive).

  • Press F2, F10, F12, or DEL key to boot your computer into BIOS and set the cloned Intel SSD as the first boot device, and then reboot your computer.

If your computer has only one hard drive bay:

  • You have to swap the old HDD with the larger Intel SSD.

  • Restart to boot from Intel SSD.

If the cloned SSD won’t boot after using other data migration software, try solutions to Winload.efi missing after clone problem.

In the End

It’s quite easy to clone HDD to Intel SSD to move everything, including Windows operating system, programs, system settings, and others, time-saving and efficient. For those users running Windows 2003, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019 (including R2), please try AOMEI Backupper Server to enjoy more advanced features, like real time file sync, command line tool, dynamic disk volume clone, backup and restore, etc.