How to Clone Hard Drive to SanDisk SSD in Windows 10/11

Need to Replace Hard Drive with SanDisk SSD

Compared with HDDs, solid state drives (SSDs) come with faster startup and read/write speed so many users want to replace their old hard drive with an SSD. Among all the choices, SanDisk SSD is a popular one due to its outstanding performance and compatibility.

However, reinstalling Windows 11, 10, 7, etc., and all the apps on the new SanDisk disk can be a headache, not to mention those precious personal files. So, is there a way to clone everything on the hard drive to SanDisk SSD?

The answer is yes. You can make an exact copy of the source hard drive, transfer it to the SanDisk drive, and then boot Windows from the cloned SSD. To achieve this, all you need is professional SanDisk SSD clone software.

Why Clone Your Hard Drive to a SanDisk SSD?

1. Significant Speed Boost: The primary advantage of cloning to a SanDisk SSD is the dramatic increase in speed. Solid-state drives (SSDs) have no moving parts, allowing them to access and transfer data much faster than traditional hard drives (HDDs).

2. Improved Reliability and Durability: SanDisk SSDs are highly reliable compared to HDDs. Since SSDs don’t rely on spinning disks or mechanical arms, they are less prone to physical damage from drops or vibrations.

3. Energy Efficiency: SanDisk SSDs consume less power than traditional hard drives, making them ideal for laptops and mobile devices.

4. Easy Data Migration: Cloning your hard drive to an SSD is a seamless way to migrate all your data, operating system, and applications without having to reinstall everything from scratch.

5. Increased Storage Capacity: Modern SSDs, including those from SanDisk, offer large storage capacities that rival traditional hard drives

Does SanDisk SSD Come with Cloning Software?

SanDisk SSDs don’t come with built-in cloning software, but you can download Acronis True Image for Western Digital to clone and back up files, programs, and operating systems from Western Digital drives (including SanDisk, WD, and G-Technology).

This software is available as a limited-time offer. You need to download and install it within 90 days of purchase or before December 31, 2023, whichever comes first.

However, it’s important to note that this tool only works when a Western Digital storage device is detected on your system. Many users have reported issues with the software failing to recognize SanDisk SSDs connected via external docks or adapters.

✍Other limitations of Acronis True Image for Western Digital:

• It doesn't support cloning OS to an external USB drive, or an internal drive inside of an external drive bay/enclosure.
• The source and target disks must have equal logical sector sizes.
• The cloning process will fail if the original drive has errors or bad sectors.
• It only supports cloning an entire disk. Cloning a single partition is not supported.

If any of the above factors prevent you from using it, we recommend an alternative SanDisk cloning software, AOMEI Backupper. It is much less restrictive and supports any brand of HDDs and SSDs that can be detected by Windows (not only SanDisk).

Best SanDisk Cloning Software to Migrate Data and OS

AOMEI Backupper Professional is the best tool for SanDisk cloning from HDD to SSD. It’s simple but professional, allowing you to clone the entire disk, selected partitions, or only OS directly. It is not only a SanDisk clone software but also works with other brands of SSDs, HDDs, USB drives, NAS, SSHD, etc.

In practical use, it also has the following advantages:

✔ Compatible with all Windows versions. AOMEI Backupper works on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11.
✔ Create an exact copy of your hard drive with a secure boot. Unlike reinstalling everything from scratch, the "Clone" feature allows you to transfer your system without reinstalling programs or losing data.
✔ Clone to a SanDisk SSD, no matter the drive size. The software only clones used sectors, so you can clone larger HDDs to smaller SSDs. You can also clone to a larger SSD as needed.
✔Advanced cloning options. You can use "Sector By Sector Clone" to clone all sectors, boost SSD performance with "SSD Alignment," and adjust partition sizes using "Edit Partitions" to maximize your storage space.

Hit the download button below to try it now, and follow the guide to demonstrate cloning HDD to SanDisk SSD.

How to Clone SanDisk Hard Drive to SSD Step by Step

With the SanDisk SSD cloning software, you can try the following steps for SanDisk data migration:

Step 1. Connect the target SanDisk SSD.

Before starting SanDisk clone HDD to SSD, you need to connect SanDisk SSD via one of the following 2 methods:

• If your computer has only one slot, you need a SATA to USB adapter or SSD enclosure to connect the target drive to your PC externally.

• If there are more slots, you can add the SSD as a secondary disk so as to clone HDD to SSD without SATA to USB cable.

Step 2. Launch the migration tool to set up disk cloning.

Install the SanDisk clone software, and launch its main interface. Select Disk Clone under the Clone tab. There's also a System Clone option allowing you to only move OS to another drive.

Note: This software supports cloning both data disks and systems disks from MBR to MBR/MBR to GPT, or GPT to GPT/GPT to MBR. But please make sure the partition style of the target disk is compatible with the boot mode (MBR for legacy BIOS and GPT for UEFI).

Step 3. Specify the source hard drive and target SSD.

Select the current HDD (here is disk 0) as the source disk, and click Next to continue.

Select your SanDisk SSD (here is disk 1) as the destination disk to receive the disk copy. Click Next.

Step 4. Initiate the cloning process.

Select SSD Alignment to accelerate the target SanDisk SSD, and click Start Clone to continue. Wait for it to complete.

FAQs about HDD clone to SanDisk SSD

Technical Terms Explained

1. SSD Alignment: This refers to aligning the partitions on an SSD in such a way that it maximizes performance. Proper SSD alignment can reduce wear and improve speed, especially during read/write operations.

2. Virtual Hard Disk (VHD): A VHD is a file format that represents a physical hard disk drive. It’s commonly used in virtual machines and cloning operations to create an exact copy of a disk.

3. Disk Imaging: Disk imaging is the process of creating a complete backup of your hard drive, which can be restored later. Unlike cloning, an image is stored as a file that can be mounted or extracted when needed.

Top 3 Tips for a Successful Clone

1. Backup Important Data: Even though the cloning process is generally safe, always back up your important files before starting.
2. Choose the Right SSD: Make sure your SanDisk SSD has enough space for all the data on your current hard drive.
3. Use SSD Alignment: Always ensure SSD alignment during cloning to optimize your drive’s performance and longevity.

Wrapping things up

With SanDisk cloning software - AOMEI Backupper, you can easily clone a hard drive to SanDisk SSD. But it’s still can regarded as other branded SSD cloning software, such as OCZ SSD clone software, ADATA SSD clone software, WD disk cloning software, M.2 SSD cloner, and so on. All features mentioned above can be applied to all SSDs.

Need to clone hard drive to SSD successfully without reinstalling, even for a smaller one? Download AOMEI Backupper and then follow the above steps to clone the disk.