Want to clone your HDD to a Samsung SSD but don't have a SATA to USB cable? No problem! This guide explains how to perform data migration without the need for a cable.
“Just bought a Samsung SSD 850 EVO but there is no USB cable inside when I open the box. I’d like to clone my current hard drive to this Samsung SSD so that I don’t need to reinstall the operating system, applications and software as well as configure system settings from scratch. The problem is that it is not convenient for me to contact Samsung Support currently, nor purchase an SATA-to-USB cable by myself. Just wondering is there any way to perform Samsung SSD data migration without cable?”
– Anonymous user
SATA-to-USB cable is a very useful tool in data migration. It allows you to connect the destination disk to your machine externally. That is helpful if your laptop has only one disk slot. Nevertheless, what you can do if there is no USB cable to assist? Is there any way to clone the hard drive to a Samsung SSD without a cableοΌ
As a matter of fact, there are 2 scenariosfor cloning HDD to SSD without cable, let's analyze the case and the solutions one by one.
Good tools make things more efficient, AOMEI Backupper is a piece of powerful disk clone software that supports Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista, both 32bit and 64bit. It allows you to clone the entire disk, only the operating system, or a certain partition to Samsung SSD. The intelligent-sector technology also enables you to clone large drives to smaller ones.
You can simply utilize the powerful system clone or disk clone feature to perform the HDD to Samsung SSD migration, and it works with other branded HDDs & SSDs as well.
Easiest hard drive clone software for Windows PC.
*Clone features in the free trial can only be demonstrated. Please upgrade for full functionality.
Step By Step Guide:
1. At the main interface, select Disk Clone under the Clone tab.
2. Select the HDD as the source disk.
3. Select the Samsung SSD as the destination disk.
4. Preview the operation. Check the "SSD Alignment" box since the target disk is Samsung SSD. Configure other settings if needed. Finally, click Start Clone.
5. Replace the hard drive with Samsung SSD after cloning, or just change the boot order in BIOS.
Edit Partitions: you can adjust partition size before cloning.
Sector By Sector Clone: it requires destination disk to be equal to or larger than the source disk. By default, AOMEI Backupper will clone only the used part of the source disk.
Both methods are simple to follow. Nevertheless, what if you cannot install the Samsung SSD to the machine directly? For instance, you’re cloning an HDD to a Samsung SSD on a laptop that has only a disk bay. What can you do to transfer all data successfully without reinstalling?
AOMEI Backupper can also help you do this effectively. In terms of data migration, cloning is not the only way to follow. If you have neither a cable nor an extra slot on the motherboard, system backup and restore may be the way that suits you best.
AOMEI Backupperis a great backup utility that embeds with System Backup, Disk Backup, and Partition/Volume Backup. Incremental backup, differential backup, and full backup are available as well. However, only a full backup is necessary for this task. To perform the task, please prepare the following things in advance.
A great advantage of this method is that you can achieve backup & restore operations with the completely free AOMEI Backupper Standard. Download the freeware to proceed:
Best free disk backup software for personal use.
Now, let’s learn how to realize data migration differently:
1. Connect the storage that is used to store the disk image to your computer. Install and launch AOMEI Backupper.
2. At the main interface, click on Backup and then Disk Backup.
3. Here you can edit Task Name for distinguishing. Then click Add Disk to select the disk you want to backup, usually, the disk that contains your operating system.
Then, choose a location as the destination path to save the disk backup. With Options, you can password encrypt the backup image or compress a backup image.
4. Click Start Backup after the configuration.
5. Connect the USB flash drive to your computer after completing the disk backup. In AOMEI Backupper, click on Tools and then Create Bootable Media.
6. Choose the WinPE option. It will detect if your computer has Windows AIK installed. If not, download and install one. Then, follow the wizard to complete the creation.
7. Remove the external storage (if any) and USB flash drive and then shut down your laptop. Replace the internal hard drive with a Samsung SSD. You may want to remove the battery first.
8. Insert the bootable USB flash drive into your computer and start it. If you stored disk backup on external storage, connect the storage as well. You’ll see AOMEI Backupper once the computer logs in.
9. Click on Restore -> "Select Task" or "Select Image File".
11. Confirm the operation and click Start Restore.
If you back up the computer and restore the image to a different PC, please refer to Dissimilar Hardware Restore in AOMEI Backupper Professional.
If your computer has an extra slot, and the Samsung SSD also brings you Samsung Data Migration (SDM), try this method.
1. Shut down your PC, and open the computer case or laptop back cover. Install the Samsung SSD properly. It is suggested to Google detailed steps with screenshots if you have no idea about that.
2. Turn on your PC after installation. Make sure the SSD can be detected by Windows. If not, please refer to Samsung SSD not detected in Windows 10. Install and run SDM.
3. Click Start at the first interface.
4. Verify the source disk and the destination disk on this page. Clone only one partition to Samsung SSD is also available in this step. Click Start then.
5. All data on the destination disk or partition will be lost. Confirm the warning and click Yes. The cloning process will start immediately. Wait for the process to complete.
6. When the message “The data on the Source Disk has been successfully cloned to your Samsung SSD” appears, click Quit, and shut down your PC. You can change boot priority to the cloned SSD in BIOS, or remove the source disk directly to test the booting.
Note: That could be an effective way to clone a hard drive to a Samsung SSD without a USB cable. Yet, it is only when the cloning carries on successfully.
Some users complain that they get Samsung Data Migration stuck on 99 percent or 100 percent. What’s worse, some Samsung SSDs don’t bring a data migration tool. In those cases, it is a wise move to turn to the powerful data migration utility- AOMEI Backupper.
Samsung SSD Data Migration without cable can be realized in different ways. You can choose the one that is most suitable based on your own situation. AOMEI Backupper also supports backup Windows to a USB flash drive. Download to experience more.