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    Help: How to clone 5400rpm to SSD? (blank cursor, alignment issue?)

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by blackthinkpad, Jan 12, 2011.

  1. blackthinkpad

    blackthinkpad Notebook Consultant

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    I have a ThinkPad Z61m with XP Pro.

    Trying to upgrade the stock 5400rpm 80GB HDD (only 30GB used) to Kingston SSDNow 64Gb SSD. I tried using Acronis True Image disk cloning and also image backup/restore. Both sessions were successful but the cloned/restored SSD keeps showing the blank cursor after the ThinkPad splash screen at bootup even though I can see the SSD in BIOS. I can also see all the files when I plug the cloned SSD into a USB dock. I've heard this could be an alignment issue. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

    Thanks!

    P.S. Is it true you can't clone from a bigger drive to a smaller drive even if you select "proportional" on Acronis?
     
    blackthinkpad, Jan 12, 2011
    #1
  2. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    You can clone from bigger to larger as long as the amount of used space on the bigger drive doesn't exceed the capacity of the smaller drive. Did you do a full system creation? I mean all the patitions on the HDD? You want to include ALL partitions so you get the Master boot record and everything. I would go with an image create, and then use the Achronis Recovery method by booting off a USB drive. Thats genereally what I do when I restore my images.
     
    DR650SE, Jan 12, 2011
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  3. svl7

    svl7 T|I

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    I really wouldn't clone a HDD to a SSD... the SSD accesses the data in a different way than the HDD, so make a fresh install of Windows for the best performance of your SSD.
     
    svl7, Jan 12, 2011
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  4. blackthinkpad

    blackthinkpad Notebook Consultant

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    I'm still new to SSD. What's the best way to wipe a SSD before clean install?
     
    blackthinkpad, Jan 12, 2011
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  5. chimpanzee

    chimpanzee Notebook Virtuoso

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    Secure Erase.

    However, it is a myth that SSD needs clean install. What affect SSD performance is just alignment(4K aligned) and driver use(preferably AHCI).

    I would recommend a good defrag before the clone/restore process.

    If you are not using Sandforce, you can even save the SE as most SSD that support TRIM response well to TRIM(Sandforce is the exception) and don't need SE and SE is a tough job(even on desktop and sometimes impossible on notebook).

    edit:
    ah, you are using the Acronis auto shrink feature. That most likely than not screwup you alignment. try to download AS SSD and check the alignment first.
     
    chimpanzee, Jan 12, 2011
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  6. blackthinkpad

    blackthinkpad Notebook Consultant

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    I finally RTFM. It turned out I had to install the SSD into the laptop and clone the old drive as an external with Acronis, not the other way round. Now the SSD is working like a champ.

    Which SSD tuning utility would you recommend for XP since XP doesn't support TRIM?

    Thanks!
     
    blackthinkpad, Jan 13, 2011
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  7. chimpanzee

    chimpanzee Notebook Virtuoso

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    what drive it is ?
     
    chimpanzee, Jan 13, 2011
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  8. blackthinkpad

    blackthinkpad Notebook Consultant

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    Kingston SSDNow V100 64GB
     
    blackthinkpad, Jan 13, 2011
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  9. davepermen

    davepermen Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    except that the os doesn't care and accesses the data the same way => the ssd won't see a difference. clean installs are always good, but the ssd doesn't care.
     
    davepermen, Jan 13, 2011
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  10. blackthinkpad

    blackthinkpad Notebook Consultant

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    Is it normal for the SSD to give a faint high pitch sound during HDTune error scan?
     
    blackthinkpad, Jan 13, 2011
    #10