Acronis True Image Clone HDD to SSD [Full Guide]

Cloning HDD to SSD boosts your computer’s speed, making it start and run faster, while offering greater durability, silent operation, and less prone to damage since SSDs have no moving parts. In addition, cloning transfers all your data, including the OS, files, and apps, without needing to reinstall anything.

Acronis True Image is for cloning disks, particularly suitable for users of SSDs from manufacturers such as Crucial, Kingston, Western Digital, etc., all of which have partnered with Acronis. Scroll down to learn more about it and how to clone HDD to SSD using Acronis.

The Powerful Cloning Tool - Acronis True Image

Acronis True Image is a top backup and cloning app for home users. It protects your data, OS, apps, and settings from threats like ransomware.

Key Features for Easy Disk Cloning

✨Key Highlights: Works on Windows and macOS; Clones HDDs to SSDs/NVMe drives easily; 2025 version - faster speed, AI security, and bug fixes.

Acronis Editions: Free vs. Paid Comparison

In Acronis True Image, there is no full free version, but a 30-day trial with all features (1TB cloud included). OEM free editions (from WD/Crucial/Kingston) are hardware-limited. Be sure you connect one WD/Crucial/Kingston SSD to your computer if you are using the OEM edition.

🤝Pick based on needs: OEM for brand-specific upgrades; Essentials for cloning only; Premium for total peace of mind.

Acronis True Image: Clone HDD to SSD [Larger or Smaller]

Here’s a step-by-step guide to clone HDD to SSD, either larger or smaller, using Acronis True Image. For smooth cloning, you need to check the pre-cloning prep carefully and make sure they are correct.

Pre-Cloning Prep

• Be sure to clone basic MBR/GPT disks, not dynamic disks.
• Check the sector size of both disks. In the Start menu, type msinfo32 and click OK. Then, navigate to Components > Storage > Disks to ensure that they are identical, e.g., 512 bytes for both.
• Unlock BitLocker-encrypted drives (if it is).
• Don’t clone Windows to external USB drives, as it might not be bootable.
• It’s recommended to clone a laptop's drive using bootable USB. Be sure to put the new drive in the laptop first.
• Be sure to uninstall unnecessary programs and delete junk files on the HDD for smooth cloning while using Acronis True Image clone to smaller SSD, e.g, clone 1TB HDD to 500GB SSD.

Steps to Clone HDD to SSD using Acronis Clone Disk

Step 1. Connect the new SSD using a proper adapter or enclosure, and be sure it’s recognized by Windows. Download and install the Acronis True Image for cloning HDD to SSD. On the main page, click Tools > Clone Disk.

Step 2. Select the Automatic (recommended) mode and click Next. It will auto-resize partitions to fit the target drive, even smaller SSD.

Step 3. Select the old HDD and new SSD, respectively. Click Next after each selection. Note all the partitions on the destination disk will be deleted.

Step 4. Review the summary and click Proceed to let Acronis clone HDD to SSD.

Step 5. Click Reboot when prompted. Then, upon completion, shut down the system and swap the drives.

A Flexible Way to Clone HDD to SSD [within Windows]

Compared to its cloning feature, Acronis True Image is mostly recommended for its backup and restore features. This may be due to subpar disk cloning support, and users feeling that cloning from a bootable USB is too cumbersome.

If you are worried about this, try AOMEI Cloner, a more flexible cloning software for Windows. It’s easy of use and allows you to clone hard drive within Windows or from bootable USB. Also, more advanced cloning features, such as SSD Alignment, auto-resize, convert disk types, etc., are available.

Step 1. Connect your new SSD and download AOMEI Cloner for cloning. On the main page, click Clone > Disk Clone.

Step 2. Select your old HDD as the source drive and the new SSD as the target drive. Note that all the partitions on the new SSD drive will be overwritten.

Step 3. This software will resize the new SSD to full capacity (if it’s larger) automatically. You can click Edit Partitions to confirm this and, optionally, convert MBR to GPT, or GPT to MBR. Also, it’s suggested to enable SSD Alignment for best performance. At last, click Start Clone.

Wrapping It Up

That’s all for Acronis clone HDD to SSD, from key feature to edition selection, pre-cloning prep, steps, etc. However, Acronis seems to recommend its backup and restore features over the cloning function.

The cloning process is relatively complex in a laptop. It requires you to replace old HDD with new SSD before cloning and connect the old SSD using an adapter or enclosure. In addition, you still need to create bootable USB to boot your computer.