Migrating to SSD using the backup and recovery method

You can use the following procedure for all supported operating systems. First, let's consider a simple case: your system disk consists of a single partition. Note that for Windows 7, the system disk usually has a hidden System Reserved partition.

1. Start Acronis True Image 2014 and click the Backup and recovery tab.
2. Create Acronis rescue media, if you do not have it yet. To do this, on the toolbar, click Create bootable media and follow the instructions on the screen.
3. Click Disk and partition backup and then back up your system disk (in the disk backup mode) to a hard disk other than your system hard disk and the SSD.
4. Switch off the computer and remove your system hard disk.
5. Mount the SSD into the slot where the hard disk was.

   For some SSD brands you may need to insert the SSD into a PCI Express slot.

6. Boot from your Acronis rescue media.
7. Validate the backup to make sure that it can be used for recovery. To do this, click Recovery on the left pane and select the backup. Right-click, select Validate Archive in the shortcut menu and then click Proceed.
8. After the validation finishes, right-click the backup and select Recover in the shortcut menu.
9. Choose Recover whole disks and partitions at the Recovery method step and then click Next.
10. Select the system disk at the What to recover step.
11. Click New location and then select the SSD as the new location for your system disk, then click Accept.
12. At the next step click Proceed to start recovery.
13. After the recovery is complete, exit the standalone version of Acronis True Image 2014.
14. Try to boot from the SSD and then make sure that Windows and applications work correctly.

If your system hard disk also contains a hidden recovery or diagnostic partition, as is quite often the case with notebooks, the procedure will differ. You will usually need to resize the partitions manually during recovery to the SSD. For instructions see Recovering a disk with a hidden partition.