Last Updated on November 23, 2016 by Dave Farquhar
A longtime reader asked me to verify the easiest way to migrate from an obsolete hard drive to a new, shiny SSD: Is it to use the SSD migration tool included with the drive?
Yes. Yes it is. And it may even be able to help you if it doesn’t come with the drive.
Intel and Samsung allow you to download its SSD migration tool. So even if you buy a bare OEM drive that doesn’t even come with screws, let alone a CD, you can still download the tool and use it. It’s locked to the make of the SSD, but it doesn’t know or care whether it’s a retail or OEM drive.
An OEM drive won’t include a handy USB adapter to hold the SSD while you migrate–a must-have for a laptop migration–but you can get one of those for $6. Shipped.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.
Yep, worked like a charm! Your Amazon Linkee no workee, but another advantage of the handy-dandy USB adapter is that I can wipe the old drive and use it for periodic backups.
Intel’s latest Migration software is at http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=19324
It prompted me to make a bootable CD/DVD