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I successfully followed user613363's recipe to this question to set up a dual-boot system with Windows 10 and Ubuntu 18.04. Now, I need to move my Windows 10 installation to an SSD (replacing the current disk) by cloning.

What steps will be necessary afterwards? Do I have to update the boot loader? If so, how? Are there any obvious pitfalls that I should avoid?

manybodycpa
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  • I asked this question as a comment but have not received any answers. I hope that my issue is relevant enough to warrant a separate question. – manybodycpa Jun 18 '21 at 06:33
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    Is the disk you are cloning to at least as big as the disk you are cloning from? Do you want to use the Windows bootloader or is your current GRUB okay? – C.S.Cameron Jun 18 '21 at 07:41
  • @C.S.Cameron The new disk will be larger. Would like to stick with GRUB. – manybodycpa Jun 18 '21 at 09:15
  • Clone only works if you also are removing old drive. You cannot have duplicate UUID & GUIDs. With Ubuntu I suggest new install, have not installed Windows for over 15 years, so do not know best solution. – oldfred Jun 18 '21 at 15:09
  • @oldfred I clarified that I will be replacing the current Windows 10 disk with a new one. – manybodycpa Jun 18 '21 at 16:47
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    Simplest is to boot Ubuntu Live USB and use GParted to copy/paste Windows partition to new SSD. (Partition table type must be same on both drives). After copy use GParted to change old Windows UUID. Existing GRUB should now boot new Windows install. If everything is working correctly, delete old Windows install. Boot may be faster if GRUB is reinstalled to new SSD. – C.S.Cameron Jun 19 '21 at 06:27

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After successfully moving Windows 10 to a new SSD while preserving the dual-boot setup using the hints given in the comments, let me post a summary as an answer.

Starting point:

  • Ubuntu on HD1
  • Windows 10 on HD2 (500 GB)
  • Empty HD3 (500 GB)
  • Ubuntu on flash drive

Steps:

  1. Disconnect HD1 to avoid any accidents
  2. Install HD3
  3. Boot into Ubuntu Live and use GParted and dd as discussed here to clone HD2 to HD3.
  4. Once dd has completed, shut down and remove Ubuntu flash drive
  5. Disconnect HD1, reconnect HD2

At the end, both installations (Ubuntu on HD1, Windows 10 on new HD3) can be booted from GRUB as before.

manybodycpa
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