HDD to SSD

Re: should the PC boot right up

not sure.  in theory it ought to, but in practice there are factors unknown which could prevent boot.  for example the cloning software you use may or may not work.  at this point I would not recommend remove Intel Optane to avoid introducing more uncertainty.

blue SATA0 is the fastest port.

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/inspiron-3671-desktop/inspiron-3671-service-manual/system-board-components?guid=guid-00e92321-81fc-4c0b-970d-1da1c0170955&lang=en-us

You can't simply remove the Optane module.  It has files on it that are needed for Windows to boot. So if you remove it, PC won't boot.

You have to disable Optane first. Read this from Intel. Once Optane is disabled, and PC still boots correctly, you can remove Optane module from the M.2 slot. 

Then you should change BIOS setup from RAID to AHCI:

1. At desktop, open Cmd prompt window, run as administrator.
2. Copy-paste this command, which will start Windows in Safe Mode the next time you reboot: bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal and press Enter
3. Restart the computer and tap F2 to enter BIOS setup.
4. Change SATA Operation from RAID to AHCI.
5. Save the change and exit Setup. Windows will automatically boot in Safe Mode.
6. Open Cmd again, as in step #1.
7. Copy-paste this command, which will start Windows in Normal Mode the next time you reboot: bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot and press Enter
8. Reboot and Windows will automatically start with AHCI drivers enabled.
9. Now you're ready for a new drive.

Not clear -to me- what your new drive is. Is it a 2.5" SATA SSD that fits in a 3.5" drive bay and connects to motherboard with a SATA data cable or is it an M.2 2280 NVME SSD?

An M.2 2280 NVME SSD would be the better choice because it will be much faster than a 2.5" SATA SSD. All you need do is put a NVME SSD into the M.2 slot on motherboard (after you disabled and removed the Optane module and changed BIOS to AHCI).

Now you can clone the HDD onto a new NVME SSD in the M.2 slot.  Note: if the new NVME SSD has larger storage capacity than the HDD, you'll have to expand the size of the C: partition on the new SSD while copying the HDD. Otherwise the extra space is wasted.

Many users here use Macrium Reflect (free for 30 days). Use it copy all partitions on the HDD onto the new SSD, but save the OS C: partition for last.  Only the last partition copied can be expanded and you would tell Macrium to use all available free space for the OS C: partition when you copy it.

When that's done, just disconnect HDD data and power cables from motherboard (and remove it, if you choose) and PC should now boot from new SSD automatically.

@RoHe​ Thank you very much for the detailed reply.  I was wanting to make the new drive a 2T 2.5" SATA SSD that fits in a 3.5" drive bay and connect it to the motherboard with the original SATA data cable(s).  Now please bear with me.....if I understand you correctly it would be a better (faster machine) to just keep the oem 1T HDD connected and remove the "octane" 2280 card (per the instructions) that is now in the M2 PCIe connector and put in there a M.2 2280 NVME SSD in that place and clone it from the HDD?

@redxps630​ Thank you very much for your answer, I do see the blue connector.

@Gary426​

@RoHe​ Thank you very much for the detailed reply.  I was wanting to make the new drive a 2T 2.5" SATA SSD that fits in a 3.5" drive bay and connect it to the motherboard with the original SATA data cable(s).  Now please bear with me.....if I understand you correctly it would be a better (faster machine) to just keep the oem 1T HDD connected and remove the "octane" 2280 card (per the instructions) that is now in the M2 PCIe connector and put in there a M.2 2280 NVME SSD in that place and clone it from the HDD?

Yes, an NVME SSD in the M.2 slot will be faster than a SATA3 SSD connected to the blue motherboard connector. 

There are a few additional steps after you image the HDD onto new SSD. With all that done, shut down normally and (temporarily) disconnect old HDD from the blue connector. If you don't disconnect the HDD, Windows Boot Manager will get confused and will only boot from the HDD, not the new SSD. 

With HDD disconnected, boot PC normally and make sure apps work and all your files are accessible on new SSD. Then shut down normally and reconnect HDD to blue connector. Now power PC on and immediately start tapping F12 to open the menu. Select option to boot from new SSD. 

When it boots to desktop from new SSD, open Windows Disk Management. Select the old HDD and initialize it (ALL FILES DELETED!) so it can be used for storage.  Then reboot PC normally and it should boot from new SSD and HDD will be available for storage. if HDD doesn't automatically get set to be drive letter, D:, you can change the drive letter in Disk Management.

And don't hesitate to ask more questions....

@RoHe​ thank you again Ron, I have a comment more than a question. My local "computer guy" who charges $75 buck an hour apparently steered me wrong by telling me the best way to increase the speed on my PC is buy a 1T or 2T SATA SSD to replace the existing 1T SATA HDD and I he would clone the SSD with his (StarTech duplicator) So I purchased a 2T SATA SSD on Amazon for a tad under a hundred bucks and now I'm kind of stuck with that expense that I can't recover because I already cloned the SSD. I really really like the suggestion you made of removing the Intel OPTANE M10 16gb that's plugged into the M.2 PCIe connector and replace it with a M.2.2280 NVMe SSD. Last week when this goat rope started the computer geek didn't I had a M.2 connector because he never open the PC or read all the specs of my Dell 3671. He just jumped on the idea of replacing the HDD with a SSD that is  compatible with my PC. So at the start of the cloning process he left and went to another job site but upon his departure  hew said, after the SSD is cloned just connect it to the original HDD cables since the PC was open and turn on the PC. So, after I reconnected the thing and it would not boot and i eventually got a blue screen (blue screen of death LOL) with a msg saying: Recovery with an unexpected error code of 0xc000000d and to use recovery tools AND at the bottom of the msg it said to either press F1to enter recovery or Esc for UEFI firmware settings.  So, I called my computer geek and now find out he is house sitting for a week 50 milers from me and can't come and fix the booting problem AND I'm for sure not going into the BIOS or any settings and F anything up so I'll just wait on him. It irritates me that if had I known the solution you provided last week I would be able to achieve my goal of a faster PC.....I did however upgrade the memory when this all started from 8gb to 32gb which is the most my PC can handle. So I'm typing this on my PC because I reconnected the HDD so I'm not without a PC for a week. You got any suggestions for me of how to "unass" this situation  (excuse the French) other than starting back at ground zero, which looks like purchasing a 1T NVMe SSD, clone it from the HDD via an internet software program and then boot up with the HDD, go into the bios to change the boot drive to the M.2 NVMe and turn off and reboot using he new drive and if all is OK some day replace the HDD with that SSD I bought and use it as a storage drive????

Sorry to hear that sad story...

What version of Windows is one the HDD, 10 or 11? 

Possible causes for that error:

1. Optane cache wasn't disabled before imaging the new SATA SSD and Optane module still installed
2. BIOS and Windows were still configured to use RAID, rather than AHCI, when the image was made
3. Problems with the Startech image on new SATA SSD
4. Bum SATA SSD drive
5. All the above...

All isn't lost since you already have a SATA SSD, as long as you accept that it won't be as fast as an NVME SSD, but still faster than your existing SATA HDD. Or, you could get an NVME SSD for the M.2 slot as your boot drive and replace the HDD with the SATA SSD for storage, while keeping the HDD as backup, at least for now.

NOTE: You don't change the boot sequence in BIOS setup. As long as the SATA SSD is the only drive connected that has Windows on it, and it's plugged into the blue port, Windows Boot Manager, which should always be first in the boot sequence, will recognize it as the boot drive and PC should boot normally, assuming all the possible "what went wrong" I listed above are resolved.

If you decide to use an NVME drive as boot drive, you'll have to disconnect the old HDD from blue port so Windows Boot Manager will boot automatically from NVME SSD. Or, boot via the F12 menu, at least until you initialize the HDD to remove Windows and all other files.

Up to you do decide what to do next, and maybe time to fire that bozo "computer guy" and demand a full refund...

And do us a favor, please break long posts up into smaller paragraphs so they're easier to read... 

@RoHe​ Oh...sorry for that long paragraph!

I am running Windows 11, (home version) 24H2.

I will assume for the time being the cloning/duplicator is working properly (according to the guy who owns it) and the SSD is not a "bum" and will rule those problems out for now.

OK, the "new plan" is to keep the original 16gb Intel OPTAIN in the M.2. 2080 connector and only replace the previous 1T SATA HDD with the 2T SATA SSD and I can live with that setup knowing a faster setup could have been available!

With this new plan must I still disable the OPTANE before removing the HDD since the OPTANE card is staying there?

If you say yes to disable, I will restart this switch over process again. BUT if you say the OPTANE disable process is not required, should I just reinstall the HDD, and change the configuration to use AHCI rather than RAID?

Then power off, remove HDD and replace it with SSD and bingo it should boot from the SSD?

Back up a nano-sec...Didn't you already try to boot from new SATA SSD with Optane installed, but that gave you the BSOD...?

With old HDD installed:

1. Is RAID enabled in BIOS setup?
2. Is Optane still enabled?

Assuming both are "Yes", the image on new SSD isn't going to boot PC no matter what you do.  The image on new SSD is configured for both RAID and Optane enabled. But since you've shut down and booted from old HDD several times since then, info on Optane has been changed, so it no longer "matches" what was on Optane when HDD was imaged onto new SSD.  So the mismatch is a problem.

Please don't kill the messenger, but IMO, you have to start from square one, regardless of what your new intentions are. And  since your intentions have changed, you need to do things differently.

1. With old HDD installed, disable Optane (Intel link), but leave it in M.2 slot.
2. Reboot and confirm PC boots and functions properly.
3. LEAVE RAID ENABLED! Do not change to AHCI.
4. Create new HDD image (Optane disabled) and save on new SSD
5. Swap in new SSD and confirm PC boots and functions properly
6. Re-enable Optane (Intel link). Optane should now work as cache for new SSD, like it did for HDD. Still won't be as fast as an NVME SSD, but Optane should be able to give at least a small boost to the SATA SSD.
7. Fire the bozo.

As always, your PC, your decisions...

@RoHe​

Yes I already tried to boot using the new SATA SSD with Optane installed and got the BSOD. Yes RAID is enabled in the BIOS (I just rechecked to make sure) and yes Optane must be is enabled because I never disabled it.

I read the info from Intel concerning disabling Optane and they say there are 4 ways to do that and if you don't know what Optane is on your system they suggest using method 4 which is go in the BIOS and disable it from there, which is the safest which is what I will do.

Hopefully this is my last question, what happens after I disable Optane, exit the BIOS, turn off my PC, then reboot to ensure the PC still boots from the HDD and.......it does not reboot? Will I eventually get some sort of a screen allowing me access into the BIOS to enable Optane again so I can try to figure out what the problem might be?

BUT if the HDD boots with Optane (which is what I'm shooting for) that will be great then I can turn off the PC and exchange HDD for SDD . Then reboot with the SSD and hopefully (fingers crossed) it boots up properly without Optane enabled. Then go back into the BIOS and enable Optane! Then once again turn off the PC and reboot for a test to ensure Optane and SDD are working together.

@Gary426​ I made a typo...but if the HDD boots "WITHOUT" Optane (which is what I'm shooting for) that will be great then I can turn off the PC and exchange HDD for SDD . Then reboot with the SSD and hopefully (fingers crossed) it boots up properly without Optane enabled. Then go back into the BIOS and enable Optane! Then once again turn off the PC and reboot for a test to ensure Optane and SDD are working together.

Sorry, but there's no Optane option in BIOS setup on Inspiron 3671. So you can only disable Optane using software.   From the look of things on the Inspiron support page you have the Intel Rapid Storage Technology Application so you'll want to use Option 3 on the Intel page. Suggest you backup all your personal files on external media before disabling Optane via software.

Don't think it will boot from new SSD after disabling Optane because the Windows image on the SSD is configured for RAID and to use Optane. Probably not going to give any better results than what you already tried with Optane enabled.

If it doesn't boot from new SSD with Optane disabled, you could try booting from a Win 11 USB created with Microsoft's Media Creation Tool via the F12 menu. When that opens, navigate to Troubleshoot>Startup Repair and see if it can be fixed and will boot from new SSD.

Still think you're making this more difficult than necessary.

1. Disable Optane via software and make sure PC still boots
2. Install/use Macrium Reflect (free for 30 days) to create an image of HDD, which you save on external USB HDD.
3. Use Macrium to create its bootable USB stick.
4. Swap in new SSD and boot from Macrium USB via F12 menu
5. Use Macrium to copy all partitions, except OS C: onto new SSD from USB. Copy OS C: last and set Macrium to use all available free space. 
6. Confirm PC boots from new SSD
7. Enable Optane via software and reboot
8. Done!

Hello Ron...OK, it seems pretty straight forward.

From your #1: I see disabling Optane is simple enough, I have already downloaded the Intel Rapid Storage Tech Application and read how to disable Optane (it's no big deal).

Here's my concern, you say to make sure the PC still boots from the my original Seagate HDD after Optane is disabled BUT the scary part is what happens when that HDD don't boot? How will I be able to enable Optane again since that must be the reason why the HDD won't boot up? Will I get that BSOD and have to do something like press F1 to enter recovery mode or press the escape  button to enter UEFI firmware settings? AND neither of these options are good for me because I don't want to be in either of those place and F anything up.

I have read the information about the Macrium software too but have to wait until Saturday before doing anything at all after I receive the USB cable to connect my ("old new stock") Western Digital HDD to the USB port. My local Best Buy didn't have the correct cable in stock to connect a HDD to a USB port.

I guess for now I only need to know what's gonna happen IF this Dell desktop don't boot up after disabling Optane and how will I get it booted back up.

Before you go any further, what version of Macrium are you using?  There are some posts on this and other forums saying the latest Macrium Reflect version X is failing to create a bootable image of an SSD on new SSD with PCs running Win 11. So you may need to look for an older Macrium version.  I've only ever used version 7.xxxx with Win 10.

To answer your question, disable Optane, but leave it installed.  If PC doesn't boot, you can either:

1. Boot from USB created with Microsoft Media Creation Tool and go to Troubleshoot>Startup Repair, or...
2. Power PC on and immediately off by pressing/holding power button, and then immediately power on/off again. Repeat the on/off process 3x. At next power on after the 3rd cycle, PC should automatically boot in Windows Repair mode where you can use the troubleshooting tools. 

Can I guarantee it will boot without problems the first time, or that any potential problems can be fixed...no.  So make sure your personal files are backed up elsewhere...