Help? Clonezilla/Boot USB to Migrate original HDD to New SandDisk SSD

@whs and @Ignatzatsonic

Thnks for the suggestions and info.

GPT didn't uninitialize the SSD, that still leaves a partition (at least it did for me).

I googled what I was trying to do "restore it to factory state" and found I was able to accomplish this using Diskpart-List Disk-Select Disk #-Clean from ECP. When I went back into Disk Management, the SSD was as it came out of the box, UNinitialized, no partioning, no Volumes, No format (Yes whs same instructions in early part of your "geeky" method of your migration/cloning tutorial)

Anyway, I went back to SanDisk site this morning. Was going to "live" chat with advisor, but not open yet. So I downloaded their SanDisk Dashboard. Awesome! Showed the SSD connected via USB. All of it's specs and stats. Showed my System and other info. It allowed me to run S.M.A.R.T. diagnostics (short and extednded test, both successful). The only issue was firmware needed updating, it allowed me to do that, so that's up to date.

I then tried to run their recommended Cloning software (i downloaded and tried last night) EZ Gig IV. Still didn't recognize the SanDisk SSD!!! So, i'm thinking now what!?!? So, on the SanDisk Dashboard are a few links. One of them is Apricorn and EZ Gig IV. So I go back to that site. Their is the cloning software again, but this time I notice a "one time" use license for the same software for SanDisk. So I downloaded and ran it. Sure enough, it recognized the SanDisk and was exactly as the the PDF and Video Tutorial described. It is cloning my Toshiba drive to the SanDisk SSD as I type this post. I will update the post after completion and HDD to SSD swap in the Toshiba, run and take a screenshot of Disk Management and post here.

WISH ME LUCK!!!

Check it out....

Hmmmmmmmmmmm....................

3 partitions.

None of them marked "system".

2 of them apparently empty or near empty.

Does it boot?

What's the purpose of the 12.59 GB partition with nothing in it?

here's before and after........not sure what to make of it, but it working great. shutdown/restart time went from 90 seconds to 26 seconds....

I've never seen a system boot without Windows Disk Management showing a "system" partition. I don't see a system partition here.

WHS, what do you say about this? Apparently it boots and operates well.

Of the 3 of us, I am by far the least qualified to interpret any of this. I can only report that my Toshiba Laptop is working great, very fast and responsive. All my files are here, accessible, intact. shutdown/restart time improved by almost from almost 90 sec to 25 sec. The before Disk Mng screenshot showed the same partition characteristics, etc as they do now (within the smaller 480G SSD, with a marginal shrinkage)

The Apricorn (one time use free license) EZ Gig IV Cloning software for SanDisk did everything. I restored it back to factory state (completely uninitialized, no formatting, etc.) and ran the cloning software and voila.......I don't know, believe me when I say I am simply grateful it's working and working so well at that.

Saying you guys have never seen anything like it kinda leaves me with a sense of....nervousness, but why would anything go wrong. I can't believe my Laptop is anything other than ordinary. I bought it a yr old. windows7 was pre installed. I don't know...

I also ran Performance Monitor System Health Report and everything looked good.

here are a few screenshots for evaluation.

Windows Experience Before (Toshiba) and after (SanDisk). Restart Time.

@whs

I'm following your post migration/cloning steps for SSD. I disabled defrag. But turning Hibernate isn't working

screenshot