So, I get this: https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX500-NAND-SATA-Internal/dp/B003J5JB12/ref=sr_1_8?crid=17YWYTBVJFW72&keywords=2TB%2Bssd&qid=1668680612&s=electronics&sprefix=2tb%2Bssd%2Celectronics%2C96&sr=1-8&th=1 It comes with the software. Just get it, turn off my PC, install the SSD and software, and it copies everything from the old HDD and I can use the new SSD for my new C drive?
So, I could just plug a 2TB SSD into my motherboard and clone everything from my 2TB HDD onto it with appropriate software as recommended above in this thread?No, I do not see any cloning software (or cable) despite the high price and reviews mention using Macrium to do so, which you can use, but there is a bit more. You have not provided any info on your PC, which I presume is a desktop and hopefully not very old, and running Windows 10 and supports UEFI boot mode. But since it uses a HD, I assume that the partition type is MBR (master boot record), and note that the maximum disk size for that is 2Tb, and thus to to use larger then you would need to convert to GPT which has no limit. To do so without losing data a href="http://woshub.com/converting-mbr-to-gpt-with-mbr2gpt-in-windows-10/"> requires this procedure.
To find out what partition type you are using see here. Also, unless you use an external enclosure, you will need connect inside your case after you unplug your PC and open it. In which you will see your HD which is connected to two cables, the larger one is the power cable and the smaller (ribbon) one is the data cable. You should see another slot for a drive (even all you have is a 3.5 slot then that will do for now) and another power plug available in the bundle of wires coming from your PSU (if not, you need a splitter) which you will plug the new drive into.
And on your motherboard you should see another a slot for another SATA data cable, which are cheap and you will need to buy one (unless you use an external enclosure) and are cheap. which you will plug the new drive into.
So you will plug both connectors into the new drive in, then plug in your PC, and boot up. Next, you need to run diskmgmt.msc (paste diskmgmt.msc in the Run command and hit OK, or right click on My PC and choose manage then Disk management). You should next see a pop up that alerts you to the need to initialize the disk and ask you what partition style you want to you, and which normally should be GPT but if you want to avoid problems then get a SSD 2TB or under and choose MBR (though in my image below GPT is checked). After you see the new SSD then right click on it (making sure it is the empty new SSD) and format it using the default options, and give a name.
Then you are ready to clone your SSD using Macrium (free for home use) See tutorial here. Choose the drive your OS is one, and hit Clone this disk at the bottom (hard to see). For you I would use default options and skip steps 4 + 5 and just copy the old drive as it is, using the default Intelligent sector copy. Forget scheduling and choose Run this backup now and click OK. Pray and press.
After this is done, shutdown and replace the old drive with the new one, using the data cable that went to the old drive and attaching it to the new so as to avoid boot confusion (also necessary if you did use an external enclosure, since it is said that Windows cannot boot Windows from a USB-connected drive), and leave the old one unplugged and boot up. If Windows boots fine using the new cloned drive then create a new file on your desktop for ID purposes for now. Then you can shutdown, unplug the PC and attach the old HD as storage, and plug in and reboot. In case of confusion and you somehow boot from your old drive, look for the new file you created on your desktop. After thus you can then delete the old Windows folder (you may not be able do completely), as well as the pagefile.sys. Do not give the old drive to anyone else.