Can I clone a drive and keep all apps ?

[newguy20]

Looking to upgrade from a hdd to ssd, but I have a couple of apps that I no longer have the keys for.
If I clone to drive, will all my apps still work or will I have to reinstall?

 

[OpXXX]

If it's a single drive with OS and APPs on the same drive you should be good to go. Not sure what they call it these days in the software but opt to do a sector by sector clone and not some kind of "smart clone" where it will try to save space by ignoring what software thinks is redundant data. To avoid hassles you want a complete clone. Have used Acronis in the past with success. Also look at a software called Macrium Reflect. Both have free versions.

 

[jalimon]

If you paid those apps write back to get your keys back. Me I store my registrations licences, keys and password in a keepass file that I store on my google drive.

You never know when your computer will go down...

 

[newguy20]

If it's your operating systems drive, a bitwise clone should be everything you need. You've got more options than you can imagine. DiskGenius, EaseUS, clonezilla, a Linux liveUSB and use DD, etc. Google can get you a ton of results.

I'm probably going to try EaseUS. Everything I've read so far talks mostly about transferring the OS and data, but not much about other apps.

 

[newguy20]

If you paid those apps write back to get your keys back. Me I store my registrations licences, keys and password in a keepass file that I store on my google drive.

You never know when your computer will go down...

I can do that for most.
There's an older CAD program that's out of business and I still use sometimes and another industry specific app that's no longer available.

 

[OpXXX]

Looking to upgrade from a hdd to ssd, but I have a couple of apps that I no longer have the keys for.
If I clone to drive, will all my apps still work or will I have to reinstall?

Newest version just released and bootable via USB.

Clonezilla Live 3.2 Disk Imaging/Cloning Tool Is Out Powered by Linux Kernel 6.11 - 9to5Linux

Clonezilla Live 3.2 open-source and free disk cloning/imaging tool is now available for download powered by Linux kernel 6.11.

9to5linux.com

 

[newguy20]

Thanks for the advice guys.
I ended up using EaseUS and it worked perfectly for OS, data and all the apps.

 

[Mythos]

Just had a 6 month old SSD OS drive suddenly go dead.
While the bios detects it, no OS while now discover it.
Unlike an HD drive...which I have recovered many , the data on a SSD cannot be recovered.