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I want to replace a HD in my PC by a larger disk and keep the complete content and file organization of the original disk on the new HD for my work. So I used Macrium Reflect to clone the almost full 2TB HD (containing around 1,8 TB of data) to a 8 TB Seagate ironwolf disk which has been placed in a Fantec USB Caddy for the process. After the cloning, I had planned to put that target 8TB HD in my PC as a replacement of the 2TB disk. BUT: In the disk management the target disk showed 2 unallocated spaces in addition to the cloned volume. I could extend the volume with the smaller space directly to the right up to the total maximum of 2048 GB but not extend it with the remaining free space of around 5400 GB. This unallocated space is not accessible, so there's no possibility either to create a new volume, at least. Looking further into the details, I learnt that I had not paid attention to the fact that the 2TB source disk in my PC was formatted for the NTFS file system, too, but had been partitioned in MBR mode. So Macrium changed the previously GPT- partitioned 8TB target to MBR during the cloning process, of course. Without a chance to use the space of the 8TB disk, the 4.5 hours cloning process was useless for the goal intended and I'm rather at a loss now how to proceed. From what I read you cannot change the MBR partition mode to GPT without loosing all the data again, of course. Creating an image of the original disk instead of a clone evidentally wouldn't help either because Macrium would put the MBR-mode from the source disk into the image, too (?)
It looks like there's only the option of copying all folders and files from the source disk manually to a GPT 8TB disk which probably takes countless hours for the 2 TB of content or doing that in numerous steps by using synctoy which would be extremely time consuming, too. On both ways there's a good chance to get some copy errors or loose/corrupt some content during the process. Alternatively, I've been thinking of putting the original internal 2TB disk into the USB-Caddy for an external access of the content, at least and to put a "new" clean 8TB into the PC instead. However, there are many C1-libraries, sessions, Bridge and older LR catalogues etc on the existing 2TB disk that currently are linked to/from different image folders on the 5 HDs in my PC. Admitted, it's kind of disorganization not having combined all related content (raws, various processed output, catalogues, sessions etc) straight forward on the same drive but it was caused by shortage of space on that HD over time. Therefore, I'm not sure if I could locate and reestablish all the links and connections once the HD is removed and used externally with another path and drive letter. That's why I had intended to keep all content on the identical place - just on a larger disk.
Unfortunately most HDs in my dated PC originally had been partitioned in MBR. I'm not sure if GPT was as wide spread some years ago. But now MBR on the existing internal disks is a general limit whenever I want to clone or image the content to a larger disk for a replacement.
So I'd appreciate all advices how to circumnavigate or manage the problem described above. I don't know if there's a tool to "clone" or "image" the content of a MBR- partitioned disk to a larger GPT-HD without "loosing" the GPT partition mode on the target disk so that it's full space can be allocated. - Or to access the unallocated space > 2TB and create additional volumes there, at least . I hope I could clarify the problem.
Thank you in advance
Wolfgang
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