Samsung Data Migration Does Not Start: Fixes and Alternative
User case
Samsung Data Migration cannot start to clone
Sorry to hear that you're experiencing issues with Samsung Data Migration on your Windows 11 Pro PC. The error message "unknown operation" can be frustrating, especially when you've successfully used the tool before. Given that you've recently upgraded to Windows 11, it's possible that the issue is related to compatibility. Have you tried running the tool as an administrator or checking for any updates to the software? Additionally, you might want to try cloning a smaller partition or drive to see if the issue is specific to the 970 Evo Plus or the 980 Pro. If none of these troubleshooting steps resolve the issue, you may want to reach out to Samsung support for further assistance.
- Question from tom's HARDWARE
Samsung Data Migration is a tool that simplifies the process of transferring data from one storage device to a new Samsung SSD, reducing the time it takes to migrate user data, operating system, applications, and software.
But you should know that this program has some disadvantages:
- It can only support Windows operating systems.
- The device can only transfer data to Samsung SSDs, not other brands of SSDs.
- It requires the source disk must install the operation system.
- When using Samsung Data Migration on Windows 11, it may encounter issues such as the software not starting or being unable to change the source disk, causing trouble with data migration.
Let's troubleshoot the issue with Samsung Data Migration stuck at 0. The common causes include software glitches, corrupted data, or incorrect settings. To fix it, try restarting the app, checking for software updates, or resetting the device to its factory settings.
Common causes and fixes to Samsung Data Migration won’t start
Here, I've listed some of the most probable causes and fixes to this error. You can check them in turn to see if one of them troubles you a lot.
▶ Fix 1. Check both the source and target Samsung SSDs
If your SSD is corrupted or has bad sectors, it may cause the cloning process to fail, so it's recommended to run CHKDSK to check the status of the source and target SSDs.
▶ Fix 2. Update Samsung Data Migration to Latest Version
The software may not work due to its outdated version. To resolve this, download the latest version from the official website.
▶ Fix 3. Replace the SATA port or SATA-to-USB cable
This problem can also be caused by a loose or faulty connection, so you need to replace the SATA port or SATA-to-USB cable that connects the Samsung SSD drive to the computer.
▶ Fix 4. Decrypting encrypted drives
The software cannot clone encrypted SSDs, so if your SSD is encrypted, you'll need to remove the password from the SSD before proceeding with the data migration operation.
▶ Fix 5. Check the data capacity of the files you want to transfer
To avoid issues when transferring large files or partitions, consider breaking them down into smaller batches for transfer. This can help prevent the program from getting stuck or experiencing errors due to excessive data transfer.
▶ Fix 6. Check if your Samsung SSD model is supported.
To check if your Samsung SSD is included in the target disk list, you can refer to the Samsung Data Migration User Manual.
If the above methods don't work, there might be unknown errors, so it's a good idea to use a different Samsung SSD data migration tool to save time.
Best alternative when Samsung Data Migration won’t start
Qiling Disk Master Professional is a powerful disk cloning software that allows you to migrate data from other disks to a Samsung SSD with no restriction, making it bootable. It has a range of outstanding features.
✐ It supports all types of Samsung SSDs and other brands like Western Digital, Seagate, and Kinston.
✐ AOMEI Backupper supports cloning both system disks and data disks, regardless of brand or partition style. This means you can clone disks from one brand to another, or from MBR (Master Boot Record) to MBR, MBR to GPT (GUID Partition Table), or GPT to GPT, and even GPT to MBR.
✐ Acronis True Image can clone a larger drive to a smaller drive by copying used sectors from the source drive to the target drive, then marking the extra space on the target drive as unallocated. If the "Sector by sector clone" option is enabled, the target drive will be an exact copy of the source drive, including all used and unused space. This makes it easy to clone a larger drive to a smaller one, as the unused space on the target drive will not be used, but will be marked as unallocated.
✐ The software supports 4K alignment on SSD while cloning, which helps to improve its performance.
✐ It can be used on various operating systems, including Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, XP, and Vista, and also has a server version available.
To migrate data from an HDD/SSD to a Samsung SSD, start by downloading and installing the Samsung Data Migration Software on your computer. Then, connect the new Samsung SSD to your computer and launch the software.
Step 1. To migrate data to a Samsung SSD, first install the SSD on your PC and ensure it can be detected properly. Then, download, install, and open Qiling Disk Master Professional to begin the data migration process.
The free trial version of the clone feature can only be used to demonstrate its capabilities, and full functionality can only be accessed by upgrading to a paid plan.
Step 2. When you land in the main interface, click Clone > Disk Clone to clone the entire disk, or Clone > System Clone to clone only the operating system to the Samsung SSD.
Step 3. Select current hard drive as the source disk.
Step 4. Select the Samsung SSD as the target disk.
Tip: Be aware that cloning the destination disk will overwrite its contents, so it's essential to backup files beforehand to prevent data loss. If you don't, your data will be deleted after the cloning process.
Step 5. Check the "SSD Alignment" box and click "Proceed". If you want to clone every sector of the old hard drive, please tick "Sector by sector clone".
👉 Helpful features:
The Edit Partitions feature allows for resizing partitions on the target disk or converting the destination disk from MBR/GPT to GPT/MBR.
To clone every sector of a hard drive, you can use the sector by sector clone option, which clones every sector of the source drive to the target drive. This requires the target drive to be equal to or larger in size than the source drive.
FAQs about Samsung Data Migration
Samsung Data Migration completion time is generally under one hour, depending on the amount of data being transferred and disk interface.
This software can help transfer user data, operating system, application, and software from a storage device (HDD/SSD) to a new Samsung SSD, cloning the whole disk.
This error may occur when transferring large files or partitions to a Samsung SSD due to issues such as a malfunctioning SATA port or adaptor, outdated Samsung Data Migration software, or corruption/bad sectors on either the source or target SSD.
Your turn
When you encounter Samsung Data Migration not starting problem, you can refer to this article and find the common fixes to get it done. If the above methods don't work, consider using Qiling Disk Master as an alternative disk cloning software.
When you finish the data migration process, you may need to secure erase the old drive for other use. As the best Samsung Magician alternative, this tool offers the secure Disk Wipe feature to enable Samsung SSD secure erase, making the wiped data unrecoverable. Give it a try, you won't regret!
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