How to move windows 10 to ssd

Easily Migrate Windows 10 to SSD without Reinstalling OS Now! [Clone Disk]

By Vera | Follow | Last Updated May 21, 2020

Summary :

Here are two common questions from you: can I transfer Windows 10 to a new hard drive? How do I move Windows 10 to a new SSD? Of course, you can easily migrate Windows 10 to a new disk like SSD without reinstalling operating system. This post shows you the best SSD cloning software Windows 10.

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«I recently upgraded from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10. My Windows 8.1 was originally installed on a small SSD in my laptop. When I upgraded to Windows 10, it installed to my larger HDD. Is there a way to migrate my OS to the SSD without having to uninstall all my program files?» answers.microsoft.com

From the example above, it is shown that this Microsoft user wants to move his operating system from HDD to SSD due to the large disk space utilization after upgrading to Windows 10. Here in this post, we will show you how to move Windows 10 to another hard drive like SSD.

How to Migrate Windows 10 to SSD without Reinstalling OS?

How to transfer an OS to SSD? Actually, it is not as difficult as a lot of people think as long as a piece of professional third-party clone software could be available to help. In this article, we are going to show you some necessary instructions to transfer Windows from HDD to SSD properly.

Preparation:

Before you migrate Windows 10 to SSD without reinstalling OS, there are some things you need to note for this migration or clone job.

1. Prepare an SSD as the destination disk. Please note the disk space of SSD can’t be smaller than the used disk space of the source disk.
2. Possess a cloning software. In the software market, many kinds of cloning tools are provided. Here we will show you the best SSD cloning software for Windows 10 — MiniTool Partition Wizard.

MiniTool Partition Wizard

If you want your computer to boot quickly, just migrate Windows 10 to SSD by cloning the system drive with the assistance of a disk clone software. If you are searching for such a program, MiniTool Partition Wizard is a good choice.

With MiniTool Partition Wizard, you can resize partition, recover lost partition, rebuild MBR, clone disk, migrate OS and do many more. If you need to migrate Windows 10 to a new hard drive, for example, SSD, try out this software.

Here is how to move Windows 10 to SSD.

Step 1: Run MiniTool Partition Wizard to transfer OS to SSD.

1. Prepare an SSD as the destination disk and connect it to your computer.
2. Launch this PC cloning software to its main interface. You will then see all the hard drives in your PC listed here.
3. Select Migrate OS to SSD/HD Wizard from the Wizard menu to transfer Windows 10 to SSD.

Step 2: Select a method for Windows 10 transfer to SSD.

There are two migration modes. Just check one according to your need in order to migrate Windows 10 to SSD without data loss.

1. If you would like to replace the system disk with SSD, choose the first mode. The function of this option is the same as Copy Disk feature.
2. Some of you may ask: how to migrate only Windows 10 to SSD without reinstalling system? Here, the second mode is suitable since it can copy only the system required partitions to a new hard drive or SSD.

Step 3: Select a destination disk.

1. Select to migrate/transfer Windows 10 to new hard drive like SSD.
2. Here note that all the data of the destination disk will be deleted during the migration. Thus, please make sure the disk doesn’t contain important files.

Step 4: Review the changes.

1. Choose a copy mode, Fit partitions to entire disk or Copy partitions without resizing.
2. Moreover, please check Align partitions to 1MB for your SSD. If you want to use GPT as the partition style of your SSD, please check Use GUID Partition Table for the target disk.
3. In the following figure, you can review all the changes you have made.

Step 5: Read the boot note.

A note will appear and tell you how to boot from the target disk.

Step 6: Apply all changes.

Execute the OS migration by hitting the Apply button.

Now, you have learned a lot of knowledge on how to move just Windows 10 to SSD. Interested in this software? Get it now to easily transfer OS from HDD to SSD.

How to clone a hard drive to SSD free in Windows 10/8/7? MiniTool software offers the best way to clone a hard drive from HDD to SSD or a new one.

Further Reading: Some Common Questions on Moving OS to SSD Windows 10

Q1: Can I transfer only Windows 10 OS from a 1TB SSD to a 256GB SSD but leave rest data on the original SSD?

The complete question that comes from our user is as follows:

As for this question, the target drive is smaller than the original drive. To clone Windows 10 to smaller SSD successfully, you need to make sure the new SSD has enough space to hold the entire operating system.

On the other hand, you are able to migrate only Windows 10 to SSD without reinstalling OS easily, and leave the rest of the data on the original SSD. Just try the Migrate OS to SSD/HD Wizard in Partition Wizard to move OS partitions only (option B).

Q2: How to clone hard drive to SSD in Windows 10 without reinstalling OS?

If all you want to do is to make an exact clone of the old hard drive to the SSD with all the intact programs and files, you can also use the Migrate OS to SSD/HD Wizard — option A to clone hard drive to SSD. Additionally, you can use its Copy Disk feature which is similar to Option A.

Will this work with WD my passport and if it can, will it boot normally?

If I were to take unallocated space from my passport and move Windows to the unallocated space, will it boot then or will it just be the same?

MiniTool Partition Wizard can easily move Windows 10 to an SSD that comes from Western Digital (WD), Samsung, Toshiba, ADATA, SanDisk, etc.

It might be unbootable if the new SSD is connected via USB. In general, Windows can’t boot from a USB connected drive, but you can try connecting the target drive via SATA if possible. If you want to boot from target disk, you need to set boot priority in BIOS.

Please note: the Migrate OS to SSD/HD Wizard can’t move Windows to a specific unallocated space, it will erase data on the whole target drive.

Q4: How do I move space from D drive to C drive Windows 10?

This question is also asked by you after migrating Windows 10 to a new hard drive like SSD.

If you find C drive is small, you can easily move space from D to C drive with MiniTool Partition Wizard. As a professional partition manager, it can resize partition and extend partition with its powerful features.

Why Migrate Windows 10 to SSD

Now two pieces of best SSD cloning software Windows 10 has been introduced. Some of you probably want to know the reason for transferring your OS to SSD. Here let’s analyze this question in two aspects and help you learn OS migration to SSD well.

Why Use SSD for OS Disk

If your computer is struggling to load some large files and run many applications at the same time or you want to speed some things up a little, upgrading your old HDD to a solid state drive (SSD) is the surest way. Why?

It is because of the merits of SSD. Compared to HDD, SSD has many advantages, for example, it doesn’t have noise and moving parts, it is less likely to get damaged. Above all, the read-write speed of SSD is very fast. In order to speed up your computer, using an SSD as OS disk will be a good choice.

Why Do OS Migration

Suppose you have installed Windows 10 on an HDD, but now you want to boot your computer from SSD for the best performance. In this case, usually, the simplest way is to perform a clean installation on the SSD. Nevertheless, this way is not the best solution. What’s the reason?

In a word, OS reinstallation is very time-consuming and troublesome since you need to install programs once again and data saved on C drive will be lost.

If you wouldn’t like to make a fresh OS installation on an SSD, there is a way to move the already installed Windows 10 to SSD without reinstalling OS. You can choose to migrate Windows 10 to SSD.

Bottom Line

Here comes to the end of this post. And you must have learned the necessary knowledge to migrate Windows 10 to SSD without reinstalling OS. Now, it’s your turn to use MiniTool Partition Wizard or MiniTool ShadowMaker to begin Windows 10 migration without losing data.

When using our software to transfer OS from HDD to SSD or clone hard drive to SSD, please tell us if there is any question. As for the method of system migration, if you have any suggestion, you can also inform us. Just leave a comment in the following zone or send an email to [email protected] .

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How to move Windows 10 to an SSD without reinstalling

• Moving your OS from a new SDD can improve the booting time and overall performance of the system.
• In this article, we’re showing you how to move an already installed system to an SSD , without performing a clean install .
• While you’re waiting for the transfer to complete, check out our full library of Windows 10 Guides. For sure you’ll find something useful!
• For even more guides, see our Laptop & PC Troubleshooting Hub.

Windows 10 already has improved booting time compared to previous versions of Windows, but moving it from a regular HDD to a new SDD will improve the booting time and overall performance of the system even more.

Many users are wondering if can they move the OS to an SSD without losing any data. There are a couple of ways to transfer your system data from your current HDD to a new SDD, and we’re going to talk about all of them in this article.

Probably the simplest solution is performing a clean install on the SSD drive, but you will lose all your data, and you’ll have to install all your programs once again.

And it could take even more time than moving an already installed operating system. But if you don’t like to experiment, you might choose this path.

Installing a fresh copy of Windows 10 on an SSD drive is no different than installing it on an HDD. You have to format your current system partition, and then just install the fresh copy of Windows 10 on an SSD.

How do I move Windows 10 to an SDD?

But there’s also a way to move already installed system to an SSD, without performing a clean install. All you have to do is to clone your system partition to the SSD, and you’re good to go.

In short, you need to back up your drive, reduce your disk space, copy your system partition to the SSD, and format the system partition on your HDD.

Is that all so simple? No, it requires some work on your side to move the OS properly. And in the remainder of the article, we’re going to show you all the necessary instructions to move your installed system to the SSD drive properly.

But before all, you must backup your data, because if something goes wrong, you might lose it forever, and it will be required for the process.

When you backed up your drive, it’s time to get rid of the additional disk space, because SSDs have much less space than regular hard disks, so we want your system partition to fit on the SSD drive.

So, delete your personal files, music, photos, videos, and particularly all non-system files to make your partition as small as possible. It’s okay to delete your personal stuff because you’ll be able to get it back from the backup, once the process is done.

It is also recommended to perform a defragmentation of your system hard drive before you move it on the SSD.

And now, it’s finally time to move your Windows 10 to the SSD! To do so, follow one of these steps.

How do I transfer my OS from HDD to SSD?

1. Use Laplink PCMover

Laplink PCMover is a small desktop application that can help you to easily move all your files, settings, and user profiles to your SSD. All you need to do is download the software and follow the simple wizard steps.

With Laplink PCMover, the whole process is hasslefree, extremely user-friendly, and intuitive. The programs are installed and ready to use right away.

Extremely important, you don’t need OS images, DVDs, download links, OS keys, or similar. You just need to configure the transfer and the tool will do the rest for you!

Laplink PCMover

How do I use Laplink PCMover to transfer my OS?

1. First, download Laplink PCMover on both your computer and your SSD. (Make sure the SSD is connected to your computer at all stages of the process.)
2. Then, open the tool on both your PC and SSD.
3. Choose which network method you will use to connect your systems for the transfer. Laplink recommends using WiFi.
4. Then follow the on-screen prompts to allow the tool to discover the SSD (seen as New PC).
5. Once the two are connected, open Laplink PCMover on the SSD.
6. Click on Analyze PC, then follow the prompts to customize what you want to be transferred and allow the transfer to complete.

It will take a few hours for the process to finish.

2. Use AOMEI Backupper

1. First of all, you need to download and install the AOMEI Backupper to your machine.
2. Then, you need to connect your hard drive to your computer.
3. Now, go to Clonea, then to System Clone to launch the process.
4. Your machine should now display a new window asking you where you want to move the OS files. Select your SSD and confirm your choice.
5. Hit Next and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. It’s as simple as that.

• Disaster recovery solution
• Real-time file&folder syncing
• Supports Windows 10, 8.1/8, 7

If Windows won’t activate after the cloning process is complete, follow this guide to solve the problem.

And that’s about that, your Windows 10 is now successfully moved to the SSD drive, and it will perform a lot faster from now on.

How to restore your personal files and user folders

Since you probably don’t have enough space on your SSD, we’ll have to restore your files to the old, formatted HDD drive.

First, go to your old drive (which is now completely empty), and create a new folder to store all your user folders and personal files. Name it whatever you want (we used WinReport).

Now, go to C:Users and you should see all your user folders there. Right-click on each one, go to Properties and then go to Location tab.

Click on the Move button, and choose your newly created folder as the target. And all your user folders, like Desktop, Downloads, Documents, Pictures, Music, etc. should all be placed on your old HDD Drive.

And finally, the only thing left to do is restoring your personal files. To restore your personal files to the old HDD drive, follow these steps:

1. Open your backup (whatever you chose to be your backup destination, cloud, external storage, another partition, etc.)
2. And now drag all your user files (documents, music, pictures, and other files) to your new My Documents, My Music, and other folders.

By doing this, all your personal files will be accessible, besides the fact that they’re not on the system partition. But you may need to change the settings of your favorite apps and games because they’ll probably save files in the old My Documents.

If you’re looking to reinstall your Windows 10 apps on the new drive, check out this guide for a seamless transition.

That would be all, we presented you a full guide on how to move your Windows 10 system from your old HDD partition to the SSD, and how to get everything to work.

If you followed our instructions, and successfully moved your system to the SSD, please tell us your impressions in the comments section below and we’ll be sure to take a look.

FAQ: Read more about solutions to move your OS

We recommend using a third-party tool that will do this for you. Check out this guide on how to migrate your OS to an SSD.

• How big should an SSD be for Windows 10?

It’s recommended to have at least 20GB of free space on your new SSD to transfer or install Windows 10.

• What is the best SSD for Windows 10?

There are a lot of options out there, but narrow down the list by looking at capacity, transfer speed, and of course, price. We have some recommendations in this updated list of the best SSDs on the market.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2015 and has been updated for freshness, and accuracy in June 2020.

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