Here’s a simple method for transferring your Windows operating system installation and all data to a new drive.
Take Important Note of this Things Before You Begin:
Disk cloning is a process that involves moving an existing Windows installation to another drive. This involves selecting the source drive and the destination drive, configuring the boot drive, and booting from the new drive quickly.
Samsung Magician Software is a manufacturer-specific data migration tool that can be used to transfer Windows to another drive. Also, it can be used to check if your PC manufacturer offers a cloning solution.
CloneZilla is a premium third-party utility for creating disk images, cloning, and PC backup, offering a superior solution compared to other tools like Acronis, EaseUS Disk Copy, and DiskGenius due to its ease of use and less intrusive design.
To replace your HDD with a SATA SSD, install the drive on a laptop or PC, ensure it’s detected in the Disk Management utility, and initialize the SSD before use. Use a SATA-to-USB cable to clone the disk before swapping the drive.
Do This to Move Windows to Another Drive with Macrium Reflect:
Macrium Reflect is a Windows storage backup and cloning tool available for download on the Macrium Reflect website. Users can purchase a license or try a free trial. A download link is sent after entering details, allowing users to install the app on their computer following on-screen instructions.
To ensure proper functioning, ensure the new drive has sufficient space compared to your current drive, as disk cloning may delete all data on the destination drive.
To move Windows to another drive, launch Macrium Reflect, locate your Windows installation drive in the Local Disks tab, and click the Clone this disk option.
In the Clone dialog, select the source drive and check all partitions.
Next, select the destination drive to move the Windows files, then click Select a disk to clone to and choose your destination drive from the list.
To erase data from a destination drive, click the Erase Disk option.
To move the installation, select the Copy selected partitions and click the ‘Next’ option.
If you encounter an error with too many primary partitions, click the Copy Partitions option and choose Shrink or extend to fill the target disk.
Click Finish to schedule a drive cloning, read the summary, and proceed with the cloning process.
To boot from a newly cloned drive:
Also, you may need to replace your existing SATA drive with it. Except when moving Windows from SATA to M.2 SSD.
To set your new drive as the main boot drive in the BIOS or UEFI settings. Press the F10 key during restart. Shut down your computer, press the power button to turn it on, and press the Esc key to view the Startup menu. In the BIOS utility, go to Boot Options and select the newly cloned drive. Press F10 to save it as the boot drive.
Finally, navigate to the Exit tab and select Save Changes and Exit. If successful, your computer will restart and boot from the new drive. Disk cloning is an easy way to move Windows 10 or 11 to another drive, and in rare cases, a Windows activation issue may resolve within 24 hours.
However, installing the cloned drive on a different computer and booting from it won’t activate Windows. Because, the digital license is tied to your system’s motherboard. If you plan to install the cloned drive on another computer or new hardware. link your Windows product key to your Microsoft Account first.
