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How to Move Windows to Another Drive: This Is the Easiest Method
- Disk cloning is the simplest method for moving Windows OS and data to a new drive, using software like Macrium Reflect or manufacturer-specific tools.
- Ensure the new drive is detected, initialized, and has sufficient space before cloning.
- After cloning, set the new drive as the boot drive in BIOS or UEFI settings to boot from it.
Whether you are upgrading from HDD to SSD or installing a bigger capacity drive, here’s the easiest way to move your existing Windows operating system installation and all the data to another drive.
Important Things to Consider Before You Begin
Disk cloning is the process of moving an existing Windows installation to another drive. While a backup image also works, it unnecessarily complicates the process. With disk cloning, you choose your source drive (the current system drive) and your destination drive (the new drive) and then configure the boot drive. Once you have done that, you’ll be booting from your new drive in no time.
To move Windows to another drive, you need migration software. You have two options for this. First, you can use a manufacturer-specific data migration tool like the Samsung Magician Software or Acronis True Image for Crucial SSDs. You can check whether your PC manufacturer offers a cloning solution.
If you can't find a first-party migration tool, you can use Macrium Reflect. It’s a premium third-party utility for creating disk images, cloning, and PC backup. Other disk cloning software includes Acronis, EaseUS Disk Copy, CloneZilla, and DiskGenius. However, Macrium Reflect gets the edge because to its ease of use and less intrusive design.
Before we begin, it’s important to install your new SSD/HDD drive on a laptop or PC and make sure it’s detected in the Disk Management utility. You may also need to initialize the SSD before you can use it. If you are trying to replace your HDD with a SATA SSD, you’ll need a SATA-to-USB cable to clone disk before swapping the drive.
How to Move Windows to Another Drive Using Macrium Reflect
Macrium Reflect is a premium storage backup and cloning tool for Windows. Go to the Macrium Reflect website and download the Home version of the tool. You can purchase a license or opt for a free trial. After entering your details, you'll receive a download link in your email. Use this link to download the installer and run it on your computer. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the app.
To prevent any issues, make sure the new drive has equal or more space than your current drive or disk cloning won’t work. It will delete all the data on the destination drive, so don't forget to back up anything important.
Once done, follow these steps to move Windows to another drive:
- Launch Macrium Reflect to start the cloning process. In the Local Disks tab, locate and select your Windows installation drive. Then click the Clone this disk option.
- A new Clone dialog will open, showing the Windows installation drive selected as the source. Make sure all the partitions of the source drive are selected with a check mark.
- Now, you need to select the destination (new) drive to which the Windows files will be moved. Click Select a disk to clone to and choose your destination drive from the list.
- Then click the Erase Disk option to erase all the data from the destination drive.
- To move the installation, select the Copy selected partitions when I click Next option in the bottom-right corner. Then click Next to continue.
- If you get the too many primary partitions, nothing copied error, then click the Copy Partitions option and choose the Shrink or extend to fill the target disk option. Click Next to continue.
- On the next screen, you can schedule the clone. To clone immediately, click Next. Read the summary of drive cloning and click Finish.
- In the pop-up menu, select the Run this backup now and Save as a backup definition file box. Agree to any warnings and click OK.
- Depending on your disk size, this process may take some time to complete. Once the clone is complete, both drives will look the same in Macrium Reflect.
Set Your New Drive as the Boot Drive
To boot from your newly cloned drive, you may need to replace your existing SATA drive with it, except when moving Windows from SATA to M.2 SSD. Regardless, you’ll need to set your new drive as the main boot drive in the BIOS or UEFI settings.
You can enter BIOS on Windows 10 and 11 by pressing the F10 key during restart. However, the hotkey can vary depending on the manufacturer. Instead, we’ll use the Esc key to access the start menu and proceed from there.
- Shut down your computer. Then press the power button to turn it on and press the Esc key repeatedly to view the Startup menu. In the startup menu, press the corresponding key to enter the BIOS or UEFI utility. In this instance, its F10 for the HP laptop.
- Once in the BIOS utility, go to Boot Options. Again, there may be some differences depending on your manufacturer, but anything related to 'Boot' is a good guess.
- Use the arrow keys to highlight OS Boot Manager, then press Enter to select it. In the OS Boot Manager dialog, select your newly cloned drive and 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 the easiest way to move Windows 10 or 11 to another drive. In rare instances, you might experience a Windows activation issue, but it’ll resolve on its own within 24 hours. However, remember that installing the cloned drive on a different computer and booting from it won’t activate Windows, as the digital license is tied to your system’s motherboard.
If you plan to install the cloned drive on another computer or new hardware, make sure to link your Windows product key to your Microsoft Account first. You can then sign in to Windows with your Microsoft account, and it will automatically activate the license.
