When you need to clone Windows 10 from HDD to smaller SSD without reinstalling the operating system, you can use the "system clone" feature of EaseUS Todo Backup to do it with ease. This tool enables you to migrate OS to smaller SSD with no startup problems easily.
"Can I clone Windows 10 HDD to a smaller SSD? My computer becomes slower and slower after upgrading to Windows 10. I've heard that SSD works more efficiently than HDD, then I bought a new 128 GB SSD (smaller than the old HDD), trying to resolve the issue by cloning OS from HDD to the smaller SSD. But the problem is I don't know how to do it. Can anyone show me how to make it?"
How to move OS to smaller SSD?
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With the fast spread of SSD, more and more computer and laptop manufacturers are using SSD as system disk to optimize system performance and speed up the device for worldwide users.
Here are SSD's advantages compared with HDD:
Thus, more and more users, especially the game players, are trying to clone OS from HDD for SSD on their computers to improve performance.
But how to migrate Windows 10 from HDD to smaller SSD? Can you clone a larger hard drive to a smaller SSD without reinstalling Windows? If you are having the same problem, relax! Here, you'll find an effective and simple method to clone OS to SSD.
EaseUS Disk Copy is a perfect and professional tool for disk and partition cloning. Its disk clone feature automatically selects the current HDD and target SSD to be cloned, ensuring that the disk can be properly started after migration. This cloning software supports resizing partitions when copying a disk and cloning HDD to SSD with different sizes. You can use it to copy an HDD to a smaller SSD and clone a corrupted hard drive.
Actually, how to clone HDD to smaller SSD is a simple task. One important thing is that the smaller SSD hard disk has enough capacity to fit the contents of the HDD disk.
Another primary feature of EaseUS Disk Copy is partition clone. If your important files are all stored in one partition, you can use it to accomplish the partition clone.
In addition to these main functions, EaseUS Disk Copy can clone NVMe SSD to NVMe SSD and create a bootable disk, which can solve the problem that OS can not be used. When you finish creating a bootable disk, you can go ahead and do the disk/partition clone.
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You can follow the video tutorial or detailed steps provided below to migrate OS (Windows 10/8/7) to smaller SSD without reinstalling Windows. If you need to clone a laptop HDD to SSD, you can click it to get further reading.
For a direct guide, you may follow the video tutorial to clone OS with everything from HDD to a smaller SSD:
Step 1: In "Disk Mode", select the HDD that you want to clone.
Step 2: Select the SSD as your destination.
Step 3: Edit the disk layout and then click "Proceed" to continue.
As the destination is an SSD, you are suggested to tick "Check the option if the target is SSD".
A warning message tells you that the data on the SSD will be erased. Click "OK" to continue if you do not have important data on the destination disk.
Step 4: Wait for the process to complete.
After this, insert your new SSD into your computer, reboot the PC, and change the boot order in BIOS to set computer to boot from new SSD with Windows 10 system:
Method 1: Change HDD or fix the source disk error.
The HDD hard drive itself may have disk errors. You shall change a new HDD disk or fixing HDD errors before cloning to a smaller SSD.
Method 2: Do not take out HDD to another computer.
If you insert HDD to another computer, the HDD's operating environment will change, so your cloned SSD won't boot after cloning hard drive to smaller SSD.
Method 3: Use a common sata cable for connecting SSD.
If you use a USB cable to connect the target hard drive, the computer will recognize it as an external disk. So, the cloned disk won't boot after the cloning process is completed.
This article details how to clone OS from HDD to smaller SSD via cloning. Cloning can help you migrate Windows to smaller SSD without reinstalling the OS again or losing any data. To achieve this, you will need to find a reliable HDD to SSD cloning software because Windows does not have built-in cloning solutions.
EaseUS Disk Copy is an efficient cloning solution for all Windows PC users. It can help you clone HDD to smaller SSD or bigger SSD in just 3 steps. Download and try this easy-to-use OS migration software!
1. How to clone a larger disk to a smaller one?
To clone a larger disk to a smaller one, you must turn to professional disk clone software, such as Clonezilla or EaseUS Disk Copy, for help. This is because Windows has no built-in cloning solutions.
2. How long does it take to clone a 1TB hard drive to SSD?
It depends. It will take about 1 or 2 hours. The data size and method of transfer will affect the transferring speed largely.
3. What to do before cloning HDD to SSD?
Check the hard drive's storage. Ensure that there is adequate space on the hard drive you are copying to accommodate all of your data on the old drive. Space issues are common, especially when switching from an HDD to an SSD. If the previous HDD with a capacity of 1TB, make sure your new SSD can accommodate the 1TB capacity.
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