[Windows Clone] How to Clone OS in Windows 11/10/8/7

This article is for users with the following questions:

• ❓How to clone OS to SSD without reinstalling the Windows operating system?
• ❓How to clone OS to new SSD?
• ❓How to clone OS to from HDD to SSD?
• ❓How to clone OS to larger/smaller disk?
• ❓How to clone the system disk without any boot problems?

"So I just got a second laptop next to identical to mine. It has a 2 TB HDD while my current is a 512GB HDD. I’m not sure if I will swap them not or yet, but regardless the new laptop does not have an installed OS.

Is there a way to take the existing OS on my current laptop, clone it, and boot it into a removable USB to install on the new HDD? Or do I need to just bite it and purchase a new Windows 10 OS?"

Cloning the operating system can prevent data loss, and make upgrading to a new hard drive or SSD much easier. Instead of reinstalling Windows and all your applications from scratch, disk cloning lets you copy the entire system, including files, settings, applications, and boot information, onto another drive. This ensures your computer runs exactly as before, but with improved performance and storage. In this guide, we'll explain how to clone Windows OS safely and effectively.

When You Need to Clone OS

When your computer shows signs of slowing down or your hard drive is running out of space, cloning OS can save time and prevent data loss. Instead of reinstalling everything from scratch, disk cloning lets you migrate your entire system quickly and safely. Common scenarios include:

• Old HDD Showing Signs of Failure: Over time, hard drives may develop bad sectors, performance issues, or even crash completely. By cloning your system early, you ensure your data and operating environment remain intact.
• Change from HDD to SSD: Many users clone hard drive from HDD to SSD. This not only boosts boot speed and program performance but also keeps your familiar desktop, apps, and files without interruption.
• Sluggish System Performance: If your Windows system becomes slow, cloning OS to a new drive, especially an SSD, retains your current setup while significantly improving responsiveness.
• Creating an OS Backup: Before large updates or new software installs, cloning provides a reliable backup. You can restore the system instantly if something goes wrong.
• Expande Storage Space: When your disk is full, clone Windows to a larger drive to gain more space without reinstalling the OS or applications.

Free Download Windows OS Cloning Software - EaseUS Disk Copy

How to clone OS to a new hard drive without reinstalling the OS and make sure that it can boot successfully? Cloning the Windows operating system and data copying is not the same, and can not be done by the simple copy-and-paste method. But don't worry, there are some OS cloning programs clone out there that will do the job for you. All you have to do is choose a professional and trusted application.

EaseUS Disk Copy comes with a disk cloning feature that enables you to easily clone your files, operating system, and applications to another HDD or SSD without data loss. You can use this Windows clone tool to:

• Clone system, disk, and partition
• Migrate Windows 10 from HDD to SSD without any data loss
• Transfer Windows 10 to a USB flash drive
• Clone OS from HDD to smaller SSD
• Transfer data from one disk to another without any loss

Now, download the freeware and take a look at the following step-by-step guide to clone OS.

Apart from the OS cloning and migration tool, there are some other preparations you need to do to ensure a smooth and successful Windows OS cloning.

How to Clone OS to HDD/SSD in Windows 10/8/7 (with Video Guide)

With all the preparation done, follow the step-by-step guide below to use EaseUS Disk Copy to clone OS to a new hard disk quickly. To boot your computer from the cloned hard drive, you need to restart your computer, enter BIOS, change the boot order, and make the new hard drive as the first boot device.

Click the button below and activate EaseUS system clone software in advance.

1. Clone System Disk to New Hard Drive Using EaseUS OS Cloning Software

Step 1. To clone OS from one hard drive to another, choose the target disk in "System Mode" and click "Next".

Step 2. Adjust the disk layout of the target disks. You can manage the disk layout of the destination disk by selecting "Autofit the disk", "Copy as the source" or "Edit disk layout". Then, click Proceed.

• "Autofit the disk" makes some changes by default on the destination disk layout so that it can work at its best status.
• "Copy as the source"does not change anything on destination disk and the layout is the same as source disk.
• "Edit disk layout" allows you to manually resize/move partition layout on this destination disk.

Tick the "Check the option if the target is SSD" option to put your SSD in its best performance.

Step 3. A message now appears, warning you that data on the target disk will be lost. Please confirm this message by clicking "Continue".

Step 4. Wait for the cloning process to complete.

2. Set Up Windows OS Boot from the Cloned Hard Drive

After cloning, you need to do the rest operation to ensure a smooth start.

Step 1. Restart PC and press F2/F12/Del keys to enter BIOS.

Step 2. Click the boot option, change the boot order, and set OS to boot from the new disk.

Step 3. Save the changes, exit BIOS, and restart the PC.

🎥Video Tutorial: How to Clone OS Disk to New HDD/SSD

Here, you'll learn how to clone the OS disk to another new HDD or SSD with booting issues. Let's check:

Conclusions

The EaseUS OS cloning feature offers you the easiest solution to clone Windows OS to a new hard drive, including a bigger HDD or smaller SSD. It also supports partition clones to move data from the old disk to a new one or clone MBR disk to GPT disk or GPT disk to MBR.

For any problem using the tool, you can contact our technical support for help via live chat or email support: support@easeus.com.

How to Clone OS FAQs

Here are a few questions related to the Windows clone. If you also have any of these problems, you can find the methods here.

Can I clone just the operating system?

Cloning the operating system needs the cloning of the system partition and boot partition. In order to solve the problem that the system partition and the boot partition are not on the same disk and the computer cannot be booted properly after cloning, you'd better use the disk cloning feature to clone the Windows operating system.

Will clone a hard drive clone the OS?

Cloning a hard drive can clone the OS if the source drive is a system disk. In that case, the entire operating system, boot files, applications, and settings are copied, making the target drive bootable. If it's just a data disk, only files and partitions are cloned, not the OS.

What is the best free cloning software?

You can use the free trial EaseUS disk cloning to help you clone a disk or partition. It can easily upgrade your hard drive from the old disk to a new one or clone the MBR disk to a GPT disk or GPT disk to MBR.

Is cloning Windows illegal?

No, cloning a Windows hard drive is generally not illegal if you follow Microsoft's license terms. You can clone your system drive for personal use, such as moving Windows to a new SSD in the same computer. But transferring the cloned installation to another device may violate the license agreement.

How can I clone my entire OS to a bootable USB stick?

You can clone your entire OS to a bootable USB stick by using disk cloning software.

• Connect a USB drive with enough capacity to hold your system data.
• Launch a cloning tool and select your system disk as the source and the USB stick as the target.
• Make sure to choose the option to copy system and boot partitions so the USB becomes bootable.
• After cloning, you may need to adjust BIOS/UEFI settings to boot from USB.

This method allows you to carry a portable version of your OS or keep a full system backup.