How to Clone SSD to HDD Windows 10/11 (Keep All Files & Apps)

Nowadays, many users want to clone HDD to SSD for better performance, such as faster boot time and higher durability. However, this doesn't mean HDDs go out of data storage devices. Instead, HDDs are cheaper and allow you to have more storage space. Whether you plan to switch from SSD to HDD or create a backup of SSD on HDD, you can clone SSD to HDD. EaseUS will walk you through how to clone SSD to HDD Windows 10/11 without losing data.

Best SSD to HDD Clone Software Free Download for Windows

You can clone an SSD to an HDD on your Windows, but you must use professional SSD-to-HDD cloning software because Windows 10/11 does not have preinstalled cloning settings. Selecting the right software to clone SSD to a hard drive will save time and effort and avoid issues like boot or data loss. If you want a safe and reliable disk cloning program, EaseUs Disk Copy will never disappoint you.

EaseUS Disk Copy is reliable and efficient cloning software that lets you clone HDDs or SSDs from different manufacturers. It lets you clone hard drives with different sizes, so you can clone a larger SSD to a smaller HDD or clone a larger HDD to a smaller SSD. If your original hard drives have bad sectors, it can help you copy a hard drive bit for bit to skip the bad sectors. With EaseUS cloning software, you can benefit from:

EaseUS clone software can help you clone a hard drive with 3 simple clicks due to its simple UI design. If you want a simple yet powerful cloning solution, download it on your PC and use it to clone disks.

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Stepwise Guide to Clone SSD to HDD Without Losing Data

After downloading the EaseUS Disk Copy, you can clone SSD to a hard disk drive. Some tips deserve your attention before cloning:

Prior Notice:

• The "Sector by sector copy" asks the size of your destination disk to be at least equal to or larger than that of the source disk. Leave this feature unchecked if you wish to clone a larger hard disk to a smaller hard disk.
• All data on the destination disk will be completely erased, so take care.

Step 1. To start copying/cloning an entire disk to another, choose this disk as the source disk under "Disk Mode" and click "Next".

Step 2. Choose the other disk as the destination disk.

Step 3. Check the disk layout of the two disks. You can manage the disk layout of the destination disk by selecting "Autofit the disk", "Copy as the source" or "Edit disk layout". 

• "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.

A message now appears, warning you that data will be lost. Please confirm this message by clicking "OK" and then click "Next".

Step 4. Click "Proceed" to officially execute the task.

If you want to use the HDD as your boot drive, you must replace the hard drive. If you use a desktop, you can install the HDD in the disk slot, restart your computer, and go to BIOS settings to set it as your first boot drive. After that, you can format the old SSD to use as your storage device.

If you use a laptop, you need to replace the hard drive manually: open the back case with a screwdriver, locate the old SSD and unplug the power cables and other wires, remove the old SSD from the disk tray, and install the HDD. After these steps, restart your laptop, which will boot from the HDD.

To Wrap Things Up

This article describes how to clone SSD to HDD on Windows 10/11 with everything you need to know. Using EaseUS Disk Copy, you can clone SSD to HDD with several simple clicks without losing data or reinstalling Windows. As one of the best disk cloning software, EaseUS Disk Copy has much to be pointed out. Free download it on your computer to explore its features and clone a hard drive.

FAQs on How to Clone SSD to HDD on Windows 10/11

1. How long does it take to clone SSD to HDD?

The time to clone SSD to a hard disk drive depends. It will take longer if your original hard drive has a large amount of data. In addition, the disk cloning software you use and the connection cables will also affect the cloning speed.

2. How do I copy from SSD to HDD?

To copy files from SSD to HDD, you can manually copy and paste files. However, the manual procedure can only copy the basic files, not system files or programs. You'd better perform disk cloning if you want to transfer everything from your SSD to an HDD. To this end, EaseUS Disk Copy comes to help.

3. What's the best way to clone a drive with Windows 10?

Using EaseUS Disk Copy is the best and most effective way to clone a hard drive with Windows installed. You can also clone a hard drive for free using free disk cloning software like Clonezilla and Rescuezilla. 

4. How to move Windows 10 from HDD to SSD?

Cloning can help you migrate Windows from HDD to SSD without reinstalling Windows. All you need to do is find a reliable disk cloning tool to help you. You can also clean install Windows 10 onto the new SSD. To do this, you need to download the Windows 10 ISO file, use the Windows Media Creation Tool or Rufus to make a bootable USB, and then apply it to install Windows 10 on the new SSD.