How to Move OS to Another Drive | Updated Easiest Way

Is it possible to transfer an operating system from one hard drive to another without losing data? As the Reddit post reads, you might have been stuck by this question when you want to move OS from HDD to SSD or transfer OS to a new hard drive.

What is the easiest way to move OS from HDD to SSD?

Hi all. I have Windows 10 on my HDD, and I want to move it to an SSD. What's the easiest way? Should I install a fresh copy on the SSD, or is there a way to move the OS from the HDD to the SSD? Post from Reddit

How to move OS to another drive? Generally speaking, you will have 3 methods to migrate OS to another drive:

• Method 1. Use a dedicated disk cloning tool to copy operating system to new drive
• Method 2. Create a system image on an external disk and restore it to another drive
• Method 3. Download an ISO file of Windows and clean install it on a new drive

Method 1. Clone OS to Another Drive Without Losing Data

Follow through the OS disk migration process and set up your OS bootable on the new drive now:

#1. Preparations

• A New SSD/HDD (Bigger than the used space on your old hard drive)
• Run a surface test on your new drive to verify the drive's health
• Delete the temporary files to free up disk space on your system drive
• A USB to SATA cable or an external hard drive enclosure
• Ensure your PC is not infected with the virus, and the operating system is not damaged
• A Screwdriver to unscrew the PC case for replacing the hard drives

#2. Download the Best OS Migration Software - EaseUS Disk Copy

If you want to transfer everything, including Windows, apps, settings, and files, disk cloning is the best option. However, Windows lacks built-in disk cloning features. Therefore, you must use a third-party cloning tool to clone a hard drive.

If you want an easy-to-use and powerful cloning program, EaseUS Disk Copy can meet your needs. It is regarded as one of the best disk cloning software programs and enables you to transfer the OS to a new hard drive with a few clicks. 

EaseUS Disk Copy is an easy-to-use and versatile disk clone program for Windows PCs, which can help you clone a hard drive from different makers. It can help clone your system, disk, partition, etc., and transfer Windows from HDD to SSD without losing data. Due to its sector-by-sector cloning technology, it can also help you clone a hard drive with a bad sector.

In addition, it allows you to clone OS to a new drive and upgrade your HDD/SSD to a larger one. EaseUS Disk Copy can help you migrate only OS to another drive and clone the entire disk to another drive easily.

Get this powerful cloning software to transfer your OS to another drive without reinstalling Windows or losing data!

Video Tutorial About How to Transfer OS to Another Drive Using EaseUS Disk Copy:

#3. Transfer OS to New Hard Drive using EaseUS Disk Copy

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.

#4. Replace Hard Drive & Boot from the New Disk

After cloning, you are not done yet. One more operation that you need to follow - setting up the computer and booting OS from the new hard drive:

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

Step 2. Go to 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.

Troubleshooting Tips About Hard Drive Swapping and PC Booting:

Wait patiently to let the PC boot up. You will find that nothing has changed on your computer: the OS is bootable, the applications are functional, and the data is safely saved on the target disk. The only thing that changed is that you have switched the disk, and you can delete everything on the old disk and use it as a second data drive.

#5. Test & Verify a Successful OS Migration

When you clone OS to another disk, the OS migration may raise network, configuration, interface, and compatibility issues. To ensure smooth processes, it is best to evaluate the results of the OS migration.

• Check whether all data has been transferred completely.
• Check whether all data is consistent with the target system.
• Run apps to test system features and network connections.
• Check whether user experience & performance are enhanced.
• Check whether the functionality and usability of the system are satisfactory.

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Method 2. Move OS to Another Drive via Backup & Restore

If you prefer a Windows built-in way to migrate OS to another drive or move OS to new drive, you can use Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Typically, you need to create a Windows system image on one external disk and then restore the system image backup on your new drive. If you want a better solution, try professional backup and restore software - EaseUS Todo Backup. Follow the steps below to move operating system to another drive:

Part 1. Create a System Image on an External Drive

• Connect the external hard drive to your laptop via a USB-to-SATA cable or external hard drive enclosure, or install it internally on your desktop.
• Type Control Panel in the Windows search box and press Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
• Click Create a system image and select the external drive to store the system image.
• Choose which drives to back up, confirm backup settings, and click Start backup.

Part 2. Create a System Repair Disc or Recovery USB (Optional)

If your PC cannot boot on its own, you need to create a system repair disc or make a recovery USB drive. If your PC can boot as usual, you can skip this process.

Create Windows 10 Recovery USB

A Windows recovery USB is helpful when you want to repair or reinstall Windows 10 after a hardware failure or system crash. Read more >>

Part 3. Restore System Image to Another Drive

Connect the external disk (storing the system image backup) and the hard drive you want to install Windows on to your PC, and follow the steps below to transfer OS to new drive.

Step 1. Restart the PC to access the Windows Recovery Environment.

• In Windows 10, go to Settings > Update and Security > Recovery and press Restart now.
• In Windows 11,  go to Settings > System > Recovery and press Restart now.

Step 3. In the Choose an option window, press Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Image Recovery > See more recovery options.

Step 4. Select a system image backup> Use the latest available system image (recommended).

Step 5. Pick Format and repartition disks (enable this option to restore to a new hard drive) > Click Finish.

Then, follow the wizard to restore the system image to another drive. When the process is complete, replace the old drive with the new one and boot your PC from the new drive in the BIOS/UEFI settings. You will need to reinstall the apps on your new hard drive.

Method 3. Transfer OS to Another Drive by Fresh Installation

The last way to copy OS to another drive is to perform a fresh installation or clean installation. To clean install Windows on another drive, you need to download an ISO file of Windows, create a bootable USB using Rufus, and clean install Windows on a new drive. The following is how to clean install Windows on another drive:

Part 1. Create a Windows Bootable USB

You can use the Windows Media Creation Tool or Rufus to create a bootable USB. The Media Creation Tool will download a Windows ISO file and create a bootable USB.

Part 2. Replace Hard Drives & Boot PC from USB

After you have created a bootable USB drive, shut down your PC, remove the hard drive from your computer, and install the new drive. Connect the bootable USB and restart your computer. During the startup, press a key (F1, F2, F10, Del, Esc) to access the BIOS/UEFI settings to set the bootable USB as the first boot choice. Save the changes, exit the BIOS settings, and reboot your PC.

Part 3. Install Windows 10/11 on New Hard Drive

When your computer boots, you will enter the Windows setup wizard. Now, you can install Windows on a new hard drive by following the article below:

How to Install Windows on SSD Without Losing Data

This blog will show you how to install Windows on an SSD without losing data by cloning and performing a clean installation.. Read more >>

After the installation, you need to reinstall apps and transfer your data from the old hard drive to the new one.

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What's the Easiest Way to Move OS from One Drive to Another

Moving an operating system to a new drive effectively increases data access speed, enhances reliability, reduces power consumption, and prolongs service life.

You can use Backup and Restore (Windows 7) to make a system image backup & restore on a new drive for free, but the process is rather complicated. You need to create a Windows system image on another drive, create a Windows installation media on another drive to boot your PC, and perform a system image recovery on the new HDD or SSD, which may carry risks like data loss, file corruption, app incompatibility, etc.

You can also clean install Windows on the new disk by creating a Windows bootable USB, booting your computer from the USB, and installing Windows on the HDD or SSD partition, which is time-consuming and risks losing data. So, what is the best and easiest way to migrate OS to another drive?

Yes, cloning! Cloning can help you move your OS from HDD to SSD, old disk to new disk, smaller disk to larger disk, and larger disk to smaller disk. Most importantly, you will not lose your data or reinstall Windows. In the next part, you will learn how to migrate Windows to another drive via cloning!

Conclusion

On this page, we covered how to move OS to another drive by performing disk cloning, backup and restore, and clean installation. If you want a way without reinstalling the OS and applications, use EaseUS Disk Copy. It can help you transfer your OS to a new hard drive with a few simple clicks without reinstalling Windows or losing data.

In addition, it can also help you resize your disk partition during the cloning process and create a WinPE boot disk to help you boot your computer. Also, remember to follow the OS drive setup guide, making Windows bootable on the new drive. Just download it to your PC to explore its practical features. 

FAQs on How to Move Windows to Another Drive

1. Can you transfer Windows OS from one drive to another?

To move operating system (OS) to a new drive, you can use a disk cloning tool like EaseUS Disk Copy, create a system image and restore to a new disk, or perform a fresh installation of OS on the new drive. Using disk clone software is the simplest approach to migrate a Windows operating system directly and securely to another drive without reinstalling OS or losing data.

2. How do I move my OS from C drive to SSD?

If you want to transfer your C drive to a new SSD, you must use professional cloning software like EaseUS Disk Copy to help you. It can help you move your Windows from an HDD to an SSD without reinstalling Windows.

3. What is the best way to move OS to a new hard drive Mac?

To move Mac OS from one drive to another:

Method 1. Using Disk Utility

• Open Disk Utility.
• Select your current macOS disk in the sidebar.
• Click Edit > Restore.
• Select the new disk as the destination.
• Wait for the cloning process to complete(It may take several hours).
• Boot from the new disk (hold Option (⌥) during startup).

Method 2. Using Time Machine

• Backup Using Time Machine: Connect an external disk and use Time Machine to back up your current macOS drive to it.
• Install macOS on the New Drive: Boot into Recovery Mode (Command + R), erase the new disk, and install macOS.
• Restore from Time Machine: During setup, select Restore from Time Machine Backup and select the backup file you want to restore.

4. What is the easiest way to move OS from HDD to SSD?

Cloning is the easiest way to transfer OS from one disk to another because it lets you transfer everything from one drive to another without reinstalling the OS, losing data, or reconfiguring settings.

5. How do you perform a clean install of an operating system?

• Download the ISO image of your Windows OS.
• Create bootable installation media.
• Replace the old drive with the new one.
• Boot the computer from the installation media.
• Install Windows on the new drive.
• Set the new drive as the boot drive in BIOS/UEFI.