Over time, it’s common for the storage on your PC to fill up, necessitating an upgrade or replacement of the SSD. While the best laptops typically offer ample storage, moving your Windows installation and data to another drive is entirely feasible. This process applies to both Windows 11 and older versions of Windows.
When moving your Windows installation to a different drive, you can choose between using Windows itself or a third-party program. While tools like EaseUS Partition Master offer a convenient paid option for full drive cloning without a complex restore process, the built-in Windows solution, albeit slightly more intricate, is free. In this explanation, we’ll focus on the free built-in Windows solution.
What will you need to move Windows to another drive?
To successfully move Windows from one drive to another, you’ll need the following:
- The functioning Windows PC you want to back up.
- The drive you want to move Windows to (it must be larger than the source drive).
- An additional external drive to create the backup image.
- A flash drive with at least 16GB of storage to create the recovery image.
It’s crucial to note that all mentioned drives should be empty before starting the process, as their contents will be deleted. While you might already have the necessary equipment, it’s still a substantial amount. If you lack any of these items, consider exploring some of the options below.
Create a System Restore
The most cost-effective method to move your Windows system to another drive is by using the built-in Backup & Restore (Windows 7) feature, which is also available on Windows 11.
Here’s how to initiate the process:
- Open your Windows Start menu and search for Control Panel.
- In the Control Panel, click on Backup & Restore (Windows 7) from the list.
- Connect your external hard drive to the PC. This drive will store your Windows Backup.
- From the left sidebar, click on Create System Image.
- Select the drive where you’d like to store your backup. We recommend choosing the drive connected in the previous step. Avoid connecting any other drives to your PC to prevent confusion.
- Click on the Next button and choose the drives you want to back up. By default, the necessary drives for Windows to operate will be included in the backup. If you wish to include additional drives, you can select them manually. However, including more drives may impact your ability to restore the backup in the future.
- After clicking Next, you’ll encounter a warning message advising you of the potential deletion of files on your Backup Drive. Simply click on OK and then Start backup. Allow your PC to complete the task, which should take only a few minutes.
Create Windows Recovery Drive
Once you’ve created the system image, the subsequent step involves generating a recovery drive using the smaller USB flash drive. This recovery drive functions as a bootable environment, allowing you to restore the system image when you insert your new drive, which lacks an operating system. Here’s how to accomplish this:
- Insert the USB flash drive (with a minimum capacity of 16GB) into your PC.
- Press the Windows key, type “Create a recovery drive,” and select the corresponding option.
- In the Recovery Drive tool, mark the checkbox for “Back up system files to the recovery drive” and proceed by clicking “Next.”
- Select the USB flash drive you inserted and continue by clicking “Next.”
- Confirm your intention to create the recovery drive by clicking “Create.”
- Upon completion of the process, click “Finish.”
Now, you have a USB recovery drive prepared for utilization.
Changing The Old Drive to The New Drive Inside Your PC
Now, it’s time to migrate your Windows to the new drive. If you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to install the new drive into your PC. To accomplish this, open your computer or laptop, remove the current SSD or drive, and install the new one.
The process will vary depending on the type of computer you own. However, we provide a guide on installing an SSD in a standard desktop computer, which may prove helpful. The primary steps include:
Here are the revised steps:
- Completely power off your PC and disconnect the power source from the socket.
- For desktop users, remove the side panel from the PC case. For laptop users, you may need to remove the laptop battery (applicable to laptops with removable batteries) before removing the back cover. Ensure you are familiar with the type of back cover your laptop uses, as some laptops may require the use of screwdrivers to remove the back covers.
- Locate the SSD in your PC.
- Unscrew the screws securing the SSD and remove it from the slot.
- Insert your new SSD into the same slot, tighten it using the screws you removed earlier, and cover your PC. Note that if your PC has multiple SSD slots, you can insert the new SSD without necessarily removing the old one.
Restore Windows Image to New SSD
Now that the new SSD is installed, the final step involves restoring the system image using both the recovery drive and the system image drive. To complete this process, follow these steps:
- Connect both the recovery drive and the system image drive to your computer while it’s powered off.
- Turn on your computer and press F2, Delete, or another key to enter the boot menu or BIOS on your PC.
- Navigate to the boot options and ensure that your recovery drive is set as the first option for your PC to boot from.
- Save your changes and exit to restart the computer.
- Your PC will boot into a recovery environment. Begin by selecting your preferred language and region.
- Choose Troubleshoot from the next screen and click on Advanced options.
- Click on “System Image Recovery” (the position may vary depending on your Windows version).
- If the drive you’re restoring to is protected by BitLocker, you might need the recovery key associated with your Microsoft account. However, this is unlikely as you’re using a new drive.
- You’ll see the most recent system image available for recovery on your external drive. Click “Next.”
- Check the box labeled “Format and repartition disks” to ensure the new drive matches your old one exactly.
- Click “Next,” and then click “Next” again on the confirmation page.
- You’ll receive a warning to confirm that you want to delete the data on your target drive. Click “OK.”
- The restoration process might take some time depending on the amount of data being restored. Once completed, you’ll receive a warning informing you that you’ll need to re-enable encryption for the restored drives. Click “OK,” and then click “Restart now” to reboot your computer with the new drive.
- Remove the USB drives from your PC. If necessary, access the BIOS to set your SSD as the primary boot option again (refer to step 3).
- Restart your PC again, and you’ll find yourself back in Windows, just like it was on your old drive.
Steps to Follow after Restoring Windows on your PC
Once you’re back in Windows, there shouldn’t be any major additional tasks to undertake since everything should be in its place. The only remaining action is to re-enable encryption for your PC if you desire that additional layer of security. In Windows 11, you can accomplish this by navigating to Settings > Privacy & Security > Device encryption.
Additionally, consider your disk management, especially if your new drive has more space than the old one. When restoring the drive, Windows will maintain the exact same layout as the original drive, leaving any additional space unallocated. You’ll need to access Disk Management to extend your partitions so you can utilize that space, or create a new partition if extending isn’t feasible.
Apart from these considerations, you’re all set. While exercising some caution is advisable, the process isn’t overly complicated to follow, so you should be back up and running relatively swiftly.
Conclusion
Transferring your Windows installation to a new drive entails several steps and preparation but provides significant advantages such as storage upgrades or replacing a failing drive. While there are free methods available, they typically involve creating backups and utilizing external drives, which can make the process more labor-intensive compared to using paid cloning software. However, if you’re comfortable with following detailed instructions and have the requisite equipment, this method can save you money.
Note: It’s crucial to back up your data beforehand and meticulously adhere to each step to guarantee a successful transfer and a seamless Windows experience on your new drive.