How to transfer Windows to SSD

To add speed to your PC, sometimes it is enough to put the OS on the storage medium. In order not to demolish it from the hard drive, and then not install it on the solid-state device from scratch, you can use this guide. Here are 6 handy utilities for fast transfer.

Table of Contents

How to connect SSD or HDD to transfer Windows and data?

Before you start transferring, you need to put the SSD into your computer. This can be done based on the information from the following manual.

Important : There is an exception for Samsung solid-state users. Read more in the Data Migration subsection.

Preparation:

Turn off and unplug the PC.
Remove the case cover and insert the SSD into the desired slot. It should be noted that the new PCs have a separate slot for 2.5 ”drives. Less modern devices do not have such a compartment, but you can use a special adapter frame.
After the SSD is installed, it remains to connect the power and the SATA cable to it.
Now you can close the case and turn on the computer.

It’s time to programmatically prepare the computer for system migration from HDD to SSD. The table below shows what to do on the example of the tenth Windows, but the instructions are also suitable for earlier versions.

Important : you have to work in the BIOS, and therefore users who are not confident in their abilities are better off entrusting the job to the pros. One wrong click can ruin everything.

In BIOS	1. Enter BIOS and set the AHCI solid-state drive mode.
	2. Save your changes.
	3. Start the Windows 10 operating system.
In Windows 10 OS	1. Enter Disk Management by right-clicking on the Start menu.
	*Note* : At the bottom of the window, the connected SSD will be visible, marked in black and labeled “Not allocated”. You do not need to worry – everything will be tuned.
	2. Solid state drives have to click the right button mouse and select “New Simple Volume» → Next.
	3. Set the maximum size of a simple volume and click Next again.
	4. Select volume letter → Next.
	5. Set the slider to the item “Format this volume as follows” → leave all values as default → Next → Finish.
Now Explorer should display the new SSD drive under the letter that the user specified in the settings.

See also: What is an SSD drive – a device and 3 types of storage memory

Programs for transferring Windows 7/8/10 to SSD

Below are 6 handy apps that are designed specifically to move your OS to solid state media.

Samsung Data Migration

A utility that is sharpened specifically for the SSD from Samsung . It is downloaded for free on the manufacturer’s website.

Before transferring the OS, you need to update the motherboard drivers, check the disk for errors, and also clean the computer from programs for instant recovery. Of course, if the disks are encrypted, they will need to be decrypted. All utilities and files must be closed.

Important:

The software does not work with SSD installed in laptops. What drives the utility is compatible with can be found on the official website.
Recovery partitions are not cloned, as well as more than 2 partitions are not migrated. The exception is branded devices with Recovery Solution higher than V.

Transfer Windows 7, 8, 10 from HDD to SSD
Stage 1	1. Start the software.
	2. Click “Start”: in the item “Source disk” you can see the volume of the old storage medium.
	3. Connect the new SSD to the USB port of your computer. To do this, you need a SATA-USB adapter or 2 adapters: sata-usb and mSATA-SATA.
Stage 2	When the software recognizes the newly connected SSD, its capacity will be displayed in the Destination Drive section.
Stage 2	If the size of the old disk is not more than the new one, click “Start”: the utility will start transferring Windows . If not, you will need to take the following actions.
Stage 3	If the size of the old disk is larger than the new one, click Next.
	The utility will show the amount of files that will not fit on the new disk in the “Disk analysis summary” window.
	Click “Next”.
Stage 4	The search will begin for the data that the program will delete. By default, it starts with the Libraries folder, where the user will need to mark unnecessary files.
	If you need to remove data from other folders, you should click “Browse” and mark the folders with unnecessary data for the user – the utility will start searching in these folders.
	You will need to carefully look at the files found by the program and mark those that it should delete. You will have to do this until the message “Everything is ready for cloning” appears under the “Browse” button. Now you need to click “Next”.
	*Important* : The software deletes the files selected by the user not only from the new SSD, but also from the old disk. If you need to save them, you will need to connect another external drive to your PC , click “Save selected files to another storage device and continue cloning” and click “Next”.
	Select “Start” to start the transfer.
When the software finishes cloning, a corresponding message will be displayed. After that, you can install the SSD into your computer.

Seagate DiscWizard

Another simple free utility for transferring a system from a hard drive to an SSD. There is one condition: as in the case with the previous version, you need at least one branded disk, only this time released by Seagate . Simple functionality and user-friendly interface make it easy to figure out how to move the operating system. The procedure is similar to that suggested by Akronik True Image, which is discussed below.

Helpful: 9 Top Criteria for Choosing a Good SSD

Paragon Migrate OS to SSD

The only drawback of the application is the need to pay, although not much. Before starting the migration, it is worth leaving only those media that will participate in the migration process. The rest is better to disconnect, so as not to accidentally lose files.

Note : if the SSD is not empty, the software will delete all information from it during the transfer process. But all data will remain on the original disk.

What’s next:

When the user starts the program, the migration wizard window will open: you need to click “Next” for the software to analyze the equipment, and wait.
When the utility detects the target disk, the user will be able to mark which data does not need to be copied. This can be done in the appropriate section.
Click copy, and then click again.

Tip : in order for the cloned system to take up all the space on the SSD (the whole disk = 1 partition), you need to check the appropriate item. If nothing is clicked, then the space for the system on the SSD will be the same size as on the original HDD .

Allow to format the SSD by ticking the appropriate box, click “Next” to start the transfer, and wait.
When the software is finished, you need to restart the PC.

Acronis True Image WD Edition

Created by Western Digital specifically for “their” discs. You don’t need to pay for software.

How to work:

Start cloning by pressing the corresponding key in the “Tools” tab.
Now the user has to set the migration mode. It can be automatic or manual. The first option is good for beginners. But there is a nuance: the SSD should not be smaller than the HDD. The second mode is good if you need to transfer not all the contents of the hard drive, but only the OS.
Specify the drive where the system is located, and then mark the SSD to which the data should be transferred.
Exclude data that you do not need to transfer by ticking the boxes on files that are located on other drives.
Wait while the software calculates the information.
After – see if everything is correct and click on “Proceed”.
Enable reboot when prompted by the utility: the monitor will show a window where cloning is displayed. When it’s over, the PC will shut down.

Come in handy: TOP 10 best SSDs for 120-128 GB

Macrium Reflect Free

A trial version of this disk cloning utility is available for a month. Despite the English-language interface, it is very convenient and understandable and makes it possible to transfer Windows from HDD storage to SSD without errors.

Important : The SSD must be empty. When the program transfers the operating system to it, the data stored on it will be erased.

After the program starts, it will offer to create a backup disk required for recovery. This is optional, but helpful if something goes wrong.

How to copy OS to SSD:

Find the backup tab and select the HDD on which the system is installed, and then click “clone”.
Now you need to mark all the sections that the program should transfer to the SSD.
At the bottom you need to select the disk to which the OS should be migrated. The program will show you exactly what it will transfer to the SSD.
Then the user will be prompted to create a graph, but this is not necessary: you can simply click “Next”.
After the utility will display a message about what actions it will perform to copy the system. You will need to click Finish, and in the next window, click the confirmation button.

That’s all. When the software finishes working, it will display a corresponding message.

EaseUS ToDo Backup Free

An option for which you also do not have to pay. With it, you can easily transfer Windows:

After launching the installed utility, click on the cloning icon located in the upper right part of the window.
Designate the hard drive on which the system is located, and then select the SSD.
After the partition structure is displayed on both disks, you need to click “Proceed”.
Confirm your consent on the message that warns about the deletion of all data from the SSD and wait for the transfer to complete.

See also: TOP 10 best SSD drives for 1 TB – Rating of 1000 GB SSD drives

How do I delete a section?

An unnecessary partition created by the application during the transfer can be erased. The table will tell you exactly how.

Step 1	Go to disk management by right-clicking on Start and select SSD.
Step 2	Right-click on an empty disk on the SSD and select Format.
	RMB on this disk → Delete volume → Yes.
	RMB on disk → Delete partition → Yes.
	With the rest of the free disks on the PC, you need to do the same steps.
	After that, on the SSD, you can see the space marked in black – unallocated.
Step 3	RMB on the disk with the OS → Expand the volume → Next.
Step 3	Specify maximum free space → Next → Finish.

Advice : you should format the source by cleaning it from Windows files. This will help avoid confusion.

Learn: How to Check SSD Status on Windows and Mac – 10 Software to Monitor

As you can see, you can easily transfer the operating system from a classic hard drive to a storage system. To do this, you just need to prepare the PC and select the appropriate software from the list of proposed ones.