Best Way to Clone SSD to New SSD in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7

Updated on Jun 08, 2024 | by Oaklynn

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User case: Clone old SSD to new SSD
Why clone SSD to another SSD?
Best cloning software for SSD to SSD clone
How to clone SSD to new SSD with secure boot
FAQs about SSD to SSD clone
Summary

User case: Clone old SSD to new SSD

How Do I Transfer Old SSD to New SSD?

My OS is only 2-month old and it's set up with all of my stuff (there are a lot of apps and configurations setup). What's the best way to migrate everything from my old OCZ 240GB SSD to my new Samsung 1TB SSD? Thanks!

- Question from Reddit.com

Why clone SSD to another SSD?

Replacing HDD (Hard Disk Drive) with SSD (Solid State Drive) to get better performance of operating system is very popular among Windows users. Yet SSD isn’t famous for large capability as HDD is, so it is easier to get low disk space warning after a couple of months or seasons’ usage. Therefore, it is not rare for Windows users to purchase new SSD, and copy contents of old SSD to the new one.

✨ Disk imaging vs. disk cloning, which is better?

To transfer data from one SSD to another, you might first think of backing up SSD and restoring the image file to the new SSD, which is indeed a viable method. But disk cloning is definitely a more straightforward way, because it can eliminate the recovery process.

Best cloning software for SSD to SSD clone

Cloning is not the same as copying and pasting. To migrate everything from the old SSD to a new SSD and make it bootable, you need to use effective disk cloning software, because Windows itself lacks this feature. Here I recommend Qiling Disk Master Professional for its simplicity and efficiency:

✧ It can clone larger drive to smaller drive with intelligent clone, or make an exact copy of the source disk with sector-by-sector clone.
✧ It can fit all partitions on the new SSD with “SSD Alignment” to optimize SSD performance.
✧ It has a user-friendly interface, so don’t worry about the operations even if you are a novice.
✧ It supports nearly all common SSD brands and models. You can use it to clone Samsung/Crucial/WD SSD, SATA/M.2 NVMe SSD, etc.
✧ It supports Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Download this SSD cloning software to have a try now.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

How to clone SSD to new SSD with secure boot

In the first place, connect the new SSD to your computer. The following guide will show you how to use Qiling Disk Master to copy SSD to new SSD.

💡 Before you start:
• Install the new SSD. If there's only one slot, try using an adapter or SSD enclosure to connect it.
• Initialize the new SSD. It is best to make the partition style (MBR/GPT) of the SSD matched to the source disk, so you don't need to change boot mode after cloning.
• If you've already stored some important files on the target SSD, please use Qiling Disk Master to make a backup first.

1. Install and open Qiling Disk Master. Click Clone, and select Disk Clone.

2. Select the old SSD as the source disk.

3. Select the new SSD as the destination path.

4. It is strongly recommended to check "SSD Alignment" box since the destination drive is an SSD. It will speed up the rate of reading and writing as well as prolong the service life of SSD. Then, click Proceed to clone SSD to SSD.

5. To start your PC from the new SSD after cloning, be sure to change the boot sequence in BIOS, or replace old SSD with new SSD manually.

Helpful Tips:

👉 This operation will clone only the used part by default. If you need to clone every sector of the old SSD, make sure to check "Sector by sector clone" box.

👉 If you click "Edit partitions", you will get 4 sub-options as follow. It helps to adjust partition size and convert disk types.

Copy without resizing partitions: It will not resize the partition size.
Add unused space to all partitions: It will reallocate the unallocated space to each partition of the target disk, appropriate for the disk size.
Manually adjust partition size: It allows you to extend unallocated space to any partition on the destination disk you want.
Convert the destination disk from MBR (GPT) to GPT (MBR): It helps to convert the partition style of the destination disk if it is different from the source disk.

👉 To get larger space, you could choose to clone smaller SSD to larger SSD. While for best performance, it's suggested to clone Windows 10 to NVMe SSD, because NVMe SSD has much faster transfer speed.

👉 This software is still an M.2 SSD cloner, thus you can use it to migrate Windows 10 to M.2 SSD, clone M.2 SSD to M.2 SSD, etc.

FAQs about SSD to SSD clone

1. Does cloning an SSD copy the OS?

Yes, old OS will be copied. Besides OS, all the installed applications and personal data will be copied as well.

2. Will cloning my SSD delete the data on the old SSD?

No, cloning your SSD should not delete the data on the old SSD. The cloning process creates a copy of the data onto the new SSD, leaving the original data intact.

3. Can I clone my SSD to a smaller capacity SSD?

Yes, just make sure the target SSD has enough space to accommodate all the data from the source SSD. If not, you may clean up the old SSD before cloning.

Summary

Qiling Disk Master helps you clone SSD to new SSD easily. If your internal hard drive is an HDD instead of SSD, you can also use the software to clone boot drive to SSD. After cloning, just replace the hard drive (or change boot order) to boot your computer from the cloned SSD.

What's more, many helpful features like system backup, disk backup, file sync are built in this software. Feel free to have a try!