How to Clone Windows 10, 11 to NVMe SSD (Step by Step Guide)

What is NVMe?

NVMe, short for Non-Volatile Memory express, is the new standard host controller interface for connecting solid-state drives (SSD). It was first introduced in 2011 and now is built in as standard in many computers. Due to its high speed and low latency, many users would like to clone their boot drives to NVMe SSDs to improve their computers' performance.

This article will show you how to clone your Windows 10/11 OS to an NVMe SSD. Booting Windows from an NVMe SSD is now super fast as Microsoft has optimized Windows to take full advantage of the new technology.

Cloning your Solid State Drive (SSD) to a newer NVMe M.2 drive is a straightforward process that can significantly improve your system's performance. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you clone your SSD to an NVMe M.2 drive in Windows:

Newer systems since Windows 8.1 have an NVMe driver built-in (such as Windows 11 and Windows Server 2016), whereas, if you want to use an NVME drive in Windows 7 or other older systems you will need to download an NVMe driver from the SSD manufacturers' website first.

Requirements to boot from an NVMe SSD

To use an NVMe SSD as a boot drive, you need to ensure your computer meets the following requirements:

• Newer computer hardware. While NVMe is compatible with older computers, it performs optimally with Skylake chipset or later. This means that if your computer has a CPU from the 6th generation (Skylake) or later, you can expect better NVMe performance.
• An M.2 PCI-E x4 slot. If your motherboard is older and doesn't meet the requirements for NVMe compatibility, you may need to consider upgrading or using a PCIe x4 adaptor to take advantage of this technology.
• UEFI firmware. Booting from an NVMe SSD is only supported on systems that support UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). UEFI is a modern firmware interface that replaces the traditional BIOS, offering improved performance and security features.
• UEFI boot mode. If your computer is currently booting in Legacy mode, you'll need to switch to UEFI mode after transferring Windows 10/11 to the NVMe drive. This ensures the operating system can recognize and utilize the NVMe drive for booting.

Specialized NVMe SSD cloning software

When cloning a hard drive (HDD) to a solid-state drive (SSD) or cloning a SATA SSD to an NVMe drive, it's essential to use the right software to ensure a smooth and efficient process. Qiling Disk Master Professional is a top-notch drive cloning software that offers a range of excellent features to make the process seamless and ensure the SSD's performance.

★ Qiling Disk Master Professional offers a feature called 'Disk Clone' that enables you to clone a larger hard disk drive (HDD) to a smaller solid-state drive (SSD), as long as the new SSD is larger than the data you want to transfer. This feature is particularly useful when you want to upgrade your storage capacity without having to purchase a larger SSD.
★ Qiling Disk Master Professional is equipped with the 'System Clone' feature that enables you to migrate only the operating system to an NVMe solid-state drive (SSD). This feature is particularly useful when you want to upgrade your storage capacity without affecting the existing data on your system.
★ When upgrading to an NVMe solid-state drive (SSD), it's essential to note that NVMe drives only work with UEFI boot mode. This means that your new NVMe SSD will need to be initialized in the GPT partition style to be able to boot your computer. Qiling Disk Master is a powerful tool that can help you migrate to a bootable NVMe SSD by cloning from a GPT disk to GPT disk or cloning from an MBR disk to GPT disk.

How to clone Windows 10/11 to an NVMe drive without reinstalling

Before you migrate Windows 10/11 to NVMe SSD, please keep in mind that all of the data on the target NVMe SSD will be overwritten – so you better backup any important data first. And this software applies to cloning HDD to NVMe and cloning SSD to NVMe (eg: clone SATA SSD to M.2 NVMe SSD) in simple steps.

Now download Qiling Disk Master and follow the steps below to clone Windows 10/11 from SATA to NVMe.

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

1. Connect your NVMe SSD to the M.2 PCI-E x4 slot and boot your computer.

2. Install and launch this disk clone software. Under Clone tab, select Disk Clone to clone hard drive to NVMe.

3. Click on the current boot drive to select it as the source disk and then select the NVMe SSD as the destination disk.

4. Check the SSD Alignment option which will fix any SSD alignment issues you could face and then click on Proceed to begin the process of HDD or SSD to NVMe SSD clone.

The cloning process is running in the background, you will still be able to use your computer as normal. Just wait patiently until the process finishes.

💡 Tips:

• To move the OS to an NVMe SSD using Qiling Disk Master, follow these steps:
• To clone an operating system to an NVMe SSD without loading Windows, you can use the "Create Bootable Media" feature in Qiling Disk Master. This feature allows you to create a bootable USB drive or CD/DVD that can be used to clone the operating system to the NVMe drive.
• If you want to clone Windows 10 to a new computer, you'll need to ensure that the hardware on both computers is very similar. This includes the processor, motherboard, RAM, and storage. If the hardware is not identical, you may encounter boot errors or other issues after cloning.
• If you want to perform disk clone or system migration on multiple computers conveniently, you can upgrade to the Technician or Technician Plus version of Qiling Disk Master. This allows you to create a portable version of the software on a removable device, such as a USB drive.

Bonus tip: how to clone NVMe SSD with only one slot

If you want to clone an NVMe drive to an NVMe SSD but your computer only has one slot, there are three methods you can consider:

1. Use an M.2 to PCIe adapter to connect the second drive and then follow the same steps above.

2. Clone Windows 10/11 to an external hard drive, replace the old NVMe SSD with the new one, and then clone system to new NVMe SSD with a bootable USB.

3. Qiling Disk Master is a powerful disk cloning software that also functions as a backup manager. Its advanced backup and restore features enable you to:

• Backup the original SSD to an external drive (connected via USB port).

• Replace old NVMe with new NVMe.
• Restore the system to the new NVMe drive through a bootable USB.

Boot from the cloned NVMe SSD

If you don't know how to boot from the cloned NVMe SSD or want to check if it's bootable, please refer to the following steps.

1. Shut down your computer completely.

2. Restart your computer and press the specified key to enter the BIOS. The key is usually F2, Del, ESC, F10, etc. 

3. Go to the Boot option and set the cloned NVMe SSD as the first boot device. Then, keep the changes you made and boot from it.

If your computer boots successfully from the cloned SSD, you can now enjoy the benefits of a fast and reliable storage device. The cloned NVMe SSD will provide you with improved performance, faster loading times, and a more responsive system.

Frequently asked questions about SSD to NVMe Clone

1. Can I install Windows 10 on NVMe SSD?

As mentioned earlier, if you want to clone HDD or SSD to NVMe and boot from it, there are some basic requirements that need to be satisfied. They are: Newer computer hardware, M.2 PCI-E x4 slot, UEFI firmware and UEFI boot mode.

2. Can I put m 2 SATA to m2 NVMe?

When evaluating the compatibility of a SATA drive for NVMe conversion, a crucial factor is the presence of specific keys in the SATA protocol. These keys are:

3. Is NVMe and M 2 the same?

NVMe and M.2 are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings.

Conclusion

Cloning Windows 10 to an NVMe SSD can be a complex process, but with the right tools, it can be simplified. Qiling Disk Master is a specialist disk cloning software that can help make the process easier and more efficient.

Qiling Disk Master is a powerful disk management software that offers a range of features to help you manage your disks efficiently. In addition to its cloning capabilities, it also serves as a reliable backup and restore tool.

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