Transfer Windows 10 to a new drive. Why is transfer to SSD necessary, and what benefits does the user get? We use built-in functionality

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If you need to transfer installed Windows 10 to an SSD (or simply to another drive) when purchasing a solid-state drive or in another situation, this can be done in several ways, all of them involve the use of third-party software, and then free programs will be considered that allow you to transfer the system to a solid-state drive, and it will also be shown step by step. exactly how to do this.

First of all, we demonstrated tools that allow you to copy Windows 10 to an SSD without errors. modern computers and laptops with UEFI support and the system installed on a GPT disk (not all utilities work smoothly in this situation, although they cope well with MBR disks).

Note: If you do not need to transfer all your programs and data from old tough disk, you can also just do clean install Windows 10, having created a distribution kit in advance, for example, bootable USB flash drive. A key will not be required during installation - if you are installing the same edition of the system (Home, Professional) that was on this computer, click “I don’t have a key” during installation and after connecting to the Internet, the system is activated automatically, despite the fact that it is now installed on an SSD.

Transfer Windows 10 to SSD in Macrium Reflect

Free for home use within 30 days, the Macrium Reflect disk cloning program, although in English, which can create difficulties for a novice user, allows you to transfer the installation to GPT disk Windows 10 on SSD.

In the example below, Windows 10 will be transferred to another disk, located on the following partition structure (UEFI, GPT disk).

The process of copying the operating system to a solid-state drive will look like this (note: if the program does not see the newly purchased SSD, initialize it in Windows disk management - Win + R, enter diskmgmt.msc and then click right click on the displayed new disk and initialize it):

This completes the process: now you can turn off your computer or laptop, and then leave only the SSD with the transferred Windows 10, or restart the computer and change the order of the disks in the BIOS and boot from the SSD (and, if everything works, use old disk for data storage or other purposes). The final structure after the transfer looks (in my case) like in the screenshot below.

You can download Macrium Reflect for free from the official website http://macrium.com/ (in the Download Trial - Home section).

EaseUS ToDo Backup Free

Free version EaseUS programs Backup also allows you to successfully copy installed Windows 10 to an SSD along with recovery partitions, bootloader and the factory image of the laptop or computer manufacturer. And it also works without problems for UEFI GPT systems (although there is one nuance that is described at the end of the system transfer description).

The steps to transfer Windows 10 to SSD in this program are also quite simple:

Done: you can now boot your computer from the SSD (by changing accordingly UEFI settings/ BIOS or disabling the HDD) and enjoy the speed Windows boot 10. In my case, no problems with the work were identified. However, strangely, the partition at the beginning of the disk (simulating the factory recovery image) grew from 10 GB to something like 13 GB.

In the event that there are few methods given in the article, you are simply interested additional features and programs for transferring the system (including in Russian and specialized for Samsung, Seagate and WD drives), and also if Windows 10 is installed on MBR disk on an old computer, you can read another material on this topic.

I had to look for ways and programs to transfer the system from HDD to SSD, since I had a lot of data on the current operating system and there was no way to do a clean installation of the system. It is definitely best in this situation to install an operating room Windows system 10 again and is easy to set up, if you don’t know which programs are best to use to transfer the system, then it will even be a little faster.

We decided to look into this issue and tell you how to transfer a Windows 10 system from HDD to SSD without reinstallation. In this article we have selected best programs for cloning hard Windows disk 10. And also note that with the help of these programs you can even previous versions Windows to transfer the system.

Before using any of the programs on our list, you need to allocate memory SSD drive. Because after connecting a new SSD drive, the memory is not allocated by default. In this situation, the built-in Windows operating system disk management tool will help us.

Now on my computer you can see new section and use it in the future. How to add the My Computer icon to the desktop in Windows 10 can be found in ours.

Programs for cloning Windows 10 hard drive

There are many programs that allow you to transfer the Windows 10 operating system to SSD drive without reinstallation. The transfer process itself is not difficult, but since I had a very weak HDD drive, some programs that everyone recommends for this just took a very long time to determine the size of the system.

Therefore, our list of programs will start from the best and simplest to the more complex.

Simple and intuitive interface
Quickly transfer data from HDD to SSD
Automatic search for installed operating systems
Russian interface language

Using unique technology that allows you to move Windows to a smaller drive in one operation, you can quickly and easily migrate Windows from a large hard drive to a high-speed SSD. There is also support for all Windows operating systems and different system configurations.

It was this program that made it possible to transfer the system to an SSD drive the fastest. Thanks to the narrow focus of the program purely on transferring the operating system from HDD to SSD, the transfer is carried out in just a few clicks. A good bonus is that the program interface is in Russian, which will greatly please beginners. Essentially, you can open the program and simply follow the OS migration wizard, it will do everything itself, all you need is permission.

The downside of the program is the need to buy it, in principle, like most programs of this kind. Well, if you try, you can find it already activated version programs.

Free analogue of cloning programs (license for 30 days)
Only English language program interface
Intuitive and simple user interface

A good tool for transferring an operating system to an SSD drive. The program will not do everything automatically, like our previous software product. This will be a little more difficult to figure out, but the transfer can be done without purchasing a program license.

Download and install the program.
In the window that opens, select the license type Trial And Home, then press Dowmload to download the program completely.
After installing the program, you will be asked to create a backup copy of the system in the form of a bootable USB flash drive.
Next select the tab Create a backup, in which specify the system drive and select Clone this disk.
Here we indicate which sections we want to transfer and select the option Select a disk to clone to to choose where to transfer.
Next you will be shown how the transfer will be carried out, if everything suits you, then click Next and wait for the process to complete.

Although there is nothing complicated here, a beginner can get confused, so the first program on our list is Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, which we recommend that beginners use.

Wide functionality of the program
Availability of Russian interface language
Simple user interface

To transfer the system, most inexperienced users recommend this program. Acronis True Image has the ability to perform direct disk cloning (a license is required), and disk cloning through creating a copy of the system (can be done in the free version).

The downside of the program, besides the need to buy or look for alternative ways to obtain a license, is that it behaves very strangely with very old hard drives. For some reason, the wrong size of the system disk was constantly displayed, or the program took a very long time to calculate. While she was trying to do something, she managed to try several other programs.

Conclusions

In this article, we showed how to transfer a Windows 10 system from an HDD to an SSD drive without reinstallation. And also pay attention to the point in our article that Windows 10 does not see the SSD, since this must be done before transferring in any case.

All the programs on our list are good and can solve this issue, but we still recommend using Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, since it beats its competitors in speed and does almost everything automatically.

If your computer runs applications very slowly, then it may be time to replace the old one hard drive to solid state. SDDs have a huge set of advantages compared to HDDs; for example, they have no moving parts, so they are quieter and less likely to get damaged. However, they are much more expensive, so if you are just looking to increase the amount of memory you have on your PC, this may not be the most cost-effective solution.

If you need efficiency and convenience and decide to migrate your system, follow the instructions below to get it done in no time.

The easiest way to move an OS to an SSD is to use a cloning tool. This utility will copy all your information. Before you transfer installation files, you need to transfer other data (images, music, videos).

If you do this with desktop computer, you will not have any problems with the installation, since for this operation there must be free space. Things get a little more complicated when it comes to laptops. At this point, you may need to remove the optical drive to fit in the second slot or spend more money on a hard drive that can accommodate all your documents.

What is needed to migrate the system

As mentioned earlier, for this you will need your current media from which you need to transfer data; your new SSD and backup of all your necessary information, since you can only clone system files.

You will also need a cloning tool. In this case, we will use EaseUS Todo Backup Free. The program can be downloaded from the developer's website: https://www.easeus.com/download/tbf-download.html. Mainly because it's free, but also because it's simple enough for most people. The only negative is that there is no Russian version, but everything is intuitive.

Defragment your drive and back up your data

The next thing to do is save the required data. Once the copying is complete and you confirm the operation was correct, delete the files, but not the folders themselves, as they may be needed later. It is important to note that you should not delete applications in Program Files.

Cloning

After defragmenting and creating a copy, you can begin the process of transferring information to the solid state. Open EaseUS Todo and click "Clone" on the top sidebar.

Select the old HDD as the clone source and the new SSD as the destination location. First of all, check the box next to “Optimization”. The cloning tool will start copying the data. If you check "Shut down the computer when the operation completes", the process will shut down the system when completed.

If you receive an error warning you that the original hard drive is too large, you will have to go back to the previous step and delete more data.

Once completed, turn on your PC and boot. You may have to go to the boot menu and mark the new media as the boot drive. You should notice that the OS now starts up much faster than before. You can then open File Explorer and erase the old drive. Right click on it and format.

Return documents from backup

You can now move the information from the backup to your drive, which is now additional storage for your system. You can create new folder to store all your user settings. Go to C:\users\username (replace username here!) and you will see your (now empty) user folders. Right-click on each of them, go to Properties and go to the Location tab. Select Move and select the newly created user folder as the destination.
To restore your personal data, simply drag and drop your music, pictures, videos back to My Documents, My Music, My Pictures.

Everything should work the same, only faster.

Installing an SSD – one of the most effective methods that can breathe “second life” into a computer even with not the latest configuration. The operating system accesses files faster and becomes much more responsive to user actions. At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary to install and configure the OS and software from scratch. In this article we will talk about how to transfer Windows 10 to an SSD without losing data.

Microsoft does not provide special tools for cloning in the system. However, built-in Windows features 10 allow you to perform this operation.

Media preparation

According to official recommendations technical support company we will need an additional, third, hard drive. Unlike those connected via USB, SSDs intended for internal placement are not pre-formatted. As a result, they are detected by the computer, but are not displayed in the OS. To clone Windows, you first need to make all drives visible.

We mount the drive in the PC and turn it on. Opening file manager, we see that the OS has recognized only the system partition.

Using the Win + X key combination, call up the “Power User menu”. Let's move on to the designated point.

The Disk Management Manager opens with an initialization window. At this point, the user must select a partition table. For x32 bit systems, only MBR is needed. Users of x64 bit versions Windows is better GPT will do.

Having decided on the partition table, let's format it. Both drives must have a file NTFS system. By clicking on the unmarked area we call context menu. Select the item marked in the screenshot.

The Create Simple Volume Wizard is activated. We will perform further actions following his prompts.

We do not change the volume size, but create one using the entire available volume.

The letter is assigned automatically. Since the placement of disks in the system is temporary, only for the period of cloning, we will leave it unchanged.

At this stage we set a text label. For convenience, let’s give the intermediate HDD the name “Backup”.

On last step The wizard displays the parameters specified for the drive in the form of a list. We complete the work by clicking on the “Finish” button.

At this point, the preparation of media for cloning can be considered complete.

Intermediate copying

The next step in allowing you to move Windows to a new “location” is to create an intermediate copy.

The tool we need is located in the classic control panel. Let’s run it by entering “control” in the “Run” system menu. To do this, press Win + R.

Open the element indicated in the screenshot.

In the area quick transition select “Create a system image”.

The wizard that launches prompts you to determine the storage location. Using the drop-down menu, we specify the intermediate hard drive, which we named “Backup”.

At this stage, the system shows us what data will be included in finished image. We agree and move on to the next step.

We complete the wizard by clicking the “Archive” button.

An image of the system HDD is being created.

The operation is not accompanied by time stamps. Its duration depends on the amount of data being stored. Once complete, we will be prompted to create a rescue disk.

If you have Windows 10 installation media, you can skip this step. IN otherwise You will need a flash drive with a capacity of at least 8 GB.

Transfer to SSD

At the last stage, the old HDD can be removed from the computer, leaving the drive with backup copy and a new SSD prepared for transfer.

The download is performed from the installation media with the Windows distribution. After checking the language settings, move on.

At this stage, instead of installation, select recovery mode.

In the action selection window, go to the marked item.

In the area additional parameters required section framed. Having selected it, we launch the recovery wizard. Since we are performing a full migration, the next step is to validate the solutions offered by this mode.

Having received the last warning, we activate the recovery procedure.

At the final stage, the computer will automatically reboot and the operating system will start from the solid-state drive. Reactivation performed without user intervention after checking the hardware configuration.

Disk cloning programs

As we saw in the example given, it is possible to clone Windows 10 using system tools, but the procedure is lengthy and labor-intensive. Sometimes it is faster and easier to reinstall the OS from scratch than to look for a suitable one for intermediate backup disk.

Against this backdrop, applications specifically designed to facilitate migration look great. For a regular user no need to clone disks on an industrial scale. In most cases, this is a one-time operation. For this reason, we will only consider software that has free versions or allowing you to perform the necessary operations during the trial period.

Macrium Reflect

The program is published by Macrium Software in several editions. Free Edition allows you to transfer the OS directly, without intermediate media.

Installation is performed using the Download agent. The user can first select the required components using the “Options” button. By clicking “Download” we begin the download. The circled “Run installer” box has a check mark by default. If you do not remove it, the program will begin to install automatically after the components are downloaded.

We check the correctness of the architecture: it must correspond to the bit capacity of the installed OS. Select a “clean” installation from the drop-down list. Such a distribution will not include tools for creating boot disk and disaster recovery.

The main window of the installed Macrium Reflect displays the disk structure available on the PC. The boxed option opens cloning options.

At the top is the original datum disk. At the bottom of the window, select the target SSD. The section marked “3” contains advanced copy settings.

You don't have to change anything here. The default smart copy option is suitable for any user. A check will be performed during the transfer process file system and the TRIM function is automatically enabled.

After checking all the options, click the highlighted button to copy the existing structure to the new drive.

By clicking “Next” we launch Migration master, which will give us detailed technical information about each partition of the disk being created.

At the final stage, remove the crossed out check mark. She is responsible for creating a recurring schedule, while ours is a one-time operation.

Before the transfer begins, Macrium Reflect will warn you that the data on the drive specified in the window will be completely destroyed. We agree and wait for the process to complete.

You can remove the old disk and start working on the SSD without reinstalling the system.

Acronis True Image

Another program worthy of attention is Acronis True Image. It differs from other products of this company in the ability to perform cloning operations during the trial period. For example, Acronis Disk Director allows you to do this only after purchase full version. True Image is limited by the need to use intermediate media.

The operation is performed in background, its progress is displayed in the system tray. When the transfer of Windows 10 to SSD is completed, the program automatically makes adjustments to the bootloader.

Manufacturers' software

Samsung, one of the leaders in the production of solid-state drives, has created its own software to make it easier for users to migrate the system. The proprietary utility is free, but only works with manufacturer’s disks. The list of supported SSDs can be found on the official page, where Samsung Data Migration is available for free download.

Transfer issues

There are no system restrictions for working with SSDs. Microsoft provided full support for SSDs with the release of Win 7. However, the transition may be difficult for laptop users. Manufacturers are reluctant to allow changes to the factory configuration.

As a result, some top MSI and ASUS models do not allow HDD replacement. The user will not be able to install a cloned SSD into it, since the laptop refuses to work with it. The only way out is to contact the manufacturer’s technical support to find out in advance the possibility of an upgrade and supported drive models.

In conclusion

Features that the user receives when using free programs cloning is enough for a one-time system transfer. In terms of functionality, they are somewhat inferior to professional tools such as Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, but they get the job done.

Video instructions

For those who want to learn more about how to use programs for migrating to an SSD, below is an overview video.

Many users try everything possible methods improve the performance of your computer. For this purpose, in addition to standard overclocking using special utilities, install in your system unit more modern types of storage media, namely solid-state drives, which have higher data transfer rates.

Thus, they are faced with the need to transfer the operating system from a standard 3.5-inch hard drive to an SSD drive, however, the whole problem is that not everyone knows how to do this.

What are the benefits of moving the OS to a solid state drive?

Before considering the main methods of transferring dozens to a solid-state hard drive, it is necessary to understand the main advantages of this, in addition to more high speed reading electronic data that the user receives.

Probably every user has encountered the fact that some applications or processes on the computer take a very long time to complete. This is due to the fact that conventional hard drives are unable to quickly write and read information. However, the situation changes dramatically if in a portable or desktop computer install an SSD drive and transfer Windows 10 to it. It would seem that there is nothing wrong with this, but the difference is very noticeable. The system will begin to work noticeably faster and significantly less time will be spent performing the same tasks. At the same time, it is recommended to transfer exclusively the OS to a solid-state drive without any third party programs. However, if there is a need to transfer the entire system as a whole, with all installed utilities, then with the help of some tools you can do this.

General transfer information

There is a misconception among novice users that to transfer an operating system from one hard drive to another, you just need to copy all the contents. However, such a transfer will lead to nothing, and the system itself simply will not work. The migration is a systematic process that can be performed using the tools integrated into Top Ten or third-party utilities that have been developed for the task. It is worth noting that no matter which transfer method you choose, it is very simple and does not take much effort and time. In addition, this process is as automated as possible, so no special actions are required on the part of the user.

In this article we will dwell in detail on each of existing methods transfer dozens to an SSD drive, and also consider the most popular applications with which you can implement this idea.

Standard means

Transfer ten to your hard drive SSD type It is also possible using standard Windows tools. IN in this case This tool is the “Backup and Restore Data” section, which can be found in the “Control Panel”. This method is one of the simplest, since there is no need to search the Internet for various applications from third-party developers and install them on your computer.

So, you've installed a brand new solid-state drive in your system and want to transfer Windows 10 to it. Where to start? The first step is to create a system image and write it to an optical drive or USB flash drive, from which the OS will be restored. After starting the recovery process, you will need to specify the path to the drive on which the previously created image is located. In this case, it is recommended to disconnect the old HDD from the motherboard to avoid the occurrence of various kinds of problems. In addition, if in the future you use the old hard drive to store personal information, you must first format it. If this is not done, then both operating systems that are located on each drive will conflict, which will make it impossible normal work at the computer.

Regardless of whether you use a laptop or desktop system, the process of transferring dozens from a standard HDD to an SSD is absolutely identical, except that installing a solid-state drive in a laptop yourself will be quite problematic, and when contacting service center you will have to shell out a considerable amount. In addition, if the factory warranty has not yet expired, then installing any hardware will void it, so you should think very carefully before doing anything.

Third Party Tools

Alternative to standard Windows tools, with which you can transfer ten to a solid-state drive, are special applications from third-party developers. Today you can find a great variety of them on the Internet, however, when choosing one of them, you must take into account the fact that some utilities were developed exclusively for hard drives of a certain manufacturer, so they will work unstable with hard drives of other brands or will not function at all. For example, for HDD from WD there is Acronis utility True Image and the Seagate Disk Wizard application work perfectly with hard drives of the same name, and manufacturer Samsung He developed proprietary software for his products. If we talk about universal programs that can work with all models of hard drives, then it is worth noting Paragon Migrate OS.

Paragon Migrate OS to SSD

Paragon is a very famous developer software, which has many different utilities, both free and commercial, designed to perform various functions. One of the most famous applications is Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, with which you can transfer operating system from one HDD to another. It is worth noting that you will have to pay for this program, since it is not freely available, however, it is worth it. Paragon Migrate OS to SSD is powerful tool, designed to transfer the system to an SSD drive. Its work is fully automated, so all that is required from the user is to start the process and wait for it to complete. The utility supports transfer as soon as system files OS and user personal data, however, the first option is more preferable, since it saves a lot of time and free space on the hard drive. You can select your preferred transfer mode in the program settings. It is worth noting that after completing the system copying, you will need to go into the BIOS and install the solid-state drive as the primary bootloader.

Acronis True Image

Another popular tool for working with hard drives is Acronis True Image. The utility has a simple and clear interface, as well as stable work. It is universal and works equally well with hard drives from all modern manufacturers of computer components on the market. However, it is worth noting that if your PC has a WD hard drive installed, then to transfer dozens to it, it is recommended to use a special build of this program, which is called WD Edition.

Migrating the system to a solid state drive when Acronis help True Image is best done in automatic mode, which can be launched from the “Disk Cloning” section. The time it takes to complete a copy depends on the overall size of the system as well as the speed HDD operation, from which the transfer is carried out.

Seagate DiscWizard

As you can easily guess from the name, the utility was developed to work with hard drives manufactured by Seagate. As for the main aspects of the work and the tens transfer process itself, this tool is an almost complete copy of the two previous applications discussed earlier. Copying also occurs using a wizard that performs all actions without user intervention, so even the most retarded user can figure out Seagate DiscWizard.

Samsung Data Migration

This is another representative of narrow-profile utilities designed to service Samsung hard drives. The developer has implemented a step-by-step wizard in his product, following the recommendations of which you can transfer Windows 10 to a solid-state drive without any problems. Main Samsung's advantage Data Migration is the possibility of selective transfer, thanks to which the user can independently indicate the types of data that will be copied to new hard disk. This is very useful feature, since solid-state drives have a significantly smaller capacity compared to standard HDDs, so literally every gigabyte counts. As for the transfer process itself, as in the case of other similar utilities, it is brought to the maximum level of automation.

Macrium Reflect

Another tens transfer application that has a free license is Macrium Reflect. The main advantage of this software is its full compatibility with all hardware, so this utility stands out against the background of many others that can only be found on the network.

According to consumer reviews, Macrium Reflect has great functionality and allows you not only to transfer the operating system from one drive to another, but also to create images of the system and burn it to a CD, which can be used as a boot disk. Thus, if you are looking for a universal application with which you can perform absolutely any operation on your hard drive, then this program is perfect for you.

What else do you need to know about cloning Windows 10?

So, we have looked at the most common tools for system transfer, however, we still need to talk about some nuances that need to be taken into account when performing this procedure. On many computer forums you can find a lot of information about such a utility as AOMEI Backupper Standard. It is also free and allows you to copy ten to an SSD drive. However, it is not recommended for novice users to use it, since system cloning occurs by creating a bootable CD or flash drive, and directly transferring it from there to a solid-state drive. This process is more labor-intensive and requires the user to have certain skills. However, which tool to use is entirely up to you.