Hey everyone! I recently picked up a new SSD because I discovered that my old one was only reading at 500 MB/s 😱 and it has my Windows installation on it. I'm looking to switch over my Windows installation to this new SSD. I don't want to reset my PC, as I'm worried it will just reinstall Windows onto my old, slower drive. I've tried digging through guides, but they all seem outdated or don't fit my situation. What's the best way to transfer my Windows installation to the new SSD? Are there different methods to do this?
3 Answers
I recommend using Clonezilla for cloning your drive. It’s a bootable tool that lets you clone drives, which could be easier than doing a fresh install. Just be really careful to pick the right source and destination drives during the process—messing that up will clone your empty drive onto the one with Windows! Make sure to back everything up before you start. Also, you’ll need to adjust your BIOS/UEFI boot settings, so be prepared for that.
If you're not comfortable with BIOS settings, I can see how that would be daunting! Honestly, doing a clean install using installation media might be simpler and safer since it avoids any potential mistakes with cloning. Plus, having a fresh start on your new SSD can be nice!
To move your Windows installation, you'll need to create an installation media. Just download the Windows Media Creation Tool, make a bootable USB drive, and boot from that. During the installation, select "custom" when prompted, and you’ll get to choose your new SSD as the installation drive. Once done, you can tweak the boot settings using msconfig to make sure your new SSD is set as the primary drive.
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