Upgrading from an old mechanical HDD to a modern SSD is one of the best decisions you can make. Your PC becomes faster, smoother, and far more responsive. But the biggest confusion for most users is this:
“How do I move my entire Windows — with all files, settings, apps — to the new SSD without losing anything?”
That’s exactly what we’re going to walk through today.
You’ll learn how to clone your current Windows installation from HDD to SSD using a tool called Disk Copy (by AOMEI / Auslogics-type cloning tools), how to prepare both drives, how to boot from the SSD, and how to safely remove or reuse your old HDD.
This guide works for:
- ✔ Windows 10
- ✔ Windows 11
- ✔ Any SATA / NVMe SSD
- ✔ Laptops and desktops
Let’s begin.
🚀 1. Why You Should Clone Windows Instead of Reinstalling It
Before we jump into the steps, it’s important to understand why cloning is the best method.
When you reinstall Windows from scratch, you lose:
- All your installed apps
- Your settings and customizations
- Browser data
- Saved Wi-Fi networks
- Activation for certain apps
- Game installations
But when you clone the entire system, you get:
- Your full Windows exactly as it is
- All apps and programs
- Same desktop, same files, same layout
- No reactivation required
- A faster boot and smoother performance
Cloning gives you a 100% complete copy of your OS — but running on a much faster drive.
🛠 2. Step 1 — Shut Down Your PC and Connect the New SSD
To begin, we need both drives connected simultaneously.
Steps:
- Shut down your computer completely.
- Once the screen goes black, open your laptop/desktop panel.
- Connect the new SSD with the correct:
- SATA cable + power cable (for 2.5” SSD)
- M.2 slot (for NVMe SSD)
Make sure both drives are connected at the same time.
💻 3. Step 2 — Start the PC and Initialize the SSD
Once you power the PC back on, Windows will still load from your old HDD.
We now need to prepare the new SSD so it becomes visible.
Steps:
- Open File Explorer
- If the SSD does not show up, right-click This PC → Manage
- Open Disk Management
- Find the SSD (it will say “Unallocated”)
- Right-click → New Simple Volume
- Click Next → Next → Finish
Windows will format the SSD and give it a drive letter.
Now it should appear normally next to your C: drive.
📥 4. Step 3 — Download the Disk Clone Tool (Disk Copy)
Now we need the tool that will copy the entire Windows installation.
Download the tool from the official website:
🔗 AOMEI Disk Copy / AUSe Disk Copy
(Insert the correct link for dtptips.com)
The tool is portable — meaning:
- No installation required
- Just extract and run
- Works on Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11
Once it’s downloaded:
- Extract the ZIP file
- Run the executable
- Wait a few seconds for all modules to load
Now we’re ready to clone.
📀 5. Step 4 — Select “System Clone” to Copy Windows
Inside the tool, you’ll see multiple modes:
- Disk Mode
- Partition Mode
- System Migration
- Network Clone
- Emergency Disk
- Windows Migration
Here we need:
➡ System Migration / System Clone
This option automatically selects everything Windows needs:
- Boot files
- System partitions
- C drive
- EFI partition
- Hidden recovery partitions
Once selected:
- Choose your SSD as the destination
- Click Next
- Confirm the warning (this will erase the SSD)
- Click Continue
- Let the cloning process begin
This can take:
- 5–20 minutes on NVMe SSD
- 20–60 minutes on SATA SSD
- Longer if your HDD is slow or fragmented
You can watch the progress bar showing the percentage.
🔁 6. Step 5 — Boot from the New SSD
Once the cloning is complete, the tool will ask:
“Do you want to set SSD as the primary boot device?”
If available, choose YES.
Otherwise:
Manually change boot order:
- Restart your PC
- Press the Boot Menu key:
- F8, F2, F10, F11, F12 or DEL (varies by brand)
- Choose your SSD from Windows Boot Manager options
- Windows should now load from the SSD
You’ll immediately notice:
- Faster startup
- Faster loading
- Smooth response
- Lower noise (HDD stops spinning)
If Windows starts normally — congratulations!
Your system is fully cloned.
🔧 7. Step 6 — Make the SSD the Permanent Boot Drive
To avoid manually selecting it every boot:
- Enter BIOS Setup (F2 or DEL during startup)
- Go to Boot Order / Boot Priority
- Move the SSD to position #1
- Save & Exit
Now Windows will always load from the SSD automatically.
🧹 8. Step 7 — Format or Remove the Old HDD
Your old HDD still has your old Windows installation.
You can now use it as:
- Storage drive
- Backup drive
- Game library
- Media drive
To safely reuse it:
- Open This PC
- Right-click the old HDD → Format
- Choose:
- NTFS
- Default allocation size
- Click Start
Now your HDD is a clean empty storage disk.
If you want to remove it physically:
- Shut down the PC
- Disconnect the HDD cables
- Close the panel
You’re done.
🎉 Final Result
You now have:
✔ Windows running entirely from SSD
✔ All files, apps and settings preserved
✔ A fast, responsive, modern system
✔ Cleaned and reusable old HDD
This is the ideal way to upgrade without losing anything.
❓ Optional Q&A
Q1: Will cloning keep my Windows activation?
Yes — it remains activated exactly as before.
Q2: Can I clone from SSD → SSD?
Absolutely. Works the same way.
Q3: What if the SSD is smaller?
As long as your data fits, the tool automatically shrinks partitions.
Q4: Is this safe?
Yes — cloning is non-destructive.
Q5: After cloning, can I delete Windows from HDD?
Yes — just format the HDD once SSD boots normally.
#Windows11 #SSDUpgrade #WindowsMigration #TechGuide #HDDtoSSD #DTPTips
