How to Move Windows from One M.2 to Another🔥

Learn how to safely move Windows from one M.2 SSD to another without reinstallation. Explore our comprehensive guide on using EaseUS Disk Copy for seamless data and OS migration.

M.2, generally faster than other SSDs, is a form factor for SSDs shaped like a stick of gum. Are you looking for a way to migrate Windows from one M.2 SSD to another, but do not want to reinstall Windows? Don't worry. This article will walk you through how to move Windows from one M.2 SSD to another without losing data or reinstalling Windows. Hurry up and learn.

What's the Best Way to Transfer Windows to New SSD

To transfer Windows from one SSD to another, you can do a fresh install of Windows on the new SSD. To this end, you need to download the Windows 10 ISO file from Microsoft and create a bootable USB flash drive with it. After that, you need to use that bootable USB to install Windows on your new M.2 SSD.

Clean installation is undoubtedly tedious and time-consuming because you must reinstall all your programs. You may ask if there is a better way to install Windows on a new SSD drive.

The answer is yes. It is disk cloning. To move Windows from one M.2 drive to another, you can use a disk cloning software like EaseUS Disk Copy, Macrium Reflect, or Clonezilla to clone your existing M.2 drive to the new one. This process copies your operating system, programs, and data to the new SSD, avoiding the need for a fresh installation.

Share this article on social media to help others move Windows from one SSD to another easily.

What to Prepare Before Cloning Windows to Another SSD

Before transferring Windows to another SSD from an M.2 SSD, you need to prepare some things. Here is what you need to do:

How to Transfer Windows from One M.2 SSD to Another

1️⃣Using an M.2 to USB Enclosure (For a Single M.2 slot)

• Install the new M.2 SSD into an external enclosure, and connect it to your computer via USB.
• Download and run disk cloning software EaseUS Disk Copy on your computer.
• Select your original M.2 SSD as the "source disk" and the new M.2 SSD in the enclosure as the "destination disk".
• Start the cloning process to copy everything from the old drive to the new one.
• Shut down your computer.
• Replace the old M.2 SSD with the new one in your computer's M.2 slot.
• Boot your computer from the new M.2 SSD. You might need to change the boot order in your BIOS to ensure it boots from the new drive.

This method is best if your motherboard has only one M.2 slot.

Here is how to clone Windows from one M.2 SSD to another using EaseUS Disk Copy:

Step 1. To clone OS from one hard drive to another, choose the target disk in "System Mode" and click "Next".

Step 2. Adjust the disk layout of the target disks. You can manage the disk layout of the destination disk by selecting "Autofit the disk", "Copy as the source" or "Edit disk layout". Then, click Proceed.

• "Autofit the disk" makes some changes by default on the destination disk layout so that it can work at its best status.
• "Copy as the source"does not change anything on destination disk and the layout is the same as source disk.
• "Edit disk layout" allows you to manually resize/move partition layout on this destination disk.

Tick the "Check the option if the target is SSD" option to put your SSD in its best performance.

Step 3. A message now appears, warning you that data on the target disk will be lost. Please confirm this message by clicking "Continue".

Step 4. Wait for the cloning process to complete.

This video demonstrates how to clone M.2 SSD to larger M.2 using EaseUS Disk Copy:

2️⃣Using a Second M.2 Slot (For multiple M.2 slots)

• Insert the new M.2 SSD into an available M.2 slot on your motherboard.
• Use M.2 SSD migration software EaseUS Disk Copy on your computer to clone the data from your existing M.2 (source) to the new M.2 (destination).
• Shut down the computer and remove the old M.2 SSD.
• Boot your computer from the newly cloned M.2 SSD.

This method is more convenient if your motherboard has two or more M.2 slots. The cloning process is the same as the above.

Bonus Tip: How to Swap Old SSD with New SSD

After cloning your M.2 SSD to another, you have one last step to do. That is, replace the old SSD with the new one and boot from the newly cloned SSD. You can also wipe the old M.2 SSD and use it as your storage device.

To replace the SSD, you can refer to the following article:

To boot from the new SSD, it has 2 cases. If you use a laptop, you can replace the SSD and directly boot from the new SSD. For a desktop PC, you need to go to BIOS settings to set it as your first boot drive.

To Wrap Things Up

This article tells you how to move Windows from one M.2 SSD to another. As discussed above, cloning is the best way to migrate Windows from one SSD to another since it can help you transfer everything from one disk to another without reinstalling Windows and losing data.

Unfortunately, Windows has no native cloning settings. Therefore, you have to use third-party cloning software. EaseUS Disk Copy is a dedicated disk clone program that can help you swap M.2 SSD without reinstalling Windows. Just try it. It will not let you down!

FAQs on Moving Windows from One M.2 to Another

1. How to clone an M.2 if you only have one M.2 slot?

To clone an M.2 SSD with only one slot, you need to use an M.2 to USB C adapter to connect it to your PC and then use professional disk cloning software like EaseUS Disk Copy and Clonezilla to help you clone SSD.

2. Is it possible to move Windows to another SSD?

Yes, you can transfer Windows to a new SSD by cloning your old drive using specialized disk cloning software, such as EaseUS Disk Copy, Macrium Reflect, and Clonezilla. This process copies your operating system, programs, and data to the new SSD, avoiding the need for a fresh installation. Alternatively, you can do a clean installation of Windows onto the new SSD using bootable media, but this requires backing up and reinstalling your data and applications.

3. Can you migrate Windows to another PC?

Yes, you can transfer Windows to another computer. Cloning is the best way to do so. Just remove the hard drive from your new computer and connect it to your old PC via a USB-to-SATA cable. After that, use cloning software to clone Windows to new hard drive.

4. What to do with your Windows License after cloning?

If you clone your existing hard drive to a new SSD and then install that SSD into the same computer, your Windows license should remain valid. If you have a retail Windows license, it is often linked to your Microsoft account, making the transfer easy.

After the transfer or reinstallation, log in with your Microsoft account to activate Windows. If you encounter activation issues, you can use the Windows Activation troubleshooter and select the option "I changed hardware on this device recently".