How to Clone SSD to Larger SSD in Windows 10/8/7

Cloning an SSD to a larger one can give you disk space to install programs and run Windows faster if your old SSD has limited storage space. The biggest advantage of cloning an SSD to another is that you do not have to install Windows or programs from scratch, as the Reddit post reads.

How to fully clone SSD to a bigger SSD?

Before I send in my laptop for a repair, I want to factory reset it to see if it fixes my issues. I don't want to lose anything, so I wish to fully clone the OS and all my files. I don't know what tools are actually useful to do this and are free. Any suggestions?

So, how do you copy over everything from one SSD to a larger SSD? In this article, we will walk you through how to clone SSD to larger SSD on Windows.

What to Prepare for Cloning SSD to Larger SSD

Disk cloning is widely used among computer users when they trying to clone SSD to SSD, or upgrade a hard drive from old to new, or from small to big, since cloning is making an exact copy of the original hard drive and migrating the data to a new one which won't cause a single data loss, including the operating system, which saves time and money to reinstall OS or restore data from a computer maintenance center, but before cloning, some configuration steps are required.

1️⃣Connect the New SSD to PC or Laptop

Since you're trying to replace the current SSD with a new and bigger one or clone C drive to SSD, you need to identify each SSD's ports and connection differences in order to choose the right way to connect the new drive to your computer.

On a desktop computer, you can directly connect the new drive to its M.2 or SATA port and mount the new drive. On a laptop that doesn't have room for a second drive connection, you can use some external enclosures. For a 2.5-inch SATA SSD drive, a SATA to USB 3.0 enclosure is enough, while for an M.2 NVMe or SATA drive, an M.2 to USB enclosure can work.

2️⃣Run a Surface Test of the New SSD

When you get a new SSD, you can run a surface test on it to verify its health condition, because some new disks will also contain bad sectors, which can result in cloning failure.

3️⃣Backup Data

It is always a good idea to back up your data before performing any major drive upgrades or disk cloning processes. Most importantly, if your target SSD has important data, you must back it up before cloning because cloning will wipe all data on the target disk.

4️⃣Download Cloning Software

To clone an SSD to a larger SSD, you'll need to use cloning software because Windows lacks built-in cloning features. For free SSD cloning software, try Clonezilla or Rescuezilla. However, it is worth noting that you need to create a bootable USB containing Clonezilla or Rescuezilla, use it to boot your PC, and then clone an SSD to another SSD, which is time-consuming and unfriendly to beginners.

EaseUS Disk Copy is a great choice for an easy cloning solution. Speaking of SSD to larger SSD cloning, the success rate is 99.9% if you do it with EaseUS Disk Copy. On one hand, the primary requirement for a successful clone is that the destination disk should be bigger than the source disk. On the other hand, to ensure the disk cloning process is smooth and at a high speed, EaseUS disk cloning software is the second-to-none choice.

Get this simple yet powerful cloning software to clone SSD to bigger SSD!

How to Clone Smaller SSD to Larger SSD Without Reinstalling

Now, you can start cloning the SSD to a bigger SSD using EaseUS Disk Copy. Here is the detailed guide:

Step 1. Install and Open the Software

Install EaseUS Disk Copy on your PC and open it. Then, connect the new SSD to your PC via the USB to SATA cable or M.2 to USB enclosure, or install it internally on a desktop.

Step 2. Select Source and Destination

Choose the "Disk Mode" option within the software and choose the old SSD as the source disk and the new, larger SSD as the destination disk.

Step 3. Adjust disk layout (Optional)

• "Autofit the disk" will make changes to the destination disk layout so it can work at its best status.
• "Copy as the source"doesn't alter anything on the destination drive, and the layout is the same as the source one.
• "Edit disk layout" lets you manually resize the partition layout on the destination drive.

Step 4. Start Cloning

Click Proceed, and you will see a warning message. Click Continue, and the SSD to SSD cloning will begin. (The time to clone depends on how much data is on your source disk.)

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Step 5. Boot from the New SSD

After the clone is complete, adjust the boot sequence in BIOS/UEFI settings to boot from the new SSD to test whether your PC can boot from the new SSD. If successful, you can physically replace the old SSD with the new one.

For more insights about how to replace the old SSD with the new SSD, you can refer to this article:

How to Replace an Old SSD with a New SSD

In this article, you can learn how to replace an old SSD with a new one without losing data or reinstalling Windows. Read more >>

Step 6. Verify Data

The last step is to verify the data integrity and PC performance after replacing the SSD drives.

• Open File Explorer to verify that user folders are intact and that all programs are accessible.
• Launch apps to ensure they can work, and check that drivers are functioning properly in Device Manager to test functionality.
• Test USB ports, external drives, printers, and other hardware.
• Check Wi-Fi/Ethernet connectivity and check browsing.
• Compare boot times between the old and new SSDs.
• Check CPU, Memory, and disk usage are normal in Task Manager.

Now, you have copied everything from your old SSD to the larger one.= without reinstalling Windows or losing data.

Here is also a video guide on how to clone SSD to another SSD using EaseUS Disk Copy:

How Much Storage Do You Need for a New SSD

To swap an SSD, you must buy the right SSD to fit your PC's motherboard. To do this, you need to figure out the SSD interface (SATA, PCIe, NVMe) and form factor (2.5'', M.2, U.2) of your old SSD. When replacing an SSD, you'd better pay attention to its brand, quality, and reliability. For example, an NVMe M.2 SSD provides superior storage, superior speed, and superior compatibility.

In addition, you also need to buy a new SSD with enough capacity to accommodate the data on your old one. Here's an image that tells you how much solid-state drive storage you need. You can choose an SSD of different sizes, such as SATA SSD and NVMe SSD, from 250GB to 4TB or higher. Generally, an SSD with a capacity of 1TB is preferred for data storage and future OS updates.

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Here is a collection of the top 5 popular SSD you can choose for an SSD upgrade.

• Samsung 870 EVO is an excellent choice for those needing a SATA upgrade.
• Samsung 9100 Pro is a fast NVMe SSD you can buy, but it is not cheap.
• PNY CS2150 is a PCIe 5.0 value buy.
• Crucial P3 is an efficient budget drive with capacity to spare.
• WD SN850X SSD is your drive for fast speeds and large capacities.

To Wrap Things Up

How to clone SSD to larger SSD? The best way to upgrade your SSD without data loss is to perform a disk clone. In this post, a powerful and full-featured SSD cloner, EaseUS Disk Copy, is introduced to help transfer data from a smaller SSD to a larger one without losing data or reinstalling Windows. After cloning, replace the old SSD (or change boot order) to boot your computer from the cloned SSD. Download and try this powerful SSD cloning software to upgrade your SSD to a spacious one!

FAQs on How to Clone an SSD to a Larger SSD

1. Can I clone 500GB SSD to 1TB SSD?

Yes, you can clone a 500GB SSD to a 1TB SSD without any issues. This can be done using any good cloning software, such as EaseUS Todo Backup. Just make sure that you have enough free space on the 1TB SSD for the clone. Also, keep in mind that the cloned SSD will be bootable and will have the same capacity as the original 500GB SSD. So, if you want to use the full capacity of the 1TB SSD, you will need to resize the partitions on the cloned SSD after cloning is complete. 

2. Can I clone SSD of different sizes?

Yes, you can clone SSDs of different sizes. Ensure that you have enough free space on the destination SSD for the clone. 

3. How to Clone SSD to Another in Linux?

The cloning method of Windows can not be directly applied to the Linux operating system, but we also have an article tutorial for you to clone a Linux hard drive to SSD without reinstalling, which involves a command method.

4. How to clone SSD C drive to larger SSD D drive?

If your C drive and D drive are not on a separate drive, you can clone the smaller C drive to a larger D drive using professional disk cloning software like Clonezilla, Rescuezilla, or EaseUS Disk Copy.