Do You Have to Reinstall Windows After Installing a New M2 SSD? [Check the Answer]

Installing an SSD can help improve the overall performance of your computer and reduce the time to load programs. Therefore, many computer users want to replace their HDD with an SSD. M.2 SSDs have a faster speed with a different interface and are built to be used as internal storage of a computer. Do you have to reinstall Windows after installing a new M.2 SSD?

This article from EaseUS will describe whether you need to reinstall Windows after installing an M.2 SSD and what to do after installing a new SSD. Let's get started!

Before diving into the detailed information on "Do you need to reinstall Windows after replacing SSD?", let's see what you need to prepare.

Download this useful disk cloning software here to migrate Windows from the old disk to the new M.2 SSD.

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Windows 11/10/8/7

Can I Install a New M.2 SSD Without Reinstalling Windows

As SSDs get increasingly popular, more and more computer users prefer to replace the boot drive with an SSD for better performance. The M.2 SSD is a new generation of SSD. An M.2 SSD is much faster than a regular SSD. Besides, it is smaller, meaning users can install an M.2 SSD to a laptop computer without having enough room for a regular one.

Installing an M.2 SSD will benefit you in more ways than just a fractionally faster Windows boot time. But have you been stuck on a question like "Can I install a new M.2 SSD without reinstalling Windows?" or "Do I need to reinstall Windows with new SSD?"

The answer is in the affirmative. You can install a new SSD without reinstalling Windows. If you do not have Windows on an M.2 SSD, you can image the existing hard drive onto your M.2 SSD. Once done, you can format your old hard drive and use it as storage. In the next part, let's check how to install an M.2 SSD without installing Windows.

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How to Add in a New SSD Without Reinstalling Windows

If you want to install an M.2 SSD and use it as a primary drive, you should first transfer the operating system (OS) to the SSD via disk cloning. You can also transfer data onto your computer to keep the SSD on your computer.

There is a simple way for you to transfer Windows installation to the SSD: it is called a system clone. To transfer the Windows system and files to your SSD, you can use disk cloning software to clone an HDD to an SSD. The following are the detailed steps to install a new SSD to your computer without reinstalling Windows.

Step 1. Connect the M.2 SSD to your Computer Properly

Tools you need:

• USB-to-SATA cable or SSD enclosure

You must prepare one USB-to-SATA cable or SSD enclosure for desktop and laptop computers to connect the M.2 SSD as an external hard drive. And for a brand-new SSD, Windows may require you to initialize the SSD to GPT or MBR for first use.

To initialize a new SSD:

• Go to This PC > Storage > Disk Management.
• Right-click on the new SSD and select Initialize Disk.
• Select the MBR or GPT style.

Ensure your new M.2 SSD partition style is aligned with the old HDD. Otherwise, the cloned SSD is prone to boot issues. 

To check the current partition style of a disk:

• Press the Win + R keys to open the Run window.
• Type "diskmgmt.msc" and click OK to open disk management.
• Right-click the disk you want to check and click Properties.
• Choose the Volume tab to check the Partition style.

Step 2. Clone Windows 11/10/8/7 from an HDD to M.2 SSD

Here, we will present the system migration process via professional disk cloning software - EaseUS Disk Copy. It lets you easily install a new M.2 SSD on your laptops and desktops without reinstalling Windows.

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Windows 11/10/8/7

EaseUS Disk Copy is an easy-to-use disk cloning utility for Windows 11/10/8/7. You can utilize it to clone a hard drive, system, or partition within a few clicks. It enables you to do full disk and partition-level cloning and resize partitions when cloning a disk. In addition, it also lets you clone your boot disk to a new SSD and clone an HDD to an SSD. It can also clone a hard disk with bad sectors and help migrate Windows 10 from one PC to another.

The following are the detailed steps to clone the Windows system to a new SSD.

Before cloning:

• If your computer has only one slot, connect the target disk to your machine via a USB-to-SATA/NVMe adapter.
• If your computer has an extra slot, install the target disk into the empty slot properly, and make sure it is compatible.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Disk Copy and choose Disk Mode.

Install EaseUS Disk Copy cloning software on your Windows computer, then launch it and select Disk Mode from the left panel.

Step 2. Select the source drive.

Select the drive you want to copy, then click Select.

Step 3. Choose the target disk.

Choose the disk that you want to clone data to, and click Select. Note that the used space of the source disk should be less than the target disk capacity.

*At this step, you can also click the option "Save as an image file" to store your disk as a compressed image file, which can be restored without any data loss.

Step 4. Adjust disk layout.

Specify the target disk layout as your preference. You can choose among:

• Autofit the disk: makes some changes by default on the destination disk layout so that it can work at its best.
• Copy as the source: create a 1-to-1 copy of your source disk; the layout is the same as the source disk.
• Edit disk layout: allows you to manually resize/move the partition layout on this destination disk.

*If the target disk is an SSD, the option "Auto-alignment to 4K" will be checked automatically to optimize the performance of your SSD.

Step 5. Start cloning.

Click Proceed, and a message will appear, warning you that data will be lost. Confirm the message by clicking Continue.

Now, it will start executing the cloning task.

*The time it takes to clone a hard drive depends on how much data is on the source disk, and it will also be affected by the disk types, USB connection, etc.

Step 3. Install the Cloned SSD

After the cloning process, you need to replace the HDD with the new M.2 SSD.

For computers with one slot:

You need to replace the old hard drive with SSD manually.

• Unplug the power cord.
• Unscrew and remove the back cover of your computer. You may need a screwdriver.
• Install the SSD into the mounting bracket, and then screw it in.
• Connect one SATA power cable to the SSD.
• Close the cover and reboot your computer.

For computers with more than one slot:

You don't have to remove the old hard drive. Just shut down the computer, press the specific key to enter BIOS to set the SSD as the first boot option, and save the settings. After that, you can use the old HDD for storage or remove it.

If you want to transfer your Windows from one SSD to another, you can turn to the following article for help.

How to Transfer Operating System from One SSD to Another

This article will tell you how to transfer Windows from one SSD to another via EaseUS Disk Copy. Read more >>

What to Do After Installing New SSD in Laptop

After finishing the SSD installation, there is only one thing you should do to boot your computer from the Cloned SSD. That will let your computer boot from it. Here is what to do after installing M.2 SSD:

Reboot your computer to access the BIOS menu by pressing a specific key. The key differs depending on the brand of the computer, usually ESC, Del, F1, F2, F12, etc.

Look for the boot options in the BIOS menu. Next, change the first boot option to the SSD, save the changes, and your computer will boot from the SSD quickly.

If your Windows does not boot from cloned SSD, you can refer to the following article for help.

Cloned SSD Won't Boot Windows 11/10/8/7

This article discusses 5 ways to help you solve the Windows won't boot from cloned SSD error. Read more >>

The Bottom Line

Do you have to reinstall Windows after installing a new M.2 SSD? The short answer is NO. You do not have to reinstall Windows after adding a new SSD. If you follow the instructions, it is easy to add an M.2 SSD to your computer without reinstalling Windows.

With the help of EaseUS Disk Copy, you can easily clone a Windows system from an old HDD to a new SSD. EaseUS Disk Copy is an excellent PC cloning tool available on the market. Do not hesitate to try it!

Free Download

Windows 11/10/8/7

FAQs

1. Can I swap m 2 SSD without reinstalling Windows?

If you use disk cloning software to help you install an M.2 SSD containing Windows on your computer, you can avoid reinstalling the operating system. This can help save time and effort, and you do not need to reconfigure the system to the original settings manually.

2. How do I initialize a new M 2 drive?

In Disk Management, right-click on the disk you want to initialize, then click on Initialize Disk. If the disk is listed as Offline, right-click on it and choose Online. It is worth noting that some USB drives do not have the option to be initialized because they get formatted and a drive letter.

3. What to do after replacing SSD?

If you have cloned your Windows or data from HDD/SSD to a new SSD, the only thing you need to do is to boot your computer from the cloned SSD. 

4. Which lasts longer HDD or SSD?

In terms of numbers alone, an SSD can survive on average roughly 20 years while an HDD can live on average about six. However, these are not absolutes, and depending on a number of variables, you might need to replace your HDD or SSD more frequently or less frequently.