How to Migrate Windows 10 to SSD? [Step-By-Step Guide 2023]

• Duration:30-45 minutes.
• Suitable Users:All levels of users.
• Goal:Migrate Windows 10 to SSD, switch Windows 10 to SSD without boot issue.
• Also Applies to:Migrate Windows 11/8.1/8/7 and Windows XP/Vista to SSD.

How do I migrate my Windows 10 to a new SSD? Is it necessary to move Windows 10 to another SSD disk? This page covers everything you need to know about OS migration, and we took Windows 10 as an example to show you when and how to successfully migrate Windows 10 to SSD on your own.

Follow this guide, and you'll learn how to move your OS and set it to boot up from a new SSD efficiently.

我应该迁移到Windows 10 SSD ?Yes, and Here Is Why

我应该迁移到Windows 10 SSD ?当然,是的。作为long as you have the budget for purchasing a new SSD, it's worth spending time and energy for updating Windows 10 disk to SSD. Here is why:

1. Windows 10 still takes the biggest market share

According tostatcounter, by Feburary 2023, Windows 10 takes up to 68.75% of the Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide. Though slightly goes down in the market share status as shown in the below image:

Image Source: https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide/

2. Most Windows 10 Computers Are Getting Old and Not Compatible with Windows 11

According toMicrosoft, there are 1.4 billion active devices running on Windows 10 or Windows 11. And most desktop users are still running with Windows 10 on their computers.

One of the reasons why these Windows 10 users didn't update to Windows 11 is because their computers are getting old, and most of these machines don't meetWindows 11 system requirements.

To learn if your PC supports Windows 11, you may need:

作为time goes by, Windows 10 computers get even old, and updating the OS disk to a new HDD or SSD is a good choice for optimizing the computers' performance.

When Should I Need to Migrate Windows 10 to SSD?

So when should I migrate Windows 10 to an SSD disk? Or, in what situations will I need to upgrade and migrate the Windows 10 OS to a new SSD?

Here is a list of situations, and if you are experiencing any one of them, you'll need to migrate the OS to SSD:

• Windows 10 gets stuck for no reason
• Windows 10 is slow to boot, run, and shutdown
• Windows 10 programs freeze while running
• Windows 10 computer gets stuck or freezes while playing games
• File transferring gets stuck, such asWindows 10 file transfer stuck at 99%, or so.
• It's slow to open files on a local drive, etc.

How Do I Move or Migrate Windows 10 to SSD without Losing Data [Full Guide]

So how do I transfer my operating system to a new SSD? In this part, we'll present you with a complete guide that you can follow to migrate Windows 10 to SSD on your own successfully. Let's get started here:

#1. Migrate Windows 10 to SSD Software Free Download

Note that migrating Windows OS to a new disk requires you to turn to reliableOS migration softwarefor help, as Windows 10 itself doesn't contain a system migration feature.

EaseUS Partition Master, with its Migrate OS feature, can fulfill your need to transfer and move the entire OS to a new SSD in simple clicks. It simplifies the complex procedure in only a few clicks, and all levels of Windows users can apply this tool for help.

Applies to: Transfer and migrate OS to SSD, HDD, hybrid-HDD/SSD on all Windows systems.

You can directly download and install this software on your PC and then move to the next step.

#2. Set Up SSD for Migrating Windows 10

The second step is setting up the new SSD for your PC. To do so, make sure that you install the SSD correctly to your Windows 10 computer before starting with the next configuration steps here:

Step 1.Shut down the PC, and install SSD to Windows 10.

• For SATA SSD: Connect it to your computer motherboard via the SATA and Data connection cable.
• NVMe或M.2 SSD:插图SSD插槽和fasten the screws.

Step 2.Configure and initialize SSD to the same disk partition style as the current OS drive.

• Open Disk Management, right-click on the current OS disk, and select 'Properties'.
• Confirm and view its disk partition style in the volume section, MBR or GPT.
• Right-click on the SSD unallocated space, and select 'Initialize Disk', set SSD to the same disk partition style as the old drive:

MBR - MBR; GPT-GPT.

#3. Migrate OS to SSD in Windows 10

Once your SSD is set up and ready for OS migration in Windows 10, you can now follow the steps here to migrate the OS to SSD with the help of reliable OS migration software - EaseUS Partition Master.

Note:The operation of migrating OS to SSD or HDD will delete and remove existing partitions and data on your target disk when there is not enough unallocated space on the target disk. If you saved important data there, back up them to an external hard drive in advance.

Step 1.Select "Clone" from the left menu. Select the "Migrate OS" and click "Next" to continue..

Step 2.Select the target disk you want to clone. Click "Next".

Step 3.Click "Yes" after checking the warning message. The data and partitions on the target disk will be deleted. Make sure that you've backed up important data in advance. If not, do it now.

Step 4.Preview the layout of your target disk. You can also click the disk layout options to customize the layout of your target disk as you want. Then click "Start" to start migrating your OS to a new disk

#4. Switch and Set SSD as the Boot Drive in Windows 10

作为you switched the OS to SSD, you'll need to set up the new SSD with OS as the boot drive instead of the old disk in BIOS settings.

Here are the detailed steps that you can follow:

Step 1.Shut down and reboot your computer, and press F2/F8/F11 or Del key to enter the BIOS settings.

Step 2.Go to the Boot menu, and set the new SSD with migrated Windows 10 OS as the boot drive in the Boot Priority section.

Step 3.Press F10 or save the changes, and exit BIOS. Then reboot the PC.

Wait patiently to let the computer boot up. You can then log in with your password, and then you can start computing like on the new SSD.

Bonus Tip: What to Do with the Old OS Drive after Migrating OS to SSD on Windows 10

Some of you may have the same question here: What do I do with the OS drive? How do I deal with the old system disk, or what to do with the old operating system OS disk after I migrate my OS to the new SSD?

Here is a list of tips that you can follow them and learn how to make use of an old disk on your computer:

#1. Reset Old OS Drive as Data Disk

If you simply want to use the old OS drive as a second data drive on your computer to separate data and OS, you can directly format the old OS partition to quickly clean the partitions for saving new content.

EaseUS Partition Master, with its Format feature, can help.

Step 1.Run EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the hard drive partition you intend to format and choose "Format".

Step 2.In the new window, set the Partition label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and Cluster size for the partition to be formatted, then click "OK".

Step 3.Then you will see a warning window, click "Yes" in it to continue.

Step 4.Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button to review the changes, then click "Apply" to start formatting the partition on your hard drive.

#2. Wipe Old OS Disk and Cleanup Data Completely for Sell

If you want to sell the old OS drive, you can turn to reliable hard disk wipe software to completely erase everything on the drive. Then, you can sell it online.

EaseUS Partition Master also offers a disk wipe feature that you can apply to reset the old drive as fresh as new with the steps here:

We've set two options for you to wipe data. Choose the one you need.

Option 1. Wipe Partition

• Right-click the partition you want to erase data from, and choose "Wipe".
• In the new window, set the time for which you want to wipe your partition, then click "OK".
• Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the lower right corner, check the changes, then click "Apply".

Option 2. Wipe Disk

• Select the HDD/SSD. And right-click to choose "Wipe Disk".
• Set the number of times to wipe data. (You can set to 10 at most.) Then Click "OK".
• Click "Execute 1 Task(s)" and then click "Apply".

Conclusion

Migrating Windows 10 OS to an SSD disk is complex yet possible with the correct methods and tutorials. On this page, we present you with a list of reasons and situations that explain why and when you need to upgrade the Windows 10 OS disk to an SSD disk.

To do so, you need to:

• First, download reliable OS migration software - EaseUS Partition Master.

• Second, install and set up SSD ready for OS migration.
• Third, migrate Windows 10 system to SSD.
• Forth, configure and set a new SSD with Windows 10 as the boot drive.

If you have further questions about OS migration, follow and find answers in the next part.

FAQs About Migrate OS to SSD in Windows 10

Here we also collected some hot topics about OS migration in Windows 10, if you feel interested in, continue reading and finding desired answers here:

1. What are the benefits of migrating Windows 10 to SSD?

• Improve computer performance, and minimize the bootup and shut down duration.
• Improve computer reading and writing speed.
• Speed up file transferring speed.
• Improve gaming experience.
• Create more space to save data on the second disk.
• Isolate OS with data, making data management more intelligent.

2. What is the best migrate Windows 10 SSD software?

Here is a list of OS migration software that worldwide users and professionals highly praise for migrating the operating system:

• EaseUS Partition Master
• Macrium Reflect
• Samsung Data Migration
• Paragon Drive Copy
• Clonezilla

Note that aside from EaseUS Partition Master, the other four software requires disk cloning for migrating the OS. To simply migrate the OS only to a new SSD, take EaseUS software for help.

3. Can I migrate Windows 10 to SSD for free?

Yes, sure. You can migrate Windows 10 to SSD for free using reliable OS cloning software. EaseUS Partition Master Free edition, with its Partition Clone feature, allows you to clone the Windows 10 system to SSD for free.

For a step-by-step guide, follow this page to learn the details:Clone Windows to SSD for Free.