Moving Win 10 to new system SSD

[SalAuSal]

Hi,

     I am upgrading my SSD to a new system SSD, how do I  copy Win 10 to the new SSD, since I don't have second SSD or HD slot.

Is there a faster way? or which is best way?

Sal.

[WAWood]

@SalAuSal 

The simple response is -- you can't -- copy Windows from one drive to another.  What you CAN do is "clone" one drive onto another and that will copy the partitions containing Windows and the boot files, but that also copies everything in those partitions onto the second drive.

What I recommend is the following:
1) Download and install Macrium Reflect (MR) from here: https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree
2) Connect the new drive to the PC using a USB-to-SSD drive adapter (like the one illustrated below)
3) Follow the instructions in this link: http://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW/Cloning+a+disk
4) Shutdown the PC when done
5) Swap the drives and reboot the PC.

NOTE: To do this easily, the SDD has to be the same capacity as the HDD.  IF you get an SDD that is a lot smaller, then before you do the cloning, you have to shrink the largest partition on the HDD (usually the OS partition), to the size such that it, and the other partitions, fit easily on the SSD.

You should boot from the new drive without any problems.

Typical USB-to-SSD adapter:

NOTE: If your SSD is an M.2 SSD, then you will have to also get a second SATA SSD to M.2 SSD adapter.

Good Luck

[AndyStuart87]

There might be many software options to migrate your windows from old drive to new SSD. However, for more better understanding on the methods to migrate your OS from one drive to new SSD, I suggest you to check out the below blog - https://www.stellarinfo.com/blog/how-to-migrate-windows-10-from-old-hdd-to-ssd/

Hope it will help.

[SalAuSal]

Tried that it doesn't work it stops after finishing creating the image I get an error, using other Backup software to backup to NAS has same problem, amonst other things I don't have a portable HD. The only thing that worked is creating a recovery disk and use the recovery disk but it just creates a new installation, new hard drive installation worked fine, next thing is upgrading memory but laptop information doesn't tell me how much memory I can put I see only 8 GB (2x4GB).

[WAWood]

@SalAuSal 

If you're referring to my response -- then you didn't do it right -- as MR has the option to "clone" a disk and that does not create an image, instead, it migrates the existing partitions to a new drive.  I know as I have done this numerous times.