If you've just upgraded your PC and desire to migrate Windows 10 to a new hard drive, you'll have to consider your options. This is a job that beginners might struggle with, merely information technology doesn't have to be—you but need to effigy out how you're going to motility your files from A to B and ensure Windows will boot from your new drive.

There are a few ways you can practise this. You could create a new system image to migrate from one drive of equal size to another. Alternatively, you could consider cloning your difficult drive to copy your installation, specially if your drives are different sizes. Hither'southward what y'all'll need to practise to brainstorm the procedure.

Before You Move Windows 10 to a New Hard Drive

Earlier you consider a transfer of Windows 10 to a new difficult drive, you should consider bankroll up your essential files, independently of any new system image y'all create.

While this process shouldn't accept an bear on on your original drive and files, y'all may cause data loss if yous accidentally overwrite your initial drive in the process. To be sure that your data is safety, you should always perform an contained backup of your files using portable media (such every bit a USB drive) or online deject storage.

Once you've backed up your essential files, you'll have two options to consider. The process to motility Windows 10 to a new hard drive depends on if you're moving to a bulldoze of equivalent or larger size or if the drive is smaller, every bit the procedure will vary.

It doesn't thing if you're moving from a traditional drive to a hybrid or solid country drive, as only the size of the bulldoze itself matters. If you lot're moving to a drive of equivalent or larger size, you're complimentary to create a system image to clone your drive using Windows' own congenital-in system imaging tools.

Yet, if you lot're moving to a bulldoze that's smaller than the original, you won't exist able to use this method, as Windows will testify an error during the re-imaging procedure. Instead, you'll need to transfer Windows x to a new hard drive using third-political party tools that will allow you to copy the files successfully to the smaller drive.

Create a New System Image to Migrate Windows to Drives of Equivalent or Larger Size

If you lot want to migrate Windows 10 to an equivalently-sized or larger hard drive than the original, the all-time method is to use Windows' own system imaging tool. This will let y'all to re-create your original drive exactly to your new drive.

It's important to stress that this method but works if you're using a drive of equivalent or larger size. If it'southward smaller, yous'll need to follow the steps below to use a third-political party tool instead.

  1. To begin, y'all'll demand to create a new system image for your Windows installation. To do this, correct-click the Start menu and select the Settings option.
  1. In the Settings menu, select Update & Security > Backup. In the Fill-in menu, select the Become to Backup and Restore (Windows 7) selection, listed under the Looking for an older backup? category.
  1. In the older Control Panel window, select the Create a arrangement image option, visible in the left-manus menu. Make sure to connect an external drive (such every bit an external USB hard drive) at this bespeak, unless you plan on using a network location to store your system image (such as a network fastened storage device).
  1. A new Create a system paradigm menu will open up and automatically begin scanning for a suitable external bulldoze or network location to store the organization image. If you're using a portable hard drive, select this from the On a difficult disk driblet-down bill of fare. If you're using a network storage location, choose the On a network location selection, then select a suitable location on your network to store the file. Select Next to continue.
  1. Windows will confirm the partitions on your drive that will exist copied to the new organization paradigm. Select Start fill-in to begin.
  1. Allow the system image creation process to finish. One time completed, Windows will enquire you lot if yous want to create a new system repair disk. Information technology may exist a proficient idea to exercise this, especially if y'all manage to decadent your MBR or GPT kick files in the procedure. However, you can select either Yes or No to go along.

After creating the new organization image, yous're set to apply it on your new bulldoze. At this phase, connect your new hard drive to your PC and remove the existing difficult drive. Yous could also exit your existing hard bulldoze in place and format information technology, allowing you to repurpose it as a secondary storage drive.

Use a Organisation Image to Motion Windows to a New Hard Bulldoze

With a new system image of your existing drive ready, you can use the image to create a complete copy of your Windows installation on a new difficult drive. Every bit we've mentioned previously, you tin can only do this if the new drive is the same size or larger than the previous system bulldoze.

  1. To brainstorm, insert your Windows installation media using a portable USB memory stick or DVD. Once inserted, kick your PC and ensure that your BIOS or UEFI settings prioritize that bulldoze over any other drives. In one case the Windows installation menu appears, select Next, and so select Repair your computer in the lesser left corner.
  1. In the Advanced Options menu, select Troubleshoot > Arrangement Prototype Recovery.
  1. Windows should automatically notice the system image on your external hard bulldoze in the Re-paradigm your computer carte du jour. If it doesn't, select the Select a system epitome pick to locate it manually. Otherwise, leave the Use the latest available system image (recommended) pick selected, then select Next to go along.
  1. Using the new arrangement image, your new hard drive will be formatted with the same partitions equally the previous drive. If yous desire to exclude any partitions outset, select Exclude disks and uncheck them. Otherwise, select Next to continue.
  1. Select Finish > Yes to brainstorm the disk imaging process, which volition have some fourth dimension to complete. Once this process is finished, select Restart At present to boot into your PC. You can remove the Windows installation bulldoze or disk at this point, and you may also need to change your BIOS/UEFI settings to ensure that the new bulldoze is selected as the first boot disk.

If you've copied your files to a new drive of the same size, you won't need to do annihilation else at this stage—Windows will kick as normal, and you tin can resume using your PC. If you've cloned your drive to a larger sized drive, withal, yous may need to take additional steps to utilize the additional infinite.

Resize the System Partition After Using a System Image

A system image clones your drive entirely, recreating all available partitions on the previous bulldoze to the exact sizes as the original partitions. If you've used a organization prototype to motion Windows to a larger hard bulldoze, you lot'll need to resize the system partition (C:) to utilize all of the available space on the new drive.

  1. To do this, boot into Windows on your new bulldoze and sign in. Right-click the Start card and select the Disk Management option.
  1. In the Disk Direction carte du jour, correct-click your system segmentation (C:) and select Extend Volume.
  1. In the Extend Volume Wizard card, select Adjacent, then ensure that the corporeality of additional space (equivalent to the figure in the Maximum available space in MB box) is selected in the Select the corporeality of space in MB box. Select Next to proceed.
  1. Confirm that the details are correct, then select Finish to complete the process.

After a few moments, your system partition will exist expanded to include the additional infinite on your drive, ensuring that all available drive space is usable.

Transfer Windows 10 to a Dissimilar Sized Difficult Drive Using Third-Political party Software

Using a new organization image to clone your hard drive is still the best way to migrate Windows 10 to a new difficult drive. Unfortunately, equally this process doesn't piece of work if you're moving from a larger to smaller drive, you'll demand to utilise tertiary-party software to copy Windows instead.

Various tools exist for this method, only one good (and free) selection is to employ Macrium Reverberate Free. The gratis version of Macrium Reverberate allows you to clone your Windows installation from a larger to a smaller bulldoze, resizing the partition table in the process. You can also utilize this to clone Windows to a larger driver if you'd prefer.

Earlier y'all follow these steps, make sure that both your existing hard drive and new hard drive are connected to your PC and are detectable in Windows.

  1. To begin, download and install the Home Use version of Macrium Reverberate Free from the Macrium Reflect website. Once installed, run the software and make sure that the checkbox side by side to the deejay containing your system segmentation (C:) is selected. One time selected, select the Clone this deejay option beneath information technology.
  1. In the Clone menu, select your new (smaller) drive past selecting the Select a disk to clone to option in the Destination section.
  1. With the new disk selected, you'll need to delete any existing partitions on the bulldoze past first selecting them in the Destination category, then selecting the Delete Existing sectionalization option to remove them.
  1. With any existing partitions on your new drive removed, drag and drop each of the partitions on your drive (excluding the system C: division) from the Source category to the Destination category. Leaving your arrangement partition (C:) terminal, elevate and driblet that partition onto the Destination category.
  1. Macrium Reflect will automatically resize your system partition to use up the remaining infinite on your new bulldoze if your new bulldoze is smaller than the original. If you'd like to change the size of your C: segmentation (or y'all're using a larger drive, so wish to resize it to use up the additional space), select information technology in the Destination category first, then select the Cloned Segmentation Backdrop option.
  1. In the Partition Properties menu, resize your partition using the Segmentation Size box. If yous're using a larger drive, make certain that the Free Infinite box reaches 0 MB to ensure you lot're utilizing all available space. Select OK to confirm the alter.
  1. Select Finish to confirm your cloning options.
  1. Exit the options intact in the Fill-in Relieve Options menu that appears next, so select OK to confirm.
  1. Macrium will need permission to delete existing partitions and begin the cloning process. Select the available checkbox in the Ostend Overwrite carte du jour, then select Go on to keep. Allow some time for the cloning procedure to finish.

One time completed, your existing hard drive containing your Windows installation and all other files will be cloned to your new bulldoze. Yous can close down your PC and remove your previous difficult drive at this stage, or use Disk Management to format and repurpose it instead.

Final Steps

Whether you're using a Windows x organization image to motility to a new drive of the same size, or using third-party software similar Macrium Reflect to clone it instead, yous'll be prepare to boot upwards and utilize your new drive without any farther steps. Y'all may need to resize your system partition if the bulldoze is bigger than the original, notwithstanding.

If yous do come across problems, y'all may desire to consider reinstalling Windows x and starting afresh without cloning your drive entirely. You tin do this without losing your personal files, simply you may need to install your software again and transfer your Windows 10 license in the process.