Good day, readers of my blog.
SSD drives are becoming more and more popular with ordinary computer users every year. This was achieved thanks to a significant reduction in price and an increase in basic characteristics. It is this type of equipment that is in great demand as a device on which the operating system is installed. But in order not to waste time restoring all the functionality again, you can simply transfer Windows 10 to an SSD. This procedure will allow you to restore the system's performance in the shortest possible time. At the same time, all functionality will be fully preserved. But unlike working with HDD, the system speed will noticeably increase.
It should be said right away that transferring photos, video files or music from HDD to SSD is not entirely correct use. The fact is that the latter have a limited rewriting limit. And obviously active frequent rewriting can disable it. But this cannot be said about standard hard drives, because they serve for a long time, and at the same time remain in excellent condition. At the same time, ordinary hard drives have a relatively small clipboard - this significantly increases the response time of programs. That is why many people buy drives of a new type to transfer the operating system to them.
Windows 10 on SSD is a great combination as it has many benefits, including:
High speed of information processing.
Low heat generation.
In this case, the operating system consists of files that do not require constant updating - they are only read. Therefore, after installing Win on a solid-state drive, work is significantly accelerated and at the same time the resource of the device will be consumed slowly.
When choosing an SSD, it is important to pay attention to several basic parameters:
the possible number of times of rewriting;
memory type;
company manufacturer.
It must be said right away that if you are going to install the tenth version OS from Microsoft on an SSD on a laptop or PC, it is better to choose models from 120 GB. There are devices from 64 GB, but it is better not to consider them as the main device. And there are several reasons for this at once:
This is why a solid state drive for an operating system should be at least 120GB.
So, let's proceed directly to the process itself:
After that, in the section " Computer»It will be possible to see the new device under the letter we specified.
There are a lot of programs for completely moving an operating system from one disk to another. They are both free and offered for money. Generally speaking, the software differs only in its appearance. At the same time, the algorithm of operation is almost identical. Each of them simply clones the existing system to a different storage device. Therefore, there is no need to study the instructions for the work of all - it is enough just to get acquainted with one of them. At the same time, the interface is intuitive everywhere, which allows almost any user to do whatever is necessary.
Software suitable for cloning:
Well, as you can see, there are a lot of programs that allow you to transfer information from one device to another. It should be noted that the OS itself does not provide for cloning to an SSD using Windows. Therefore, you need to use third-party applications.
In order not to talk about each software separately, I will introduce you to the system from Acronis. First you need to find a program. In this case, it is worth noting immediately that a special key must go with it. Without it, the functionality will be limited. To download this application, use my course called
So, to make a clone of your existing disk, you need to make a few movements:
After all preliminary steps are completed, the program will ask you to restart your device. Then the Acronis application menu will appear on the screen, showing the copying process. When the process is completed, the computer will automatically shutdown.
After everything is finished, you need to set so that Windows now starts from the solid-state drive:
We turn on the computer and go into the BIOS.
We go to the menu in which the order of loading is set. We indicate the disk on which we now have a clone. You can find out how to set the order of loading disks.
Save and exit.
It is not necessary to say goodbye to the well-established operation of the Windows operating system, and with it the installed, configured, activated licensed programs, if there is a need to replace the computer motherboard. Windows itself provides a special tool for such events - the Sysprep utility. Below we will consider in detail how, with its help, not only to solve the issue with the operability of the operating system after replacing the motherboard, but also to transfer the working activated Windows to another computer with different hardware components from the current ones.
We will transfer to another computer the most current version of the operating system from Microsoft - Windows 10. In addition to the built-in Sysprep utility, we will be assisted in this by the free edition of the AOMEI Backupper backup program. In its place can be any other backup program, the essence of the process of transferring Windows to another computer with a different hardware will not change. AOMEI Backupper was chosen for its ease of use and free use.
The Sysprep utility removes drivers and other system data about the hardware of the computer, while not affecting user data - installed and configured programs, files on the system disk, shortcuts on the desktop and in the Start menu. This utility was created by Microsoft to simplify the installation of Windows and software on a production scale. The installed operating system with already deployed and configured programs, upon completion of the Sysprep work, becomes a reference image, which is subsequently deployed on various computer devices of companies. On each of them, afterwards, it remains to install drivers for individual components and external devices that are not installed automatically. And, of course, you need to activate Windows in a separate order on each computer.
Sysprep can be used to replace not only the motherboard, but also the processor. Replacing the latter is not in all, but in some cases it can lead to failures and errors in the operation of Windows. If and as soon as these are found, you can resort to the help of Sysprep.
Whether it's replacing the motherboard or processor, or transferring Windows to another computer with different hardware - before using the Sysprep utility, it's better to create a restore point just in case. An alternative to it is a backup copy using the AOMEI Backupper program, which we will use to transfer the system to another computer. It is also advisable to disable the antivirus and firewall before running the Sysprep utility.
The above preparatory steps are enough for cases of replacing the motherboard or processor, and a couple of other things are required to transfer Windows to another computer.
After Sysprep removes the hardware binding from your computer, you will need to back up Windows. This must be done in pre-boot mode using a bootable media with a backup program. To create one, you will need a CD / DVD media or a USB flash drive.
You also need to consider how to transfer your Windows backup. This will require an external HDD, a capacious flash drive, or access to a local network resource if the computers are on the same small network. When transferring an operating system from one PC assembly to another, a backup can be saved on the hard disk of the first PC, and then temporarily connect this disk to the second PC. If the computers are distant and the target computer has at least some operating system, you can back up Windows to the hard drive of the source computer. And then transfer it to the target computer using cloud storage. But even if the target computer does not have any operating system, but the hard disk is partitioned, you can put any files from the Internet on it if you boot from a Live disk (or from a disk with a Linux distribution kit in no system installation mode).
We omit this paragraph of the article for cases of replacing the motherboard or processor, but in the case of transferring Windows to another computer with another "hardware", we proceed to create a bootable media with a backup program. AOMEI Backupper makes this very easy. We go to the last section "Utilities" and click "Create bootable media".
Then we select the item "Windows PE". Click "Next".
Choose a medium - CD / DVD-disc, USB flash drive or ISO-image. The latter must be selected if the work is carried out with a computer based on BIOS UEFI. AOMEI Backupper cannot write UEFI bootable media. But other programs (for example) can do this. With these, using the ISO image created by the AOMEI Backupper program, you will need to create a UEFI bootable media.
Now we proceed directly to the removal of the binding to the hardware components of the computer. Press the + R keys and enter the following in the Run command field:
After clicking "Ok" in the explorer, the system folder with the executable file of the Sysprep utility will open. We launch it.
A window with Sysprep run settings will open. Leave the default option to go to the system welcome window (OOBE). To prevent the activation of Windows from crashing, do not touch the checkbox of the preparation for use option. And, conversely, we expose it when you need to reset the activation. Why you may need to reset the activation will be discussed below, in paragraph 8 of this article. The third, which is also the last setting, is the way to complete the work. In the drop-down list, change the preset restart to shutdown the computer. Click "Ok".
Sysprep will do its job and the computer will shut down. The next time you start Windows, it will already adapt to the new hardware. Therefore, after turning off the computer, we can start replacing the motherboard or backing up Windows in pre-boot mode. In case of replacing the motherboard or processor, the backup items can be omitted and immediately proceed to start the system - to paragraph 7 of the article.
To create a Windows backup, which after the Sysprep utility will not be tied to the hardware of the current computer, boot it from a previously created CD / DVD or a flash drive with the AOMEI Backupper program. If an external HDD or a capacious flash drive is used to save a backup, we connect them.
In the AOMEI Backupper window, go to the "Backup" section and select "System Backup".
The disk with AOMEI Backupper will be defined as 500 MB reserved by the system, while the system disk will be marked with the letter D. Select the latter in step 1. In step 2, specify the path to the backup storage location - external media, non-system disk partition, network resource. We press "Start".
In the window of the started backup process, we will use the option to turn off the computer upon completion of the operation.
After creating a backup, the computer will turn off itself, and the external, internal HDD or USB flash drive can be disconnected and connected to the target computer where you plan to transfer Windows.
By connecting the media with the file of the created backup to the target computer (or downloading the backup file from the cloud storage to its hard disk), now on this computer we set the priority for booting from a CD / DVD disc or a flash drive with the AOMEI Backupper program.
In the AOMEI Backupper window, go to the Rollback section. Click on the "Path" column below.
Specify the path for storing the backup file, after which the program will offer to restore the system from it. We press "Yes".
In the next window at the top we click on the backup, and below we put a tick on the option "Restore the system to another location." And click "Ok".
In our case, the backup file came to the target computer along with the hard disk removed from the source computer (Disk 1). The hard disk of the target computer (Disk 0), as you can see in the screenshot, is not even marked up. But this is not necessary. Just select it and click "Ok".
With a partitioned hard disk, select only the system partition. Important: when running backup programs from bootable media, the letters of the disk partitions may differ from those that appear in the system explorer. Therefore, in the partitions of the disk, you need to be guided by their size.
If the system partition captured in the backup is smaller than the partition to which Windows will be restored, in the summary window of AOMEI Backupper we will find the option "Resize Partition". We press it.
In order for Windows to recover from the backup to the entire volume of the system partition, and after it there is no unallocated disk space, pull the slider of the visual graph of the disk layout to the end or to the desired limit. When finished, click "Ok".
To start the Windows recovery process in the operation summary window, click "Start".
As with creating a backup copy, we check the box on the option to automatically shutdown the computer after completing the system restore operation.
When the target computer is turned on, we set the priority for booting from the hard disk. That after replacing the motherboard, that after transferring Windows to another computer, in any case we will see the same picture - the process of re-installing the drivers for the hardware components of the computer will begin. This will be followed by a welcome window with options for choosing a language, region, time zone. We indicate the necessary data and click "Next".
If the original Windows 10 was activated, in the next window you need to accept the license agreement.
At the same stage, if the original Windows 10 was previously without activation, you will be prompted to enter. This can be done later in the system itself by clicking the "Do it later" option.
In the window for setting the system parameters, in our case, select the standard ones.
Next, as with a normal Windows 10 installation, the account creation process will follow. There is no need to worry about the existing account with its settings and data. She's fine, and we'll have access to her later. The new account will be temporary, you can then delete it. Select "This computer belongs to me", click "Next".
We skip the offer to create a Microsoft account.
And we create a local (that same temporary) account. Enter the name, leave the password fields blank and click "Next".
This will be followed by the final stage of Windows 10 settings.
Finally, we will find ourselves inside a new, just created account. We leave it: press the keys + X and select the exit from the system.
Let's go to the lock screen and see the old account. We go into it.
And we proceed to check if everything is in order with the data. Start menu settings, desktop shortcuts, installed programs, files on the C drive should all remain intact.
Now all that remains is to delete the temporary account if it is not needed. We go into the "Settings" application, open the "Accounts" section, and in it - "Family and other users". We delete the unnecessary account.
Since one product key can activate only one Windows, accordingly, there is a possibility that activation will fail in a system transferred to another computer. And this will happen shortly after the original system has access to the Internet. Microsoft allows you to transfer an activated operating system to another computer, but on condition that it is removed from the first computer. However, if, for example, a computer with the original Windows is transferred to another family member, it is not necessary to say goodbye to this system. She can simply stay temporarily without activation until the family budget has money to buy a new activation key. What needs to be done for this?
As mentioned, when you activate the Prepare to Use setting, Sysprep can reset Windows activation. Reset activation is limited to only three times. This feature was abused by many in earlier versions of Windows to extend the 30-day trial period for the licensed system. In our case, the transfer of Windows was conceived along with its activation, and above, when running the Sysprep utility in its settings, we limited ourselves only to removing the binding of the computer to a specific hardware. To prevent activation of the Windows transferred to another computer, you must turn off the Internet before turning on the original Windows computer. Then, after the same steps as described in the previous paragraph, in the original Windows, you need to re-run the Sysprep utility, but with the activation reset settings - that is, by checking the "Prepare for use" option.
That's all.
Have a great day!
Many users try all possible methods to improve the performance of their computer. For this purpose, in addition to standard overclocking with the help of special utilities, they install more modern types of data carriers in their system unit, namely solid-state drives with a higher data transfer rate.
What is the benefit of transferring an OS to a solid state drive?
Before considering the basic methods of transferring tens to a solid-state hard drive, you need to understand the main advantages of this, in addition to the higher speed of reading electronic data that the user receives.
Probably, every user is faced with the fact that some applications or processes on the computer are running for a very long time. This is due to the fact that ordinary hard drives are unable to quickly write and read information. However, the situation changes dramatically if you install an SSD-drive in a laptop or stationary computer and transfer Windows 10 to it. It would seem that this is so, but the difference is quite noticeable. The system will start working much faster and much less time will be spent on performing the same tasks. At the same time, it is recommended to transfer the OS exclusively to the solid-state drive without any third-party programs. Nevertheless, if it becomes necessary to transfer the entire system as a whole, with all the installed utilities, then with the help of some tools it is possible to implement this as well.
General information on migration
Among novice users, there is a misconception that to transfer an operating system from one hard drive to another, it is enough just to copy all the contents. However, such a transfer will not lead to anything, and the system itself will simply not work. Migration is a systematic process that can be done using the tools integrated into the top ten or third-party utilities that have been developed to accomplish this task. It is worth noting that no matter which transfer method you choose, it is very simple and does not take much time and effort. In addition, this process is automated as much as possible, so no special user action is required.
In this article, we will dwell on each of the existing methods of transferring dozens to an SSD drive, and also consider the most popular applications with which you can implement this idea.
Standard tools
You can also transfer the top ten to an SSD-type hard drive using standard Windows tools. In this case, this tool is the "Backup and Restore Data" section, which can be found in the "Control Panel". This method is one of the simplest, since there is no need to search the network for various third-party applications and install them on your computer.
So, you've installed a brand new solid-state drive in your system unit and want to transfer Windows 10 to it. Where do you start? The first step is to create an image of the system and write it to an optical drive or USB flash drive, from which the OS will be restored. After starting the recovery process, you will need to specify the path to the drive where the previously created image is located. At the same time, it is recommended to disconnect the old HDD from the motherboard for the duration of the transfer in order to avoid the occurrence of various kinds of problems. In addition, if in the future you will use the old hard drive to store personal information, then you must first format it. If this is not done, then both operating systems that are on each of the drives will conflict, which will make it impossible to work normally at the computer.
Regardless of whether you use a laptop or a desktop system, the process of transferring dozens from a standard HDD to an SSD is absolutely identical, except that installing a solid-state drive in a laptop on your own will be quite problematic, and when contacting a service center, you will have to pay a considerable amount. In addition, if the factory warranty has not yet come to an end, then the installation of any hardware leads to its cancellation, so before doing anything it is worth thinking very carefully.
Third party tools
An alternative to the standard Windows tools, with which you can transfer the top ten to a solid-state drive, are special applications from third-party developers. Today, you can find a great variety of them on the Internet, however, when choosing one of them, you must take into account the fact that some utilities were developed exclusively for hard drives of a certain manufacturer, therefore, with hard drives of other brands, they will work unstable or will not function at all. For example, the Acronis True Image utility is designed for the HDD from WD, the Seagate Disk Wizard application works well with the hard drives of the same name, and the manufacturer Samsung has developed proprietary software for its products. If we talk about universal programs that can work with all models of hard drives, then it is worth noting Paragon Migrate OS.
Paragon Migrate OS to SSD
Paragon is a very well-known software developer with many different utilities, both free and commercial, designed to perform various functions. One of the most famous applications is Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, with which you can transfer an operating system from one HDD to another. It is worth noting that you will have to pay for this program, since it is not freely available, however, it is worth it. Paragon Migrate OS to SSD is a powerful tool for migrating your system to an SSD. Its work is fully automated, so all that is required from the user is to start the process and wait for it to complete. The utility supports the transfer of both the OS system files and the user's personal data, however, the first option is more preferable, since it saves a lot of time and free space on the hard drive. You can select the preferred transfer mode in the program settings. It is worth noting that after completing the system copy, it will be necessary to enter the BIOS and install the solid-state drive as the primary bootloader.
Acronis True Image
Another popular tool for working with hard drives is Acronis True Image. The utility has a simple and intuitive interface, as well as stable operation. It is universal and works equally well with hard drives of all modern manufacturers of computer components on the market. However, it is worth noting that if your PC has a WD hard drive installed, then to transfer dozens to it, it is recommended to use a special assembly of this program, which is called the WD Edition.
Transferring a system to a solid-state drive using Acronis True Image is best done in automatic mode, which can be started from the "Cloning disks" section. The copying time depends on the overall size of the system, as well as the speed of the HDD being transferred from.
Seagate DiscWizard
As you might guess from the name, the utility was developed to work with hard drives manufactured by Seagate. As for the main aspects of the work and the process of transferring dozens itself, this tool is almost a complete copy of the two previous applications discussed earlier. Copying also takes place using a wizard that performs all actions without user intervention, so even the most retarded user can deal with Seagate DiscWizard.
Samsung Data Migration
This is another representative of narrow-profile utilities developed for servicing Samsung hard drives. The developer has implemented a step-by-step wizard in his product, following the recommendations of which you can easily transfer Windows 10 to a solid-state drive. The main advantage of Samsung Data Migration is the ability to selectively transfer, thanks to which the user can independently specify the types of data that will be copied to the new hard drive. This is a very useful feature because SSDs are significantly smaller than standard HDDs, so literally every gigabyte counts. As for the transfer process itself, as in the case of other similar utilities, it is maximally brought to automatism.
Macrium Reflect
Another dozen transfer application that has a free license is Macrium Reflect. The main advantage of this software is full compatibility with all hardware, so this utility stands out favorably against the background of many others that can only be found on the net.
According to consumer reviews, Macrium Reflect has great functionality and allows not only transferring an operating system from one drive to another, but also creating images of the system and burning it to a CD that can be used as a bootable disk. Thus, if you are looking for a universal application with which you can perform absolutely any operation with a hard disk, then this program is the best for you.
What else do you need to know about cloning Windows 10?
So, we have considered the most common tools for transferring the system, however, there are still some nuances that must be taken into account when performing this procedure. In many computer forums, you can find a lot of information about such a utility as AOMEI Backupper Standard. It's also free and lets you copy the top ten to an SSD. Nevertheless, it is not recommended for novice users to use it, since the cloning of the system occurs by creating a bootable CD or USB flash drive, and from them direct transfer to a solid-state drive. This process is more time consuming and requires certain skills from the user. However, which tool to use is entirely up to you.
SSDs have become popular for their faster read and write speeds, their reliability, and a number of other reasons. A solid-state drive is perfect for the Windows 10 operating system. To fully use the operating system and not reinstall it when switching to an SSD, you can use one of the special programs that will help you save all your settings.
If you have a laptop, the SSD can be connected via USB or installed instead of a DVD drive. This is needed to copy the OS. There are special programs that will copy data to the disk in a few clicks, but first you need to prepare the SSD.
In a new SSD, there is usually no space allocated, so you need to create a simple volume. This can be done with standard Windows 10 tools.
After this procedure, the disk will be displayed in "Explorer" along with other drives.
Now you need to transfer Windows 10 and all the necessary components to the new disk. There are special programs for this. For example, there is Seagate DiscWizard for drives of the company of the same name, Samsung Data Migration for Samsung SSDs, a free program with an English interface, etc. They all work the same way, the only difference is in the interface and additional features.
Let's take a closer look at the manual mode.
Now the OS is on the desired drive.
If you left the old HDD, but you no longer need the OS and other files on it, you can format the drive using the tool "Disk Management"... This will delete all data stored on the HDD.
In this tutorial, we will show you how you can transfer Windows 10 and all installed data to a new hard drive. The same process can be applied when transferring data to an SSD. We will be migrating from a 250GB hard drive to a 1TB drive. Below in the picture is my main drive, which contains the operating system and all My files. 1 TB is installed too. To see this, we have to go to Disk Management, because it is not formatted. So, click this PC-> Manage-> Disk Management. As we can see, the 1TB disk doesn't even initialize. In this case, make sure there is a boot record and click OK to initialize.
Our original disk is disk 0, which is my 250 GB hard drive. It contains my operating system and all data. Drive 1 is the destination drive. We will clone everything on this disk. Also, make sure the target disk is empty, and if you have information there, make sure you do a backup, because the target disk will be overwritten with information from the source disk, in this case disk 0. With this set, we go ahead and must close Disk Management here.
So, for this tutorial we will be using Paragon Hard Disk Manager Premium. This program is no longer free. You can probably download it for free, but cloning won't work. This is the program that is being used; this program does not slow down the operating system like most of the free programs we have used before. So once you install it, go ahead and run it.
Click on Transfer Operating System and read the following Note carefully.
The target disk will be replaced with the information from the source. Click the Next button and now it is automatically recognized by the operating system and the wizard itself will tell you that it is going to copy the Windows 10 64 edition operating system which is located on drive C, which uses 16GB on a 250GB hard drive for a 1TB drive.
Remember that both drives in this case are serial ATA. Now you can also choose which folders to copy, but by default, all folders will be selected. Now check the box “use all available space for the OS partition”. If you don't check the icon, it will create a smaller partition on the larger disk. If you don't know anything about a section, be sure to check the mark. Then click the copy button.
The copying process may take some time, depending on how much information needs to be copied there. Once this is done, be sure to read it.
We intend to summarize it for you. You have two options.
Using the first one, you can remove the original disk as soon as the cloning is done and keep the disk as your primary disk. Second, you can go into BIOS and select the target disk as the first boot device. In our case, we have deleted the original disk. Go ahead and click the close button.
After that, we have to restart the Windows 10 computer, delete the original disk and save it to the destination disk, which is 1 TB. However, if you want to keep booting from it, then select the target disk as the first boot device in the BIOS.
Now, as you can see, the usual reboot and as if nothing happened and the boot is going from a new hard drive. You can click on my computer and notice that you are using a 1TB drive, not a 250GB drive.
All your data and operating system are activated and ready to go.
That's all. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
