How to Clone an M.2 SSD to a Larger M.2 SSD on a Laptop/PC

• ⏰ Average Time: Takes 3-5 minutes to read
• ? Supported Operating Systems: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7
• ? Applicability: M.2 SSD cloning to M.2, M.2 to NVMe M.2, NVMe M.2 to M.2, SSD cloning to M.2
• ? Tools Needed for M.2 Cloning/Upgrade: 1. New M.2 SSD; 2. Disk cloning software; 3. Screwdriver.

Please provide the English content you want translated, and I'll translate it into Chinese for you as soon as possible.

?♂️ "How can I clone my M.2 SSD to another 1TB M.2 SSD? My 128GB M.2 SSD on the laptop is almost full. So, I purchased a new 1TB M.2 SSD to replace the current one. Can I clone 128GB M.2 SSD to 1TB M.2 SSD without reinstalling Windows?"

Are you also in the situation of needing to replace your M.2 SSD but don't want to reinstall the operating system? Don't worry. On this page, you will learn what an M.2 SSD is, how to upgrade and clone M.2 SSD to a larger M.2 SSD, as well as what to do after cloning M.2 to M.2 in the complete guide. We will start the whole cloning process by inserting two SSDs into their slots and using SSD cloning software.

Part 1: Preparing the M.2 SSD

Cloning your hard drive to an SSD can optimize your computer's performance without having to reinstall Windows or lose any data. The same goes for cloning an M.2 to a larger M.2 SSD. Before you begin, prepare your new M.2 SSD drive by following the steps here:

**Step 1:** Check how many SSD slots your computer has

• Use a screwdriver to open the case of your laptop or desktop computer.
• Then, check how many SSD slots your computer has.

Step 2: Purchase the appropriate M.2 SSD

When shopping for a new M.2 SSD, there are three things to keep in mind:

• The M.2 SSD must be the same length as your computer's SSD slot. • If your computer has only one slot, buy an M.2 SSD and an M.2 SSD-to-USB adapter. • Your new M.2 SSD should have two to three times the capacity of your old SSD (500 GB and 1 TB are popular options on Amazon).

Step 3: Install the new M.2 SSD in Your Laptop/Desktop

• If your computer has an M.2 SSD slot, connect the new M.2 SSD to your computer using an SSD-to-USB adapter. • If your laptop or desktop has two SSD slots, install the SSD:

On a laptop: Open the M.2 slot > Insert the M.2 SSD > Secure the SSD drive > Close it back up.

On a desktop: Locate the PCIe slot labeled "M.2." Insert the M.2 SSD into the slot. Secure the M.2 SSD with the installation screw.

Recommended reading: How to Replace an M.2 SSD in Your PC

Step 4: Initialize the new M.2 SSD

To ensure a smooth M.2 to M.2 cloning process, you need to first initialize SSD.

1. Open Disk Management and right-click on the original M.2 SSD. 2. Choose "Properties" to check the partition style of the source SSD. 3. Right-click the new M.2 disk and select "Initialize Disk." 4. Set the partition style to the same type as the source disk (either [MBR or GPT](/partition-master/mbr-or-gpt-for-ssd.html)), then click "OK" to confirm.

Now you're ready to clone your M.2 SSD to the larger M.2 SSD on your own.

Part 2: Step-by-Step Guide: How to Clone M.2 SSD to Larger M.2 SSD

In this section, you will get the answers to questions like "How to clone an NVMe M.2 SSD?" or "How to transfer operating system to M.2 SSD?" Let's get started:

#1. Best Free M.2 Disk Cloning Software for Download

Here, a reliable SSD cloning software – AOMEI Backupper Standard can help you upgrade and clone your M.2 SSD.

What can Disk Copy do?

• Flexible and easy disk cloning for HDDs and SSDs.
• Compatibility with various types and brands of M.2 SSDs.
• Clone SSD to a larger SSD without re-installing Windows.
• Copies everything on the disk to a new one, including personal data, the Windows operating system, system files, installed applications, account settings, and more.

Download and use it to start cloning your M.2 SSD now!

#2. Tutorial: Upgrading and Cloning an M.2 SSD to a Larger M.2 SSD

Use a disk cloning software to easily upgrade from your M.2 SSD to a larger M.2 SSD, as shown in this tutorial.

Advance notice:

• "Clone by Sector" requires the target disk to be the same size or larger than the source disk. Do not check this option if you want to clone a larger hard drive to a smaller one. • All data on the target disk will be completely erased, so proceed with caution.

Step 1. To start cloning the entire disk to another disk, select the disk in Disk Mode and click Next.

Step 2: Select another disk as the target disk.

Step 3: Check the layout of the two disks. You can choose to "Adapt to the disk automatically," "Copy from the source disk," or "Edit disk layout" to manage the layout of the target disk.

• "Automatically adjust partitions" makes some changes to the layout of the target disk so it runs optimally.
• "Copy as is" leaves the target disk unmodified; its layout will be identical to the source disk.
• "Edit partition layout" lets you manually adjust/move the partition layout on the target disk.

Check the “Select this option if the target is an SSD” box to ensure optimal performance from your SSD.

A message will appear warning you that your data will be lost. Confirm this by clicking OK, and then click Next.

Step 4: Click “Proceed” to carry out the task officially.

Video Tutorial: How to Clone an M.2 SSD to a Larger M.2 SSD

The steps for cloning an M.2 SSD to another M.2 SSD are the same as demonstrated in this video. You can refer to this video for the process.

 

Part 3: What to Do After Cloning M.2 to M.2 SSD

What to do after cloning M.2 to M.2 drive? There are two things you need to do:

1. 1. Boot your PC from the cloned SSD.
2. 2. Manage and utilize your old M.2 SSD.

Let's see:

#1. Make the Cloned M.2 SSD Bootable - Booting from the New M.2 SSD

If you cloned an M.2 SSD that is the system disk but forgot to set it as the boot disk, you may encounter the issue that the cloned SSD cannot boot.

Step 1: Install the cloned new M.2 SSD into your computer.

• If your computer has one slot, replace the existing M.2 SSD with the new one.
• If your computer has two slots, insert the new M.2 drive into the unused slot.

Step 2. Restart your computer and press F2/F8/F11 or Del to enter BIOS.

Step 3: Enter the boot menu and change the boot order to make the new M.2 SSD the boot drive.

Step 4: Press F10 (or F8 or F2, depending on the computer) to save your changes and restart the computer.

Wait for your computer to boot up, and log in with your account. You should now have access to everything on the M.2 drive.

#2. Managing an Old M.2 SSD

After restarting your computer, you can manage your old M.2 SSD as described here:

If your computer has only one slot, you can sell your old M.2 SSD after securely wiping the drive data, or use it as an external hard drive. If your PC has two slots, you can erase all existing data and use it as a second data drive for your computer right away.

You may also be interested in: How to partition SSD.

If you found this article helpful, please share it with your fans and friends.

The bottom line?

So, that's it. This page walks you through the entire process of cloning an M.2 drive to a larger M.2 SSD. There are three important things to remember:

1. Purchase an appropriate SSD and install it correctly in your computer.
2. Use a suitable disk cloning tool, such as Disk Copy, to clone your existing M.2 SSD to the new M.2 SSD.
3. Configure your computer to boot from the cloned M.2 SSD.

Disk Clone Tool is a reliable and professional disk cloning app that can help you easily clone your M.2 SSD. Download and give it a try.

People also ask about cloning M.2 SSDs.

If you have more questions about M.2 SSD or disk cloning, refer to this Q&A section. Hopefully, these answers will be of assistance.

1. Which is faster: M.2 or U.2?

So, you can think of M.2 as flash storage connected directly to a motherboard, and U.2 as high-capacity flash storage connected to a workstation or server motherboard.

U.2 SSDs are much faster than M.2 SSDs. U.2 uses four PCIe lanes, allowing for data transfer rates of 4 GB/s, whereas M.2 SSDs top out at around 2.5 GB/s.

2. How to Migrate Windows to an SSD?

To move Windows or migrate the Windows operating system to an SSD, you can try following the instructions provided here:

Connect the SSD to your computer or install it. Initialize the SSD. Clone your Windows operating system to the SSD with a reliable disk cloning tool. Set the SSD as the boot drive and restart your computer.

How to clone an NVMe M.2 drive?

The steps to clone an NVMe M.2 SSD are similar to those listed on this page:

1. Connect the new hard drive to your computer or install it. 2. If it's a brand new drive, initialize it. 3. Use disk cloning software to clone the NVMe M.2 SSD to the target drive. 4. If the original NVMe M.2 SSD was the boot drive, set the new drive as the boot drive.