How to Clone Windows OS from HDD/SSD to M.2 SSD?

Updated by Linda on Dec 06, 2021 to Disk/Partition Clone | User Guide

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Issues with transferring the operating system from an SSD to an M.2 SSD

Many people are looking for effective ways to clone SSD to M.2. Here are real user scenarios from tech forums:

"I'm trying to clone my boot drive from a 500GB Samsung 840 Evo SSD to a 1TB M.2 Samsung 961. There's way too much on that system that I don't want to have to redownload or reactivate – apps, settings, licenses, and so on. Instead, I'd like to clone Windows 10 from the SATA SSD to the M.2 SSD. How can I do that?"

If you also need to upgrade your SSD or HDD and have no idea how to clone SSD to M.2 or NVMe M.2 SSD, you come to the right place. In this article, we will show you how to clone HDD/SSD to M.2 SSD with a professional disk cloning software.

Also, if you clone Windows 10 to an M.2 SSD, you need to know how to boot from the cloned M.2 SSD. Get all the details right here.

How to Clone SSD to M.2 SSD/ NVMe M.2 SSD in Windows 10

M.2 SSDs are better than regular SSDs. The M.2 interface, with the NVMe protocol, is incredibly fast - for example, Samsung's SM960/961 can read up to 3,200 MB/s, over six times faster than a typical SSD. Thus, users who require frequent file transfers and high-performance operations might choose to upgrade their HDD or SSD to an M.2 or NVMe M.2 SSD.

Next, we will show you how to clone HDD/SSD to M.2 SSD in 5 steps.

1. Install an M.2 SSD or NVMe M.2 SSD on Your Computer

Shut down your laptop, unplug the power cable and any other connected cables. Remove the back panel and take it off so you can properly install the new NVMe SSD into the M.2 slot on the motherboard.

Make sure your computer detects the newly added M.2 SSD. If your SSD is not showing up in Windows 10, address this issue promptly.

2. Booting Windows 10 from the Original/Source SSD

Normally, when you connect a new blank M.2 SSD to a computer, the PC won't boot from it. However, there is a case where some users connect both their original SSD and the new M.2 SSD to another PC. In this case, the computer might boot from the blank M.2 SSD, leading to unbootable issues.

To avoid this boot issue, you need to enter the BIOS and confirm that your computer boots from the original SSD.

3. Download Free Disk Clone Software to Clone HDD to M.2

Whether you want to clone a system drive with the Windows OS or a data disk to an M.2 SSD, disk cloning can save you from the hassle of reinstalling Windows and all your applications. You can clone SSD or HDD for disk upgrade, system migration, data transfer, file backup, or other purposes.

Our Hard Drive Cloning Software features powerful cloning capabilities and advanced, flexible cloning options. It ensures a smooth SSD to M.2 SSD cloning process without the risk of encountering issues like a cloned hard drive not booting that you might experience with other cloning tools. Download the software now to enjoy these highlights:

Disk Copy Features:

• Simple and quick cloning process
• Clone a hard drive with bad sectors
• Professional technical support
• Compatible with Windows 10/8.1/8/7

4. Cloning SSD to M.2 SSD Step by Step

Activate the software, then follow these steps to clone your hard drive to an M.2 SSD.

Video tutorial on how to convert an HDD to an M.2 SSD:

For ease and convenience, you can follow along with this video as a guide. Or, do it yourself:

The steps to clone an HDD to an M.2 SSD are as follows: 1. **Gather Tools**: Ensure you have an M.2 SSD, an M.2 SSD adapter if necessary, and a reliable cloning software such as Clonezilla or Acronis True Image. 2. **Backup Data**: Before starting, it's advisable to back up important data on your HDD as a precaution. 3. **Shut Down the Computer**: Power off your computer, disconnect all HDD connections, and make sure it's completely turned off. 4. **Install the M.2 SSD**: Slot the M.2 SSD into your motherboard's M.2 slot according to your computer model. You might need an M.2 SSD adapter, depending on your motherboard and SSD type. 5. **Connect Cloning Tools**: Connect both the HDD and M.2 SSD to your computer using a USB-to-SATA adapter or directly to a SATA port on your motherboard. 6. **Boot the Cloning Software**: Insert a USB drive or DVD with the cloning software and restart your PC. Enter BIOS settings, set the boot device to this drive, save changes, and exit. 7. **Run the Cloning Software**: Follow the software's instructions, selecting the source disk (HDD) and target disk (M.2 SSD). Usually, you can choose "mirror" or "clone" options to replicate the entire drive. 8. **Start the Cloning Process**: After confirming settings, initiate the cloning process. This may take some time, depending on the size and speed of both drives. 9. **Verify the Clone**: After cloning is complete, restart your computer to check if the M.2 SSD boots correctly and all data has been accurately copied. 10. **Remove the Old HDD**: Once confirmed, safely remove the old HDD from your system. Your computer should now boot from the new M.2 SSD, providing faster performance. Note that these steps may vary slightly depending on different hardware and software environments. Always refer to manufacturer guidelines for specific advice.

Advance Notice:

• Sector-by-sector copy requires the target disk to be the same size or larger than the source disk. Do not check this if you are cloning a larger hard drive to a smaller one. • All data on the target disk will be erased. Exercise caution when proceeding.

Step 1: To clone the entire disk to another in Disk Mode, select it and click Next.

Step 2: Select another disk as the target disk.

A warning message appears, alerting you to the fact that your data will be lost. Confirm this message by clicking OK, and then click Next.

Step 3: Check the disk layout of two hard drives. You can choose to "Adapt to Disk Automatically", "Keep the same as Source" or "Edit Disk Layout" to manage the target disk's layout.

• "Fit to disk" will modify the target disk layout for optimal performance by default. • "Copy from source disk" will not change the target disk and its layout will be identical to the source disk. • "Edit disk layout" allows you to manually adjust/move the partition layout of the target disk.

Check the “Optimize for SSD” option for best performance with your SSD.

Step 4: Click “Proceed” to start the task.

5. Boot from the cloned M.2 SSD/NVMe M.2 SSD

If you cloned Windows 10 from an SSD/HDD to an M.2 SSD, you'll need to manually set the boot order. Restart your PC and press F2, Esc, or F8 to enter BIOS. Then, set it to boot from the cloned M.2 SSD. You might need to disable Secure Boot Control for the SSD to show as a bootable drive.

If the laptop boots up normally, and all programs and settings are as they were before (only much faster), you're golden.

More information about M.2 SSD

An M.2 SSD is a small form factor internal storage expansion card designed to provide high-performance storage in ultra-thin, low-power devices like ultrabooks and tablets. This type of SSD is intended to offer fast storage capabilities to the device while supporting multiple protocols and applications such as Wi-Fi, USB, PCIe, and SATA.

Advantages:

• Takes up less space and consumes less power
• Speeds up reading and writing
• Supports PCIe, SATA, USB 3.0, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi

Drawbacks:

- A 1 TB SATA SSD might cost around $100 (or more, depending on the brand and quality). - Limited storage capacity (maximum of 2 TB).

If your laptop is M.2-compatible, its operating system should already include the Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) driver needed to install an M.2 storage card. If it isn't, forget about the SSD. If it is, enjoy the speed.

Conclusions

That's it for how to clone SSD or HDD to M.2 or M.2 NVMe SSD with Disk Copy. If you still fail to set SSD as boot drive or the cloned SSD won't boot, please reach out to our tech support team at techsupport@tools.com for assistance.