How to Move Windows from One M.2 to Another And Secure Boot

Why move Windows to M.2 SSD?

M.2 SSD is a solid-state hard disk, its size is usually smaller than ordinary SSD, and M.2 supports PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) bus standard and NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) communication protocol, so its read and write speed is also faster than other kinds of SSD.

Generally speaking, some small devices such as laptops will use M.2 SSD to store Windows. However, you may receive low disk space warning after prolonged use. Fortunately, you can move Windows to a larger M.2 SSD. This not only solves the space issue, but also avoids reinstallation. This article will show you how to move Windows from one M.2 to another.

What to prepare for moving Windows from one M.2 to another?

Before moving Windows, we need to do some work in advance to ensure that migration can go successfully.

Part 1. Download Windows migration tool

To move Windows to another M.2 SSD, what you can not ignore is you need a reliable disk migration tool. There is much software in the market, but they always have limitations and cannot guarantee that Windows will boot successfully after migration.

So, I recommend AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional (for Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7). This is a powerful Windows migration software you can trust, and it supports moving Windows to different sizes of M.2 SSD without data loss.

It supports different SSD brands, including Samsung, WD, Toshiba, SanDisk, Kingston, Seagate, etc. Besides, you can also use it to clone M.2 SSD to M.2 SSD.

Tip: For Windows Server users, please switch to Server Edition.

Part 2. Install M.2 SSD

✦You need to connect the M.2 SSD to the computer. If your PC has only one slot, connect it to the computer via an M.2 SSD to USB adapter and make sure it is connected properly.

✦If your computer has multiple M.2 SSD slots, please refer to the following methods:

- Turn off the computer and open the case.

- Locate the SSD slot. The slots are usually easy to find on desktops, but laptops have them in a different location—usually under the chassis or under the keyboard.

- Insert the M.2 SSD. When securing the disk, it may be necessary to insert the screws into the mounts provided on the motherboard, do not overtighten the screws.

- After the SSD is firmly seated in the slot, put the computer back in place and turn on the computer.

Part 3. Initialize SSD

After the installation is complete, you need to initialize the SSD. Otherwise, it will not be recognized by Windows. Please open AOMEI Partition Assistant, right-click on the new SSD, and select "Initialize Disk". To avoid changing the boot mode, please set the partition style (MBR or GPT) to be the same as the old M.2 SSD.

[Step-by-step] How to move Windows from one M.2 to another

Now, you can start to move Windows to another drive with AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Choose "Migrate OS" under "Clone" column.

Step 2. Select an unallocated space on the new M.2 SSD and click "Next".

Step 3. In the window, you can resize the partition being created on the M.2 SSD drive and click "Next".

Step 4. Read the note about how to boot OS from the new SSD and click "Finish".

Step 5. Back to the main interface, click "Apply" to finish the last step.

If your computer has only one slot, you can run Windows after the M.2 SSD is installed. But if the computer has multiple slots, you need to set SSD as boot drive.

Final words

From what has been discussed above, this tutorial shows you how to move Windows from one M.2 to another without reinstalling. In addition, you also get an excellent Windows migration software. You can do many things with it, such as wipe hard drive for reuse, convert MBR to GPT, SSD 4K alignment, etc.