[Windows OS] How to Transfer HDD OS to SSD without Reinstalling and Data Loss?

Why transfer HDD OS to SSD on Windows?

SSDs have several advantages over traditional HDDs: they are more durable, faster to read, write and boot; also quieter, consume less power and are more resistant to shock (see the chart below for more details about SSD's benefits.)

There are also more options on the market, including PCIe, regular SATA, and NVMe M.2 SSDs, all of which are manufactured by well-known companies such as Samsung, Western Digital, and SanDisk to ensure high quality. These advantages made SSDs initially expensive, but as competition increased, prices dropped. So, many users readily replace their HDD to the SSD.

However, replacing a brand-new SSD means that you will lose all the data in the old HDD, and reinstall everything from scratch, even including the Windows OS. If you want to save time and effort, here is a shortcut: transfer OS from HDD to SSD with a professional data migration tool. In this way, the data in the HDD will be quickly moved to the new SSD, thus avoiding the tedious process of repeated installation and ensuring a seamless transition experience.

How to transfer OS to SSD in 2 ways?

If you want to transfer HDD OS to SSD, generally you can use 2 methods. The first one is for users who have OS migration experience. For beginners or individuals who are not familiar with the data migration process, the second method is the best way. Now, let's begin to learn how to easily transfer OS to SSD.

Way 1. Migrate OS to SSD via Windows Backup and Restore

To transfer OS from HDD to SSD, you can turn to Windows internal Backup and Restore tool.

Theoretically, you can first create a system image of your Windows using Backup and Restore first. Then create a bootable CD (or system repair disc), and burn the backup image to the bootable CD. Next, install SSD on your machine. Boot the computer via the bootable CD and then restore the system image there to SSD.

Warning: This method is not only complicated but also cumbersome, and it will fail if there is a slight error. This method is not suitable for beginners without computer experience. Therefore, it is necessary to seek a simpler and safer way to transfer HDD OS to SSD. For this solution, please move to the next user-friendly method.

Way 2. Transfer OS from HDD to SSD with a powerful tool

Can I transfer OS from HDD to SSD? You may have such a query. To ensure a smooth and successful process of transferring the OS from HDD to SSD, it is better to choose a reliable and professional tool like AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This is a comprehensive disk manager that is compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7 and continues to receive updates as new OS versions are released.

Its "Migrate OS" function supports transferring only the OS from HDD to SSD without a reinstall from scratch. What is the best point is that it can break the limitations that other software may have; AOMEI software is not restricted by disk partition styles, which means you can migrate OS from MBR/GPT to MBR/GPT disks.

Besides, this OS migration function will automatically align partitions to optimize performance for SSDs during the process. It ensures that SSDs have no boot issues after migration. If you want to know how to transfer OS from HDD to SSD without reinstalling Windows, download the Demo Version for a free trial and follow the guidance!

Here we will show you how to transfer OS from HDD OS to SSD with AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Before starting, you should do some preparation job.

Preparations:

Please install SSD on a desktop or laptop first If your computer has only one hard drive slot, then you will need an appropriate adapter to connect the SSD to the computer.

If the SSD is brand new, the SSD needs to be initialized. And set the partition style (MBR and GPT) as the same as HDD, otherwise, Windows cannot be booted. For users who need to convert disk between MBR and GPT without data loss, here is a guidance for reference.

Step 1. Ensure the SSD can be successfully detected by your device; then run the installed AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Click Migrate OS on the top menu.

Step 2. Choose the disk space on SSD as the target path.

Step 3. Resize the system partition on SSD if you wish to.

Step 4. Read the note on how to boot Windows from SSD, and click Finish.

Step 5. Finally, click Apply to submit the operations.

Step 6. After that, if you want to boot Windows from SSD, you should set SSD as the boot drive.

Notes:
✦ After OS transferring, you can wipe HDD to free up space and use it as data disk.
✦ If you receive an "operating system not found" or "operating system is missing" error when booting Windows, your MBR partition table may be invalid. The MBR is a data structure that contains the SSD drive's partition table and also contains a small amount of executable code for booting the drive. Don't worry, you can fix MBR on SSD.

To sum up

Apparently, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional can solve how to transfer HDD OS to SSD on Windows effectively. Last but not least, there are more advanced features are waiting for you to unlock, such as SSD secure erase, SSD 4K alignment, App Mover, and more. If you are running Windows Server 2025/2022/2019/2016/2012, please switch to the Server Edition.