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Best method to move windows 11 to another drive SSD?
I have an older PC running Windows 11, but the internal SSD (128 GB) is running out of space. I want to move the entire OS, along with all my files and applications, to a new, larger drive. I'm not s...
Create a system image of your current Windows 11 installation and restore it to the new SSD. This is currently the best solution for moving Windows 11 to another SSD drive.
Best for: Users who prefer built-in Windows tools.
Tool: Windows 11’s built-in Backup and Restore (Windows 7) tool.
How to move Windows 11 to another drive
1. Go to Control Panel → Backup and Restore (Windows 7) → Create a system image.
2. Save the image to an external drive.
3. Boot from a Windows 11 USB installer, select “Repair your computer” → “Troubleshoot” → “System Image Recovery”.
4. Restore the image to the new SSD.
Important Notes Before You Start:
- Backup your data before any migration method.
- Ensure the new SSD has equal or larger capacity than the used space on your current drive (for cloning).
- After cloning, you may need to extend the partition in Disk Management if the new SSD is larger.
- Change the boot order in BIOS/UEFI to the new SSD after cloning/installation.
- For NVMe SSDs, ensure your motherboard supports the drive and has the proper slot/adapter.