Getting Windows on a solid state drive (SSD) can speed things up. Installing a fresh copy of windows on your SSD is very easy, but moving an existing installation to one is even more difficult.
Migrating your Windows operating system from HDD to SSD is a delicate process and can lead to data loss if you are not very careful. Hence, this article guides you on how to use DiskGenius to perform this transfer properly.
What is an SSD?
A solid state drive or SSD is a storage device that typically uses flash memory rather than moving parts to store fixed data. An SSD, as a storage device, is often described as the successor to hard disk drives (HDDs).
SSDs perform the same functions as hard disk drives, albeit more efficiently. For example, they are used in personal computers, smartphones, external storage devices, and game consoles such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
The latest type of SSD is the NVMe drive that provides the fastest data transfer speeds from any storage device. However, this speed comes at a higher price than traditional hard drives.
Why is an SSD better than a hard drive for installing Windows?
In the SSD vs HDD Debate, it is clear that SSDs have the upper hand. SSDs are, on average, four times faster than hard drives when reading and writing data. Furthermore, installing your Windows operating system on an SSD can give you 20 seconds of startup time. Conversely, booting from a hard drive (HDD) to perform a similar installation can take up to a minute.
In addition, SSDs are smaller than hard disk drives, with less weight and no moving parts. As such, they are less susceptible to physical damage. Today, HDDs can achieve higher storage capacities than SSDs, but this gap is rapidly shrinking. For the general user, this difference is not even obvious.
Gamers, musicians, and graphic designers will enjoy using SSDs for their speed, reduced noise, and increased performance. Moreover, users who travel a lot will benefit from the faster startup times that SSDs provide.
Migrate your Windows from HDD to SSD with Disk Genius
Now that we know why SSDs are so good, let’s start moving your Windows system from a HDD to an SSD.
1. Backup your important data
Migrating your Windows installation from one storage device to another is a difficult and potentially dangerous process. You can easily corrupt your data or, worse yet, erase it completely. Hence, before you begin the transfer process, make sure you backup all your data.
The installation process will delete all data stored on the target SSD, so you also have to back up the data on that device. You can consult Windows Data Backup Guide To learn how to store your data securely.
Moreover, you can either backup your data on an external storage device or the cloud. We recommend storing on the cloud for maximum data security as the external storage device can become corrupted. However, this option requires an Internet connection.
2. Download and run DiskGenius
DiskGenius is a disk management and data recovery tool that has been tried and trusted by many users. You can download this free program by visiting the site download page On the DiskGenius website. Click on Download button to download the installer.
After downloading, go to the download site and open the installer. Once it opens, select your language, read and accept the license agreement. Then wait for the installation to complete. DiskGenius usually creates a shortcut for you on your desktop.
Next, open your Windows desktop, find the DiskGenius shortcut, and double-click it to launch the program.
3. Open the System Migration Tool on DiskGenius
With DiskGenius open, select File OS Migration tool on the toolbar or go to Tools > System Migration. Make sure the SSD is connected to your computer. You can connect it as an external device or install it on the appropriate motherboard slot.
4. Select the target disk
After opening the OS Migration tool, locate your SSD and select it as the target disk. This step should be quite simple if your SSD is the only other storage device connected to your computer. Hence, you should disconnect all other storage devices from your computer to avoid confusion.
When you select the target disk, a pop-up message will appear warning you to overwrite all files and partitions on the target disk. This should not be a cause for concern if you back up your important data. Choose yes to continue immigration.
5. Confirm the system migration settings
The System Migration Settings window allows you to customize how you want to proceed with the migration. You can adjust the partition size by dragging the arrows between the partitions on the target disk.
Furthermore, you can choose whether to boot from the target disk after the migration is complete. If you want to continue booting from the original disk, you can leave this option unchecked.
Finally, you can prevent your computer from sleeping while the migration is taking place.
After confirming your settings, tap beginning button at the bottom right of the menu.
Another pop-up message will appear, warning you that your files will be overwritten, emphasizing the need to backup your data. Click on yes Button if you want to continue.
6. Choose paging mode
The next step is to choose one of the two relay modes. hot migration It takes snapshots of your current system without shutting it down. Make sure to save your data before choosing this option. Alternatively, you can choose to reboot to Windows Pocket Edition (WinPE).
We recommend using hot migration mode because it gives you more control over the transfer process. You can easily stop the paging from this mode. Moreover, if the target disk gets separated from your computer, you can quickly recover to the original disk.
7. Wait for completion
After choosing the migration mode, DiskGenius will create a snapshot of your Windows and start copying your data to the target SSD. All you have to do while this is happening is wait.
You can continue to use your computer as usual. However, we recommend against doing this for two reasons. First, you may be interfering with the transfer and you will have to start over. Second, any work you do on your computer during the migration will not be reflected in the new version of your operating system.
8. Reboot from your SSD
After the migration is done, your computer is ready to boot from your SSD. Depending on your relay settings, it will restart automatically, and you can resume working as usual.
However, if the boot does not happen automatically, you can Enter BIOS on Windows And choose to boot from your SSD. The Windows operating system on your SSD is identical to the system installed on the original disk. Therefore, all your files and settings remain intact.
As a final note, you have to confirm that you can boot properly from the target disk before formatting the original hard drive.
Get the most out of your SSD
Finally, you have Windows installed on your SSD and you are ready to use it to its fullest potential. One of the first things you’ll notice is how quickly the programs load. Thus, you can take advantage of this feature by installing high-performance software on your SSD.
However, you should be wary of randomly filling the SSD with files and applications. The perfect balance would be to store your infrequently used multimedia and software files on your hard drive while keeping your favorite games and apps on the solid state drive.
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