How to Move Windows 11 to Another Drive | Ultimate Guide🔥

Are you considering enhancing the performance and storage capacity of your computer? The fastest way is to use a high-performance new drive as your main storage, which requires you to transfer all data, including OS, to another drive. Qiling will walk you through two practical Windows system migration tools in this guideline. Additionally, this post shares a comprehensive tutorial of pre/peri/post operations.

To help other Windows 11 users who want to upgrade their storage, use the social media buttons to share this article with one click:

How to Move Windows 11 to Another Drive - 2 Ways

Follow this section and learn what to prepare and how to migrate Windows 11 to a new hard drive with two practical methods.

Prerequisites - Make Everything Ready for Migrating Windows 11

Before moving Windows 11 to another drive, you need to ensure the following preparations are completed:

1️⃣Download the OS Migration Tool

As an efficient data migration tool, Qiling Disk Master Professional facilitates a seamless data transfer without the hassle of reinstalling your operating system or applications. With its help, you can move Windows 11 to another drive quickly and simply.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, 100% Secure

2️⃣Prepare a New Drive

You can choose an HDD or SSD with a larger storage capacity than the C drive on your system disk. You will need a SATA cable. Then, install and initialize it as follows:

Beginner's Guide - Install and Initialize a New HDD How to Install a Second SSD

Way 1. Apply System Migration Tool - Qiling Disk Master

⏱️Duration: 25-30 minutes
💻Difficulty: Easiest
🧲Suitable Users: All users, especially computer beginners

This powerful software can work with all Windows systems. Let's learn how to move Windows 11 to another drive effortlessly with the assistance of Qiling Disk Master:

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, 100% Secure

Note: The operation of migrating OS to SSD or HDD will delete and remove existing partitions and data on your target disk when there is not enough unallocated space on the target disk. If you saved important data there, back up them to an external hard drive in advance.

Step 1. Select "Tools" tab page. Select the "System clone" and click "Next" to continue..

Step 2. Select the target disk you want to clone. Click "Next".

Step 3. Preview the layout of your target disk. You can also click the disk layout options to customize the layout of your target disk as you want. Then click "Proceed" to start migrating your OS to a new disk

Step 4. Click "Yes" after checking the warning message. The data and partitions on the target disk will be deleted. Make sure that you've backed up important data in advance. If not, do it now.

Here are some of its noble features:

Clone Windows to new SSD: this professional cloning software can help you migrate Windows.
Clone SD Card: it can clone SD or micro SD card to a larger SD card in Windows 11/10/8/7.
Clone external hard drive to internal: you can transfer data and OS from the external hard drive to the internal.

What if you want to migrate Windows 10 to a new hard drive or SSD? This related page will meet your demand perfectly:

Way 2. Run the Windows System Image tool

⏱️Duration: 30-40 minutes
💻Difficulty: Medium
🧲Suitable Users: Experienced Windows users

There is a system image tool on Windows that can help users transfer the Windows system by making a bootable USB. However, this requires more manual operations: first, you need to create a backup system image and a recovery USB flash drive, and last, move the Windows 11 system image to another drive.

Note: You need to prepare two new external storage devices(USB/SSD/CD).

Step 1. Create a Windows 11 System Image:

Connect the USB to your computer and open "Control Panel" > "System and Security" >"Backup and Restore(Windows 7)."
Select "Create a system image," locate the external USB drive as the destination for the system image, and click "Next" to move on.
By default, the System and System Reserved partitions will be chosen. Press "Next" to proceed.
To start creating your system image on the USB stick, click "Start backup."

start backup

Step 2. Make a Windows Media Creation Tool:

Connect a USB drive of at least 8 GB to your computer.
Press the "Windows + S" keys, type recovery drive, and open this utility.
Click "Next" to proceed after selecting "Back up system files to the recovery drive" in the Recovery Drive box.
After choosing the USB disk as the target, press "Next." Then, to complete the procedure, adhere to the onscreen instructions.

create a recovery drive

Step 3. Transfer Windows 11 to the New Drive:

Reboot your computer after connecting the Windows 11 installation disc and the Windows image backup drive.
To access BIOS and change the installation media as the boot drive, press F1/F2/Del key.
Click "Repair your computer" in the Install Now window after starting the computer again using the Windows Installation Media.
Click "Troubleshoot," enter the Advanced settings, and choose "System Image Recovery."
To view and choose your Windows 11 system image disk, choose the "Select a system image" option. Press "Next" to proceed.
To remove the existing system disk and leave only the new HDD/SSD, click "Exclude disks..." Press "OK" to verify.
To begin the restoration procedure, click "Next" and wait till it finishes.

Post Guide - Set to Boot Windows 11 From New Drive

After completing the Windows 11 migration process, you can set the new drive as the first boot device in the BIOS/UEFI. Below is what you should follow:

Step 1. Restart the target computer and press F2/F12/Del key to open BIOS Settings.

Step 2. Switch to the "Boot" tab and change the new hard drive to the boot drive.

Step 3. Save the changes, close BIOS, and restart the computer.

change boot order

Conclusion

By following the step-by-step instructions above, you can move Windows 11 to another drive effectively. Qiling Disk Master is more operable for beginners and can keep all your boot files and settings intact. Whether you want to upgrade your computer's storage or simply desire the benefits of a faster drive, you can now enjoy improved performance and increased storage capacity without reinstalling Windows 11 from scratch. Remember to back up your data before starting the process and take your time to ensure a smooth transition.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, 100% Secure

FAQ of How to Move Windows 11 to Another Drive

Are you looking for further information about how to move Windows 11 to another drive? This section is what you need since it covers additional queries and answers:

1. Should I install Windows 11 on an external SSD?

It is highly recommended that you use the latest fast SSD to run Windows 11. And it's simple to migrate Windows 11 to a new hard drive or SSD. You can also install other apps or any software on the drive.

2. Can I move Windows 11 to another drive that already has one Windows OS?

Yes, you can have two Windows systems on one hard drive as long as you install them separately (on two different partitions). You can choose which Windows OS you want to boot only by changing the boot device in BIOS Settings.

3. What is the difference between system cloning and migration?

While migration often involves moving data or information from one system, disk, or drive to another, cloning is making an identical duplicate of the current system. For more details, you can refer to the article below: