How to Install Windows 11 on Another Drive in Easy Steps

Please provide the English content you want translated, and I'll do my best to translate it into Chinese.

For those about to upgrade to Windows 11 for free from Windows 10, the excitement is palpable as they pack their bags and get ready to leave the old system behind. While trying out the new OS, you expose yourself to some risks. If things don't feel right, we recommend creating a system image backup. But to help you start afresh with **installing Windows 11 on another drive** , we'll guide you through the process.

But first, let's talk about why you might want to install Windows 11 on another disk in the first place.

The purpose of installing Windows 11 on another drive

<img src="/images/en/screenshot/todo-backup/guide/windows-11.png" width="700" height="395" alt="Windows 11">

A “clean” installation of the new Windows 11 requires users to wipe their old machine's hard drive and start from scratch with a new desktop or laptop.

The rationale for installing Windows 11 on a separate drive might be:

1. Installing Dual Boot on Windows 11 Alongside an Older OS

Dual booting (dual boot) refers to running and using two operating systems on the same PC. So, if your computer is running Windows 11 and you had another OS installed previously, you would be able to choose which one to use during the startup process.

2. Change the Boot Drive

Normally, your computer boots from its built-in hard drive by default. However, if you want to boot from an SSD (Solid State Drive), or from an external device like a USB or DVD, you'll need to change the boot order.

How to Clone and Migrate Dual Boot OS Drive to HDD/SSD

Is your old dual boot drive aging and needs an upgrade? Do you need a reliable guide to help you migrate dual boot and update the dual boot drive to a new HDD/SSD?

How do I easily install Windows 11 on another drive?

There are several ways to install Windows 11 on another drive.

• Perform a clean install with the Windows 11 ISO download

A clean install of Windows 11 will wipe your hard drive and start from scratch, without any custom settings, files, drivers, or apps, and install the new operating system fresh.

• Clone Windows 11 to another drive

Cloning Windows 11 to another drive means creating a copy of the operating system elsewhere, which can serve as a recovery option in case of a disaster. Windows has a built-in backup feature that can also be great for cloning it to any external hard drive, with the only downside being that it can't be used as a primary drive.

We will now examine the other two in more detail, so you can determine which is best for your needs.

1. Method 1: Install Windows 11 using a bootable USB 2. Method 2: Migrate a Windows 11 installation to another drive

Method 1: How to Install Windows 11 from a Bootable USB to HDD/SSD

If you want to do a clean install of the operating system, you should remember that your old software will be wiped out.

It involves two steps:

• Download Windows 11 ISO
• Set up the installation process

First, boot from the installation media (or start your PC from the downloaded Windows 11 image).

Step 2: You can choose other options besides the language, then click "Next". After that, click "Install now".

<img> Select Operating System <img src="/images/en/screenshot/todo-backup/guide/select-operating-system.png" height="524" width="700">

3. After going through these steps, you'll see a notification pop-up that asks you to activate Windows. It will then prompt you to enter a key. Alternatively, if you're reinstalling Windows, you can select the "I don't have a product key" option.

Next, you'll need to proceed with installing the edition of Windows 11 you want on your PC, then click Next.

Step 5: Click on the "Customize" option to proceed with a Windows installation (Advanced).

Step 6. You need to click on the SSD where you want to install Windows 11 and then click “Next.” The process may take some time.

**Step 7.** Here, you might need to provide some information, such as your country, keyboard layout, and any other additional info. Proceed to add an account and set your privacy options to your preference. You're now ready to install Windows 11 on your SSD.

Method 2: How to Move Windows 11 from OneDrive to Another Drive

Migrating in Windows can be quite challenging, but fortunately, you can get it done with a few quick steps to transfer everything to your new drive, whether that's an HDD or SSD. You might need a professional software solution for the job, and one tool that can help is Todo Backup by tools.

1. Download Todo Backup from the tools section.

After downloading this fantastic software, you need to launch it to migrate Windows 11 from one drive to another. You'll use "System Clone" to move Windows 11.

* System Clone refers to the process of copying an operating system to a USB drive, hard disk, or other storage medium. tools offers cloning software that makes this easy to do.

**3. After completing the three main steps above, follow these steps:**

1. Select an existing system. 2. Configure the storage location. 3. Clone the system to the target disk.

1. Launch tools Todo Backup, and click "Tools". From here, you can choose the feature you need.

Step 2: Todo Backup will detect the system partition automatically. You just need to select the target disk and click “Next”. (Make sure the partition format of the source disk and target disk is the same.)

*System clone will erase all data. Please back up your data in advance.

**Step 3.** If you're cloning to an SSD, you can choose “Optimize for SSD” in the Advanced Options.

Click “Continue” to start the clone.

Conclusions

We hope this guide has addressed your concerns on how to install Windows 11 on another drive effectively. With these instructions, you can enjoy the new operating system without losing your previous one. We've also recommended the excellent software, Todo Backup, which offers convenient backup and system migration features. In just a few simple steps, you can perform a clean installation of the system migration on your PC and have it readily accessible whenever needed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Windows 11 on Another Drive

Can I install Windows 11 on a different drive?

Yes, you can install Windows 11 on a different drive to dual-boot with your previous operating system and change the boot drive.

How to Install Windows 11 on a Different SSD?

There are several ways to install Windows 11 on a different SSD. The easiest is to clone. Cloning Windows 11 to another drive means you have a copy of the operating system in case of a catastrophic failure, ready for recovery.