How to Backup SSD to External Hard Drive/HDD [Ultimate Guide]?

With their faster speed and higher performance, SSDs are increasingly being used to install the Windows operating system and apps. This is an excellent choice for anyone looking to speed up their device.

On the other hand, traditional HDDs are less expensive than SSDs for the same capacity, and many people still prefer them for their large storage capacity and relatively low cost.

Backing up an SSD to an external hard drive ensures the safety of your system data and saves costs. This ultimate guide from Tools presents three effective methods to back up SSD to external hard drive.

There are several advantages to saving or backing up an SSD to an external HDD: 1. **Capacity**: External HDDs typically offer more storage space compared to most internal SSDs, allowing you to store a large amount of data. 2. **Cost-Effective**: Backing up to an external HDD can be more cost-efficient than purchasing additional internal SSD storage, especially for large data sets. 3. **Portability**: External HDDs are easily portable and can be connected to different devices, making it convenient to access your backups on the go. 4. **Separation of Data**: Storing your SSD data externally ensures that your backup is physically separate from your primary system. This can provide an extra layer of protection against hardware failures or disasters affecting your computer. 5. **Ease of Use**: Most external HDDs come with user-friendly backup software, allowing for automated and scheduled backups, which can save time and effort. 6. **Flexibility**: You can use the external HDD to store other data as well, not just backups, providing a versatile storage solution. 7. **Versioning**: Some backup software allows for multiple versions of the same file, so you can restore previous versions if needed. 8. **Data Security**: You can encrypt the external HDD to ensure that your backed-up data remains secure from unauthorized access. 9. **Ease of Expansion**: If you need more backup space in the future, you can simply replace or add another external HDD, without needing to upgrade your internal storage. 10. **Disaster Recovery**: In case of a system failure, having a complete backup on an external HDD enables quick restoration of your entire system or individual files.

There are several advantages to backing up an SSD to an external hard drive:

Before we begin

You can use the built-in backup and recovery tools in Windows or third-party software like Todo Backup to back up your SSD to an external hard drive. Alternatively, you can clone your SSD to a hard drive as a backup, so you can swap it out with zero downtime in case of issues with the SSD.

Weighing the pros, cons, and relative ease of each, here's what you need to know before choosing which approach to take.

Method 1: Create an SSD Backup Image

The preferred and easiest way to back up SSD is by using a professional disk backup tool. Todo Backup is a reliable and trustworthy backup and recovery software that can easily back up SSD to HDD with ease. It is compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7 and offers various advanced disk backup options, including:

• Scheduled backups. If you've set up a scheduled backup, the software will perform the task automatically without requiring manual intervention.
• Diverse backup sources and targets. It can be used to back up disks, files, systems, games, emails, and more, with the option to save your backups on hard drives, cloud services, NAS devices, and so on.
• Various backup types. Todo Backup supports differential and incremental backups, meaning it only backs up files that have changed since the last backup. This saves time and disk space.
• Compressed and encrypted backups. With these features, you can have peace of mind knowing that your tool won't take up too much space and your data will be secure.

Now, follow the steps below to easily backup SSD to HDD:

Step 1: Launch Todo Backup and on the home screen, select “Create Backup” and then click “Select backup content”.

Create System Backup Step 1

Step 2: Click "OS" to start the backup from the four options.

Step 3: The system partition will be selected automatically; you just have to choose the location.

Step 4. You can choose to save the backup file to your local drive, cloud storage, or NAS. You can also connect an external hard drive to save your system backup file.

Step 5: You can customize the settings in the Options on the bottom left. Then, click on "Backup Now" to start the backup process.

* After the backup is complete, you can check the status, recover, open, or delete the backup by right-clicking on the backup task on the left.

Method 2: Create a clone of the SSD

Cloning SSD is another preferred SSD backup method for many users, as when the SSD has issues, you can replace it with the cloned disk without affecting the computer's usage.

The only downside is that a clone backup creates an exact copy, so it requires as much storage space as the SSD, meaning you'll need a HDD with a capacity equal to or greater than that of the SSD.

Moreover, Todo Backup equips with a disk cloning feature that can clone an SSD to HDD with just a few clicks. It skips the disk initialization process and allocates disk partitions automatically and intelligently.

Click here for the full steps on how to clone SSD to external hard drive with Todo Backup tool:

❤️ TIP: The process of cloning SSD to an external hard drive/HDD with Todo Backup is the same as cloning HDD to SSD. You just need to select the SSD as the source disk and the HDD as the target disk.

Method 3: Use Windows Backup and Restore to Back Up Your SSD

If you don't want to download any software and are comfortable using your computer, you can use the built-in Windows Backup and Restore feature (available in Windows 7). This works in Windows 7, 10, and 11.

However, keep in mind that this method works only if the SSD is used as the system disk. So, you can create a system image on an external hard drive.

Here are the steps to create a system image using Backup and Restore.

Step 1: Connect the external hard drive to your computer and make sure that it's recognized properly.

Step 2: Open Backup and Restore by going to Control Panel\System and Security\Backup and Restore.

Step 3: Click “Create a system image” on the left.

Step 4. In the “Where do you want to save your backup?” window, select the “Hard Disk Drive” option. Choose your external hard drive from the dropdown menu, then click “Next.”

Select the external hard drive.

Step 5: Check your backup settings, and then click Start Backup.

Final judgment

Backing up an SSD (solid-state drive) to an external hard drive is an essential practice for securing important data. The portability and convenience of external hard drives make them an ideal choice for SSD backups.

Todo Backup is an excellent SSD backup tool that you definitely shouldn't overlook. Whether you want to back up your SSD or clone it to an external hard drive, it caters to your needs and ensures your backups are well-protected.

Frequently Asked Questions About Backing Up SSD to External Hard Drive

1. Can I use my old SSD as an external hard drive?

Yes, an old SSD can be repurposed as an external hard drive by following these steps: 1. Purchase an SSD enclosure: First, you'll need an external hard drive case suitable for your SSD's size (usually 2.5 inches or M.2). Make sure the enclosure supports your SSD's type. 2. Install the SSD: Open the enclosure and follow the instructions to mount the SSD into its designated slot. For M.2 SSDs, ensure it is properly inserted and secured in place. 3. Connect the enclosure: Close the enclosure and attach it to your computer's USB port using the included cable (typically USB-C or USB 3.0). 4. Initialize and format: Upon first connection, your computer should automatically recognize and install the necessary drivers. If needed, initialize and format the new external drive in "Disk Management" (Windows) or "Disk Utility" (macOS). Choose an appropriate file system (like NTFS for Windows or ExFAT for cross-platform usage). 5. Use the drive: Once these steps are completed, your old SSD is now an external hard drive for storing data, backing up files, or transferring files between devices. 6. Safely eject: Before disconnecting, remember to safely eject or unmount the drive from your operating system to prevent data loss or damage. Keep in mind that using an old SSD as an external drive may affect its lifespan due to increased wear from frequent read and write operations. However, it's an economical and efficient option for temporary storage and backups.

Unplug the SSD from your computer/laptop. Connect the SSD to your computer using an external hard drive enclosure or adapter. Now, you can access all the data stored on the SSD and use it as an external drive.

How do I back up my entire computer to an external hard drive?

To back up your entire PC to an external hard drive, you can create a system image, which makes a complete copy of everything on your computer, including the operating system, settings, configurations, system files, installed programs, and other files.

3. What's the best way to back up my entire computer?

There are plenty of PC backup solutions available to create backups of your computer. Todo Backup is an excellent backup program that offers several backup options. It can do full backups, incremental backups, differential backups, encrypted backups, 3-2-1 backups, and more.

How do I back up my Windows 10 SSD?

The way to back up SSD on Windows 10 is the same as backing up a hard drive. You need to find a disk backup program, such as Todo Backup. It is a professional file/disk/system/app data backup tool that allows you to back up all kinds of SSDs with simple clicks, including NVMe SSD, M.2 SSD, SATA SSD, and more.