How to Clone M.2 SATA to M.2 NVMe SSD in Windows 11/10/8/7

What's the Difference Between M.2 SATA and M.2 NVMe?

With their faster read and write speeds, solid-state drives (SSDs) are preferred over hard disk drives (HDDs). There are four main types of SSD: 2.5-inch SSD, M.2 (SATA and NVMe), NVMe PCIe, and U.2 SSD.

M.2 SATA and M.2 NVMe are two different types of M.2 SSDs, but they also have significant differences. Let's take a look at an overview of these two SSDs.

Why Clone M.2 SATA to M.2 NVMe SSD?

As shown in the table above, there are some differences between M.2 SATA SSD and M.2 NVMe SSD. Why do we need to clone SATA SSD to NVMe SSD? Here are some common reasons for cloning SATA SSD to NVMe SSD:

• Faster data transfer and read speeds. NVMe SSDs are considered the fastest type of SSD. This improvement in read and write speeds is particularly noticeable when transferring large files, transcoding videos, editing photos, or performing real-time edits.
• Lower power consumption. With a more streamlined command set, NVMe SSDs require fewer CPU cycles for I/O operations, thus reducing power consumption.

In addition, NVMe SSDs offer advantages in low latency and broad driver compatibility.

?Recommended reading: How to Clone M.2 SSD with Only One Slot

How to Prepare for Cloning an M.2 SATA to NVMe SSD

If you want to clone an M.2 SATA SSD to an M.2 NVMe SSD, prepare as follows:

1. An M.2 NVMe solid-state drive

If your M.2 NVMe SSD is brand new, it's best to initialize it first or open Disk Management on your desktop or laptop. Choose the partition style as GPT, and then click OK. After that, you can connect the M.2 NVMe SSD to the M.2 SATA SSD slot. Most motherboards with the latest Intel Z97 and AMD FX 990 chipsets support both M.2 SATA and PCIe SSDs. Many laptops also have an M.2 PCIe slot. Make sure to connect the NVMe SSD to the right slot; otherwise, it won't show up in BIOS.

2. Check the partition format

As mentioned above, an NVMe SSD needs to be formatted as GPT to support UEFI boot, otherwise, you may encounter boot issues. Please follow the steps below to check your disk's partition style:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run window, type "diskmgmt.msc," and then click OK to open Disk Management. 2. Select the disk, go to "Properties" > "Volumes" > "Partition Style" to view the partition style.

Choosing the Right SSD Cloning Software

If you plan to upgrade from a SATA SSD to an M.2 NVMe SSD, cloning can prevent data loss. In this case, using a suitable SSD cloning software is recommended. However, with numerous cloning software options available on the market, which one should you choose? Here, I will introduce an SSD cloning tool called Disk Copy that can help you quickly clone an M.2 SATA SSD to an M.2 NVMe SSD.

The Disk Copy tool is a practical and versatile cloning utility designed for Windows 11/10/8/7. It enables you to clone systems, disks, partitions, and more. With just a few simple steps, you can clone a hard drive with bad sectors as well as clone a 2.5-inch SSD to an M.2 SSD. Furthermore, it allows you to clone the C drive to an external hard drive, enabling you to upgrade to a larger disk without re-installing Windows.

Steps to Clone an M.2 SATA SSD to an NVMe SSD

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to clone an M.2 SATA SSD to an NVMe SSD. Follow these steps to complete the cloning process.

Advance notice:

• "Clone by sector" requires the target disk to be the same size or larger than the source disk. Uncheck this if you want to clone a larger hard drive to a smaller one. • All data on the target disk will be completely erased. Exercise caution when proceeding.

Step 1: To start copying/cloning an entire disk to another, select the disk in Disk Mode, and click Next.

Step 2. Select another disk as the target disk.

Step 3. Check the disk layout of both drives. You can choose to "Adapt to Disk," "Match Source," or "Edit Disk Layout" to manage the target disk's layout.

When a warning message appears, click OK.

• "Automatically resize partitions" makes some default modifications to the layout of the target disk to optimize it.
• "Copy as is" makes no changes to the target disk, which will have the same layout as the source disk.
• "Edit partition layout" lets you manually adjust/move the partition layout of the target disk.

Check Optimize for SSD if the target is an SSD to ensure best performance.

A warning message appears, alerting you to the fact that your data will be lost. Confirm this by clicking OK, and then click Next.

Step 4: Click “Proceed” to actually carry out the task.

Read More: How-to Guide | Clone NVMe SSD to NVMe SSD

The bottom line is that Europe's leaders must recognize that the eurozone's current structure is unsustainable.

So, do you know how to clone M.2 SATA SSD to NVMe SSD? Disk Clone Tool can be a great helper as it can easily clone your M.2 SATA SSD to NVMe SSD. If you're using a SATA SSD or any other type of drive, you can upgrade your hard drive to an M.2 NVMe SSD to speed up your computer, as you'll experience faster read and write speeds. Disk Clone Tool is an excellent disk cloning tool that allows you to clone various disks like SD cards, navigation SD cards, HDDs, SSDs, and more. Don't hesitate, give it a try.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

With its fast speed and low latency, an NVMe SSD is a popular choice for cloning Windows 10 among users. A professional disk cloning tool, such as Disk Copy, can greatly streamline the process. It enables you to quickly replicate an HDD or SSD to an NVMe SSD, along with the operating system.

A disk cloning tool can assist you in upgrading the M.2 SSD in your computer that contains Windows, eliminating the need to reinstall the operating system and saving both time and effort. Moreover, it spares you the trouble of manually restoring your system settings to their previous state.

3. Is PCIe the same as NVMe?

NVMe, short for Non-Volatile Memory express, is an interface protocol that sits on top of transport interfaces like PCIe. It's managed by the NVM Express workgroup, which consists of 90 companies, and it defines how host software communicates with non-volatile memory over the PCIe bus.

4. Can I move my M.2 SSD to another slot?

Yes, you can move the SSD to a different slot. You might need to adjust the boot order in your BIOS/UEFI to indicate that it should boot from the other slot, but as long as you don't have another drive with an operating system in a different slot, it should automatically find the OS drive.