How to Clone Windows to NVMe in 2024: The Complete Guide

NVMe stands for Non-Volatile Memory express. It is a host controller interface used to connect an SSD. Thanks to its high read speed, low latency, and power efficiency, it has replaced SATA interfaces in many scenarios. Booting Windows from an NVMe SSD will be optimized and accelerated. This is why many computers now come with NVMe interfaces as a built-in standard.

If you wish to have faster computer read and write speeds or upgrade to Windows 11/10, cloning Windows to NVMe from SSD is a good idea. This article will provide a quick method to avoid reinstalling Windows on NVMe and running Windows on the NVMe SSD. Let's see how this works.

How to Clone Windows to an NVMe Drive

While you can use a professional disk cloning software to clone Windows to NVMe, there are some preparatory steps to take before the cloning process. Let's explore these extra measures and detail a step-by-step approach to help us successfully clone Windows to NVMe.

## Preparing to Clone Windows to NVMe

1. Get newer computer hardware. NVMe works best with the Skylake chipset or later.

2. Your motherboard needs to have an M.2 slot that supports NVMe, such as an M.2 PCI-E x4 slot.

3. Your computer must support UEFI boot mode and have UEFI firmware installed.

4. If it's a new NVMe SSD, initialize it as GPT-formatted.

5. Make sure that you have more free space available on the NVMe SSD than the data used on the source disk in Windows.

6. Back up all critical data on the target NVMe SSD, as the cloning process will overwrite existing data.

7. Download a professional cloning software, such as AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This software can save you time and effort to quickly clone Windows to NVMe.

Now, let's see how the software works and clone Windows to NVMe step by step.

Steps to Clone Windows to NVMe

You can use the Partition Master tool to clone partitions and systems. It supports SSD 4K alignment, which can solve SSD cloning issues and keep good SSD performance. It has a user-friendly interface and supports all Windows users.

Before using the partition master tool, connect the NVMe to an M.2 PCI-E x4 slot and make sure your computer detects the NVMe SSD. Then, follow these steps to clone Windows to NVMe.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, click "Disk Clone" tab, select "Clone System Disk" and then click "Next".

Step 2. Select the new target drive you want to clone your operating system to, then click Next.

Select the target disk to clone to

Click “Yes” to confirm you want to proceed with the system disk cloning process.

Step 3: Review the disk layout, and then click Start to begin the OS cloning process.

Step 4. When finished, you'll see a confirmation message asking if you want to boot from the clone disk.

• Restart Now: Restart your computer and set it to boot the operating system from the new disk.
• Finish: You want to make changes later.

Upon completion of the cloning process, you can set the NVMe SSD as the boot disk and then boot your computer from NVMe. If you don't know how to set the boot disk, follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Press F2/F8/Del to enter BIOS setup.

Step 2: Change the Boot Disk to set the NVMe SSD as the boot drive.

Step 3: Save the settings and exit.

The above described how to clone Windows to an NVMe drive using Partition Master and how to make the target drive bootable. Aside from its cloning feature, the Partition Master tool offers many other functions:

• Format NVMe SSD
• Clone HDD to SSD
• Clone Windows to New SSD
• Clone Windows to Another Drive

If interested, please click the above link to view the specific cloning process. If you have other issues related to disk partition, download Partition Master to help you.

Conclusions

If you want to clone Windows to NVMe for faster read and write speed, you can use the Partition Master tool. This article provides a detailed tutorial on how to prepare for cloning before using the tool, as well as how to utilize the professional cloning utility. If you have any issues related to cloning or partitioning, such as formatting partitions or resizing partitions, this tool can help you solve your problems.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cloning Windows to NVMe

This section lists additional frequently asked questions about cloning Windows to NVMe. If you have other questions, see the following questions and answers.

< strong > 1. Can I install Windows on an NVMe drive?

Yes, you can install Windows on an NVMe. Here are two methods to install Windows on an NVMe. You can download and reinstall Windows on the NVMe SSD. Or you can clone system and partition to NVMe with Partition Master tool.

2. How to Migrate Windows to NVMe?

With the tool Partition Master, you can easily migrate Windows to an NVMe SSD without having to reinstall the system. And the software is very user-friendly.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, and then choose "Disk Clone" on the left side.

Step 2. Select "Clone OS disk" and click "Next".

Step 3. Select the target drive and click “Next” to proceed.

Step 4: Click “OK,” and then select “Start” to begin the cloning process.

3. Can NVMe be made bootable?

Yes, you can make an NVMe bootable. To do this, you would first need to clone your operating system onto the NVMe SSD. Then, enter the BIOS settings, change the boot order, and set the target drive as the bootable device.