How to Migrate Windows Server OS to a New Disk (HDD/SSD) [2024 Comprehensive Guide]

• Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Applies To: Migrating Windows Server 2022/2019/2016/2013/2008/2002 to a new HDD/SSD.

Do you want to migrate server operating system on the same server? Are you looking for a reliable Windows Server migration tool to transfer Windows Server to a new disk and upgrade? Do you want to upgrade the Windows Server OS disk?

On this page, you'll find a comprehensive guide on how to successfully migrate your Windows Server operating system to a new disk.

## 1. Prepare the new disk for Windows Server operating system migration

While preparing a new disk for a Windows Server migration, you might encounter two issues:

1. Which type of disk do you want to choose? 2. How do I prepare the new disk?

Let's start by defining your goal for migrating to the Windows Server operating system:

• To upgrade Windows Server to a larger disk, you will need a hard drive with a higher storage capacity.
• To optimize the performance of Windows Server, it is recommended to use a Solid State Drive (SSD) with sufficient storage space.

We recommend a hard disk drive with 32 GB to 4 TB of storage for your Windows Server installation, or an SSD with 2-4 TB or more.

When you have the hard disk in hand, the next step is to prepare the new hard disk for your Windows Server migration. Here's how:

Step 1. Add the new hard drive to the Windows Server computer using a SATA cable and power cable.

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Step 2. After connecting the new drive to your computer, open Disk Management in Windows Server.

Step 3: Right-click the old system drive and select "Properties." Note whether its partition style is MBR or GPT.

Check the disk partition style

Step 4. Right click on the new disk which will show as "Unknown Disk Uninitialized" and select "Initialize Disk".

Step 5: Choose the disk style for the new disk, making sure it's the same as the old system disk (MBR or GPT), and click OK to confirm.

When complete, your new disk is ready for a Windows Server migration. Proceed to the next guide for more steps.

#2. Choose and download the Windows Server Migration Tools for assistance

Windows Server Manager includes the Windows Server Migration Tools, which you can turn to for help. However, these tools work best when migrating a Windows Server system to another computer – a process that's more complex than simply updating the operating system on the same machine.

To perform an in-place upgrade of the Windows Server system disk, you need to resort to professional system migration tools or software.

With reliable "OS Migration" feature, AOMEI Partition Assistant Enterprise allows any Windows Server and Windows user to successfully and efficiently migrate operating system to new hard drive or SSD. Even without technical background, you can also migrate Windows Server to new HDD/SSD successfully.

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After you have installed the Windows Server Migration Tools on your computer, you can use the following guides to migrate your system from one disk to another.

#3. Migrate a Windows Server Operating System to a New Hard Drive or SSD

Here are the steps you can follow to migrate your Windows Server system to a newly added hard drive or SSD:

Note: If there is not enough unallocated space on the target disk, the OS migration to SSD or HDD will delete and remove existing partitions and data on the destination disk. Back up important data to an external hard drive beforehand if any.

Step 1: From the left-hand menu, choose "Clone." Select "Migrate the operating system," and click "Next" to proceed.

Step 2. Select the target disk to which you want to clone. Click “Next”.

Step 3. After reading the warning message, click "OK". The target disk's data and partitions will be erased. Make sure you have backed up your important data beforehand. If not, please back up now.

Select the target disk.

Step 4. Preview the target disk layout. You can also click on the Disk Layout option to customize the layout of the target disk as needed. Then, click "Start" to migrate the operating system to the new disk.

5. When you see the confirmation message asking if you want to boot from the cloned disk, check the box that says "Adjust the boot order to boot from the cloned target disk," and then click the respective button based on your needs.

• Reboot Now: This means to reboot the computer immediately and boot the operating system from the new disk.

Confirm cloning the system to the new hard drive

In addition to migrating the operating system, this tool can help you:

• Manage disk space on Windows Server
• Resize system C drive or fix low disk space error on it
• Merge or split hard disk partitions
• Create, format, convert, delete, or even wipe disk partitions
• Recover partitions, align SSD to 4K, check and fix disk errors, etc.

After the system migration is complete, you will need to enter the BIOS settings of your Windows Server to configure the boot order of system drives. The steps for this will be outlined in the next guide.

#4. Set the new disk as the system boot drive

Step 1. Restart the Windows Server computer and press F2/F8 or Del to enter BIOS setup.

Step 2. Access the Boot Menu and look for the Boot Order settings, then click on it.

Step 3: Set the boot order to prioritize the new drive and save your changes.

Step 4: Exit the BIOS and restart your computer.

Wait for the computer to boot up and load the Windows Server operating system. When you see the login screen, enter your account information and password, then begin using your server computer on the new hard drive.

That's all for the steps to migrate server OS to a new HDD or SSD. If you're a Windows user and also need guidance on how to switch your operating system to a new disk, feel free to download the Partition Master tool on your PC and refer to this guide for assistance:

How to Transfer OS to SSD? A Beginner's Guide for 2023

Partition Master is a trusted OS migration tool that allows users to move, migrate, and transfer their operating system to an SSD without reinstalling Windows 11/10/8/7.

Now you can move your Windows server computer to a new hard drive or SSD

We've distilled the Windows Server migration process down to four separate guides on this page.

Remember, when migrating and setting up the Windows OS on a new disk, you should first prepare the disk and use a reliable OS migration tool, such as Partition Master.

Then use the Partition Master tool to migrate the operating system and configure the new disk as the boot drive.

By following the complete guide step by step, you can successfully migrate Windows Server to a new hard drive and enjoy optimized server computer performance immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions about migrating Windows Server to a new HDD/SSD

If you have more questions about migrating your Windows Server to a new hard drive or SSD, check out the answers to the following frequently asked questions:

1. Can I move the Windows operating system to another hard drive?

Yes, you can successfully move your Windows operating system to another hard drive without reinstallation. All you need is a system migration tool, such as the Partition Master utility with the "Migrate OS to SSD" or HDD feature.

2. How do I migrate my server operating system?

1. First, connect a new disk with a storage capacity equal to or greater than the amount of data used on the server's operating system drive. 2. Second, initialize the new disk with the same partition style as the server's operating system disk – either MBR (Master Boot Record) or GPT (GUID Partition Table). 3. Then, run a reliable operating system migration tool, such as Partition Master, to migrate the server's operating system. 4. Upon completion, restart the Windows Server and configure the computer to boot from the new disk.

3. Can I migrate only the operating system to the SSD?

Yes, you can move the operating system to a new SSD without reinstalling it. For this, you just need a brand new SSD with the same drive type as the OS, and then use a reliable system migration tool, like the Windows 11 System Migration Software, to help you migrate the OS. Partition Master can meet your needs for migrating the operating system between HDD and SSD.