Set up SSD/HDD and Change System/OS Drive in Windows 11/10

How do I change the boot drive?

"Hello, do you know how I can change my system disk? I want to set the SSD as the operating system drive and reassign the old HDD as the storage disk for my computer. Can I do this myself? How would I go about it?"

"I recently bought a new SSD and want to install my current Windows 10 on it while the old HDD will be used as a data drive. Could you please tell me how to do that? In other words, how can I change the system disk and set SSD as the system disk? Can you help me with that?"

If you're looking for ways to set up a new SSD/HDD as your computer's system drive, then you've come to the right place. Below, we have two practical methods for you:

Method 1: Change System Drive by Migrating Operating System to HDD/SSD
Method 2: Clean Install Operating System on New SSD or HDD and Change OS Drive

Follow the tutorial over here to begin the process of moving your system drive, which will allow Windows to boot from a different disk.

Preparation - Backing up the system, data, and settings SSD/HDD

Before you begin, review the following recommendations to help you prepare to replace your computer's system startup drive:

Tip 1: Back up your Windows system and data first

To avoid any unexpected system failure or data loss when changing the system drive between an SSD and an HDD, we highly recommend backing up your current Windows system and important data on your PC first. Also see: How to backup Windows 10 to a USB drive.

Tip 2: Setting up a new disk - SSD/HDD

For a new disk (new SSD/HDD): Install the new disk into your computer correctly with SATA and power cables. Read How to Install a New Hard Drive or SSD for details.

For used or data disks: Back up the data to another device first. Ideally, back it up to an external hard drive.

Method 1: Change the System Disk by Migrating the Operating System to an HDD/SSD

Strive to achieve: Replace system disk, migrate the operating system to a new SSD/HDD, and switch the Windows system to the new disk.

This method allows users to directly change the disk of Windows 11/10/8/7 and other operating systems without reinstalling. All you need is a professional partition manager software that supports free system migration to HDD or SSD.

Required Tool – Partition Master Professional with the “OS to HDD/SSD” feature.

With Partition Master, you can easily transfer OS from HDD to SSD to replace system disk and storage disk with just a few clicks.

• Tutorial - Download this software for free and follow the steps immediately:

Note: If there is not enough unallocated space on the target disk, migrating the operating system to SSD or HDD will delete and remove existing partitions and data on the target disk. Back up any important data saved on it to an external hard drive beforehand.

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

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

Step 3: After reading the warning, click "OK". All data and partitions on the target disk will be deleted. Make sure you have backed up all important data. If not, do it now.

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

Step 5: After the confirmation message "Boot from cloned disk", check the option "Adjust the boot order to boot from the cloned disk". Click the corresponding button based on your need.

• Reboot Now: This means that the computer will be restarted immediately and the operating system will boot from the new disk.
• Finish Later: This means that the changes will be applied at a later time.

Confirm the system clone to the new disk   

• Setup PC – Make the operating system bootable on the new HDD/SSD

Once that's done, all you have to do is enter your BIOS, change the boot order so your computer boots from the new HDD or SSD, and you're good to go.

Here are the steps to set the new disk as the boot drive so that the Windows operating system can boot:

Step 1: Restart your computer and press F2/F8/Del to enter BIOS.

Step 2. In the Boot menu, under Boot Priority or Boot Order, set the new model HDD/SSD with the migrated OS as the boot drive.

Step 3: Save the changes and exit the BIOS, then restart your computer.

After that, Windows will boot from the new disk. All the data on the system disk has been migrated to the new disk without any data loss or boot failure. Now you can delete the old system partition on the old disk and create a new partition to save your data.

Changing the boot drive is crucial since it determines whether you can boot your operating system, so share more methods that users can employ.

Method 2: Clean Install the Operating System on a New SSD or HDD and Change the System Drive

Aim to achieve: Changing the boot drive by performing a fresh or clean install of the Windows operating system on a new SSD/HDD, or installing Windows on a second drive.

If you don't like the current operating system, you can use this method to do a clean install of a new Windows on a new SSD or HDD. This will also work for setting an SSD or HDD as the new system drive in Windows, though the process may be more complicated.

Next, you'll need to do a clean OS install on the new SSD and set it as the boot drive.

• Requirements: A blank USB (at least 8GB), download the Windows Media Creation Tool, and your Windows product key (for activation after installation). • Guide: Fresh install Windows 10 on SSD/HDD and set it as the boot drive:

Step 1. Create the Windows installation media on the USB drive.

Double-click the 'MediaCreationTool.exe' and select USB as the target to create your Windows installation media.

Step 2. Boot your PC from the USB installation media.

Remove the old system drive. Insert the new SSD and the bootable USB into your computer, restart it, enter the BIOS, and set your computer to boot from the installation media.

Step 3: Set your preferences before installing Windows on the new disk.

Please set your language and other preferences before clicking 'Install Now'.

Step 4. Install Windows on the new SSD.

Enter your product key, choose “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” and select the new SSD as the place to install Windows.

Wait for the process to finish.

Step 5: Set the SSD/HDD as the boot drive.

After installation, restart your computer, enter the BIOS, and set the SSD as the operating system drive to change the boot drive.

Step 6. Reinsert the original system disk and set it up as a data drive.

Shut down your computer, remove the installation USB drive, put your old HDD back in your computer, and reboot.

Step 7: Enter your product key to activate Windows.

If you want a dual-boot system, you could stop here and repartition your hard drive to make room for your new installation.

If you want to use the entire disk as a data disk, back up any important files from your old system drive and delete it, then create a new partition and copy your backed-up data back to the data disk.

Caution: Incorrect operations may lead to system failure or unexpected issues. Proceed with caution. For a more stable and secure way to protect your system and data, try Method 1 with the Partition Master tool.

Conclusion

This page will guide you through two practical and efficient methods to change your system disk by migrating the operating system or performing a clean install of Windows on an SSD/HDD. If you're unsure which method is more suitable for you, consider the following advice:

• If you want to only replace the system disk with a new SSD or larger HDD while keeping the OS, Method 1 and the Partition Master tool can help you.

It will help you to migrate your OS to SSD/HDD without reinstalling Windows. You don't need to set your new SSD as the boot drive in BIOS. It will be done within the migration process.

• If you want to create a dual-boot system with two versions of the Windows operating system on your computer, or if you want to do a clean install of Windows on a new SSD/HDD, use Method 2 and the Clean Install Windows tutorial.

Be careful during the installation, and remember to set the SSD or HDD as the boot disk afterward. Otherwise, Windows won't be able to start from the new drive.

"People also ask"

This page primarily addresses the question of "How to change the system disk and set a new SSD/HDD as the boot drive." However, it also seems to address some related issues that people search for on Google.

Here, we address three of the most common questions we have received. If you have been wondering the same thing, read on for the answers.

How do I change the boot drive or boot disk?

To change the boot drive, you must have Windows installed on another disk. You have two options for this: 1). Use Partition Master and its “Migrate OS” feature to move the operating system to the new disk; 2). Perform a fresh or clean install of Windows on the new drive.

If you used the first method to move your operating system, you just need to restart your computer, and Windows will automatically boot from the new disk. No further action is required. If you installed a fresh copy of the Windows operating system on the new disk using the second method, follow these steps to change your startup disk:

Step 1: Shut down your computer and remove the old hard drive. Step 2: Restart your computer and press F2, F10, or Del to enter BIOS. Step 3: Navigate to the boot order settings and set the new hard drive as the primary boot device. Save the changes. Step 4: Restart your computer.

If all goes well, shut down the computer, reinsert the old hard drive, and boot up again.

< strong > 2. How to migrate Windows 10 to a new SSD?

The method to migrate Windows 10 to a new SSD is similar to Method 1 provided on this page. You can safely install the SSD on your computer and run the Partition Master tool to perform the OS migration job.

After that, just restart your PC, and you're all done. You might also refer to How to Move Windows 10 to SSD for a detailed guide.

3. How do I migrate my operating system to a new hard drive?

There are two ways to move an operating system to a new hard drive:

1). Migrate the operating system directly to the new hard drive; 2). Clone the system to the new hard drive and set it as the boot drive.

If you'd prefer to do the first, you can skip back up to Method 1 for a guide. If you're cloning your system to a new hard drive instead, refer to Transfer Your Operating System to a New Hard Drive Without Reinstalling Windows for instructions.