[SOLVED] How to Clone SSD to HDD, then to New SSD

The Need: Clone SSD to HDD, then to New SSD

For computers with only one M.2 slot, it is useful to clone NVMe SSD to HDD and then to new SSD, but this requires cloning twice. If you don’t mind investing in a compatible adapter or enclosure, it’s best to directly clone SSD to new SSD without media.

In addition, you need to be sure the original SSD is working properly. Otherwise, it’s useless. In this case, you’d better reinstall Windows and manually transfer data from one SSD to another. We hope you don’t need to do so as it’s time-consuming and tedious.

What You’ll Need

✔ M.2 Adapter (or Enclosure) for external SSD/HDD connections if your computer lacks extra ports.

✔ Screwdriver & Anti-Static Mat (Optional) for safely handling internal drives.

✔ Backup irreplaceable files (using cloud storage or an external drive) for extra redundancy.

✔ Clean up SSD to make more space. You can choose to delete junk files (temp files, downloads, duplicates), run disk cleanup, etc.

✔ Optionally, be sure the HDD has enough free space – Must be ≥ used space of original SSD if you insist on using HDD as a staging.

✔ Check disk health before cloning to prevent cloning failures.

✔ Update Firmware for better compatibility. You can download from the SSD manufacturer's website.

Powerful HDD and SSD Cloning Software | Free Download

Choosing a dedicated HDD and SSD cloning software will be a good start whether you want to use HDD as a stating or not. AOMEI Cloner can clone any types of disks, e.g., HDDs/SSDs, MBR/GPT disks, SATA/M.2/PCIe/NVMe drive, etc., without boot issues.

Click the download button to get started! Please note that the destination disk will be overwritten or deleted during cloning. Be sure to backup important data (if any) on it to prevent permanent loss.

5 Steps to Clone SSD to HDD then to New SSD [Secure Boot]

💡Before cloning, you need to know:

✔ Cloning SSD to HDD then to new SSD is based on a healthy SSD drive instead of one always crashes. The overall steps:

• Clone SSD to HDD using cloning software
• Test if cloned HDD is bootable.
• Switch old SSD and new SSD.
• Reboot from HDD. Then, clone HDD to SSD again and test if cloned SSD is bootable.
• Optionally, format HDD as storage device.

✔ You can directly clone SSD to new SSD if you have a compatible adapter or encloure. You just need to select the two SSD drives for cloning and boot from new SSD afterward.

Step 1: Clone SSD to HDD using AOMEI Cloner

1. Open AOMEI Cloner after installing, and click Clone > Disk Clone.

2. Select the original SSD as the source disk and HDD as the destination disk. Click Next to continue.

3. Confirm your disk info and click Start Clone.

⚠️Notes:
✅SSD Alignment: It makes full use of 4k technologies to align SSD and improve its performance.
✅ Edit Partitions: Partitions on larger drives will be resized automatically. Optionally, click it to convert disk types if you clone MBR to GPT or vice versa.
❌Sector by Sectore Clone: It will clone all sectors of the SSD drive and take longer.

Step 2: Test If Cloned HDD Is Bootable

1. Restart your computer and press BIOS key (e.g., F2, F10, ESC, Del, etc) to access the UEFI/BIOS settings window.

2. Go to the Boot tab and set the cloned HDD as the first option.

3. Press F10 to save changes and reboot.

Step 3: Switch Old SSD and New SSD for Next Cloning

1. After testing, completely shut your computer down and disconnect the power cable.

2. Open the removable back using a screwdriver. Put the scews all together.

3. Locate the old SSD and unscrew the retaining screws. Gently remove it at a 30°or 45° angle.

4. Install the new SSD in place of the old SSD and put the screws, removable back plate, etc., back on as they were.

Step 4: Clone HDD to New SSD using AOMEI Cloner

Cloning HDD to new SSD is almost the same as the steps to clone SSD to HDD, but with different source and destination disks. You need to select HDD as the source disk and then the new SSD as the destination disk while moving SSD to HDD.

In addition, be sure to check SSD Alignment to improve SSD disk performance, e.g., reading and writing speed, lifespan, etc. Optionally, click Edit Partitions to convert disk types if the two disks have different partition styles (one MBR, one GPT).

After cloning, you still need to test if the cloned SSD is bootable. If not, it’s useless.

Step 5: Format HDD and Old SSD as Storage Device

1. Restart your computer from the cloned SSD. Then, go to File Explorer and right-click HDD, select Format.

2. Select a compatible file system and click Start. By default, it will perform a quick format unless you uncheck this option manually.

Conclusion

You can clone SSD to HDD then to new SSD, but it requires cloning twice - double effort, and many duplicate steps that make cloning more complicated. It’s easier to clone SSD to new SSD as long as you have a compatible adapter or enclosure. Powerful HDD and SSD cloning software - AOMEI can help you!

Free Download for easy cloning!