EaseUS Partition Master

Transfer Windows 10 System Files to New HDD or SSD

EaseUS partition software enables you to transfer Windows 10 system files to new HDD or SSD in simple steps. You can try it to migrate windows 10 to new HDD or SSD without data loss.

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Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

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Updated by Tracy King on Dec 11, 2023
Written by Brithny

How can I transfer Windows 10 system files to new HDD or SSD

When Windows 10 is available, I upgraded my laptop the new system. It is really amazing. But later, I bought a new SSD on Amazon and planned to use it as the boot drive. So I can use the old hard drive as a storage device for data backup or data transfer. Obviously, I need to migrate os from HDD to SSD to achieve this goal. Otherwise, I have to reinstall Windows 10. But I have never tried to transfer Windows 10 system files to new HDD or SSD. And I completely have no idea about how to do it. Is there any program can help? Please give me some suggestion!

Many users tried to move Windows 10 to new HDD or SSD for different reasons such as hard drive upgrade, setting up a new computer, etc. But most of them encountered difficulties when they doing the migration job. So in this page, we would like to introduce how to transfer Windows 10 system files to new HDD or SSD in simple steps. You can try it when you facing a Windows 10 transfer job.   

Can I Copy Windows 10 system files to another drive

The answer is no! Windows 10 system files contain too many files to fail to copy completely. Even though copying and pasting really work, you will miss some special files, such as:

  • Files are hidden when Windows Installation.
  • The boot loader which to boot the Windows system.

The best method for transferring OS to new hard drive is using EaseUS Partition Master. Follow the below steps to do a secure data moving.

Free Download 

Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

Transfer Windows 10 System Files to a New HDD or SSD

First, we want to introduce you a Windows 10 migration tool that you need to use reliable partition software - EaseUS Partition Master for help. The program is usually used by people for hard disk partition management.

Moreover, its"Migrate OS to HDD/SSD" feature also allows you to transfer system and system files between HDD and SSD without losing any data. 

Follwo the steps here to learn how to successfully move system files to another drive without losing any data:

Note: The operation of migrating OS to SSD or HDD will delete and remove existing partitions and data on your target disk when there is not enough unallocated space on the target disk. If you saved important data there, back up them to an external hard drive in advance.

Step 1. Select "Clone" from the left menu. Select the "Migrate OS" and click "Next" to continue..

select migrate os

Step 2.  Select the target disk you want to clone. Click "Next".

Step 3. Click "Yes" after checking the warning message. The data and partitions on the target disk will be deleted. Make sure that you've backed up important data in advance. If not, do it now.

select the destination disk

Step 4. Preview the layout of your target disk. You can also click the disk layout options to customize the layout of your target disk as you want. Then click "Start" to start migrating your OS to a new disk

preview the lay out

Step 5. When you see a confirming message, asking "If you want to start up computer from the clone target disk", tick "Adjust the order to boot from the clone target disk" and click the respective button through your demands. 

  • Reboot Now: it means to reboot the PC and boot OS from the new disk immediately.
  • Done: it means to make the changes later. 
 Confirm to clone OS to a new drive

What Else Can You Use EaseUS Partition Master?

Aside from migrating OS to a new disk, EaseUS Partition Master is also a great Windows disk management software to assist all Windows users to make full use of their disk space wisely.

EaseUS Partition Master

  • Create, extend, shrink, merge, split, format, and wipe partitions.
  • Clone and upgrade data & OS disk to a new HDD/SSD without losing any data.
  • Optimize SSD performance with 4K alignment, check and fix file system error, more.
Free Download 

Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

Bonus Tip: Transfer Windows 10 Programs files to Another Drive

If you are curious about how to move program files to d drive, there is a manual method for you or you can head to how to move programs from one drive to another for seeking an easier solution.

Step 1. Press Windows + R, and type Regedit.exe in the box.

Step 2. Find the following path (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion) on Registry Editor and change drive letter from C: to D: or other drives.

registry editor window

Conclusion

Transferring Windows 10 system file to a new disk is a necessary process when Windows users tend to upgrade and change their OS disk. EaseUS Partition Master with its Migrate OS to HDD/SSD feature perfectly resolve this issue, you can fully rely on it for help. It fully secures the OS and data while moving to a new disk without any boot issues.

Free Download 

Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

FAQs about Moving System Files to Another Drive

If you hare more questions on moving system files to another drive, follow and find answers here:

1. Can system files be moved to another drive?

Yes, for some programs, you can copy and move them to another drive from the system C drive by using Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.

No, for some OS boot files, you can't simply copy and move them to another drive as this may cause system boot issue on Windows PCs.

2. Can I move system files from C to D?

For non-system boot files, such as the Desktop folders, program files, and documents, etc., you can copy and move them from C to D drive. For a more reliable solution, you can turn to reliable file transfer software like EaseUS Todo PCTrans to migrate the system files from C to D drive successfully.

3. How do I move my operating system to another drive?

  • Intall a second disk to your computer and initialize it to the same disk type as the OS drive - MBR or GPT.
  • Launch EaseUS Partition Master, select "Clone".
  • Select "Clone OS Disk" and select the target new disk as the destination.
  • Click "Next" and click "Execute * Taks" to start moving the OS to another drive.
  • Once done, enter BIOS settings and set the new disk as Boot drive.
  • Reboot PC, and wait for the operating system to boot up normally.

How Can We Help You

About the Author

Updated by Tracy King

Tracy became a member of the EaseUS content team in 2013. Being a technical writer for over 10 years, she is enthusiastic about sharing tips to assist readers in resolving complex issues in disk management, file transfer, PC & Mac performance optimization, etc., like an expert.

Read full bio

Written by Brithny

Brithny is a technology enthusiast, aiming to make readers' tech lives easy and enjoyable. She loves exploring new technologies and writing technical how-to tips. In her spare time, she loves sharing things about her game experience on Facebook or Twitter.

Read full bio

Product Reviews

Product Reviews

TrustScore 4.7 | 49 reviews
  • I love that the changes you make with EaseUS Partition Master Free aren't immediately applied to the disks. It makes it way easier to play out what will happen after you've made all the changes. I also think the overall look and feel of EaseUS Partition Master Free makes whatever you're doing with your computer's partitions easy.

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  • Partition Master Free can Resize, Move, Merge, Migrate, and Copy disks or partitions; convert to local, change label, defragment, check and explore partition; and much more. A premium upgrade adds free tech support and the ability to resize dynamic volumes.

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  • It won't hot image your drives or align them, but since it's coupled with a partition manager, it allows you do perform many tasks at once, instead of just cloning drives. You can move partitions around, resize them, defragment, and more, along with the other tools you'd expect from a cloning tool.

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Get EaseUS Partition Master

Your best companion for disk partitioning, MBR to GPT/GPT to MBR conversion,even OS migration

Free Download 

Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure