Best Windows 11/10 Data and OS Migration Tool (2 Ways)

Why use the Windows 11/10 migration tools

Windows 11/10 migration is a process of operating system and data migration. Many users switch HDD to SSD for better performance. Generally speaking, there are two ways to deal with the installed operating system and configured system settings: clean install and system migration.

▶ Clean Install Windows 10: You need to download a Windows 10 Media Creation tool and create an installation package on a USB drive or a CD. Then, follow a lot of practical operations to complete the installation.

☞ It is an error-prone process, especially for computer green hands. However, if you are interested, you may refer to the tutorial on installing Windows 10 to SSD for detailed steps with screenshots. Besides the complicated progress, all settings, installed applications, and user profiles of previous Windows 10 are gone. You need to configure everything from scratch.

▶ Use the Windows 10 migration tool: It can perfectly overcome the shortcomings of a clean install. Within several clicks, you can transfer Windows 10 and its user profile to the target disk without reinstalling. Just boot off the target disk, and you’ll see the familiar operating environment.

Options for Windows 11/10 migration tools

When it comes to the Windows 10 migration tool, Windows Easy Transfer is worth mentioning. It's a great choice to migrate your settings and local user profiles from the old PC to the new PC, which was first introduced in Windows Vista and later inherited in Windows XP/7/8/8.1.

Thus, if you want the Windows 11/10 profile migration tools and the Windows 10 OS migration tool, you need to find a more cost-effective one.

• Transfer computer data and files to another computer:

If you're not keen on moving your files and programs manually, finding a trustworthy Windows 11/10 migration tool is crucial. Among the options available, we highly recommend AOMEI Backupper. This powerful software simplifies data transfer on Windows 11/10, allowing you to move all your data and installed applications from Windows XP/7/8 to Windows 11/10 with just a few clicks. It's also handy for transferring data from an old computer to a new one running Windows 11/10.

• Migrate Windows 11/10 system to another computer:

Moving your entire system is trickier than just transferring files, but AOMEI Backupper can make it easier for you. This user-friendly software is praised for its ability to move or clone your Windows 11/10 system, helping you create a smoother operating environment.

Best Windows 10 transfer tool - AOMEI Backupper

For the best Windows 10 migration assistant, there are several aspects you may take into consideration.

◑ Supporting a full system migration. That's to say, it should move all system-related drives to the target place because some Windows systems also contain System Reserved Partitions, Recovery Partitions, or EFI system partitions.
◑ Cloning large drive to smaller drive without any obstacle. Considering that SSD is more expensive than HDD in the same capacity but has a better performance, some users may have purchased a smaller SSD which may be even smaller than the system drive for Windows 10 OS. In that case, the importance of an intelligent sector clone is self-evident.
◑ Moving Windows 10 to a new computer, even with different hardware. By default, transferring Windows 10 from one computer to another is a little tricky, because different computers may have different hardware. So, in this situation, you need a Windows 10 migration tool that can clone hard disks regardless of the dissimilar hardware of each computer.

AOMEI Backupper Professional is such a Windows 11/10 OS migration tool you are looking for. It has the capability of performing Windows 10 migration to SSD as well as migrating Windows 10 to a new computer. The two features, System Clone and Dissimilar Hardware Restore play important roles in this task. Let’s get to know them one by one.

Please download the Windows migration tool - AOMEI Backupper Professional 30-day free trial to have a try. (Clone features in the free-trial version can only be demonstrated, you could upgrade to enjoy)

How to migrate Windows 10 to SSD in different situations

The following parts will show you how to transfer Windows 10 to the same computer and a different computer separately. The two situations will make use of different features in this software.

For the same computer, you don't have hardware and license problems. Thus, both backup & restore (free way to transfer Windows 10 to a new hard drive)  and system clone (free-trial) features can help you, but the clone feature is much easier. With it, you just need a few clicks and then boot off the new SSD after cloning.  And I'll introduce the latter one in detail. 

For a new computer with different hardware, you'd better use the backup and restore feature to ensure all the necessary drivers required to start Windows are installed and your computer is bootable. That is what the “Universal Restore” feature can do for you.

Situation 1: Migrate Windows 10 to SSD on the same computer

To perform Windows 10 migration to SSD on the same computer: 

1. Connect or install the SSD to your computer. Install and launch AOMEI Backupper Professional.
2. Click "Clone" and then "System Clone".

3.  The required system drive(s) is (are) selected by default. Choose the SSD as the destination disk here. Please back up important files in advance, because all partitions and data on SSD will be wiped finally. 

4. Preview the Operation Summary. Check the "SSD Alignment" option to improve the performance of the destination SSD. Click "Start Clone".

>> Sector by sector clone: it requires the destination disk to be equal to or larger than the source drive. Do not check the option if you move Windows 10 to a smaller disk. Besides, the sector-by-sector clone method takes much more time than the default method (clone only used part).

5. When the process reaches 100%, click "Finish" to exit. Shut down your computer. You can either replace HDD with SSD or change boot priority to cloned SSD in BIOS to boot off Windows 10 from SSD.

Situation 2: Migrate Windows 10 to a new computer with dissimilar hardware

To migrate Windows 10 to a new computer, the first thing is to create a system image for the current Windows 10 with AOMEI Backupper Professional. Then, restore the system image to the new computer to finish the OS migration.

#1. Create Windows 10 system image backup

1. In AOMEI Backupper, click “Backup” and then "System Backup". Then it will select the operating system and boot-related partition(s) required to start Windows automatically.  

2. In the System Backup window, choose a path to store the image. It is suggested to backup to NAS, cloud drive, shared folder, or external storage so that the new computer can access the image easily. Finally, click "Start Backup".

#2. Restore the Windows 10 image to a new computer

Before taking further steps, you need to make some preparations accordingly for this task.

▶ The new computer is able to start normally: Download and install AOMEI Backupper on the new computer.
▶ The new computer cannot boot up: Create a bootable USB drive with AOMEI Backupper on the original computer. After you boot the new computer off the bootable USB drive, the AOMEI Backupper will load up automatically.

Now, follow the steps below to restore Windows 10 to a new computer:

1. Start the new computer and launch the AOMEI Backupper. To boot from the USB drive, please change the boot order in BIOS. Also, connect the external storage to the new computer if the system image is stored there.
2. Click "Restore" and "Select Task" in AOMEI Backupper. It will automatically detect all the backup tasks you’ve created. You can also click on "Select Image File" to navigate to the system image.

3. Select the system backup task and click "Next".

4. Select "Restore this system backup" to restore your computer. Tick “Restore system to other location” below and click "Next".

5. Select a partition on your new computer to restore the system image to and click "Next".

6. Tick "Universal Restore" if your new computer has different hardware. After that, click "Start Restore" to execute the operation.

Tips:
>> The destination disk/partition will be overwritten. Be sure to back up crucial data beforehand.
>> Some drivers, such as video/sound card drivers, NIC drivers, display drivers, etc, are not installed by AOMEI Universal Restore, as they don’t affect system startup and can be installed manually in Windows after the successful restoration.
>> To restore Windows Server to dissimilar hardware computer, please turn to AOMEI Backupper Server.

Migrate a Hard Drive to SSD in Windows 11/10

1. go to Clone -> Disk Clone option.

2. Select the disk drive you want to migrate as the source disk. 

3. Choose the inserted SSD as the destination disk for you to save the transferred content.

4. Check the SSD Alignment box to speed up reading and writing on your SSD. After that, simply click Start Clone to begin the process of cloning your hard drive to the SSD.

FAQs about Windows Migration Tools

1. Is there a way to move files and settings between Windows computers?

Yes, you can use Windows Easy Transfer, a helpful tool that transfers files and settings from one Windows PC to another. It guides you through selecting what to transfer and how to do it.

2. Is it safe to migrate Windows?

Absolutely, it's safe to move your operating system. You can do this by cloning it, which copies everything to a new location. SSDs are popular for this because they're faster and quieter than traditional hard drives.

3. Can I transfer Windows to a different drive?

Yes, moving your Windows system from a hard drive to an SSD can boost your PC's speed and keep your data safe. You can do this by either cloning the OS with third-party software or installing a fresh OS using a Windows bootable media.

Summary

Various strategies are available for various situations. AOMEI Backupper stands out as one of the dependable Windows migration tools. It's also useful as a Windows 7 migration tool. With its versatility, it caters to different needs and ensures smooth transitions. Additionally, its user-friendly interface makes the migration process simple and straightforward for users of all levels.

Except for migration, you still can use it as data protection software to protect your files continuously. You can enable file backup, basic sync, real-time sync, mirror sync, two-way sync, and then set scheduled backup, such as daily/weekly/monthly, etc. Anyway, try it out for yourself!