How to Copy/Clone Windows Operating System to New Hard Drive

“I want to copy my Windows 7 operating system to a new hard drive. Although now Microsoft does not update Windows 7, I get used to it and want to continue using it in the new hard drive. Is it possible to clone all configurations to the new hard drive and make my PC boot from it?”

When we get used to the old computer with all applications installed, we prefer to keep using it. Yes, you can buy a hard drive with desirable storage space and copy all Windows system settings to it. Also, you can copy other data from the old hard drive to the new hard drive so that you get the same working environment after replacing the hard drive.

Everyone knows that it is impossible to move or transfer the Windows system by simply Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V. If you are going to copy/clone Windows operating system to a new hard drive, you had better download the Windows system clone software which has an intuitive interface and simple steps. iSunshare CloneGo is such the software which enables you to transfer Windows OS to new hard drive with few clicks.

How to Clone Windows OS to New Hard Drive

As the most important preparations, you need to download CloneGo on your computer and complete the installation process in advance.

Step 1: Launch CloneGo and specify C drive as the source target. And then select your new hard drive as the destination target. The C drive is the current Windows system partition on your computer.

Step 2: You can check After Finished box if you have no time to wait for the cloning process. There are three options for you: Shutdown, Restart, and Hibernate. Choose the one you need. Or you can leave this option unchecked. 

Step 3: Click “Start” and you will get the notice to format the target disk. Click “Yes” to go ahead.

Step 4: After the copy process is completed, you will get the successful inform. Then, you can reboot your computer form your new hard drive.

You can repeat these steps to clone other data partition from the old hard drive to new hard drive. After cloning, you can shut down the computer and remove the old hard drive. In the end, install the new hard drive into the computer. Or you can clone the whole disk to the new hard drive by using the Disk Clone function. 

Notice:

1.          You need to initialize the new hard drive before running CloneGo.
2.       The new hard drive should have larger space to receive the Windows system data.
3.       If you want to clone all data from the old hard drive, it is better for you to add multiple volumes to the new hard drive as the copy operation will format the destination target.

Related Articles:

1. How to Clone a Hard Drive to SSD in Windows 
2. How to Backup External Hard Drive Before Formatting in Windows
3. How to Restore Windows 10 System Image File to A Different Computer
4. How to Backup Files without Booting Windows 10/8/7