Case: How to clone M.2 NVMe to larger NVMe with single slot?
“I want to upgrade my M.2 nvme. I only have one m.2 slot on my pc, and I don't have an adapter. Is it possible to clone the current M.2 to a SATA SSD then clone the SATA SSD to the new M.2? If so, I'd really appreciate any advice.” - Tom’s Hardware
If you have an extra M.2 PCIe slot to connect a second NVMe drive, the whole NVMe SSD cloning process would not be much of a problem. However, some computers, especially laptops, have only one PCIe slot that can connect NVMe SSD. What to do in such a situation?
>> If you still want to migrate your system and data via disk cloning way, then you need an M.2 SSD to USB adapter or M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure to connect the second drive.
>> If you have no adapter, you may need to create a full disk image of the old NVMe SSD and restore it to the newer drive.
No matter which your case is, you need specialized NVMe cloning software to help you.
Top NVMe SSD cloning software
Windows OS comes with the utility to create system image that can be restored to another drive, but the procedure is laborious and error-prone. There are also more conditions to consider, for example, the target disk should be formatted with NTFS and be of the same or larger size than the source disk.
To break through these limitations and clone NVMe SSD effeciently, you need professional NVMe SSD cloner, which is missing from the Windows native system, yet can be the best choice to transfer all the data to or from NVMe drive without reinstalling.
Here I present you the best NVMe SSD cloning tool AOMEI Backupper Professional:
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💿Cloning options |
It gives you options to clone entire disk, selected partitions or only operating system. |
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🔎Partition styles |
It supports both MBR and GPT data & system disks. You can even clone GPT to MBR or vice versa without conversion. |
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💾Different sizes |
With the intelligent clone and partition editing capabilities, you can clone NVMe drive to larger drive or smaller drive easily. |
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💱Disk interfaces |
It supports all types of disk interfaces, including SATA, mSATA, U.2, M.2 and PCIe. |
Hit the download button below to have a try on the best NVMe SSD cloning software:
Easiest NVMe cloning software for Windows PC.
How to clone NVMe SSD to NVMe SSD in Windows 11/10/8/7
I will illustrate two methods of how to clone NVMe SSD on laptop/desktop: one is performing disk clone and the other is performing backup and recovery.
#1. Clone NVMe SSD with extra slot or adapter
Disk cloning is the easiest way for NVMe SSD migration. It can duplicate the OS and all the files from the source NVMe to the target drive directly, eliminating the need to backup and then restore. The following tutorial uses the example of cloning NVMe SSD to a larger NVMe SSD.
Preparations of NVMe SSD cloning
To maximize the success of cloning NVMe SSD, consider the following tips before you start:
- Install the new SSD or connect it via an adapter or enclosure. Make sure it can be detected.
- If there's any important data on the target SSD, backup it first, because the NVMe SSD replication will overwrite everything on it.
- Before cloning, update the firmware of your NVMe SSDs to the latest version to ensure optimal performance and compatibility.
- Depending on the size of your data, the cloning process may take a significant amount of time. Allocate ample time to complete the process without interruptions.
Step 1. In the main interface of the NVMe SSD clone software, navigate to “Clone” and then select “Disk Clone”.
Note: If you only want to migrate OS to SSD, you can choose "System Clone" instead.
Step 2. Select the NVMe SSD you want to clone as the source drive, and select the SSD you want to migrate everything to as the destination.
Step 3. At the Operation Summary screen, tick "SSD Alignment" to further improve the performance of target NVMe SSD. Then, click “Start Clone” to begin cloning NVMe to NVMe.
Note: Normally it does not require a reboot and then the NVMe SSD cloning will be finished within Windows. If some apps prevent AOMEI Backupper from accessing the source drive, then it will clone NVMe drive under Restart mode.
👉 Boot from the cloned NVMe drive
- If the new NVMe SSD is connected via an adapter, you can shut down the PC, and replace the old NVMe SSD with the new one. Then, boot your computer from the cloned NVMe SSD, which should be the only connected drive at the moment, to check whether it is bootable and functioning normally.
- If the new NVMe SSD is installed in the second slot, you can press the BIOS key (depending on make and model) at startup, and select the cloned new drive as the first boot option. If it can boot into Windows normally, then your cloning is successful, and you can decide what to do with the old drive. For example, you can wipe the hard drive or keep it for storage.
#2. Clone M.2 NVMe SSD with only one slot in laptop
If your computer has only one slot for M.2 NVMe drive like most laptops, and you do not have an available adapter, you can choose to create an image backup of the current NVMe SSD, and then restore to the new drive.
In the following guide, I will complete the entire process via AOMEI Backupper, which is also a backup and restore tool for Windows.
Step 1. Open AOMEI Backupper. Click “Backup” -> “Disk Backup” and follow the wizard to create a disk image of the NVMe SSD.
Step 2. When the backup is done, click “Tools” -> ”Create bootable media” to make a bootable media that can boot your computer into WinPE.
Step 3. Shutdown the PC, plug out the power cable and other cables. Remove the back panel and replace the old NVMe SSD with the new one. Assemble the back panel again.
Step 4. Connect the created bootable media, restart your computer and press the specific key (like F2, ESC) at startup to enter BIOS, then go to "Boot" tab and set the USB device as the first boot option. Wait patiently and it will load AOMEI Backupper automatically.
Step 5. Click “Restore” -> “Select Image File” to locate the created image. Then restore the disk backup to the new NVMe disk following the wizard.
👉 Boot from the cloned NVMe drive
When the process is complete, you can boot your computer from the new NVMe SSD. When you try to boot the new SSD, do remember to eject the bootable media and change boot order in BIOS.
Wrap up
Cloning NVMe SSD to NVMe SSD with disk cloning software is a great choice for users who want to upgrade disk to a larger one or get higher performance. Because it can guarantee the normal operation of your system and the integrity of data.
Also, if you want to clone NVMe SSD with only one slot, you can use backup and restore feature. It can achieve the same effect as clone. The only drawback is you need to restore the image before booting Windows.
If you download AOMEI Backupper on your computer, don’t miss other wonderful features, such as automatic file sync. Go for it now!
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