How to Upgrade C Drive Storage on Windows 11/10 [No Data Loss]

🌟Key Takeaways of Upgrading C Drive Storage

Upgrading the storage capacity of your C drive can significantly improve boot times, app load speed, and overall system responsiveness, especially if you're troubled by problems like C drive is full. It's entirely possible to upgrade C drive without reinstalling Windows as well as losing any data. The key is to use a reliable and professional disk cloning tool, like AOMEI Cloner, to migrate all data from C drive to new disk. Make sure your system supports the type and size of the new drive, like upgrading to M.2 SSD (SATA or NVMe).

If your computer has started throwing low disk space warnings or takes ages to boot, it's time to learn how to upgrade C drive storage. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything to transfer your files, replace your old C drive with new disk, and boot from new drive risk-free.

Can You Upgrade Your C Drive?

Absolutely, you can upgrade your C drive and keep all your settings, apps, and files intact. A larger SSD or HDD not only helps resolve space issues and prevents slowdowns but also extends the usable life of your PC.

If you are curious about the question - is it possible to increase C drive with no need to reinstall the operating system from scratch? how do I upgrade my C drive without losing data? You have landed in the right place; follow this post to figure out how to upgrade C drive on Windows 10/11 without reinstalling OS and programs step-by-step.

How to Upgrade C Drive Storage on Windows 11/10 Without Losing Data

Now that you know it is feasible to increase C drive space on Windows 11/10 without reinstalling OS, keep reading; we will show you how to replace C drive without losing data in the following content - mianly including 3 stages.

Part 1. Select a New Compatible HDD/SSD

Start by picking the right storage device. This isn't a one-size-fits-all decision, so make sure you consider the following factors:

• Type of drive: SSDs are significantly faster than HDDs. If your budget allows, go for an NVMe or SATA SSD.

• Storage size: Choose a drive that offers significantly more space than your current one. If your current drive is 256GB, upgrading to at least 512GB or 1TB is a safe bet.
• Interface compatibility: Check whether your PC supports SATA, M.2, or NVMe interfaces.
• Brand reliability: Opt for reliable brands like Samsung, Crucial, or Western Digital, which typically offer 3-5 year warranties.

Before purchase, verify your motherboard’s supported drive types and sizes. Laptops, in particular, may have limited upgrade options. Desktop users generally have more flexibility. Now, let's get into how to replace C drive on Windows 11/10.

Part 2. Transfer Everything from C Drive to New HDD/SSD

To prevent data loss and ensure a secure boot, the best way is to clone your current C drive to the new disk before replacing it. AOMEI Cloner is one of the best solutions for the job. This software allows you to clone a smaller drive to larger one or clone a larger drive to a smaller one. Equipped with versatile cloning functions, it aims to meet various cloning needs.

💦Support System Clone for migrating only Windows OS, Disk Clone for copying entire drive, and Partition Clone to copy a specific partition.
💦Provide two cloning methods - Sector by sector clone to clone every sector including unused ones and Intelligent Clone (default) to copy only the used sectors.
💦Compatible with various types of HDDs and SSDs such as SATA and NVMe from Samsung, Crucial, Western Digital, Seagate, Intel, etc.
💦Offer SSD Alignment to optimize the SSD performance by accelerating its writing & reading speed and prolonging its lifespan.

*The cloning function in the trial version of the software is only a demo, for real cloning operations, you need to upgrade to the full version.

Here is how to upgrade C drive storage with the help of AOMEI Cloner:

Notes:✎...

If there are important files on the target drive you are going to clone to, please back them up, since all data on it will be overwritten after the cloning.

If you get a new SSD and have not yet initialized it, don't worry, AOMEI Cloner will initialize it to an MBR disk by default during cloning. If your computer is in UEFI boot mode and you need a GPT disk, please initialize it with Disk Management in advance.

Connect the new HDD/SSD to your PC and make sure Disk Management detects it. If you use an M.2 SSD or SATA SSD, you can respectively use an M.2 to USB adapter or a USB to SATA adapter to connect it externally.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Cloner on your computer, choose Clone and then Disk Clone.

Step 2. Choose your C drive as the cloning source, and click Next.

Step 3. Then, choose the connected new drive as the cloning destination, and click Next.

Step 4. Enable SSD Alignment if the target is an SSD. Click Start Clone to begin the process.

▶Sector by sector clone is aimed to clone all sectors on the source drive, including logically bad sectors and unused ones.

▶Edit Partitionsis used to resize the partitions on the destination disk to make full use of them, and it can also convert disk type if the destination disk's partition style is different from the source disk’s.

Part 3. Replace C Drive with New Disk

For how to change C drive to new SSD/HDD, here is what to do:

💡Case 1. If you attach the new drive internally in a second slot, enter BIOS and set the new SSD as the first boot device.

💡Case 2. If you connected it externally via a cable, shut down your computer, open the case and locate the existing C drive, disconnect and remove it carefully, and install your new drive there. Then, when you boot the system, it should be booted from the new drive automatically.

FAQs about Upgrading C Drive Storage

Can I transfer my C drive to a new SSD?

Yes, and it's the most efficient way to upgrade storage. By cloning your C drive to a new SSD, you keep your OS, installed programs, and personal files intact. Tools like AOMEI Cloner make this process safe and fast.

How to replace a C drive without losing data?

To avoid data loss, clone your C drive using disk cloning software. Then replace the old drive with the new one. This method ensures that everything works just as before - with no reinstallation required.

How to add storage to C drive from D drive?

If your D drive has unallocated space, you can extend the C drive using Windows Disk Management:

• Press Win + X and select Disk Management.
• Right-click the D drive and select Delete Volume (make sure it's empty or backed up).
• Now right-click the C drive and choose Extend Volume.
• Follow the prompts to allocate the newly available space to C.

Conclusion

That's all about how to upgrade C drive storage with a larger HDD or SSD. Cloning is a great way to help you replace C drive with SSD without any data loss and with no need to reinstall Windows and apps from scratch. AOMEI Cloner is your best choice to perform a bootable clone for C drive, and this software is widely available on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, XP, Vista, and Windows Server 2025, 2022, 2019, etc.