How to Replace Laptop Hard Drive and Transfer Data Easily

If you want to replace laptop hard drive and transfer data to a larger drive or an SSD, AOMEI Backupper can give you a hand. It enables you to upgrade laptop hard drive without losing data.

Lily

by Lily Updated on May 26, 2023

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Why you need to replace laptop hard drive and transfer data?

After using your laptop for a period of time, you may find that it is hard to reach what you expect. The laptop will become slower and slower, and the free space of your hard drive will become lower and lower. What's worse, the hard drive may be broken.

To make things better, replacing hard drive with larger hard drive or changing it to an SSD should be very helpful to extend your hard drive space and improve the running speed of your laptop. You can transfer all data to another hard drive so that you can replace hard drive without losing data.

Reliable hard drive transfer software for Windows 11/10/8/7

The best disk cloning software - AOMEI Backupper Professional can help you a lot with laptop hard drive replacement. Following are the useful features you need:

  • Disk Clone: it enables you to transfer all data from one hard drive to another, including Windows OS and personal files.
  • SSD Alignment: it can help to optimize SSD performance and prolong its life span. Use this option if you want to replace HDD with SSD.
  • Wide compatibility: AOMEI Backupper supports all editions of Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP and all branded hard disks like Samsung, WD, PNY, and SanDisk.

Stepwise guide to replace laptop hard drive and transfer data

★ Preparations

  • Prepare a larger hard drive or an SSD, and plug it into your laptop. You may need a SATA-to-USB adapter or encloser.

Connect Disk

  • Download and install AOMEI Backupper.
Download DemoWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

★ Tutorial of replacing laptop hard drive and transferring data

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Backupper. Choose the Disk Clone function under the Clone tab.

Disk Clone

Note: If you want to transfer only OS, you can select “System Clone”.

Step 2. Select the old hard drive on your laptop as the source disk and the new hard drive you just connected as the destination disk successively.

Source Disk

Step 3. Check SSD Alignment if the destination disk is an SSD. Then click Start Clone to begin transferring OS and data from one hard drive to another.

Start Clone

★ Tips on secure boot

To boot from the cloned hard drive, follow the steps below:

1. Swap the laptop hard drive with the cloned one.

2. Restart your computer and continuously press ESC, Del, F1, F2, or F12 to enter BIOS. 

3. In the BIOS settings screen, set the cloned drive as the first boot option. Your computer should boot successfully then.

Lily
Lily · Editor
Lily Green joined AOMEI in 2018 and has since become a professional in the areas of data protection and data transfer. She is committed to helping users protect their precious computer data and troubleshoot Windows system errors. She consistently stays vigilant about the latest trends in technology, guaranteeing that the given information aligned with the ongoing advancements in the field.