Safely Clone Dell XPS SSD to Larger SSD(2 Ways)

This article shows you how to clone Dell XPS SSD to larger SSD with the help of Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery and 3rd-party cloning software. The recommended SSDs are also included.

By @Ivy Last Updated August 8, 2024

“Hello, I wish to upgrade my existing 512 GB Dell M.2 PCIe NVME in my XPS 8940. I currently have AronisTrue Image WD Edition cloning software. I was thinking of using a Western Digital 1TB WD Blue SN580 NVMe - Gen4 x4 PCIe 16Gb/s, M.2 2280 card. Also is there anything special I need to do with Intel Optane?.” – Dell Community

Dell XPS (eXtreme Performance System) is a popular line of laptops (XPS 13, 14, 15, 16, etc.) and desktop computers (e.g. 8900, 8910, 8940, etc.) produced by Dell. After long time of use, the drive maxed out, or due to low performance or response, users want to upgrade Dell XPS SSD. The easiest method is to use the versatile cloning software described below.

Get a Compatible Dell XPS SSD

The Dell XPS uses M.2 2230 and M.2 2280 SSD, and the primary types are2.5”, M.2 (SATA & NVMe), NVMe PCIe, and the U. 2 (formerly SFF-8639) SSD. So, you can choose from these types of SSDs and if you are not sure, check the SSDon your laptop or desktop.

Here we'll list some recommended SSDs for reference:

SSD

 Types

Capacity
Samsung 990 PRO/980 PRO/970 PRO/970 EVO/980 M.2 2280 1TB - 4TB;
Samsung 870 EVO 2.5" SATA 250GB - 4TB;
Crucial P3 Plus 2.5" M.2 500GB - 4TB;
Crucial P5 M.2 2280 1TB - 2TB;
Crucial MX500 M.2 2280 500GB - 4TB;
WD SN850 M.2 2280 500GB -1TB;
Dell M.2 PCIe NVMe 2230/ Dell 05TVN8 M.2 2230 256GB -1TB;
Dell M.2 PCIe NVMe 2280/2TB Internal SSD M.2 2280 512GB -1TB;

Or consult your computer manufacturer for a compatible SSD.

Clone Dell XPS SSD to SSD with SupportAssist OS Recovery

As a matter of fact, many SSD drives are configured with exclusive hard drive cloning software, for example, Samsung Data Migration, Transcend SSD Scope, Intel® Data Migration Software, etc. Dell likewise offers Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery. Here we will show you how to clone Dell XPS SSD to new SSD with it.

⚠️Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery requires the primary drive must be bootable and the new SSD is larger than the original SSD. In addition, please be sure the Bitlockere is disabled and your computer is connected to a power adapter during the process.

1. On boot, hold F12 to access the One-Time Boot Settings and click SupportAssist OS Recovery.

2. Scroll down to the Recover section, and click Back Up Files / Disk Cloning.

3. Select Disk Clone and click Next. 

4. As for the type of destination disk, you have 3 options in the following. Here select the Hard drive in a USB housing option.

Select them based on your disk type: internal or external disk, USB devices. If you select the Hard drive in a USB housing option, you need to be sure you have an external USB enclosure or hard drive dock to accommodate them.

5. Select the new SSD as the destination disk to save the cloned data and click Next to confirm the cloning operation.

6. After the cloning process is completed, click Continue to shut down your PC.

7. Unscrew your original SSD using a screwdrive and take it out. Then, replace it with the new SSD and screw it tightly. Finally, restart your computer and boot from it.

⚠️Note if you select the USB storage device in step 4, you need to access SupportAssisrant OS Recovery and clone again. This is complicated, but seems to be the recommended method, although I can't understand it.

Perform Dell XPS SSD Upgrade with Third-Party Cloning Software

While Dell provides you with exclusive Dell SSD cloning software, the process may not be user-friendly for novices. It only supports clone disk on boot. Sometimes, the SupportAssistant OS recovery is not even working.

To perform Dell XPS 13(e.g. 9380, 7390)/14/15(e.g. 9560, 9570)/16 SSD upgrade or Dell 8910/8940/8950/8960 SSD upgrade within Windows, third-party SSD data migration software - AOMEI Backupper Professional could be your best choice.

AOMEI Backupper
Powerful Dell SSD Cloning Software
  • It is friendly and flexible to use. Easily clone Dell XPS SSD to larger SSD in 5 easy steps. 
  • Bootable clone: The “Disk Clone” feature includes all the OS-related partitions, such as C drive, EFI partition, recovery partition, etc., which is necessary to start a Windows.
  • Resize partitions: It allows you to clone and resize hard drive to enjoy its full capacity. You can also convert MBR to GPT or vice versa if the two disk has different partition style.
  • SSD Alignment: It optimizes the SSD disk performance and extends its lifespan.
  • High compatibility: It supports all brands of SSD disks, such as Samsung, WD, Crucial, Dell, etc., and is fully compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11.
FREE Download  Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7
100% Secure

1. Connect the M.2 SSD to your computer, and ensure it can be detected. Then, execute the AOMEI Backupper and select Clone -> Disk Clone on the main page.

⚠️How to install new SSD on Dell XPS:

  • For a Dell XPS desktop with two or more slots, you can directly install it on the extra disk slot.

  • For a Dell XPS laptop with only one slot, please prepare an enclosure or hard drive dock for connection.

2. Select the Dell XPS M.2 SSD as the source disk to clone, and hit Next>>.

3. Pick the larger M.2 SSD as the destination disk to save everything from Dell XPS.

❌ Warning: The larger M.2 SSD will be overwritten or deleted after the cloning process. Please backup files first before cloning if there is something important to you.

4. Tick SSD Alignment to optimize the writing and reading speed for the larger SSD drive. Also, select "Add unused space to all partitions" or "Manually adjust partition size" in the Edit Partitions which is necessary for users to enjoy full capacity, especially when cloning SSD to larger SSD.

❌ Warning: The Sector by Sector clone option will clone all the sectors including empty and bad sectors, which may cause disk errors on the new SSD. In addition, it takes longer. So we suggest you don't use this option.

⚠️Select the options in Edit Partitions best for your situation: 

  • Copy without resizing partitions: It will not resize the partition size.

  • Add unused space to all partitions: It will reallocate the unallocated space to each partition of the target disk, appropriate for the disk size.

  • Manually adjust partition size: It allows you to extend unallocated space to any partition on the destination disk you want.

  • Convert the destination disk from MBR to GPT or vice versa: It helps to convert the partition style of the destination disk to ensure it is the same as the original disk, preventing boot issues.

5. Click the Start Clone >> button to perform Dell XPS clone SSD to SSD safely. The clone time depends on the data capacity of the source disk and disk types of these two disks. Take some coffee and have a rest.

When all is done, change the boot order to boot from the cloned SSD, AOMEI Backupper ensures the cloned SSD is bootable. If you have problems with cloned SSD won’t boot or get Winload.efi missing after clone, find the solutions via the link.

This software also supports cloning Windows 10 to new hard drive, clone HDD to Samsung SSD, clone hard drive to WD SSD, copy data from one SSD to another, etc.

Workaround: Backup and Restore SSD on Dell XPS 13/14/15/16

You can use the backup and restore method in AOMEI Backupper Professional as a workaround if your Dell XPS 13/14/15/16 laptop only have one slot as it's still a Windows backup and restore software. 

Its Disk Backup feature will include all the data on the original SSD and compress them into an image file. You can then restore disk image to new SSD and boot from it successfully. Please prepare an enclosure or disk dock to connect your disk.

Part 1: Backup SSD on Dell XPS 

1. Install and run AOMEI Backupper. In the main window, click Backup -> Disk Backup.

2. Click +Add Disk -> Add to choose Dell XPS SSD as the source disk to backup. Input a Task Name if needed.

3. Select an external hard drive as a destination disk to save the SSD backup image file. You can also backup Dell XPS SSD to a USB drive, network share, NAS device, and so on.

4. Then, hit Start Backup to backup Dell XPS SSD.

Part 2: Restore Backup Image to Larger SSD

⚠️ To restore disk image to larger SSD, you need to make some preparations: 

  • First, create a bootable media with AOMEI backupper. A bootable USB will be convenient. 

  • Then, take out the smaller SSD and install the new SSD there.

  • Next, connect the external hard drive containing the image file to your computer.

  connect the bootable media with your Dell XPS, and boot the computer from it. Then  The AOMEI Backupper will automatically run in WinPE environment. Following are the details about how to restore a disk image to M.2 SSD drive:

1. Start your computer and boot from the bootable media. It will load AOMEI Backupper in a WinPE environment. On the main console, click Restore -> Select Task to find the disk backup image.

2. Select the backup image you want to restore. Then hit Next>>.

3. In the Image Information window, select Restore this entire disk for Dell XPS SSD. Then, click Next>>.

⚠️You can also restore the specialized partition by clicking Restore a partition in this disk.

4. In the Disk Restore interface, select the larger M.2 SSD drive as the destination disk to save the disk image file. Then hit Next -> Yes to go on.

5. On the Operation Summary window, preview the restore operation, and hit Start Restore>>. Remember to set SSD Alignment and Resize Partitions to optimize SSD disk performance and manage your SSD disk.

With the help of AOMEI Backupper, the Dell XPS SSD replacement has been achieved.

Brief Summary

It’s highly recommended to perform Dell XPS clone SSD to SSD in the above two ways. Try Dell SupportAssistant OS Recovery if you want a free way and can perform Dell XPS SSD upgrade on boot.

If not, try AOMEI Backupper Professional. It not only completes this process smoothly but also resolves some potential issues, such as cloned SSD not show full capacity, cloned SSD won't boot, etc. Besides, you can also migrate Windows 10 operating system to SSD.

It’s kind of complex for newbies to clone Dell XPS SSD with backup and restore method, but it indeed works.Try it if your laptop only has one slot.  For server users, please try AOMEI Backupper Server.