In this article, we will look at programs that will help you quickly clone (copy) a hard drive to another hard drive. Such knowledge will be useful to any owner of a computer or laptop.
Upgrading a computer or laptop often involves replacing the hard drive with a more capacious and faster one. At the same time, users are faced with the problem of transferring information from the installed media to a new one, because in order to reinstall the system, drivers and necessary applications, you have to spend a lot of time.
It is much easier in this situation to carry out full or partial cloning of an HDD or SSD using one of the specialized programs. Setting up and working with them do not require special knowledge, and the time spent on the cloning process is an order of magnitude less than on installing the OS and setting up.
Copying a hard drive in Acronis True Image
One of the functions of this useful program is disk cloning, which, by the way, can be configured very finely depending on the tasks of a particular user. To avoid possible errors during the operation, you do not need to use Acronis True Image from under a running OS - it is recommended to launch the application using the boot disk. Therefore, you will need the Acronis BootCD/DVD distribution kit, which will need to be unpacked to DVD or even to a flash drive, for example, using UltraISO, UNetbootin, etc.
After creating bootable media, you can proceed directly to cloning:
- Boot from the drive created with Acronis BootCD/DVD.
- In the Acronis main window, open the Tools and Utilities section.
- On the right in the list of utilities, go to "Disk Cloning" and select the automatic mode for the process. Click next.
- Left-click to select the source disk with the copied information, click "Next".
- In the next window, select the target drive where you plan to clone the old HDD. The target drive can be either an HDD or a high-speed modern SSD.
If copying is done to a solid state drive, then it will usually be the situation when its capacity is less than the connected HDD. In this case, Acronis True Image will display a message about the need to exclude certain files and folders from the cloning process.
Usually, only the system is transferred to the SSD, so only the main disk partition (usually “C”) can be allocated for exact copying, excluding partitions or individual files with unnecessary information from the process. If the disk volumes allow you to clone the old drive completely, you can click "Next", after which the process of sector-by-sector low-level copying of the disk will start.
Note that the application is paid, but it is multifunctional, very fast and, as shown, has the ability to select data on the hard drive for transfer.
Using the Paragon Hard Disk Manager App
This multifunctional application is only slightly inferior in popularity to the program described above. It is also convenient to use it to clone information on drives:
Like Acronis True Image, the application in question for reliable sector-by-sector copying of data is better to run not from under Windows, but from a boot drive. You can create it in the program itself, using a special rescue media creation wizard:
Note that Paragon Hard Disk Manager is also a paid application, but its functionality is no less than that of Acronis True Image. Both of them work with any disks and file systems, support Windows 8.1 and 10.
Disk cloning using EASEUS Disk Copy
This small application, unlike those considered earlier, is completely free, but nevertheless it allows you to reliably clone hard drives, their individual partitions sector-by-sector and migrate the OS to various drives, including solid-state SSDs. The program is launched from a bootable DVD or flash drive, for which you need to download a free distribution kit for installation on the official website of the utility. After running the executable setup file, the wizard will offer a choice:
- install EASEUS Disk Copy on a USB flash drive,
- to the optical drive
- export the ISO image of the utility to a computer disk.
A simple and quick option is to create a bootable USB flash drive, i.e. the first one from the list.
In the next window, specify the disk to be copied and the drive to which the sector-by-sector transfer of information will be carried out. A certain drawback of the application is the lack of Russian localization.
After cloning a Windows 10 boot disk, sometimes the system may not boot. In this case:
If you get a File: \Boot\BCD error after booting, repair the Windows bootloader.
Cloning Disks with Macrium Reflect
This is another small utility distributed free of charge. Its functionality includes cloning HDD and SSD, creating their full images, as well as images of individual partitions that can be used in the OS as virtual media. The installer can be obtained from application website, when you start it, you need to specify the installation directory and select the "Free" license.
When you first start Macrium Reflect, it will prompt you to create a boot disk, which you should agree with, since when working in a Windows environment, cloning may be accompanied by errors. After starting the program:
- In the main window, select the drive to be cloned.
- Under the selected drive, click on the link "Clone this disk" and in the next window select the drive to which you want to transfer the information.
Using the Farstone RestoreIT Pro Utility
This paid application is used to create backups of any information on disks, saving the current state of the system, and in case of unforeseen failures, restoring it literally by pressing a single button.
The mechanism of work is that it overwrites the boot sector of the disk, adding itself to it, and also creates an additional logical disk to write all the backed up information. In fact, Farstone RestoreIT Pro creates system restore points, and it can be used to roll back to the previous state not only the entire disk, but also individual partitions.
You can activate and deactivate the application in the context menu, the latter is opened by clicking on the tray icon. This feature allows you to save system resources when you are sure that its state does not change at the moment. Farstone RestoreIT Pro can create bootable CDs/DVDs or even floppy disks, with which you can not only restore a disk if it cannot be booted normally, but also an MBR master boot record with a partition table.
How to quickly copy a hard drive to another hard drive (HDD/SSD)
5 (100%) 6 votes.One of the biggest challenges when replacing a hard drive is moving the system and all the software that was previously running on the computer. Installing an operating system from scratch and copying all programs to new media can take up to several hours, or even more.
The Windows operating system, unfortunately, does not include a tool for fully transferring all content from one disk to another, which is simply called "cloning" in its functionality. However, with the help of special programs, it will be possible to transfer all the contents of the disk in a simple and fast way.
As an example, consider cloning a hard drive using the easy-to-use EASEUS Todo Backup Free program.
EASEUS Todo Backup Free is a backup tool, but in our case, we will demonstrate its "cloning" function. The program can be downloaded from the official website legally and free of charge exclusively for non-commercial purposes.
Installing the software is a simple standard process, followed by a step-by-step wizard that guides you through the various installation steps. However, it does not contain any tricks that try to install additional unwanted software.
After installation, the program activation window appears. Here you select Current license: Free, thereby confirming the free non-commercial use. Then in the main window, click on the “Clone” icon. 
The first step is to choose a data source. In the window that appears on the screen, check the box next to Hard Disk 0 because it is labeled as a system drive. In addition, the program will display the type of disk (basic, MBR or GPT), as well as its volume. If the destination disk does not contain any partition - as is the case with a new SSD - it will not be displayed in the data source selection window. After selection, click "Next".
In the next step, we must specify the "recipient" for data cloning. It would seem that the window has not changed, because it will only show the old hard drive HDD, but at the bottom there is a field for connecting an SSD. Be sure to check the "Optimize for SSD" option.
The EASEUS Todo Backup Free program will automatically recreate the markup on the recipient from the original media. In case of difference in HDD and SSD sizes, the partition reproduced on the SSD will be proportionately smaller (provided that the copied data can fit on the smaller partition of the SSD). The user will be able to customize the partition structure on the recipient's disk by selecting the "Edit" button in the program window.
In the next step, the program will display the final window of the current settings. At the top is the structure of the original HDD, at the bottom - the structure of partitions and data placement on the SSD. At this stage, you can still make any changes, for this, click the "Back" button. Click "Continue" to start cloning your hard drive. The program will inform you that all data on the recipient's disk will be lost. Since there was no data on the recipient (the new SSD), feel free to proceed.
The next step is hard drive cloning. The duration of the clone operation depends on the device connection method (IDE, SATA, via USB cable) and their performance. A copy will be made faster on a computer in which two drives (HDD and SSD) are connected via SATA. The speed of cloning in a laptop depends on the interface used. If the laptop and the SATA-USB adapter that is used to connect the SSD support USB 3.0, copying a couple of tens of gigabytes will take 30-40 minutes at best (depending on the performance of the devices). If USB 3.0 is not supported and only USB 2.0 is available, cloning can take up to several hours.
Once cloned, the SSD will contain the operating system, programs, and user data.
SSD setup after cloning
If you cloned disks on a personal computer, then most of the action is over - the SSD is already in the system unit. You can remove the old HDD or change the settings to boot from the SSD. This can be done in the BIOS/UEFI configuration program by changing the boot device order.
With a laptop it’s more difficult, you can’t do without a screwdriver here. To clone to an SSD, it is usually connected via an external SATA to USB adapter. After completion, you need to remove the old HDD and install solid state media in its place. It happens that with the replacement of the HDD and the installation of a new drive, some difficulties may arise.
How to replace a hard drive on a laptop
Notebook models vary, so slight installation differences may occur.
As a rule, manufacturers place HDD hard drives under a cover fixed with screws at the bottom of the laptop. Therefore, a screwdriver is required, but before that, remove the battery.
The next step is to remove the HDD from the connector. Everything must be done very carefully. We move the drive along the horizons to free it from contacts. If it rests against the case, lift it slightly on the other side, then pull it out of the socket.
The hard drive in a laptop is mounted using a special adapter or mounting frame. After removing, unscrew the HDD from the frame and install the SSD in this place.
Insert the SSD into the slot and connect to the SATA slot. Screw on the cover and connect the battery.
Hard disk cloning is a procedure that simplifies the installation of the operating system and software when transferring data to a hard drive or SSD drive. As part of this procedure, a second hard disk is connected to the PC, onto which the partitions of the first system disk and all the data on it are copied. Also, a working Windows 10 with all settings and installed equipment is completely transferred to a removable hard drive.
You can clone a hard drive in Windows 10 using programs such as Paragon Hard Disk Manager, AOMEI Backupper, and Acronis True Image. A distinctive feature of the latter program is the function of cloning the system with the ability to exclude individual files. Therefore, we will consider the cloning procedure using the example of this particular software.
A few words about Acronis True Image
Acronis True Image is the development of Acronis, the master of the software market, which offers PC users a wide range of tools for recovering personal data at a professional level. Acronis True Image software includes not only the function of restoring information, but also creating a backup copy, cleaning the system, and undoing actions that caused an error.
Acronis True Image is available in two versions. The first is a free 30-day version with organic functionality. In this program, the disk cloning function is blocked. The second is a paid version with a full set of tools. It is the latter that allows you to make a correct copy of the disk.
What is source and destination disk?
According to the terminology of Acronis True Image, the source disk is the hard disk from which the system data and partition structure will be copied. The disk that will eventually become a clone of the original is the target disk.
In order to see which drive will be selected as the main drive in Windows 10, you should click "Start", "Disk Management" or type "Win + R" on the keyboard and enter "diskmgmt.msc".
The "Hard Disk Management" window will open. The disk that is marked as zero is the source disk on which the operating system is installed. Drive number 1 is the future clone or target drive.
The target disk has its own structure. However, during the cloning of the source disk, all existing data is destroyed. Therefore, all important information should be copied before cloning.
Cloning a hard drive
We launch the latest version of the program. We refuse to enter the cloud storage by clicking on the cross.
The program interface will open. In the left menu, select "Tools", and then "Clone Disk" (the program version must be full).
The next step is to select the source hard drive. Select the drive from which the data will be copied. In the program, they will be displayed as follows: the disk that was numbered 0 will now become 1, and the second disk is the desired drive or second hard drive. However, it is worth paying attention to the volume of devices.
After selecting the source disk, a window will appear with the selection of the target disk. Select the one you want and click "Next". Since the clone drive is not a new drive, Acronis True Image will warn you about data loss. We click "OK".
The next step is to choose a material cloning method. Select "Copy partitions unchanged" and click "Next".
At the final stage, you can click the "Proceed" button and start cloning the disk. However, there is an Exclude Files button in this section. We press it and we get into a new window.
We select the files that should be excluded, and wait until the program removes them from the main cloning list.
After selecting partitions and clearing them, click "Proceed". The program will clone and ask you to restart your PC.
We restart the computer.
What to do with the target disk space after cloning?
After performing disk cloning, while restarting the PC, click "F2" and "Del" in order to get into the BIOS. In the "Boot device priority" section, set the boot priority from the second target disk.
After booting from the target disk and getting into Windows 10, go to "Disk Management" and look at the partition structure. Now the clone disk is referred to as "Disk 0", and the main hard drive as "Disk 1".
Explorer also shows the changes. The source disk from which the files were excluded is now displayed as "I" and has a smaller size. The clone drive is referred to as "F" and has free space.
This place can be used to store information, media files, software. However, it is worth noting that for this, before cloning a disk, you need to select a method not automatic, but manual. Only then will volume management be completely under your control.
This is the transfer of all data from the old drive ("donor") to a new one ("recipient"). Everything is copied without exception: the operating system with drivers, installed programs, photos, music, and so on. After cloning and replacing the disk, you do not need to remember passwords, all files will be in their usual places.
Why clone a hard drive?
This operation is carried out for the following purposes:
- To use a new and faster drive. A typical case is replacing a slow HDD with a modern SSD. This will significantly speed up the responsiveness of Windows, and due to cloning, the upgrade of the computer will be as comfortable as possible for the user. All shortcuts and settings will remain unchanged, but the system will become faster.
- Not to reinstall the operating system. For example, after buying a new computer, you want everything to be like on the old one and without reinstallations. This will happen when information is transferred from the "donor" to the "recipient", and the procedure itself will require relatively little action and attention from the user.
- To synchronize work on different computers. Remote work is becoming more and more common. Cloning a hard drive will allow you to deploy a full-fledged workplace where it is convenient and there can be as many such places as you like.
- To backup your data. You can lose information on the drive at any time - nothing lasts forever. Thanks to cloning in a few clicks, you can also be safe in case of force majeure to have a fully working "cast" of all data.
It is important that the "donor" does not have viruses - clone the drive only after a thorough check for malware.
Utilities and programs for cloning
There are many cloning applications. Some, specially designed to perform such an operation, are suitable for inexperienced users who value the simplicity of the process. Other programs have wider functionality. In them, creating a disk clone is just one of the many options available.
Connect your new drive to your computer before using any application. To do this, it is convenient to use an external hard drive pocket.
Renee Becca
A simple utility that everyone will understand. With its help, you can clone a storage medium in a few clicks. The algorithm of actions consists of the following steps:
- download, install and run the application;
- select in the left pane "Clone". With Renee Becca, you can also clone only certain local drives or transfer only the operating system to a new drive. The corresponding items are located below in the initial window of the program;
- indicate "donor" and "recipient". To get a complete copy of the "donor", check the box "Make target disk bootable ..." at the bottom of the window. On the left, expand the "More" list and check the box next to "Clone of all sectors ...". Then start the operation by clicking on "Clone";
A functional program that costs a lot, but a demo version is also suitable for cloning. To download it, follow the link and enter your e-mail. After launching the application, do the following:
- select "donor". It is important to specify not just a local drive, but the entire drive. To do this, right-click on the line with this drive and click on "Clone basic disk";
- specify "recipient". When choosing this disk, remember that the data on it will be overwritten, and its volume cannot be less than the size of the occupied information on the "donor";
- so that the "recipient" is exactly the same as the "donor", check the box next to the "One to One" line in the next window;
- in Acronis Disc Director, any manipulations with drives must always be confirmed separately. To do this, at the top of the window, click on "Apply pending operations" - only after that the cloning will begin;
If you do not use the program for commercial purposes, then you do not need to pay for it. You just need to go to the developer's website, click on "Home Use", specify an e-mail and confirm it - you will receive a corresponding letter. After downloading, installing and running Macrium Reflect, follow these steps:
- on the home screen, click on "Clone this disk";
- on the next window, check all local drives on the "donor";
- at the bottom, click on "Select a disk to clone ..." - a selection window will appear, where specify the "donor";
- at the end of the operation, click on "Finish";
Paragon Drive Backup Personal
A free utility, the capabilities of which are enough for cloning. It is available for download on this page, and after downloading, installing and running, do the following:
- create your own account in the app. This is done in a few clicks - you only need to specify your e-mail and personal data. After that, on the left, click on "My new backup". On the right, specify "donor" in the "Backup source" field and "recipient" in the "Destination" field;
- start cloning by clicking on "Back up now";
Simple and free application. To download, go to the developer's website and select the version with Russian localization.
After installation and launch, follow these steps in sequence:
- indicate "donor". If you need to clone not the entire drive, but only one of the local drives, then check the box "Show partitions" and select the required local drives. Then click on "Next";
- Specify the "recipient" and click on "Next" again.
- the settings window will appear. You can not change anything and click on "Next";
- a window for setting the sizes of the "donor" and "receiver" will appear. It is enough to tick the option "Resize partitions proportionally" and click on "Next";
- in the last window, confirm the start of the operation by clicking on "Start copying".
A good utility that has a demo version, the capabilities of which are enough for a one-time disk cloning. After downloading, installing and running the application, follow these steps:
- in the top panel, click on "Clone" - unfortunately, the program does not have a translation into Russian;
Cloning a hard drive is an operation that eliminates the hassle of installing Windows and software when transferring data to a new drive (SSD drive or regular hard drive). As part of this operation, the entire partition structure of the first hard drive, all the data on them, as well as a workable activated Windows system with all settings and installed software are transferred to the second hard drive connected to the computer.
The function of cloning hard drives is offered, in particular, by Acronis True Image data backup software and Paragon Hard Disk Manager. All of them provide separate processes for transferring only Windows itself to another disk while maintaining its performance, cloning individual non-system partitions, as well as cloning the entire disk with the ability to make changes to the partition structure of the clone hard disk.
A distinctive feature of Acronis True Image is the hard disk cloning function with the ability to exclude individual unnecessary files. We will get acquainted with this process in detail below - we will clone the hard disk using Acronis True Image, and during the cloning process we will exclude some data for transfer.
1. About Acronis True Image
True Image is a product from the master of the software market, Acronis, which offers, in particular, various solutions for disaster recovery of data at a professional level. True Image is not only a panacea for all problems with Windows in the form of restoring it to the state from a backup that was once saved. The software package also contains a lot of other useful functions, such as:
- bootable media and a utility introduced into the system preboot mode for cases when Windows does not start;
- restoring Windows on a computer with other components;
- storing backups in Acronis cloud storage;
- system cleaning tool;
- trial mode of Windows with the ability to undo changes made;
- other useful utilities.
The current version of Acronis True Image 2016 can be purchased on the official website of the developer.
The program has a free 30-day trial version designed to familiarize users with most of the functionality of True Image. However, the hard drive cloning feature is disabled in the trial version. For these purposes, you need a full-fledged activated Acronis True Image 2016. This is exactly what will be used in our case.
2. Source and destination hard drive
To define hard drives, let's use the terminology of Acronis True Image itself. The hard disk from where the data will be copied and the partition structure is the source hard disk. The disk that will become a clone of the original one is the target hard disk. In our case, the disk management utility, a regular Windows tool, will help to visually see the initial picture of the disks. Quick access to it in system versions 8.1 and 10 is implemented in the context menu on the Start button. The universal way to launch it is to call the Run function (keys + R), enter the command diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.
In our case, two hard drives are connected to the computer. The source hard drive is marked Disk 0 by the system. This is the working hard drive with Windows and data on non-system partitions. As Disk 1 is displayed in the utility as a newly connected hard drive, it will be the target, that is, it will become a clone of Disk 0.
Target Disk 1 appears to have a partition structure and some stored data. When cloning a hard disk, all information from the target disk, as well as its original partition structure, is destroyed. Therefore, if there is any important information on it, it must be transferred to the original hard drive or external media.
As a rule, the cloning process does not require even an approximate match of disks in terms of volume. The target hard disk can be of any size and any size smaller than the source one, as long as there is enough space to accommodate the data that actually takes up space on the source disk. And in the case of Acronis True Image, this is not even necessary due to the ability to exclude individual folders and files.
3. Cloning process
Upon launch, True Image 2016 will prompt you to sign in to your Acronis cloud storage account. We can close the login window.
Directly in the program interface in the side menu ribbon on the left, select the "Tools" section-tab, and in it - the "Clone Disk" item.
And follow the step by step disk cloning wizard. We need a preset automatic clone mode. Click "Next".
Source hard disk selection window: here we click with the mouse, respectively, on the disk from which the data will be transferred. The numbering of disks in True Image differs from the numbering of the standard Windows utility, therefore, in the designation of disks, it is better to navigate by their volume or model. Click "Next".
Target hard disk selection window: here we click on the disk to which we want to transfer the partition structure, Windows and other data. Click "Next".
Since in our case the target hard disk is not a new disk with unallocated space, but a disk with a structure and stored data, Acronis True Image promptly warns us about the danger of information loss. Everything you need is saved, so we can safely press “OK”.
Recovery method selection window: here you must leave the pre-installed option for copying partitions unchanged. Click "Next".
Summary window: here you can already start the hard drive cloning process by clicking the Proceed button at the bottom, if there is enough space on the target drive and there is no need to exclude individual files. And, perhaps, there is plenty of space on the target disk, but you simply don’t want to transfer unnecessary data to it from the source disk, thereby increasing the duration of this process in time. To clone the hard drive incompletely, in the data summary window, click the "Exclude Files" button.
In the file exclusion menu, we will see a tree structure of the contents of the source hard disk. Files and folders cannot be excluded from the system partition C, we will work only with non-system ones. For example, in our case, we will exclude several video files on the second partition of drive E. The process of excluding files requires the completion of data processing, this will be indicated in the information line at the bottom of the window.
The third partition of the source disk F will be completely excluded from the cloning process. After cloning as a partition, it will not cease to exist, but will be empty. Upon completion of all operations to exclude folders and files from the hard disk cloning process, we can start running it. Click "Get Started".
After the preparatory steps, Acronis True Image will ask you to restart the system. The program will perform the cloning process in Windows preload mode.
In preboot mode, in the Acronis True Image window, we will see a preset option to turn off the computer after the cloning operation is completed. You can leave it on to be distracted by your own business, and then, when you turn on the computer, you can immediately get into the BIOS and set the boot priority from the target hard drive.
Cloning is completed, we can boot from the target hard drive.
4. Dealing with the space of the target hard disk after cloning
Having booted from the target hard drive and got into the Windows system, the first thing to look at is the partition structure. We launch the regular disk management utility. Since the target disk is now the first in the computer's boot priority, Windows defines it as Disk 0. The latter has become a clone of Disk 1, once the source, with the same partition structure and proportionally distributed space, according to the structure of the source hard disk.
When excluding files, we completely removed all data from the third partition of the original hard drive. This partition now appears on the source drive as partition I and still contains data. His clone on the target drive - now partition F - is empty, as expected.
You can use it either to store data, or attach its space to any other partition. For these purposes, there are software disk managers Disk Director from the same company Acronis, no less effective Paragon Hard Disk Manager, free or their analogues. You can resort to them if you already have experience with this kind of software. Moreover, True Image 2016 provides for the possibility of redistributing the target disk space along the way during the cloning process. To do this, at the first stage of the cloning wizard, you must select manual rather than automatic mode.
Naturally, such a move will complicate the operation and increase the chances of making mistakes by beginners. In our case, the operation was already burdened with the work of excluding individual files, therefore we will entrust individual simple operations for forming the partition structure of a clone hard disk to the lite version of the disk manager - a standard Windows utility.
The disk management utility has a minimum of functionality and does not provide for overwriting hard disk sectors in order to merge partitions or borrow part of their volume from some for others. However, operations to expand partitions using the free space of neighboring partitions on the right can be carried out without overwriting data.
Let's add, for example, the space of an empty third partition of the target hard disk to its neighbor - the second non-system partition. To do this, the third section F must be deleted. In the utility window, click it, call the context menu and select "Delete volume". We confirm the action.
The third partition is now shown as unallocated space.
We call the context menu on the neighboring section E and select "Extend volume ...".
We follow the volume expansion wizard and give the second partition all the available space.
Now there are only two partitions on the target hard disk - a system partition and an enlarged non-system partition.
According to the same scheme, you can do otherwise, leaving the third section for storing data. It is necessary to transfer the necessary files to it from the second partition, and delete the second partition. Due to its unallocated space, you can then expand the system partition C.
Have a great day!
