![]() ![]() For this example, we skip ahead by clicking “Next” again. If so, the Macrium help files will guide you through this process. You’ll be asked if you want to schedule a repeat for this activity. With source and target selected, click “Next” to clone one to the other. For this example, I chose an external, USB-attached 2TB Samsung SpinPoint I keep around for testing purposes. Next, of course, one must click a destination drive. Simply click “Clone this disk…” to get things underway. Clonezilla saves and restores only used disk blocks, so it also works surprisingly quickly.įiring off a disk cloning operation in Macrium Reflect is as simple as firing up the application, selecting the source drive, and then clicking a button labeled “Clone this disk…” (lower left in the image below). Another version, Clonezilla SE (Server Edition) is for larger-scale deployments and operations. The Live version is intended for single machine backup, restore, imaging and cloning. Clonezilla Live: This free and open source software package supports bare metal backup and recovery, as well as partition management, plus disk imaging and cloning capabilities.These also include a bootable Windows PE (pre-installation environment) partition written to boot/system drives so the PC can boot into a restore operation even if Windows won’t run. Macrium Reflect Free: The freeware (and only slightly reduced functionality) version of the well-known and respected Macrium Reflect offers a built-in disk cloning function among its arsenal of capabilities.I recommend using one of two free tools for drive cloning on Windows 10, though there are countless options for this task (and most good backup programs, such as Acronis, ToDo and AOMEI Backupper, can also clone drives as well): ![]() Given the prevalence of using imaging for cloning as well as backup and recovery, the overall process is to create an image of the disk to be cloned, and then restore that image to a different drive. This is a preferred method for preparing a machine for sale, or to pass it from one user to another. Passing a computer to another user: By restoring an image created before a user logs into the system for the first time, a computer can be restored to its factory default (or first boot-up) state.A high-speed cloning setup cranks out copies of a reference image for the target PC on individual drives that, when inserted into a PC, are ready to be turned on and run for their new owners. Provisioning new computers: This is how computer makers like Acer, Dell, HP and others send desktop, notebook and tablet PCs out the door.Here, the image created to make a clone is actually used to rebuild the original disk. This is a common technique for completely removing virus or malware infections, for example. System wipe and restore: Sometimes, it makes sense simply to blow away the contents of a disk and replace it with a pristine, clean copy of the OS and applications.Full system backup: Cloning one drive to an identical device creates an easy, drop-in replacement for the original if it becomes damaged, corrupted or otherwise unusable.Storage device upgrade: Moving the contents of an older disk to a newer one, usually for improved performance, increased capacity, or both.In fact, it’s still often the case that the source is an HD and the target an SSD when a boot/system disk is the focus for cloning, because of the improved performance that such a changeover invariably delivers.Ī cloning operation usually proceeds in one of two ways: But today, with solid-state disks (SSDs) as common as hard disks (HDs), this can mean copying the contents of one storage device onto another storage device, where both source and target can be either an HD or an SSD. The name comes from a time when this meant a spinning hard disk of some kind. About disk cloningīy definition, disk cloning means creating a true and faithful copy of one computer storage device onto another. It’s critical because its proper outcome is a machine that boots and runs when that operation is complete, the old drive removed, and the new drive put in its place. Such a cloning operation becomes critical on Windows PCs when the drive to be replaced is the boot/system drive, meaning it contains the files used to boot up the machine when it’s starting up or restarting, as well the operating system files used to run Windows itself. Cloning a drive comes in handy for a variety of reasons, but primarily when you want to replace one drive on a PC with another that is either bigger or faster than the original drive, if not both.
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