The best tools to perform the HDD cloning procedure. Creating an exact copy of the system with all programs using Acronis True Image Copying the system disk

In certain cases, the user may need to transfer information from one internal storage to another, very often along with the installed operating system. If we are talking about large amounts of data and the need to exactly copy the HDD, for example, when replacing a device, then cloning the used hard disk becomes the solution. Many actions can be performed manually, but even if you only need to transfer user data, depending on the volume, the process may take hours, and the system and the necessary software will have to be reinstalled, so it is more efficient to use specialized software for such purposes.

Cloning Order hard drive.

The procedure is a complete copy, transfer of data by sector to a new HDD or SSD drive you specified, which allows you to literally “clone” an existing source. The content at the end of the process will be available in the same form as it was on the original device, that is, with the same operating system and its files, drivers, installed software, user data, settings, passwords and other information, in other words, all data " move" to another medium. Everything will be exactly the same as on the original device, while you can perform a full clone of the HDD or some of its partitions. In certain cases, this may seem like a better option.

IMPORTANT. Since the clone created will be completely identical to the previous carrier, care must be taken to ensure that the donor is not infected with viruses.

To clone a drive with files, structure and partitions, it is not necessary that the volume of both devices, the source and the clone, be the same, but the drive to which we will transfer the information must still contain it. So, if there is no possibility or desire to clone the entire disk, you can copy only what you really need.

Why clone a hard drive

Each user has his own goals in the implementation of certain tasks, including this one. First of all, cloning a hard drive is done for your own comfort and to save time. So, the procedure is performed for the following reasons:

• Replacing an old hard drive with new HDD or a more powerful SSD (the second option is becoming very popular today, due to the fact that since recently the cost of solid state drives has become adequate by consumer standards, the tendency to purchase devices has increased).
• Another reason why you need to clone a hard drive is to transfer the installed OS. So, after completing the procedure, you can use the same Windows operating system, with all its components and settings. On the new media, you do not have to install Windows or customize everything you need to work on your computer. Absolutely nothing will change, except that in the case of transferring to SSD, the system will become many times faster.
• Synchronization of work different computers. This is not about the scale within any project, specific program or service, for this you can perform other, less global actions. Thanks to the ability to clone a hard drive, you can develop your own field of activity and feel as comfortable as possible in your own working environment using different devices.
• Creating a data backup . For many users, the information recorded in the device's memory is of great importance, especially if it is personal and is not found anywhere else, except on a specific drive. There is no eternal guarantee for any type of media, and sooner or later the device may suddenly fail. At the same time, not every user will entrust certain data to the service. cloud storage, and the volumes may exceed the allowable storages or you will have to pay for storage, and if you have a clone media with your files, they will be safe.

Utilities and programs for cloning

Engage in manual data migration at the scale of the hard drive Windows tools it is impractical, especially since there is absolutely no need to do this, because for this purpose there are special tools, and in a large assortment, which allow you to easily and quickly carry out the cloning operation. Among the software, you can find both free and commercial products. Some applications can only clone, for others, the ability to clone an HDD is by no means the only function. Here it is already for the user to choose which program to use, it all depends on which of the options will be more preferable for him. We will look at a few convenient programs and figure out how to clone a hard drive running Windows 10 or 7.

Before you start working with any of the applications, you must connect new drive to the corresponding device interface, and also make sure that the process will not be interrupted. The battery must be charged on the laptop, and on any computer, all factors that can interfere with the execution should be excluded, after which you can already proceed with the cloning steps. The procedure in various programs is similar, and you can perform it intuitively, but there are still some differences, so let's take a closer look at the process of creating a clone of a hard drive in popular applications.

The utility is paid, it creates backups and is used to restore data in case they are lost during various conditions, for example, as a result of failures, infection of the device with viruses and other force majeure. Drive clones are not created using this software, but the RestoreIT Pro functionality allows you to restore the OS even if the bootloader is damaged, save the history of file transformations, monitor the hard drive or its specific partitions, and full and storage backups are also available.

Good program with convenient navigation, which offers the possibility of backup and cloning of the HDD, selected partitions, as well as the operating system. Soft basic version distributed free of charge. To use Aomei Backupper to transfer data, do the following:

• We launch the software and in the left menu go to the “Clone” section.
• Here we select "Disk Clone" if you want to clone the hard drive.
• Specify the source (“Source disk”) and click the “Next” button.
• Now select the destination drive (“Destination disk”) to which the data will “move”, click “Next”.
• The process will start automatically, upon completion, you will need to reboot.

Very comfortable and simple program in Russian, which allows you to make copies of disks with full preservation of the structure of HDD drives. The cloning procedure is automated, which will save the user from manual cleaning, data transfer and elimination of various errors in the registry. The software is paid, but there is also a free version, designed for 30 days, it will be enough for cloning. Working with Handy Backup is easy:

• We launch the software and select the task type "Create a backup copy", click "Next".
• We specify the data to be copied, for which we expand the "Disk Clone" branch, where we select " System Recovery”, click “Add”.
• We mark the section "Physical drive" (this is the hard drive).
• Now you need to specify the target drive for "moving" data to it, and then click "Next".
• Choosing the type of copying, we mark "Full".
• You can skip the next step "Compression and Encryption" without changing anything if you don't need to.
• At the next stage, the scheduler setting will be available, but we are not interested in this, so click "Next".
• Enter the name of the task, click the "Finish" button, after which the procedure for full cloning of the HDD will begin, after which you need to reboot the device.

A simple utility with an intuitive menu that will help you transfer all information from media, individual directories or specific system partitions with just a few mouse clicks. To carry out the operation, we perform the following steps:

• Launch the Renee Becca utility.
• We go to the "Clone" section (in the left block of the interface) and select the "Hard disk clone" item. You can also clone a partition or move just the system.
• In the window that appears, you need to specify the source drive (source) and the destination of the clone (the drive to which we will copy the data).
• Check "Make target disk bootable...".
• We open the list by pressing the "More" button and mark the item "Clone of all sectors ...", in this case, the procedure will take a lot of time, but it will make the new drive identical to the previous one.
• The process is started by pressing the "Clone" button at the bottom of the window.

Paid, but multifunctional program. For the procedure for creating a clone of a hard drive, you can also use a trial version. The software is notable for its convenience and good speed, as well as support for numerous Windows versions. Thanks to the software, you can clone media with different file systems. Consider how to clone a hard drive using Acronis Disk Director:

• We select the media to be cloned (not a partition, but specifically a hard drive), right-click to call the Clone Wizard, select the option "Clone basic disk".
• In the new window, specify the target device where the data will be transferred. If there is any information on the "recipient", it will be overwritten. Click "Next" after the selection is made.
• The next window asks you to select a clone method. If you want the new drive to be completely identical to the "donor", select the "One to One" item and click "Finish".
• In the main window, you will need to confirm the action with the HDD, for which we click "Apply pending operations", confirm the intention.
• The program will restart the computer and perform the procedure.

A free program that provides the ability to clone a hard drive in whole or in part, supporting Windows 7, 8, 10 and others, as well as various file systems and media. The utility uses multi-level encryption, ensuring data security, works with high speed and in addition to cloning, it also creates images of partitions or disks (after restoring the OS, they can be built into a standard Windows Explorer). The interface is simple, but there is no support for the Russian language. Also among the disadvantages is a bonus in the form of advertising software. Let's see how to clone a disk using Macrium Reflect:

• We launch the software and select the drive that will be the source.
• Click "Clone this disk".
• We mark the sections on the "donor" that need to be cloned.
• Click "Select a disk to clone to ..." and specify the drive where we transfer the information.
• Click "Finish" and wait for the end of the process.

The program is a toolkit for creating backups, restoring and cloning drives and their partitions. Its interface is simple and convenient, and all manipulations in the course of work will be accompanied by the prompts of the "wizard", so you do not have to study the instructions for working in the application. The program is launched both from under Windows and from bootable media. The software is paid, but a trial version will be enough for cloning. After launching the application, we perform the following actions:

• Create an account with email and personal data.
• In the block on the left, click "My new backup".
• We select the source in the "Backup source" field and the drive on which we will write the data in the "Destination" field.
• There are several settings, but you can not change anything. The process will start after pressing the "Back up now" button.

simple and clear interface a universal utility allows you to clone a hard disk by sector even for an inexperienced user. The program works with Windows 10, 8, 7, XP and is able to copy drives in whole or in part. To clone an HDD using HDClone, do the following:

• Opening the program home page Go to the "Quick Select" section.
• In the "Clone" block, click "Disk".
• In the window that appears, select the source drive.
• Now select the target disk from the list of devices.
• We carry out available settings by marking the desired functions. The Smart Copy option allows you to make a copy 100% identical to the original, and also speeds up the process of transferring information. If necessary, you can check the "Defragmentation" function, it will be performed after the main process. When the necessary settings are made, click "Next".
• A reboot will be required upon completion of the process.

A functional program that clones HDD by sectors and works with any file systems. The software allows you to clone both the entire disk and its part, including deleted, hidden and protected elements. For the cloning procedure, a free demo version is enough. The product is not Russified, which may cause inconvenience to some users. Another drawback is the ads that go like a steam locomotive to the software, but given the fact that the utility is free and good enough, you can turn a blind eye to this. To perform HDD cloning, do the following:

• We launch the utility and select the Disk Mode to create a completely identical disk (it is also possible to clone individual partitions, for which you need to select Partition Mode).
• Select the source and click the "Next" button at the bottom of the window.
• You can also check the "Sector by sector copy" box, which will allow you to make an identical disk by copying each sector.
• Select the drive where we will write information, and click "Next".
• Reboot to complete the procedure.

Another well-known product that is multifunctional and also used for hard drive cloning. The utility transfers selected partitions, files or the entire disk, including hidden elements. The created clones can be saved in the Acronis Cloud, from where they can be accessed from any device. The application can be run from a DVD or flash drive, the interface is simple and convenient, the Russian language is supported, so working with Acronis True Image is a pleasure, despite the considerable cost of the product (the trial version is designed for 30 days). Make an HDD clone with this instrument can be done as follows:

• We launch the program and go to the Tools section (in the left block of the window), where we select "Disk Cloning".
• Two operating modes are available - automatic and manual. If you do not have enough experience, it is better to select the first option and click "Next" (if you select the second option, you will be able to manage the process).
• We mark the source disk, click "Next".
• Now we mark the drive to which we will transfer the information, click "Next", after which the process will start.
• Upon completion of the procedure, restart the computer.

After cloning using any of the tools, you can disable the old drive or change the boot priority in the BIOS settings. You can specify the new media from which the OS should now be loaded via Advanced BIOS Features - First boot device or Boot - 1st Boot Priority, depending on the BIOS version.

Features of cloning information from HDD to SSD

It's no secret that new-generation solid-state drives are many times faster than conventional hard drives. So, if you clone from HDD to SSD system, you will get a much more productive OS. In addition, any software will run faster on an SSD, so transferring the operating system and software will improve the comfort and efficiency of working at the computer. You can clone the system from HDD to SSD and built-in tools by creating Windows image and specifying the new drive as the location for copying the information. After that, the OS will need to be removed from the hard drive, disconnect the old drive, or change the boot priority in the BIOS. When transferring data to an SSD (it is more expedient to transfer only the system and programs), do not forget about the volume of the new media, since solid state drives do not differ in large capacity. To successfully clone a hard SSD drive shouldn't be smaller than information "moving" to it.

procedure Reserve copy although it can be done regular means, but still easier to do with the help of special software, since programs allow you to copy and hidden files. At the same time, most utilities are freely available or have trial versions, which is quite enough for the average user.

Good day.

Very often, in many instructions, before updating drivers or installing any application, it is recommended to make a backup copy to restore the computer, Windows. I must admit that I often give the same recommendations ...

In general, Windows has a built-in restore function (unless you turned it off, of course), but I would not call it super-reliable and convenient. In addition, it should be noted that such a backup will not help in all cases, plus add to this that it restores with data loss.

In this article, I would like to talk about one of the ways that will help you make a reliable backup of the entire hard disk partition with all documents, drivers, files, Windows OS, etc.

So, let's begin…

1) What do we need?

1. Flash drive or CD/DVD

Why is this? Imagine some kind of error has occurred, and Windows no longer loads - just a black screen appears and that's it (by the way, this can happen after a "harmless" sharp power outage) ...

To run the recovery program, we need a pre-created emergency flash drive (well, or a disk, just a flash drive is more convenient) with a copy of the program. By the way, any flash drive will do, even some old 1-2 GB.

2. Software for backup and recovery

In general, there are a lot of such programs. Personally, I suggest choosing Acronis True Image...

Acronis True Image

Key benefits (in terms of backups):

• - quick creation hard disk backup (for example, on my PC system partition a hard drive with Windows 8 operating system with all programs and documents takes up 30 GB - the program made a complete copy of this "good" in just half an hour);
• - simplicity and convenience of work (full support for the Russian language + intuitive interface, even a novice user can handle it);
• - simple creation bootable flash drive or disk;
• - hard disk backup is compressed by default (for example, my copy of a 30 GB HDD partition was compressed to 17 GB, i.e. almost 2 times).

The only drawback is that the program is paid, although not expensive (however, there is a test period).

2) Create a backup section of the hard disk

After installation and launch Acronis software True Image, something like this window should appear in front of you (a lot depends on the version of the program that you will use, in my screenshots the program is 2014).

Immediately on the first screen, you can select the backup function. Launching… (see screenshot below).

The disks to which we will make backups (here you choose yourself, I recommend choosing the system disk + the disk that the Windows system reserved, see the screenshot below).

Specify a location on another hard drive where the backup will be stored. It is advisable to keep a backup copy on a separate HDD, for example, to the external one (now they are very popular and affordable).

The process of creating a copy will start. The creation time is highly dependent on the size of the hard drive you are making a copy of. For example, my 30 GB disk was completely saved in 30 minutes (even a little less, 26-27 minutes).

In the process of creating a backup, it is better not to load the computer with extraneous tasks: games, movies, etc.

By the way, here's a screenshot of "my computer".

And in the screenshot below, a 17 GB backup.

By making a regular backup (after a lot of work done, before installing important updates, drivers, etc.), you can be more or less calm about the safety of information, and indeed, the performance of your PC.

3) Create a backup flash drive to run the recovery program

When the backup copy of the disk is ready, it is necessary to create another emergency flash drive or disk (in case Windows refuses to boot; and in general, recovery is best done by booting from a USB flash drive).

And so, let's start by going to the section for creating backups and restoring and pressing the button " create bootable media «.

Then we will be asked to specify the media where the information will be written. We select a USB flash drive or disk.

Attention! All information on the flash drive will be deleted during this operation. Don't forget to back up any important files from your flash drive.

Actually everything. If everything went without errors, after about 5 minutes (approximately) a message will appear stating that the bootable media was successfully created ...

4) Restore from backup

When you want to restore all the data from a backup, you need to configure the BIOS to boot from a USB flash drive, insert the USB flash drive and restart the computer.

Disc copy is a file containing an image of the contents of a hard disk at the level of its logical structure (sectors). Handy Backup solution allows you to create backup copies of system disks and data disks, including making copies of a disk to a USB flash drive.

How to get an exact copy of a hard drive using Handy Backup?

Handy Backup has two built-in plugins for creating a copy of a disk " Disk Image" And " System Recovery". The plugins are in the "Disk Clone" data source group. In addition, to create copies boot disk Handy Backup comes with an external Disaster Recovery utility.

How to back up a hard drive?

To do this, you will need the System Recovery plugin, which creates copies of the disk in VHD format. To create a copy of a hard drive, please use the following instructions:

1. Open Handy Backup and create a new task using the "Create" button or the Ctrl+N keys.
2. Select backup task in Step 1 and go to Step 2.
3. Expand the " Disk Clone". Select the System Recovery plugin and double click on it.

1. Now select the hard drive you want to copy. Click OK.
2. Proceed to create a disk backup task as described in the User's Guide chapter.

Note. To create disk copies, you must have system administrator privileges!

You can use the disk image in flexible VHD format obtained using the System Recovery plugin as virtual disk(including by mounting it using Windows), for a boot disk or as a disk of a virtual machine.

Key features of Handy Backup

• Automation: run your tasks at set times ranging from months to minutes, or when a system event occurs, such as connecting an external USB disk to a computer or login.
• Safety: built-in tools for encrypting a copy of a disk and transferring online over encrypted channels (including support for SFTP and FTPS protocols, as well as calling external programs for additional data encryption).
• "Hot" and "shadow" copies HDD drives: the program uses the VSS service to take backup copies of hard drives without interrupting their work. In addition, the program can be run in the "silent" background as a Windows service.
• Networking: the program can create copies of mapped HDDs or network drives. It is also possible to create a virtual copy of a disk or, conversely, copy virtual disks over the network as part of a common task.

Good day, dear friends, acquaintances, readers, admirers and other personalities.

For a long time, we have not touched on the topic of everything, transferring, cloning and saving data. Of course, there is an old one, known to many, cool and even cunning.

But what if you don’t want to buy the same acronis, you’re too lazy to poke around in all sorts of clonezillas, but make a full clone system disk in order to, say, transfer it to a new one (or HDD), or maybe, let's say, to put it on a shelf as a static backup?

Let's get a look.

How to make a full copy of a disk, - SSD or HDD

Well, let's figure it out. It will be, as you understood from the subtitle, about the HDClone program, which has free version, supports the Russian language, is insanely easy to manage, and also has nice functionality.

Well, DiskView will allow you to look indecently deep, right into the very sectors of any HDD / SSD media. Unless, of course, you know why it is needed.

On the sim, perhaps everything.
Let's move on to the afterword.

Afterword

This is such a wonderful tool that, it seems to me, will come in handy to anyone who cares about his data and / or who has ever faced the need to move from disk to disk (to the same SSD).

As always, if you have any questions, thoughts, additions, and so on, then welcome to the comments on this article.

If you bought new hard disk or solid state SSD drive for your computer, it is very likely that a great desire to engage reinstalling Windows, drivers and all programs you do not have. In this case, you can clone or, otherwise, transfer Windows to another drive, not only the operating system itself, but also all installed components, programs, and more. Separate instruction for Windows 10 installed on a GPT disk in a UEFI system: .

In fact, Seagate DiscWizard is a complete copy of the previous program, only it needs at least one hard drive to work. Seagate drive on the computer.

All actions that allow you to transfer Windows to another drive and completely clone it are similar to Acronis True Image WD Edition (in fact, this is the same program), the interface is the same.

You can download Seagate DiscWizard from the official website https://www.seagate.com/ru/ru/support/downloads/discwizard/

Samsung Data Migration

Samsung Data Migration is specifically designed to migrate Windows and data to a Samsung branded SSD from any other drive. So, if you are the owner of such a solid state drive, this is what you need.

The migration process is done in the form of a wizard with several steps. At the same time, in latest versions programs, it is possible not only to completely clone a disk with operating systems and files, but also to selectively transfer data, which may be relevant, given that the size of an SSD is still smaller than modern hard drives.

The Samsung Data Migration program in Russian is available on the official website https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/

Important: the same utilities for transferring Windows to another disk are available from other manufacturers of SSDs and HDDs. Usually, they can be found by entering a query consisting of the brand and the phrase "Data Migration", so you will find, for example, the Intel Data Migration Tool and similar programs for other brands of discs.

How to transfer Windows from HDD to SSD (or other HDD) in Aomei Partition Assistant Standard Edition

Another free program, also in Russian, which allows you to conveniently transfer the operating system from a hard drive to a solid state drive or to a new HDD - Aomei Partition Assistant Standard Edition.

Note: this way only works for Windows 10, 8 and 7 installed on an MBR disk on computers with BIOS (or UEFI and Legacy boot) when trying to transfer the OS from GPT disk, the program reports that it cannot do this (maybe a simple copying of disks in Aomei will work here, but it was not possible to experiment - reboot failures to complete the operation, despite disabled Secure Boot and checking digital signature drivers).

The steps for copying the system to another drive are simple and I think even a novice user will understand:

If everything goes well, then at the end you will receive a copy of the system that you can boot from your new SSD or hard drive.

You can download Aomei Partition Assistant Standard Edition for free from the official website https://www.disk-partition.com/free-partition-manager.html

Transferring Windows 10, 8 and Windows 7 to another drive in Minitool Partition Wizard Bootable

Minitool Partition Wizard Free, on a par with Aomei Partition Assistant Standard, I would classify as one of the best free programs to work with disks and partitions. One of the advantages of the product from Minitool is the availability of a fully functional boot ISO image Partition Wizard on the official website (free Aomei allows you to create a demo image with important features disabled).

By burning this image to a disk or flash drive (the developers recommend using Rufus for this) and booting your computer from it, you can transfer Windows system or another to another hard drive or SSD, and in this case we will not be disturbed possible restrictions OS because it is not running.

Note: I checked the cloning of the system to another disk in Minitool Partition Wizard Free only without EFI boot and only on MBR disks (Windows 10 was transferred), I can’t vouch for its performance in EFI / GPT systems (I could not get the program to work in this mode, despite disabled Secure Boot, but it seems to be a bug of my particular hardware).

The process of transferring the system to another disk consists of the following steps:

When finished, you can close the Minitool Partition Wizard, restart your computer, and set to boot from the new disk that the system was transferred to: in my test (as I mentioned, BIOS + MBR, Windows 10), everything went well and the system booted no matter how than happened with the disconnected source disk.

Download for free boot image Minitool Partition Wizard Free is available from the official website https://www.partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html

Macrium Reflect

The free Macrium Reflect program allows you to clone entire drives (both hard drives and SSDs) or individual partitions, regardless of what brand your drive is. In addition, you can create an image of a separate disk partition (including Windows) and later use it to restore the system. It also supports the creation of bootable recovery discs on Windows base PE.

After starting the program in the main window, you will see a list of connected hard drives and SSDs. Select the disk where the operating system is located and click "Clone this disk" (Clone this disk).

At the next stage, in the “Source” item, the source hard drive will already be selected, and in the “Destination” item, you will need to specify the one to which you want to transfer the data. You can also select only individual partitions on the disk to copy. Everything else happens automatically and is not difficult even for a novice user.

Official download site: https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

Additional Information

Once you've migrated Windows and files, don't forget to either set boot from new drive to BIOS or disable old disk from a computer.