Hard drive cloning. Features and rules for completely cloning hard drive data from HDD to SSD

When replacing a hard drive with a new one, for example, a more capacious or high-speed one, as a rule, there is a need to transfer information from the old drive to it.

If you do it manually - reinstalling the system, programs and copying user files, you can spend the whole day.

It is much more convenient to entrust this to automation - special programs for cloning hard drives. With their help, all files, settings and the system itself will simply “move to a new place of residence” in the form in which they were on the old media.

Hard disk cloning is a procedure for low-level sector-by-sector data transfer from one medium to another. In this case, the clone disk will be an exact copy of the original disk.

Hard drive cloning

Many paid and free programs have been released to create clone disks. Among them there are universal ones that work with any HDD and SSD, and highly specialized ones designed for drives of a certain brand, for example, only Samsung or only Western Digital.

Let's look at five popular and easiest-to-use programs for cloning hard drives to SSDs or HDDs from any manufacturer.

EASEUS Disk Copy

Farstone RestoreIT Pro is primarily a tool for restoring system and user data after crashes, virus attacks, changes and accidental deletion.

This program does not create disk clones as such, but can create backups of any information on them.

The frequency of backups in RestoreIT Pro can be configured at least hourly. And restoration to a saved copy is done by pressing one button.

RestoreIT Pro features:

the ability to restore the system even after bootloader damage;
2 backup modes - full and cumulative (saving only changed data);
monitoring the entire disk or only selected partitions;
storing the entire history of file changes, not just the last saved version.

The disadvantages of the program are the paid license ($24.95) and the lack of a disk cloning function.

The main problem when changing a hard drive is the need to install and configure the operating system and programs from scratch. It takes a lot of time and effort.

The solution to the problem is automatic disk cloning (HDD, SSD) using special software.

Cloning is the process of sector-by-sector transfer of the operating system, software and personal files of the user from one disk to another. Unlike backing up or creating a disk image (ISO), cloning creates a 100% copy of the original media: the main partitions, structure and software are preserved.

The new cloned disk turns out almost identical to the old one. This means you don't have to re-configure your work environment, activate the system, or restore software licenses. The difference between it and the original media is that the operating system is removed from the binding to the computer hardware, but it also becomes impossible to roll back the system to its original settings while saving user data and reinstall it in update mode.

Preparing for cloning

Before you start cloning, make sure that nothing will interfere with the process:

If you are using a laptop, charge the battery;
Troubleshoot problems that cause your computer to reboot and shut down (if any).

It is also advisable to make backup copies of important data.

Connect the destination disk via any available interface. The process will go faster if both media are connected to SATA 6 Gb or faster connectors, but if this is not possible, use, for example, USB (USB-SATA adapters are sold in computer stores).

Hard drive cloning time depends on the following factors:

Program capabilities.
Disk capacity. The larger it is, the longer the utility takes to transfer files, partitions and structure.
Speed and type of source and destination drive: When working with SSD (solid state media), the process is faster than with HDD (magnetic hard drives).

Cloning utilities

We present to your attention the best, in our opinion, utilities for cloning hard drives.

Renee Becca

Macrium Reflect

The main advantage of Macrium Reflect is its simple and user-friendly interface. The program is also free for home use.

While the utility is running, disable heavy applications, as the program is demanding on computer resources.

To make a clone of a storage medium, you need:

Handy Backup

Handy Backup is an easy-to-use program for creating physical and logical copies of disks. The utility creates an exact copy of the HDD while completely preserving its structure.

Cloning is performed automatically: you do not need to manually clean up garbage, transfer files, or fix registry errors.

To use this software permanently, you must purchase a license. A 30-day trial is available for free. It is sufficient to perform basic functions. The interface has been translated into Russian.

How to use Handy Backup:

HDClone

HDClone is another universal hard drive cloning tool that allows you to work with drives with a capacity of 137 GB or more.

Acronis True Image

A special feature of Acronis True Image is that the copies created in it can be stored not only on your computer, but also in the Acronis Cloud cloud storage. When storing data in the cloud, a copy of the disk can be accessed from any device connected to the Internet. To protect data, the program uses AES-256 encryption.

To use all the features of the utility, you need to buy a subscription. The cost of the standard version is 1,700 rubles. There is a trial version for 30 days.

Computer technology is developing very quickly, and one component is being replaced by another. The same thing happened with hard drives. Knowledgeable people no longer ask the question: which is better, SSD or HDD? Since SSD is higher in all respects than a regular hard drive. By installing the Windows operating system on a high-speed storage device, you will feel how much faster it starts to work.

However, replacing the HDD with an SSD raises questions: should I reinstall the operating system or transfer Windows from the HDD to the SSD? In order to save all the data, installed software, their settings, browsers with bookmarks and passwords, printer drivers, etc., it would be reasonable to clone Windows from a regular hard drive to a high-speed one.

Transferring a system from HDD to SSD Windows 7/8/10

To clone a hard drive, I recommend using Acronis True Image (review version 2018, build 11530). This is what we will look at in this article, and I will tell you step by step and show you how to transfer Windows from hdd to ssd. The program works with cloning any Windows operating system - 7, 8, 10. That is, it is not cloning Windows, but cloning the entire hard drive, so even if you have Linux Ubuntu, the program will cope. Before you start cloning a drive to an SSD, be sure to read the entire article.

We connect the SSD to the computer (laptop) via SATA or USB, it doesn’t matter. Open Acronis True Image, select from the side menu of the program Tools – Disk cloning. Before starting this procedure, the disk to which the copy of Windows will be transferred must be connected. A window will appear asking you to select a mode. Auto And Manually, if you are a regular user, I recommend choosing the first one. In this case, Acronis True Image will automatically redistribute partition volumes based on percentage if the new hard drive is different in size from the old one.

Source disk– this is the media from which you need to transfer Windows. In my picture, the source one is an SSD, and the target HDD, don’t pay attention, it will be the other way around. It was necessary as an example so that you could understand. Selected, click Next.

Target drive– this is the new drive to which you want to transfer the system. By new, I don’t mean that it was just bought in a store, it could be used, taken from another computer and has some information inside. Selected, click Next.

Keep in mind that this information will be deleted during cloning, so in a situation with a used disk, this message may pop up.

If there is nothing valuable, click OK to transfer the system to this disk.

Completion. In this window you will see how your SSD partitions were distributed before cloning, and what it will look like after. If you have folders and files on the source drive that you do not want to transfer to the destination drive, you can exclude them by clicking the Options button or Excluding files in the lower left corner.

Mark unnecessary folders, wait for the end of processing, click Proceed.

A window will appear with the process of preparing to transfer windows from hdd to ssd.

After preparation is completed, Acronis True Image will prompt you to restart your computer to continue cloning the hard drive. All information that is present on the target hard drive will be available exactly until you click the Restart button. If you remember that important information remains, click Cancel, the cloning process will be canceled.

Well, now you know how to transfer a system from hdd to ssd. Enjoy your work in the Windows operating system.

PS. If the target disk has bad blocks (unreadable sectors), then the disk cloning process will fail. I already wrote about that.

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Installing an SSD – one of the most effective methods that can breathe “second life” into a computer even with not the latest configuration. The operating system accesses files faster and becomes much more responsive to user actions. At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary to install and configure the OS and software from scratch. In this article we will talk about how to transfer Windows 10 to an SSD without losing data.

Microsoft does not provide special tools for cloning in the system. However, Windows 10's built-in capabilities allow you to do this.

Media preparation

According to the official recommendations of the company's technical support, we will need an additional, third, hard drive. Unlike those connected via USB, SSDs intended for internal placement are not pre-formatted. As a result, they are detected by the computer, but are not displayed in the OS. To clone Windows, you first need to make all drives visible.

We mount the drive in the PC and turn it on. Having opened the file manager, we see that the OS has recognized only the system partition.

Using the Win + X key combination, call up the “Power User menu”. Let's move on to the designated point.

The Disk Management Manager opens with an initialization window. At this point, the user must select a partition table. For x32 bit systems, only MBR is needed. For users of x64 bit versions of Windows, GPT is better suited.

Having decided on the partition table, let's format it. Both drives must have the NTFS file system. By clicking on the unmarked area, we call up the context menu. Select the item marked in the screenshot.

The Create Simple Volume Wizard is activated. We will perform further actions following his prompts.

We do not change the volume size, but create one using the entire available volume.

The letter is assigned automatically. Since the placement of disks in the system is temporary, only for the cloning period, we will leave it unchanged.

At this stage we set a text label. For convenience, let’s give the intermediate HDD the name “Backup”.

At the last step, the wizard displays the parameters specified for the drive in the form of a list. We complete the work by clicking on the “Finish” button.

We perform a similar operation with the new SSD, giving it the name “NewSSD”. By opening Explorer, we make sure that all of them are visible from under the OS.

At this point, the preparation of media for cloning can be considered complete.

Intermediate copying

The next step in allowing you to move Windows to a new “location” is to create an intermediate copy.

The tool we need is located in the classic control panel. Let’s run it by entering “control” in the “Run” system menu. To do this, press Win + R.

Open the element indicated in the screenshot.

In the quick navigation area, select “Create a system image.”

The wizard that launches prompts you to determine the storage location. Using the drop-down menu, we specify the intermediate hard drive, which we named “Backup”.

At this stage, the system shows us what data will be included in the finished image. We agree and move on to the next step.

We complete the wizard by clicking the “Archive” button.

An image of the system HDD is being created.

The operation is not accompanied by time stamps. Its duration depends on the amount of data being stored. Once complete, we will be prompted to create a rescue disk.

If you have Windows 10 installation media, you can skip this step. Otherwise, you will need a flash drive with a capacity of at least 8 GB.

Transfer to SSD

At the last stage, the old HDD can be removed from the computer, leaving the drive with the backup copy and the new SSD prepared for transfer.

The download is performed from the installation media with the Windows distribution. After checking the language settings, move on.

At this stage, instead of installation, select recovery mode.

In the action selection window, go to the marked item.

In the Advanced Options area, the section you want is framed. Having selected it, we launch the recovery wizard. Since we are performing a full migration, the next step is to validate the solutions offered by this mode.

Having received the last warning, we activate the recovery procedure.

At the final stage, the computer will automatically reboot and the operating system will start from the solid-state drive. Reactivation is performed without user intervention after checking the hardware configuration.

Disk cloning programs

As we saw in the example given, it is possible to clone Windows 10 using system tools, but the procedure is lengthy and labor-intensive. Sometimes it is faster and easier to reinstall the OS from scratch than to look for a disk suitable for intermediate backup.

Against this backdrop, applications specifically designed to facilitate migration look great. The average user does not need disk cloning on an industrial scale. In most cases, this is a one-time operation. For this reason, we will only consider software that has free versions or allows you to perform the necessary operations during the trial period.

Macrium Reflect

The program is published by Macrium Software in several editions. Free Edition allows you to transfer the OS directly, without intermediate media.

Installation is performed using the Download agent. The user can first select the required components using the “Options” button. By clicking “Download” we begin the download. The circled “Run installer” box has a check mark by default. If you do not remove it, the program will begin to install automatically after the components are downloaded.

We check the correctness of the architecture: it must correspond to the bit capacity of the installed OS. Select a “clean” installation from the drop-down list. Such a distribution will not include tools for creating a boot disk and disaster recovery.

The main window of the installed Macrium Reflect displays the disk structure available on the PC. The boxed option opens cloning options.

At the top is the original datum disk. At the bottom of the window, select the target SSD. The section marked “3” contains advanced copy settings.

You don't have to change anything here. The default smart copy option is suitable for any user. During the transfer process, the file system will be checked and the TRIM function will be automatically enabled.

After checking all the options, click the highlighted button to copy the existing structure to the new drive.

By clicking “Next” we launch Migration master, which will give us detailed technical information about each partition of the disk being created.

At the final stage, remove the crossed out check mark. She is responsible for creating a recurring schedule, while ours is a one-time operation.

Before the transfer begins, Macrium Reflect will warn you that the data on the drive specified in the window will be completely destroyed. We agree and wait for the process to complete.

As a result of the actions performed, we receive a valid licensed copy of Windows on new media.

You can remove the old disk and start working on the SSD without reinstalling the system.

Acronis True Image

Another program worthy of attention is Acronis True Image. It differs from other products of this company in its ability to perform cloning operations during the trial period. For example, Acronis Disk Director allows you to do this only after purchasing the full version. True Image is limited by the need to use intermediate media.

The declared on-the-fly cloning option becomes available in the full version of the program.

You can use any suitable sized USB drive as an intermediate one. We connect this to the PC and specify it as a storage location.

We start the procedure for creating a backup copy.

Go to the “Recovery” tab. Select the target disk in the window and press the button marked “3”.

To perform cloning, open additional options.

Check the source – a backup copy of the current disk. Select the destination disk from the drop-down menu – new SSD. We start the transfer process.

The operation is performed in the background and its progress is displayed in the system tray. When the transfer of Windows 10 to SSD is completed, the program automatically makes adjustments to the bootloader.

Manufacturers' software

Samsung, one of the leaders in the production of solid-state drives, has created its own software to make it easier for users to migrate the system. The proprietary utility is free, but only works with manufacturer’s disks. The list of supported SSDs can be found on the official page, where Samsung Data Migration is available for free download.

Transfer issues

There are no system restrictions for working with SSDs. Microsoft provided full support for SSDs with the release of Win 7. However, the transition may be difficult for laptop users. Manufacturers are reluctant to allow changes to the factory configuration.

As a result, some top MSI and ASUS models do not allow HDD replacement. The user will not be able to install a cloned SSD into it, since the laptop refuses to work with it. The only way out is to contact the manufacturer's technical support to find out in advance the possibility of an upgrade and supported drive models.

In conclusion

The capabilities that the user receives when using free cloning programs are enough for a one-time system transfer. In terms of functionality, they are somewhat inferior to professional tools such as Paragon Migrate OS to SSD, but they get the job done.

Video instructions

For those who want to learn more about how to use programs for migrating to an SSD, below is an overview video.

When storing information on computers, there is always a risk of data loss. There can be many reasons. Starting from basic deletion of necessary data to PC malfunctions.
In order to ensure the safety of important information and not spend too much time installing programs in the event of a failure, cloning is necessary.
This means that in a few simple steps you can regain what you have lost.
This article is intended to help experienced and novice users choose the most convenient program for cloning a hard drive.

Comparison table

Read also:How to split a disk into two: Instructions for all operating systems

Names	Advantages	Flaws
Acronis True Image	A large number of options; Russian language; simple interface; selection of operating mode; the presence of a “cloud”.	Paid license
EASEUS Disk Copy	Multifunctionality; clear interface; completely free; high accuracy when cloning.	Lack of Russian language
Macrium Reflect	Accessible interface; high speed and compression ratio; choosing a storage location for the image; recording data on optical media; built-in backup scheduler; Free download.	Lack of Russian language
Paragon Drive Backup	Multifunctionality; tips from the “masters”; support for any Microsoft OS; choosing a storage location; full or partial cloning.	Paid license
FarStone DriveClone	Free program; work in real time without rebooting the PC; cloning in whole or in part; reliability.	Does not support Windows OS versions higher than 8.1
Seagate Disk Wizard	Completely free; Russian-language and accessible interface; OS support Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP 32\|64-bit; Two operating modes.	Only for PCs using Seagate and Maxtor hard drives
AOMEI Backupper	Creating copies without interrupting work; Supports Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP; Disk cloning; Full and partial copying; Encryption of copies.	The need to install a localizer.
Clonezilla	Supports all OS; Free access; Works with most file systems; Possibility of image compression; Record an image remotely and locally.	Lack of Russian language; Run from disk to create images; Backing up individual files and directories is not possible; Only a full backup of a disk or partition.
	Support for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP; High clone accuracy; Supports IDE/ATA/SATA hard drives; Cloning and creation of virtual images.	Multifunctionality and high speed of operation only in armored versions
Renee Becca	Copying, cloning and restoration; support for Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, 2003.	Difficulties in downloading for Windows 10 users;

Acronis True Image 2018

Read also:Transferring the system to an SSD: Transferring data and operating system

Acronis True Image is one of the most popular backup programs. The program has wide functionality that will help solve many problems with Windows.

More precisely, Acronis True Image is a whole package of various programs. On the official website you can read the instructions and get acquainted with the new products.

The developers are constantly expanding the capabilities of the program and adapting it to the most ordinary user. The presence of the Russian language and a simple interface make the work very easy even for a beginner.

Main functions of the program:

Protecting your home data. This means that you can not only track all devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops that use one account), but also control them.
Possibility of data synchronization. This means that a user can have the same data on all computers. In addition, all synchronized data and their versions are stored in Acronis Cloud.
Disk cloning. A few simple manipulations and the program will create a copy of the disk.
Ability to backup folders and files. This means you can copy images, videos, audio recordings and other files selectively. That is, there is no need to copy all the partitions that contain these files.
Possibility of backing up the entire disk. That is, you can make a copy of all the data on the disk.
Data archiving function. This means that files that are rarely used or large files can be transferred to a removable storage device (external hard drive, USB drive, NAS device) or to the Acronis cloud.
Ability to create bootable media. That is, you can run the program even on a faulty computer.
Availability of various tools for connection and protection, security and privacy utilities, management and disk cloning utilities.

Probably the only drawback for the average user will be the presence of a paid license.

Although for such a wide range of functions the fee is 1,700 rubles. not that big.

Download

VIDEO: An easy way to clone a hard drive or SSD using Acronis True Image

An easy way to clone a hard drive or SSD using Acronis True Image

EASEUS Disk Copy

Read also:TOP 15 Programs for Windows disk defragmentation: choosing the best utility

EASEUS Disk Copy is another fairly “strong” disk cloning program, or rather a set of programs.

The program runs as a boot disk. It is free and has a wide range of features.

The program is in English.

Download

VIDEO: Cloning Windows from Hard Drive to SSD

How to: Clone Windows 10 Hard Drive to SSD -- EaseUS Disk Copy 3.0

Macrium Reflect

Read also:5 Tips for Configuring the Windows Page File (7/8/10)

Macrium Reflect is another hard drive program.

Main options:

Does not require a Windows restart (creates a system image on the fly).
You can choose where to store the created image (optical media, local hard drive, or network drive).
You can copy data either partially or create a complete disk image.
High speed.
High compression ratio.
Availability of a built-in scheduler for data backup.
Possibility of recording to CD/DVD.

The utility has a simple and accessible interface, but in English.

Download

Paragon Drive Backup

Read also:The computer does not see the hard drive - what to do?

Paragon Drive Backup is another multifunctional tool that allows you to clone data.

The developers tried to “invest” as many possibilities as possible into the program. Paragon Drive Backup was created to forget about the possibility of losing data.

Main features:

Availability of a user interface controlled by “masters”. This means that you don’t have to waste time studying instructions, since all actions are accompanied by hints.
If the system fails, you just need to restore the backup (which will take a few minutes) and you can continue working.
A context-sensitive help system is provided for all program options.
Compatible with Microsoft operating systems.
Compatible with any computer equipment.
Ability to select data storage location.

FarStone DriveClone is a free utility that is simple and reliable. The main function of the program is hard drive cloning.

Main options:

Backing up absolutely all data (including system settings and partition information) with subsequent saving.
The ability to clone both individual segments and the entire disk.
Work in real time, without rebooting the system.
All data can be transferred to any removable media or to another PC hard drive in the form of a compressed archive.
Ability to clone large disks.

FarStone DriveClone does not have multifunctionality, but it performs the main task. But there is a significant drawback: the program does not support Windows older than version 8.1

It is also worth mentioning the FarStone RestoreIT Pro version of the program.

The program is very simple and easy to understand. But there is one limitation: it is only suitable for PCs that use Seagate and Maxtor hard drives.