Free Download Portable Disk Cloning Software for Windows?

External hard drives or portable HDD give you extra space to store your data. However, the storage capacity of such devices is always limited. What if your portable disk is full of important data? You can buy a larger disk and then copy and paste the data from one HDD to another, which is a simple but time-consuming method.

This article will introduce you to the best methods of transferring data from one hard drive to another using the finest Free Download Portable Disk Cloning Software. Let's get started!

Why Do You Need Portable Hard Drive Cloning Software?

Windows comes with built-in backup tools like Backup and Restore, File History, and the Windows Backup app. These utilities let you create system images and back up your hard drive or files. However, they won't work when you want to migrate your operating system to another drive and use it as a boot drive.

This is where a disk cloning software comes in handy. Cloning can help you migrate data from one drive to another easily and quickly; all you need is to connect the portable disk to the PC via a hard drive enclosure or a USB to SATA adapter.

Unfortunately, Windows doesn't come with a built-in disk cloning software to help you clone HDD or SSD. Therefore, if you want to clone a hard drive or external drive, you'll need to download a third-party cloning software on your computer. In the sections below, you'll learn about a portable disk cloning tool that can help you clone a hard drive.

Best Free Portable Disk Cloning Software Download

As an efficient and reliable disk cloning software, AOMEI Disk Clone can help you clone hard drives from different manufacturers. The AOMEI Disk Clone software is portable so that you can put the installer on a USB drive to avoid downloading it repeatedly.

Using a cloning software can help you transfer data from HDD to SSD in three simple steps. It allows you to upgrade to a larger disk on your Windows computer and also helps you seamlessly transfer data from your old hard drive to a new computer if you bought a new one. Here are some highlights of this portable hard drive cloning software:

"Tools Disk Cloner" can cater to your various needs, whether you want to clone a hard drive, upgrade your disk, or replace it with an SSD. It also assists in ignoring bad sectors while cloning a disk. You can download its portable version on your computer to easily clone your HDD or SSD.

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### How to Clone a Hard Drive with Disk Cloning Software 1. **Acquire disk cloning software.** There are various free and paid disk cloning tools available, such as Clonezilla, Acronis True Image, or AOMEI Backupper. Choose one that suits your needs and budget. 2. **Create a bootable media.** Most disk cloning software requires booting from a USB drive or CD/DVD. Follow the software's instructions to create a bootable medium. 3. **Backup important files.** Before cloning, make sure to back up all crucial personal files and data in case of any issues during the process. 4. **Connect the source and target hard drives.** Ensure both your source hard drive (the one to be copied) and the target hard drive (where the copy will be stored) are connected to your computer. You may need SATA-to-USB adapters or additional PCI slots. 5. **Boot your computer and load the cloning software.** Restart your computer and enter the BIOS settings to change the boot order to boot from USB or CD/DVD. 6. **Select the cloning option.** Once the software launches, follow on-screen prompts to choose the cloning mode. Typically, there will be options like "Disk to Disk" or "Partition to Partition." 7. **Choose the source and target drives.** As per the software's instructions, specify the source hard drive to be cloned and the target hard drive to receive the clone. 8. **Start the cloning process.** Once you've selected the source and target, the software will begin copying the entire hard drive's contents. This may take some time depending on the size and speed of the drive. 9. **Verify the clone.** After the cloning is complete, boot your computer and check if the target hard drive is functioning correctly. If everything is fine, you can safely disconnect the source hard drive. 10. **(Optional) Resize partitions on the target drive.** If the target drive is larger than the source, some software allows you to expand partitions to utilize the extra space. Perform this operation after cloning. Keep in mind that cloning will overwrite all existing data on the target drive, so ensure you're well-prepared beforehand.

After downloading a disk cloning tool to your desktop or laptop, you can clone your hard drive to another one by following these steps.

Advance notice:

• "Clone by Sector" requires the target disk to be the same size or larger than the source disk. Uncheck this if you want to clone a larger hard drive to a smaller one. • All data on the target disk will be completely erased. Proceed with caution.

Step 1: To start cloning the entire disk to another disk, select the disk in Disk Mode, then click Next.

Step 2: Select another disk as the target disk.

Step 3: Check the disk layout of two disks. You can manage the target disk's layout by choosing “Resize/Adjust Partition Automatically”, “Keep source disk's partition layout” or “Edit disk layout”.

When the warning message appears, click OK.

• "Automatically resize partitions" will modify the layout of the target disk by default, so it's optimized for best performance.
• "Copy as is" won't change anything on the target disk, and its layout will be identical to the source disk.
• "Edit partition layout" lets you manually adjust/move the partition layout of the target disk.

Check Optimize for SSD if the target is an SSD to ensure best performance.

A warning message will appear, telling you that your data will be lost. Acknowledge this by clicking “OK,” and then click “Next.”

Step 4: Click “Proceed” to actually carry out the task.

In short

This article will introduce how to get the best free portable disk cloning software download for Windows 10/11/8/7. Disk cloning software can help you protect your hard drive in an easy and secure way. A professional cloning tool like Disk Copy can meet all your needs when cloning a hard drive. Its efficiency and functionality will never disappoint you. Just download this fantastic external hard drive cloning software to make everything go smoothly!

Frequently Asked Questions About Free Portable Disk Cloning Software Downloads

Is there really any free disk cloning software?

Indeed, there is a truly free disk cloning tool named Clonezilla, which is a free and open-source disk cloning software. However, this disk cloning utility is a command-line-based tool with a steep learning curve. Worse still, you may find that Clonezilla can't clone bad sectors or the system fails to boot after cloning with Clonezilla. Therefore, it's recommended to use a professional disk cloning tool - AOMEI Backupper.

Does Windows 10 include disk cloning software? While Windows 10 does come with some tools for basic disk management and copying, such as "Create a recovery drive" and "Backup and Restore," it does not include a dedicated disk cloning software. For cloning purposes, you might need to rely on third-party tools, such as Acronis True Image, tools Todo Backup, or Clonezilla. These applications offer more comprehensive features that allow you to safely clone an entire hard drive to another one.

Regrettably, there is no built-in hard drive cloning software in Windows 11/10. If you wish to clone a hard drive on a Windows PC, you will need to utilize a third-party professional disk cloning tool, such as Disk Copy, Macrium Reflect, or Acronis Cyber Protect Home, among others.

3. Do I need to reinstall Windows after cloning a hard drive?

No, you would not need to reinstall Windows after cloning the disk. Cloning the boot drive makes the cloned drive bootable. You would just need to enter your BIOS settings and set the cloned drive as the first boot drive.

4. Do I need to format the new hard drive before cloning?

In theory, the target disk needs to be formatted before cloning to confirm the partition style. However, this step can be skipped since there is no data on the new hard drive, depending on your needs. Formatting the hard drive erases all stored data and changes the partition layout.