How to Clone a Partition to Another Hard Drive in Windows

On this page, you can learn why you may need to copy a partition to another hard drive and how to copy a partition to another hard drive:

Are you trying to copy a partition to another hard drive? Don't worry. This article can inspire you and provide two methods to help you copy a partition to another hard drive.

How to Clone a Partition to Another Hard Drive – 2 Effective Ways

This part will show you two effective ways to clone a partition to another drive. Compared with other complicated command methods, third-party tools are easier. If you are not a computer professional, it is recommended that you use a tool like Professional Edition Partition Master. Here are the two methods:

Method 1: Copy partition to another hard disk easily with a tool – Partition Master

Method 2: Copying the Partition to Another Hard Drive via CMD - Complex

So, let's start with the first and easier method that teaches you how to clone a partition to another hard drive using a professional third-party tool, AOMEI Partition Assistant.

Method 1: Copy the partition to another hard drive with Partition Master Tool

Partition Master supports sector-by-sector copy for both FAT and NTFS partitions, which works faster. You don't need to worry even if there is something wrong with your file system. Before starting the copy, Partition Master will check the partition and choose sector-by-sector copy automatically to ensure the safety of your files.

Download it now and follow the instructions to clone your partition to another drive. Make sure that you have a larger partition on the other disk, and set it as the target for the clone of the source volume.

Step 1: From the left menu, choose "Clone." Click "Clone Partition" and "Next."

Step 2: Select the source partition, and click Next.

Step 3: Select the destination partition, and click "Next" to continue.

If you clone a partition to an existing one, move or back up your data first to avoid overwriting it. 2. Read the warning, then click Yes.

Step 4: Click “Start,” and wait for the clone to finish.

You can learn how to clone a partition or the System Reserved partition in this video tutorial.

Wait patiently without interrupting the process. Upon completion, you will get an identical copy of the source partition on the target disk. If you like this method, don't forget to share online to help more friends back up disk partition data with simple clicks:

Aside from cloning data partitions, the Partition Master tool can also clone a Windows partition to another drive for free OS migration. However, it has many more features. Let's find out more.

Features of Partition Master Tool:

• Clone Windows 7 to SSD
• Clone Raspberry Pi SD Card
• Clone HDD to Smaller SSD
• Clone or copy NTFS partition
• Clone SD Card, USB, or external hard drive
• Migrate operating system to another drive
• Wipe unallocated space or original hard drive after cloning

Download this versatile tool to help you with any partition-related issues.

Method 2: Copy Partition with CMD - Difficult

If you're an experienced computer user, you can clone a hard drive with the Command Prompt. But be careful not to make any mistakes, or you may input the wrong command and cause data loss. So, before you start copying partition data, back up your important data. Now, let's get started.

Step 1: Type cmd in the search box, and then select "Command Prompt."

Step 2: Run Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 3: Type the following command in the window:

In American English, this command would be: Copy everything from the C:\ drive to the F:\ drive, including subfolders, empty folders, hidden files, and system files. Replace any existing files and keep going if there's an error.

Step 4: Wait patiently, and then type “exit” to finish.

If you found the above guide on how to clone a partition to another drive helpful, please feel free to share it online to help more friends get this job done easily:

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Why clone a partition to another hard drive?

Cloning a partition or hard drive means copying everything on one disk to another, resulting in an identical copy of the original disk. You might want to clone a disk for several reasons. Here are some of the most common:

• Migrate OS: If you want to migrate your operating system to a new hard drive, you can clone partition.
• Create backup: Partition cloning helps make a copy so that you can use it as a backup when data loss or disk failure occurs.
• Transfer data from the drive to a new computer: As long as you clone the partition, all your data and settings will be kept on the new computer.

Now that you know the reasons, you can follow the methods above to learn how to copy a partition to another hard drive in Windows 10/8/7.

However, if you are not so familiar with computer operations, Partition Master would be a better choice for you to turn to. It can help clone a hard drive with bad sectors.

Conclusions

AOMEI Partition Assistant runs smoothly on various Windows versions, including Windows 11/10/8.1/7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. It's easier to use than CMD. With just a few clicks, you can clone the hard drive without entering any command prompt lines. Apart from copying a partition to another drive, it also helps you better manage disk partitions, such as formatting, erasing, moving, merging, or expanding the hard drive. Download and have a try now!

Frequently Asked Questions About Copying Partitions to Another Hard Drive in UTF-8 Encoding Format

Here are three more questions on today's topic, which may help if you have similar issues.

1. How do I clone a partition?

You can use CMD or a third-party tool to assist you. A good choice is the Partition Master Tool, which allows you to clone a partition sector by sector or file by file.

Step 1: Download the partitioning tool.

Step 2. In the Clone area, select the partition you want to copy.

Step 3. Select the destination partition where you want to save the cloned data, then click “Start”.

2. What is a clone partition?

Partition Clone means cloning one partition to another, like cloning D drive to E drive or another disk. All the content on the original partition will be migrated to the target partition. Make sure the target partition has enough space.

3. Will a clone contain everything?

Yes, when you clone a hard drive, you're simply copying everything on it, including the boot record, files, settings, and other configurations, to another hard drive and ending up with an identical copy.