How to Clone a Partition or Hard Drive with Partition Copy Software

Updated By

Linda 

Written By

Linda 

Last Updated on April 24, 2024

What do "partition cloning" and "disk cloning" mean?

Normally, a hard disk has multiple partitions, like Partition C, D, and so on. **Partition cloning** refers to copying a partition to another disk at the file level or sector level, for instance, cloning Partition D to Partition E or any other partition. All the content on the original partition will be migrated to the target one. Make sure the target partition has enough space.

Disk cloning refers to copying all partitions, files, and other data from one hard drive to another, like cloning HDD to SSD. Obviously, disk cloning takes more time to transfer data. If you want to copy a hard drive to another, you need to do more preparation.

Then, how to perform sector-by-sector clone or partition clone? Is there an easy solution? Yes, we recommend you use a powerful partition/disk cloning tool – tools Partition Master, no worry about data loss.

Download a reliable disk/partition cloning tool

To completely copy a partition/disk or to avoid data loss due to program errors or other unexpected situations, Partition Master provides the Partition Clone and Disk Clone features. The Partition Copy helps you clone/migrate a partition to unallocated space on a hard drive or a hard drive RAID for data backup.

What Partition Master Can Do:

• Sector-by-sector copy
• File-based copy for FAT and NTFS partitions (faster than sector-by-sector copy, as only files are copied)
• Check file system for errors before copying a partition
• Restore lost partitions on a hard disk

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How to copy a partition with Partition Master tool?

Step 1: From the left-hand menu, choose “Clone.” Click “Clone partition” and “Next.”

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

Step 3: Select the partition from which you wish to recover and click on "Next" to proceed.

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

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

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

Hint:

1. Only unallocated space can be used as the target partition during sector-by-sector copy.

The target partition should be as large or larger than the source partition. Otherwise, data may be lost.

3. Before performing any copying, the program automatically runs an “chkdsk” to check the file system and fix errors, making the copy process faster and more stable.

"How to clone a hard drive to a new one"

1. Preparations for Cloning a Hard Drive

• Sufficient capacity - Make sure your secondary drive has enough space.
• A SATA data cable - To connect the drive to your computer.
• Use Disk Management to initialize the new drive.

2. Download Partition Master and follow the simple steps to proceed.

Step 1: Select the source disk.

Click "Clone" from the left menu. Choose "Clone System Disk" or "Clone Data Disk," then click "Next." Select the source disk, then click "Next."

Step 2: Select the target disk.

Select your desired HDD/SSD as the destination location, then click “Next” to proceed. Read the warning message and confirm by clicking the “Yes” button.

Step 3: Look at the disk layout and edit the target disk partition sizes if necessary.

When prompted that formatting the target disk will erase all data, click Continue (make sure to back up any important data on your target disk beforehand).

Here you can choose to “Auto Resize,” “Keep the same as source,” or “Edit disk layout.” (Choose the last option if you want to leave more space for C:.

Step 4: Click Start to begin the disk cloning process.

Please wait patiently, the process will be completed soon.

Conclusions

To copy a partition to another hard drive, you need a professional disk and partition management tool. Luckily, a utility like Partition Master can get the job done. It offers various features that allow you to clone all the data from a partition or an entire disk. With this handy software, you can quickly obtain a complete replica of your target drive.

If you find it useful, please share it with your friends and family.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cloning a Windows Partition

On this page, we offer you a clear and simple guide on how to clone a partition or copy a volume to a new one. You may have other questions as below. If you have the same ones, you can find the answers here by yourself:

1. Should I clone or partition my disk?

It depends on your needs.

• If you want to move everything on your system disk to a new disk, or create a copy of a data disk, choose Clone.
• If you want to make the most of your disk space and create multiple volumes, partition it.

2. Can I clone to a partitioned hard drive?

Of course. Before initiating the cloning process, make sure to back up any important files from the partition disk to a secure external drive. Then, you can proceed with cloning the specified partition or disk to a partition drive.

3. How do I clone all partitions?

You can resort to a cloning tool – Partition Master.

1. Connect or install the second new hard drive to your computer. 2. Launch Partition Master, click on "Clone," then select "Clone Data Disk," and click "OK." 3. Choose the source disk, select the new target disk, and then click "Next." 4. Click "Execute Task."