4 Ways to Clone and Copy SD Card to External Hard Drive in Windows 11/10/8/7 (UTF-8)

Updated by

Sherly 

Written by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

This page introduces 4 ways to clone an SD card to an external hard drive for backing up all the files. Now, please choose a suitable solution and start to copy or clone everything on the SD card to an external hard drive by yourself.

How to Copy an Entire SD Card to an External Hard Drive? 4 Ways

When it comes to backing up SD card data to an external hard drive, most experienced folks have their “secret sauce.” Here, we've gathered four reliable methods that anyone can apply and follow to clone an SD card to an external hard drive in its entirety.

Let's look at the precise solution here:

• #1. Clone SD Card to External Hard Drive with Computer Software
• #2. Copy SD Card to External Hard Drive Manually on Computer
• #3. Clone SD Card to External Hard Drive without Computer via Built-in Slot
• #4. Copy SD Card to External Hard Drive without Computer via Docking Station

Which one should I choose? Here are a few options to try, suggested by our tools team:

1. To clone a regular SD card or external hard drive, follow Method 1 and use a free disk cloning software to do the job once.
2. If you have an advanced external hard drive or dock with a built-in SD card reader, refer to Method 3 or 4 for assistance.
3. Method 2 is simple, but it can fail or even cause file loss if the copying or transferring process is interrupted.

Now let's start copying SD card files to an external hard drive on your Windows 11/10/8/7 PC.

Method 1: Clone an SD Card to an External Hard Drive using Computer Software Step 1: Gather the necessary tools Before you start, ensure that you have a computer with either a Windows or Mac operating system, an SD card reader to insert the SD card, an external hard drive, and cloning software. For Windows users, you can use "tools Todo Backup" or "Clonezilla," while Mac users can utilize "Disk Utility." Step 2: Connect the devices Insert the SD card into the card reader and connect the reader to your computer's USB port. Make sure the external hard drive is also properly connected to your computer. Step 3: Back up SD card data Before cloning, it's advisable to back up important data from the SD card in case of any unexpected issues during the process. Step 4: Launch the cloning software Start the appropriate cloning tool based on your operating system. If you're a Windows user, open "tools Todo Backup": - In the main interface, select "Disk Clone." - Choose the source disk (your SD card) and click "Next." - Select the target disk (your external hard drive) and click "Next." - Review and confirm the cloning settings, then click "Start Clone." If you're a Mac user, open "Disk Utility": - Choose the "Clone" option. - From the dropdown menus, select the SD card under "Source" and the external hard drive under "Destination." - Click "Clone" to initiate the copying process. Step 5: Wait for the cloning to complete The cloning process may take some time, depending on the capacities of the SD card and the external hard drive. Do not disconnect any devices until the cloning is finished. Step 6: Verify the clone After cloning is complete, you can verify its success by checking the files on the external hard drive. Now, you have successfully cloned your SD card to an external hard drive. This method is particularly useful for backing up your SD card's data or transferring it to a larger storage device.

Tools: An SD card and an SD card reader, an external hard drive with a USB cable, a computer, and disk cloning software.

Duration: 2-10 minutes, or so.

First, you need to find and install a reliable disk cloning software on your computer. For instance, you can use AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, which has the functionality of disk/partition copy, to clone everything on the SD card to an external hard drive in one go.

How to use:

First of all, connect your SD card and external hard drive to the computer correctly.

Next, follow the on-screen prompts to have the Partition Master tool copy and clone everything on the SD card to the external drive in one go.

Step 1: Clone External Storage Device (SD Card/USB/External Hard Drive)

1. Click on the "Clone" tab. Select "Clone Data Disk" and click "Next" to proceed. 2. Choose a source disk and select a new device (SD card/USB/external hard drive/internal hard drive) as the target disk, then click "Next." 3. Click "Yes" to confirm the warning message.

Select the target device to start cloning

Step 2: Keep all changes

1. Check the source disk layout (you can edit the disk by clicking "Adjust disk size automatically" or "Clone to the same size as source disk"). 2. Click "Start" to begin cloning. 3. Wait until the cloning process is finished.

Method 2: Copy the SD Card to an External Hard Drive on Your Computer Manually

Tools needed: An SD card and an SD card reader, an external hard drive with a USB cable, and a computer.

Duration: Five minutes, or one to two days, as circumstances permit.

Another easy way is to copy the SD card to an external hard drive using the copy and paste function on your computer. The only thing you need to make sure of is that the data transfer isn't interrupted. Otherwise, you might lose some files if the operation doesn't complete successfully.

How to use:

First, connect your SD card and external hard drive to your computer properly.

Next, turn off your antivirus software and make sure your computer is plugged in and fully charged.

Step 1: Open File Explorer and locate your SD card, then double-click to open it.

Step 2: Press Ctrl + A to select all the files on your SD card, right-click, and choose “Copy.”

Step 3: Double-click on the external hard drive to open it, right-click in the empty space, and select "Paste."

Manually copy SD card to external hard drive

All you have to do is wait for that process to run its course.

Method 3: Clone Your SD Card to an External Hard Drive with a Built-In SD Card Reader (No Computer Needed)

Tool: External hard drive with built-in SD card reader

Duration: 10 minutes or more, as needed.

Another way is to copy the SD card to an external hard drive without using a computer. All you need is an advanced external hard drive that has an SD card slot or an SD card reader. If budget isn't an issue for you, go with Method 1 or 2 instead.

How to use:

Here, we'll use the WD My Passport Wireless as an example to show you the entire process of copying an SD card to an external hard drive without a computer.

Step 1: Plug in the power adapter to the WD external hard drive.

Insert the SD card into the SD card slot on your WD external hard drive.

Step 3: After both LEDs light up, press and hold the SD card button for 2-3 seconds.

Step 4: When all four lights are lit, the copying process is complete.

After it's done, you can safely eject the memory card and turn off the portable hard drive. Now you can copy the data to the hard drive without using a computer.

Method 4: Copy Your SD Card to an External Hard Drive Using a Dock Without a PC

Tools: SD card, external hard drive, hard drive enclosure

Duration: 10 minutes or more, as needed.

If your budget allows it, another regular way to clone an SD card to an external hard drive without a computer is by using a hard drive enclosure. The only thing to keep in mind here is to ensure that your hard drive enclosure is connected to a stable power source.

How to use:

Step 1: Connect the hard drive enclosure to power.

Step 2: Insert the SD card into the SD card slot on the dock.

Plug the external hard drive into the docking station's USB port.

Step 4. Press the power button to turn on the dock, and then press the OTC/OTB button to start the clone process.

Click the Clone button to clone the SD card to an external hard drive.

And you can see the activity lights up top, and when all the lights are lit up, it means that the cloning process is complete.

Cloning your SD card to an external hard drive is simple, so choose your preferred solution and get your data backed up!

On this page, we've gathered 4 methods to copy or clone an SD card to an external hard drive. It could be an SD card from a phone, camera, dashcam, or even other types of storage devices.

If you have important data that needs protecting, try out these methods to quickly and securely copy everything over to an external hard drive for safekeeping. Remember: the sooner you act, the better your chances of keeping your files safe.

For the simplest and most commercial method of cloning an SD card to an external hard drive, you can use the Partition Master tool.