How to Copy Partition or Disk Sector by Sector

With Qiling Disk Master, you can clone a hard drive or partition sector by sector, using the "Disk Copy Wizard" and "Partition Copy Wizard" which come with the "Sector-by-Sector Copy" method.

Overview of sector by sector copy

A sector-Sector-by-sector copy ensures that the destination partition or hard disk is an exact replica of the source, copying all sectors - used or unused, blank or logically bad - without any filtering. This results in the target being the same size as the original disk, making it ideal for creating a complete clone of a partition or disk.

How to copy disk or partition sector by sector

Before you do

• Download and install Partition Assistant on a Windows computer.
• When you do sector-To create a sector-by-sector copy of a partition, you need to store the copy in an unallocated space. If there is no unallocated space available, you can either delete or shrink other partitions to free up space for the copy. However, for a sector-by-sector copy of the entire disk, this space is not required.
• The destination partition/disk should be equal to or larger than the source partition/disk.
• If you're copying data from one drive to another, it's a good idea to back up or transfer any important files on the destination drive/partition first, as they will be overwritten during the sector-by-sector copy process.

To clone a disk or partition sector by sector, first download and install Qiling Disk Master Professional., Server, or advanced versions.

How to copy with sector by sector step by step

Conclusion

By following the steps to copy a partition or disk with sector-by-sector mode, you can create a complete clone where the used space in the destination partition or disk is exactly the same as the source one.

This feature is used to clone a partition or disk space, including used and unused space, which is useful for upgrading a HDD to an SSD without reinstalling the OS and applications, especially if the target drive is the same size as the source.

With Partition Assistant, you can also use the tool Migrate OS to easily migrate your OS to HDD or SSD.

Notes:

• If you copy the system partition/disk, the operation might need to be completed under the Windows PE or PreOS Mode.
• Before cloning a system disk sector by sector to another disk of a different type, ensure your computer motherboard supports changing the boot mode from Legacy to UEFI (MBR to GPT clone) or UEFI to Legacy (GPT to MBR clone), as the cloned disk may not boot otherwise.

FAQs:

Q: No, the Sector by Sector Copy feature in Acronis True Image is not able to change or edit partitions on the destination drive. It's a precise, sector-by-sector copy of the source drive, without any changes or modifications.

A: It's not possible to resize the partition during the cloning process if you select Sector by Sector Clone, but you can manually resize the partition on the destination after the cloning is finished.

Q: The Sector by Sector Copy will take approximately 10 days to complete, assuming an average of 10 sectors per day. This is based on the average time it takes to copy each sector, which is around 1 minute.

A: A Sector by Sector Copy is a more time-consuming process than a Quick Copy, taking longer to complete. The time it takes depends on the size of the source partition or disk. Additionally, factors like USB connection quality, bad sectors on the source or target disk, and outdated computer configurations can slow down the process.