How to Clone A Hard Drive with Multiple Partitions

Case: How do I clone hard drive with multiple partitions

You can clone your OS to the SSD, and then clone your data partitions to a new disk. After that, you can remove the old drive. This process is known as a "clone and swap" and is a common method for upgrading a computer's storage. Just make sure to back up any important files before starting the process, and follow the instructions carefully to avoid any data loss.

As data accumulates on your hard drive, read and write speeds slow down, making daily operations cumbersome. To resolve this, consider transferring data to a larger-capacity HDD or a faster-performing SSD.

To clone a hard drive with multiple partitions, you can use software like Acronis True Image or EaseUS Todo Backup, which can handle multiple partitions and clone them all at once. These tools can also clone the operating system and all data partitions, ensuring a full and accurate copy of the original drive. Simply select the source and target drives, and the software will take care of the rest, preserving the partition structure and data integrity.

Cloning multiple partitions scenarios and corresponding methods

Windows does not have a built-in cloning feature, but you can restore a system image to another drive for disk migration. However, using disk cloning software is generally easier and more reliable.

A high-quality cloning solution like Qiling Disk Master simplifies the process of cloning a disk, eliminating the need for a recovery step and making it easier to boot successfully from the target disk. It also provides options to clone the entire disk or separate partitions, allowing users to tailor the cloning process to their specific needs.

Qiling Disk Master Professional can help clone hard drives with multiple partitions in various scenarios. For example, if you want to clone a hard drive with multiple partitions to a new hard drive, the tool can help you clone the entire hard drive, including all partitions, to the target drive.

Scenario 1. Clone entire hard drive to another SSD/HDD with secure boot

You don't need to create the same partition on the target drive as the source drive, as the cloning process will completely overwrite the target drive. This means you can simply clone the source drive to the target drive without worrying about matching partitions.
Qiling Disk Master allows cloning a larger HDD to a smaller SSD using its intelligent-sector technology, and also enables resizing partitions to utilize the full capacity of a larger target drive.

Scenario 2. Clone system partition to new SSD other data partitions to another disk

Users who only want to clone their system partition with Windows 11/10/8/7 installed to an SSD as the new boot drive, can do so to take advantage of the faster boot speeds that an SSD is built to deliver.
Some people may choose to leave data partitions on the source drive, while others may want to clone them to a larger HDD as the secondary storage drive. Qiling Disk Master's system clone and partition cloning features cater to these needs, allowing users to achieve their desired setup.

You can download the free trial of Qiling Disk Master Professional to experience the benefits of this software, including the ability to backup and restore data, clone disks, and more.

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Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step-by-step to clone a hard drive with multiple partitions

Qiling Disk Master is a reliable helper for cloning partitions to SSD or HDD, regardless of different sizes, types (HDD/SSD), or partition styles (MBR/GPT). It allows you to clone all partitions to SSD, or clone only the system partition to SSD and other data partitions to HDD, making it a versatile tool for upgrading your disk setup.

To clone a hard drive with multiple partitions, follow these steps: First, download and install a cloning software like Acronis True Image or EaseUS Todo Backup. Next, launch the software and select the source disk (the hard drive you want to clone) and the target disk (the destination hard drive where you want to clone the data). Make sure to select the correct partitions to clone, as the software will automatically detect the partitions on the source disk.

How to clone all partitions on a hard drive to SSD entirely

Step 1. To clone a disk using Qiling Disk Master Professional, download, install, and launch the software. Then, select the "Disk Clone" option under the "Clone" tab to proceed with the cloning process.

Step 2. Select the old disk with multiple partitions (such as disk0), and click "Next" to proceed.

Step 3. To proceed, select the destination disk, which is disk1 in this case, and then click the "Next" button.

Step 4. This window allows you to view the operation summary. You can also select "SSD Alignment" when cloning to an SSD for optimal performance, or choose "Sector By Sector Clone" to copy every sector, used or unused, to a disk of equal or larger size.

Then click "Proceed" to execute the operation.

✎Notes:

👉This software supports cloning dual-boot hard drive to SSD, dynamic disk system, and volume.

👉Edit Partitions: This software enables users to resize partition size on the destination disk and also convert the disk type if it differs from the source disk.

Copy without resizing partitions: It will not resize the partition size.
Add unused space to all partitions: To reallocate the unallocated space to each partition of the target disk, you can use the built-in Disk Management tool in Windows. First, open the Disk Management tool by searching for it in the Start menu, or by typing "diskmgmt.
Manually adjust partition size: Extend the unallocated space to any partition on the destination disk you want to allocate it to.
Convert the destination disk from MBR to GPT: You can choose to convert the partition style of the destination disk if it is different from the source disk.

How to clone system partition and data partitions separately

If you have different dispositions for the system partition and the data partitions, you can operate on them separately using Disk Clone and Partition Clone features.

To clone only the system, you can choose the "System Clone" option from the Tools and utilities tab, which will automatically select all boot-related partitions on the source drive, then select the target disk and start the cloning process.

To clone only data partitions, click "Partition Clone", select the desired non-system partitions, and follow the wizard to complete the operation.

All the cloning steps are largely the same.

How to boot from the cloned hard drive or SSD

After cloning, shut down the computer, replace the old hard drive with the new one, and start the computer to boot from the cloned drive.

◉ After cloning, you can keep the old hard drive connected as a secondary drive. To do this, enter your computer's BIOS settings (key varies by model) and select the cloned drive as the first boot option. If your computer boots normally into Windows, the cloning was successful, and you can safely wipe the old drive for storage purposes.

◉ After cloning the system partition to an SSD and the data partitions to another hard drive, the process is similar. Simply replace the old hard drive with the new boot drive, ensuring it boots into Windows normally, and then connect the cloned drive with the data partitions.

Note:

If the cloned boot drive has a different partition style than the source hard drive, you'll need to change the boot mode in BIOS to match the partition style of the cloned drive, ensuring compatibility between the partition style and boot mode.

If you clone a MBR disk to a GPT SSD without converting the partition style, the GPT SSD will be incompatible with the old Legacy BIOS boot mode, and may not boot properly unless you change Legacy into UEFI boot mode.

To check the partition style of your disks, you can open the Disk Management window by pressing Win + R, typing "diskmgmt.msc", and hitting OK. Then, right-click the disk you're interested in and select "Properties".

Wrapping things up

To clone a hard drive with multiple partitions to a new HDD or SSD, you can use the "Disk Clone" feature. This feature allows you to clone the disk, including its partitions, to a larger disk or a smaller SSD, and also offers useful features such as "Edit partitions" and "SSD Alignment" to maximize the performance of the SSD.

Qiling Disk Master offers features like cloning, backup and restore, and data transfer from multiple partitions to a new hard drive. With this software, you can easily manage your data and enjoy a seamless transition to a new hard drive. Download Qiling Disk Master to start your new journey.