Best Free HDD Cloning Software for Windows 10/11

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Quick Navigation:

• Windows HDD Cloning Overview
• Disk Imaging vs Cloning, Which is Better?
• Best Free Disk Cloning Software for Windows 10/11
• How to Clone Hard Drive in Windows 10/11
• ※ Video Tutorial
• ※ Way 1. Directly Clone Data Disk to SSD via Qiling Disk Master
• ※ Way 2. Migrate Windows 10 to SSD via Qiling Disk Master Free
• Conclusion

Windows HDD Cloning Overview

As we all know, HDDs that have been used for a long time may suffer from lack of disk space, sluggish operation and natural aging. In such situations, disk replacement has become a very common choice, especially for users who have higher demand for hardware.

To summarize, there are some possible scenarios:

• Replace HDD with larger HDD to get more capacity.
• Upgrade HDD to SSD for better read/write speed.
• Simply install a new drive to get out of the disk failure dilemma...

The real problem is what to do with the system and files on the old disk. If you don't want to start from scratch, then migrating them to the new drive directly would be a convenient option.

Disk Imaging vs Cloning, Which is Better?

There are two ways to go to transfer data from old hard drive to the new drive: disk imaging and disk cloning. Disk imaging creates an image file of the old disk that can be restored to the new disk later. The process can be a little bit complex because it covers two main parts: backup and recovery.

Disk cloning directly copies data from the old disk to the new disk. As you see, cloning Windows 10 hard drive significantly simplifies the operation and reduces the time spent on migration.

Therefore, no matter you want to transfer HDD to SSD or another HDD, I recommend you to use the disk cloning method. Since Windows lacks of this feature, you need to pick free HDD cloning software that works with Windows 10, 11, etc.

Best Free Disk Cloning Software for Windows 10/11

People care more about the safety, usability and simplicity of an HDD cloning program. Qiling Disk Master Standard, the powerful yet free disk cloning software can be one of your best choices.

• It can help you clone non-system HDD to SSD or another HDD for free, all the data you will never want to lose.
• It allows you to clone only used parts to another drive with the "Intelligent Clone" technology which makes it possible to clone larger drive to smaller drive.
• It allows you to make a 1:1 copy of a hard disk by using "Sector By Sector Clone" feature.
• It allows you to optimize the overall performance of SSD disk with "SSD Alignment" feature.
• It supports Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP (all editions, 32/64-bit), various disk brands such as Samsung, Crucial, WD and different disk types like SATA/M.2/NVMe.

Besides, the click-based interface and simple operation also make this free disk clone software of Windows 10 praised by worldwide users. To get to know how it works, you could download and install this freeware to get started.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, 100% Secure

How to Clone Hard Drive in Windows 10/11

With the help of Qiling Disk Master, the HDD cloning process can be very simple even for a novice. You can choose to view the video tutorial below or the graphic tutorial to do this.

※ Video Tutorial

※ Way 1. Directly Clone Data Disk to SSD via Qiling Disk Master

Preparations before cloning hard drive in Windows 10:
◑ Install the target drive. If your computer has only one slot, you may need a SATA-to-USB adapter or enclosure to connect it.
◑ Backup your important data. The cloning process will overwrite everything on the target disk. If there are any important files on it, it's necessary to make a backup first.
◑ Delete some programs or files (optional). If you are cloning HDD to a smaller SSD, you may clean up the source HDD to make it fit in the smaller drive more easily.

Then, follow the steps to free clone HDD to SSD/HDD in Windows 10. The same steps also apply to Windows 11, 8, 7, etc.

Step 1. Launch this free clone software for Windows 10 and a simple interface will appear. You can click the Clone tab. Then, choose Disk Clone.

💡 Tips: The Standard edition only supports cloning non-system disks. If you want to clone a disk containing OS, please try the backup & restore method below, or directly upgrade to Qiling Disk Master Professional. The Pro edition allows you to migrate only operating system to SSD in Windows 11/10/8/7 as well.

Step 2. Select your HDD as the source disk. Then click Next.

Step 3. Choose your new HDD or SSD as a destination disk and click Next.

Step 4. In this interface, you can have a preview. Then click Proceed to migrate Windows 10/11 hard drive. If your destination disk is an SSD, you can choose SSD Alignment to accelerate the speed of the SSD.

- Practical Cloning Settings

✿ Sector By Sector Clone: Cloning all sectors on the old HDD whether used or not. It requires the target disk to be larger than or equal to the source disk.

✿ Edit Partitions: Adjust partition size of target disk. You can choose "Copy without resizing partitions", "Add unused space to all partitions", or "Manually adjust partition size". The second option is recommended since it is smarter.

- Extended Reading: How to Check Disk Partition Style

Both MBR and GPT are two different disk types for data storage. And you can check its disk properties in Disk Management. The overall steps are below:

• Press Win + R to open the Run window. Then, type diskmgmt.msc and hit OK to open disk management.
• Then, right-click the disk you want to clone and select Properties in the pop-up window.
• In the Properties window, select the Volume tab and confirm the partition style. It can be MBR (Master Boot Record) or GPT (GUID Partition Table).

※ Way 2. Migrate Windows 10 to SSD via Qiling Disk Master Free

With the free edition of Qiling Disk Master, you can also realize the goal of system disk data migration on Windows 10, 11. However, this method needs more manual operations and some skills about computer. Let's take a closer look.

Step 1. Create a system backup image using Qiling Disk Master backup feature. Go Backup > System Backup, and follow the wizard to complete. It is suggested to store the backup image on external drive or network path, or anywhere you can access from the WinPE environment.

Step 2. Prepara a USB drive that better equal or greater than 16GB. Go Tools > Create Bootable Media, and follow the wizard to complete.

Step 3. Restore the system image in WinPE environment. Boot up your computer with the bootable media. You'll see loaded Qiling Disk Master after log in. Click Restore and follow the wizard to complete.

Conclusion

You can clone an HDD so easily with free HDD cloning software in Windows 10/11 - Qiling Disk Master. It requires only a few simple steps to move your Windows 10/11 hard drive to a new HDD or an SSD. It is suggested to download this software to have a try. After all, practice is the only criterion for testing truth.

For IT maintenance and support engineers, it's suggested to use the Technician or Technician Plus edition. It is convenient to backup, restore or clone on different computers without installing it first by creating portable version of this software.

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