Best Software to Clone Windows 10?

[bbhaag]

I ended up using Macrium Reflect free to do a 1:1 clone on 2 occasions and it worked very well, thanks again!

Sent from my SM-G935T

Good too hear everything went smooth. Thanks for the update! I also used Macrium Reflect free to do a clone of my Win8.1 image from one ssd to a larger ssd. Good to see it works on Win10 too.

 

[Oyeve]

I used to use Acronis all the time but switched to a hardware copy scheme. I use a startech cloning caddy. Works great and is much faster than SW. Probably cheaper as well.

 

[Jakieyoyo D]

Free one you can try Clonezilla or Easeus todo backup free. Macrium i've never used, no idea.

 

[Elixer]

I used to use Acronis all the time but switched to a hardware copy scheme. I use a startech cloning caddy. Works great and is much faster than SW. Probably cheaper as well.

Curious, what do you mean much faster? What kind of speeds are you seeing?

 

[EXCellR8]

Some hardware cloning devices are decent, but I do a lot of externals that are tricky to open without damaging the enclosure or voiding warranty. Therefore, I usually turn to software first

I will say, though, that the latest versions of True Image have been giving me some issues... such as crashing and taking forever to read archives on some USB drives. Could be a Windows problem though, can't figure it out.

 

[corkyg]

...I will say, though, that the latest versions of True Image have been giving me some issues... such as crashing and taking forever to read archives on some USB drives. Could be a Windows problem though, can't figure it out.

Been running TI2017 for several weeks - cloned about 4 drives, HDD and SSD, no problems noted.

 

[holden j caufield]

what's the easiest way to clone from a bigger drive with lots of free space to a smaller SSD. I always use clonezilla to clone same size or bigger but smaller drives don't work well with it.

 

[PliotronX]

what's the easiest way to clone from a bigger drive with lots of free space to a smaller SSD. I always use clonezilla to clone same size or bigger but smaller drives don't work well with it.

I would try to shrink the partition before cloning. You may have to run contig or free space defragmentation with Defraggler/Auslogics before shrinking the partition.

 

[deustroop]

Macrium Reflect has a methodology I have found helpful. It clones the used sectors only. So, e.g., it will clone a 5 GB drive to a two GB drive where the larger drive has less data than the size of the smaller drive.
Nice.

 

[Oyeve]

Curious, what do you mean much faster? What kind of speeds are you seeing?

I cant tell the speeds but its pretty much foolproof. Only downside is the destination drive must be the same or larger. Here is a link to the one I use all the time: https://www.startech.com/HDD/Duplicators/USB-3-Hard-Drive-Duplicator-Docking-Station~SATDOCK2REU3

 

[corkyg]

With TI, free space does not matter. Just Proportional Mode. What counts is the actual data. If it fits, larger to smaller is no problem.

 

[sonitravel09]

Use Macrium Reflect Free and select the option Create an image of the partitions required to backup & restore Windows. You can select the option to image individual partitions if you know what you are doing. Imaging is preferred to cloning to avoid having two disks connected to your PC with an identical disk signature.

 

[deustroop]

Use Macrium Reflect Free and select the option Create an image of the partitions required to backup & restore Windows. You can select the option to image individual partitions if you know what you are doing. Imaging is preferred to cloning to avoid having two disks connected to your PC with an identical disk signature.

Actually Macrium does not run into the problem of identical signatures as it does not copy that item. The two drives work in the same system.Cloning with Reflect is the preferred option.
Where one must look out for that problem, I have found, is Samsung cloning software. The original is meant to be removed and the cloned is meant to be used. That software presents the conflict of disk ID but Macrium does not.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I have always used TrueImage created Rescue Media. Just got the latest 2017 version. Cloned 10 with the 2015 version. No problems.

I don't see why you couldn't use TI 2014. In my recent tribulations over a related matter, I had to try EaseUS Partition Master because it was the only such software that promoted a key feature in their product description: "Convert BOOT/SYSTEM MBR drive to BOOTABLE GPT/GUID drive."

I have no doubt that you could clone a GPT Win 10 partition from one drive to the other with the older versions of Acronis (2014 or later). I would be surprised if I should have had doubts. But I think I'm going to pick up a fire-sale-priced Acronis product before it's too late. It's either that, or send a "routine" e-mail to EaseUS notifying them to reset my license so I can move it to another machine. Even so, their self-booting CD utility -- something which all these softwares typically create -- may be applied to a different PC, but they were more vague in the details.

Mistakes can arise for backing out of a software utility like that, if you didn't fully understand its capabilities and limitations. But it's just like AV/Security software to many mainstreamers: they let their subscriptions lapse, and then come up short.

I'd say -- examine your immediate requirement that sent you in the direction of these utilities in the first place, and determine whether the Trial or Free versions provide that requirement. If not, look for fire sale of recent versions, discounts, or -- a reasonable price. And they seem to be reasonably priced even for direct sale by the software house.

 

[corkyg]

I don't see why you couldn't use TI 2014. ... .

I did in 2014. I have always gotten the latest version, and then create new Rescue Media. For > $30 you can't go wrong.