Does your computer hard drive keep failing now and then without signals? And are you having a problem to access saved data on the failing hard dive in Windows PC? This tutorial article will show you how to clone a failing hard drive to a new drive - HDD/SSD without losing any data in Windows 10/8/7. If your computer hard drive keeps crashing or failing, just follow this page to clone and transfer data from your current disk to a new hard drive with ease now.
As we all know, a hard drive on a laptop or desktop computer is used to store data and save operating system files. But what if your hard drive is failing? The first thing you should consider is how to keep your essential files, but how do you do that? Don't worry, this post will explain how to clone a failing hard drive to a new SSD/HDD, helping you avoid losing data. Let's get started.
Most electronic storage devices, including hard drives, after long-time use, may fail now and then due to unspecified reasons after long-term use, for instance:
In the best of cases, hard drives fail gradually. It doesn't end all at once, giving you a chance to react, copy your data, and replace the storage device before facing a fatal failure.
When your computer and disk have these problems, and you are facing hard disk damage, your priority should be to export the data on your disk as soon as possible to ensure data security. Cloning a hard drive is a great choice that can prevent almost all data from being lost. But you may be curious: Will cloning really work to save all data in any scenario? It depends. Here are some situations where cloning works or does not.
| Failing Disk Signs | Cloning Success Rate | Solution - How to do |
| Bad sectors | High | Sector-by-sector cloning |
| The computer frequently freezes, slow speed | Medium | Clone hard drive to another when it works normally |
| The computer can't start, blud screen of death | High | Create a bootable disk on another device |
| Strange noise, clicking | Low | Seek help from a professional data recovery service |
How to clone a failing hard drive when your computer can't boot or when you can't access your disk. Don't worry, this blog will elaborate on two solutions to help you get out with competent disk cloning software. Keep reading and save your data with the guides.
Here are the quick takeaways of the two situations and the corresponding solutions that were covered in this post:
| ❓Situations | ✅Steps |
| Case 1️⃣. The hard drive is failing, but you can boot into the computer |
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| Case 2️⃣. The hard drive is failing, and you can't boot into the computer |
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A disk cloning tool is essential to clone a failing hard drive. EaseUS Disk Copy is one of the best disk cloning programs on the market. It enables you to clone a disk with bad sectors, clone a small disk to a large one, clone HDD to SSD, clone OS, clone partitions, and so on. In addition, it lets you resize partitions during the cloning process, create a WinPE bootable disk, and transfer your C drive to a new SSD.
Depending on the results of the hard disk failing, EaseUS Disk Copy provides you with different solutions to clone a failing hard drive in Windows 10. Download it with confidence and get ready for the following steps.
If you've just encountered problems with bad sectors, corrupted data, or computer freezes, you can clone it directly in the Windows environment. If you encounter problems like the computer not booting, strange sounds from a damaged hard drive, or Windows running slowly, you should clone a failing hard drive using WinPE with a bootable disk. How to do it? Read the tutorial in-depth.
EaseUS Disk Copy is a powerful tool that enables you to simply clone and transfer data from a dead or failed hard drive to a new disk offline without losing any data. You can download and install this risk-free software on your PC and activate this software to gain the full capacity for cloning your failing disk to a new HDD/SSD with all the contained data with a few simple clicks on your Windows 11/10/8/7.
📒Preparation: Before cloning, prepare a new HDD/SSD with a larger capacity than the failing hard drive and connect or insert it into your computer. For the new disk selection, you can refer to the following part in the text.
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When your computer can't start normally, neither the OS nor the disk controller can access the failing hard drive, and no read or write operations can be performed. You can only clone the failing hard drive and transfer data to a new bootable disk. See how to make it with the help of EaseUS Disk Copy.
📒Preparation:
Step 1. Download, install and run EaseUS Disk Copy on a healthy Windows computer. And connect an external storage device like a USB flash drive or and external hard drive to the PC. Click "Emergency Disk". Then, select "USB" and select your device, click "Create".
Step 2. Wait for the process to complete and then you'll get a bootable disk.
Step 3. Connect the bootable disk USB and a new SSD/HDD to the computer on which you want to clone the disk and set the computer to boot from the bootable disk by changing the boot order in BIOS.
Step 4. On EaseUS Disk Copy, click "Disk Mode" and select the source disk that you want to copy or clone. Click "Next" to continue.
Step 5. Select the destination disk where you want to clone/copy the old disk and click Next to continue. Click "OK" to confirm if the program asks to erase data on the destination disk.
Step 6. Check and edit the disk layout as Autofit the disk, Copy as the source or Edit disk layout. Autofit the disk is recommended.
Click "Proceed" to start the disk cloning or disk copying process now.
And then, shut down the computer, insert the new hard drive into your computer, and replace the failing drive. You can reboot your PC and use the data on a new disk now.
If the replaced drive is a system disk, you need to set the computer to boot from a new hard drive instead of the old one in BIOS. And then restart your computer to reuse data on the new disk again.
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Facing a failing or failed hard drive, no matter how long you use the old disk, it's time to swap to a new one that works normally to ensure the safety of your data. But how to choose one that meets your needs? Here are some small tips to consider while selecting:
When it comes to high-capacity storage solutions, Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) remain a reliable and cost-effective choice. For everyday computing, a 500GB HDD offers ample space, while serious gamers, creative professionals, and multitasking users should consider 1TB or larger drives to handle demanding workloads and storage-intensive applications.
There's no debate: Solid State Drives (SSDs) consistently outperform Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) in overall system performance. With faster boot times, rapid data access, and enhanced reliability, SSDs are the go-to storage solution for users who prioritize speed and efficiency in their computing experience.
In the world of SSDs, interface matters. NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives deliver significantly higher speeds compared to SATA-based SSDs, making them ideal for tasks like 4K video editing, gaming, and data processing. Before upgrading, always verify that your system supports NVMe technology to take full advantage of the performance boost.
Not all storage brands are created equal. To ensure durability, performance, and long-term value, it's essential to choose reputable manufacturers such as Samsung, Western Digital, Crucial, Kingston, SanDisk, and SK Hynix. These brands are known for consistent quality, strong warranties, and cutting-edge storage technology.
✅Prevent Overheating: Ensure proper computer ventilation and avoid high-temperature environments to extend drive lifespan.
✅Avoid Physical Shock: Handle with care, especially during operation, to prevent mechanical damage from impacts.
✅Keep Adequate Free Space: Never fill your drive completely; maintain at least 15-20% free space for optimal performance and health.
✅Run Regular Scans: Use built-in disk checking tools periodically to detect and repair potential errors early.
✅Ensure Stable Power Supply: Use reliable power sources and surge protectors to prevent damage from voltage fluctuations.
✅Back Up Regularly: Maintain consistent backups of important data to another drive or cloud storage as your ultimate safeguard against failure.
This is all about how to clone a failing hard drive. We offered two working solutions to help you clone a problematic disk easily. EaseUS Disk Copy is such a robust disk cloning tool that works even when your computer can't boot. With it, all your data will be safe, and you don't need to worry about it. Download it and use it to upgrade your hard drive seamlessly without reinstalling Windows or losing data.
There are two types of bad sectors on hard drives, and these are logical bad sectors and physical bad sectors. You can clone a hard drive with bad sectors in these two circumstances, but the solutions are unlike.
When there are logically bad sectors, and your computer can access the disk, you can run the CHKDSK /F command lines to fix the bad sectors, then clone the damaged hard drive in Windows 10 using EaseUS Disk Copy. However, if there are physical bad sectors on your hard drive, you need to use EaseUS Disk Copy to clone it in the WinPE environment.
This article provides you with two ways to clone and back up a failed hard drive. If you can enter your computer normally and access the hard drive properly, you can back up the failed hard drive in the Windows environment directly. If not, you need to back up the failed hard drive in WinPE with a bootable disk.
EaseUS Disk Copy can help clone a bad hard drive to a new one, whether it's an HDD or SSD. You can clone a bad hard drive with a boot disk in WinPE.
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