How to Copy a Partition to Another Hard Drive in Windows

Sherly updated on Apr 18, 2024 to Partition Master | How-to Articles

This article elaborates on how to copy a partition to another hard drive and provides two efficient ways to perform this action. Besides, it gives detailed reasons why we need to copy a partition.

On this page, you can learn why you need to copy a partition to another hard drive and learn how to copy partition to another hard drive:

Are you trying to copy a partition to another hard drive? Don't worry. This article can enlighten you and provide two ways to help you copy partition to another hard drive.

 

How to Copy a Partition to Another Hard Drive - Two Efficient Ways

This section will teach you two effective methods to help you clone a partition to another drive. The third-party tool is relatively simple compared to the other complex command method. Using EaseUS Partition Master Professional is the correct choice if you are not a computer professional. The two methods are:

Method 1. Copy a Partition to Another Hard Drive via EaseUS Partition Master - Easy

Method 2. Copy a Partition to Another Hard Drive via CMD - Complex

Now, let's start with the first method, which is also the easier one, and learn how to copy a partition to another hard drive via a professional third-party tool, EaseUS partition Master.

Method 1. Copy a Partition to Another Hard Drive via EaseUS Partition Master - Easy

EaseUS Partition Master supports sector-by-sector copying and file-by-file copying for FAT and NTFS partitions, which is much faster. Even if you have problems with your file system, don't worry. EaseUS Partition Master checks the partition before you start copying it and automatically selects sector-by-sector copying to ensure your files are safe.

Now, download it and follow the guide to copy partition to another drive on your own. Also, ensure you have a larger partition on another hard drive, setting it as the destination for copying the source volume:

Step 1. Select "Clone" from the left menu. Click "Clone Partition" and "Next".

Step 2. Select the source partition and click "Next".

Step 3. Choose your the target partition and click "Next "to continue.

  • If you clone partition to the existing partition, you should transfer or back up data before cloning to prevent it being overwritten.
  • Check warning message and confirm "Yes".

Step 4. Click Start and wait for the clone to complete.

You can check how to clone partition or system reserved partition on this video tutorial.

Stay patient, and don't interrupt the copying process. When the operation completes, you'll get a 100% of the same partition duplicated on your target hard drive. If you like this method, don't forget to share it online to help more of your friends imaging their disk partition data with simple clicks:

 

Besides cloning a data partition, EaseUS Partition Master also works to clone Windows partition to another drive so as to migrate OS for free. Yet, it still has many other features. Let's continue to learn more about it.

Features of EaseUS Partition Master:

Download this multifunctional tool to help with any problems related to your partition.

Method 2. Copy a Partition via CMD - Complex

You can clone hard drive using Command Prompt if you are an experienced computer user. But be careful not to make any mistakes, or you will give a wrong command and suffer data loss. Therefore, you are supposed to back up your important data before starting to copy partition data. Now, let's start.

Step 1. Type cmd in the search box and then select "Command Prompt."

Step 2. Then run Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 3. Type the following command in the window:

xcopy c:\ f:\ /s /e /h /i /c /y

Notice:

c:/: the target drive you want to clone. You can change it with another drive.

f:/: the destination you want to clone to. You can change it with the correct hard drive.

/s: copy directories and subdirectories unless they are empty. 

/e: duplicate every subdirectory, even though it contains nothing.

/h: duplicate or copy system file attributes and hidden files.

/i: this command means always assume the destination is a folder if in question.

/c: continue copying even though an error occurs.

/y: suppress prompts to confirm overwriting files.

Step 4. Wait patiently and type "exit" to finish the process.

If you like the above provided guidelines for copying partition to another drive, feel free to share it online to help more of your friends accomplish this task with ease:

 

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Why Copy a Partition to Another Hard Drive

Cloning a partition or hard drive means copying everything from one drive to another, and the cloned drive is the same as the original. You may want to clone a drive for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common reasons are as follows:

  • Migrating your OS: If you want to move your OS to a new drive, you can clone partition.
  • Creating a backup: Partition cloning can help make a copy of it that can be used to back up in case of data loss or drive failure.
  • Transfer data from the drive to the new computer: You have all your data and settings on the new computer as long as you clone the partition.

After figuring out the reasons, you can follow the above methods and learn how to copy a partition to another hard drive.

However, if you are a beginner without much experience in computing, EaseUS Partition Master is a better choice, and you can turn to it for help. It can help you clone disks with bad sectors.

Conclusion

EaseUS Partition Master can run smoothly on different Windows versions, including Windows 11/10/8.1/7, Windows Versa, and Windows XP. It is easier to use compared to CMD. You can clone a hard drive within a few clicks and don't need to type any command prompt lines while using it. Alongside copying partitions to another drive, it enables you to manage your disk partition well, such as formatting, wiping, moving, merging, or extending your hard drive. Download it to try.

FAQs About Copying a Partition to Another Hard Drive

This part lists three further questions about today's topic, and we hope it can help if you have similar problems.

1. How do I create a copy of a partition?

You can use CMD or a third-party tool for help. EaseUS Partition Master is a nice choice and allows you to clone a partition sector-by-sector or file-by-file.

Step 1. Download EaseUS Partition Master.

Step 2. In the clone section, choose the partition you want to copy.

Step 3. Choose the target destination partition and click "Start."

2. What is cloning a partition?

Partition cloning means cloning one partition to another. For example, cloning the D drive to the E drive or another drive. All contents on the original partition will be migrated or transferred to the target partition. Make sure you own enough space on the target partition.

3. Does cloning drive copy everything?

Yes, When cloning a drive, you are simply copying everything on it (including the boot records, files, settings, and other settings) to another drive and getting an identical drive.