How to Clone Encrypted Hard Drive to SSD/HDD

Failed to clone encrypted hard drive by using Symantec, Clonezilla, Norton hard drive cloning software? It's time to switch to EaseUS Todo Backup, which can clone BitLocker encrypted hard drive to HDD and SSD without a hitch.

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Updated by Jean on Sep 20, 2023
Written by Tracy King

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Clone Encryption Software To keep data security and prevent...Full steps
Using EaseUS Todo Backup

Connect a second hard drive...Full steps

Which Program Supports Cloning Encrypted Hard Drive

"Does anyone know which disk cloning software fully supports cloning the encrypted hard drive? I got two computers, and the memory of one now needs upgrading to a larger size HDD, while the other I'm thinking to replace it with a Solid State Drive. I use TrueCrypt and BitLocker by the way."

To keep data security and prevent privacy leaks, many businesses are getting used to applying Windows encryption feature or some third-party drive encryption software to encrypt the hard drive, giving anyone else no access to the disk data unless he/she knows the hardware code or encryption password.

When it comes to cloning a hard drive that is encrypted/locked, people encountered many obstacles like the encrypted hard drive is recognized as an unknown hard drive. If they want to clone the encrypted hard drive, without a password, they may use the sector-by-sector clone software to make this work. But it's better to unencrypt your hard drive in advance to make sure that the cloned data can be used.

However, they don't know what software is the best to clone a hard drive to SSD or HDD, and some of whom cloned encrypted hard drive successfully cannot boot from the target drive, which is also encrypted as the source disk. In a word, they failed to clone the encrypted hard drive in various scenarios.

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EaseUS Todo Backup Guide: Sector-by-sector Clone Encrypted Hard Drive to HDD/SSD

When you failed to clone the encrypted hard drive, no matter what cloning program you were using, it's time to switch to EaseUS Todo Backup, which allows sector-by-sector clone for any encrypted hard drive to SSD or HDD with a larger capacity.

By using EaseUS Todo Backup to clone an encrypted hard drive, technically, the target disk will also in an encryption state, just the same as the source disk. You can try either clone an encrypted hard drive directly or decrypt/unlock the source disk before cloning, in this case, the target disk won't require an encryption password.

Tip
You can definitely use EaseUS software to clone an encrypted hard drive, however, if the exact hard drive has OS installed, to ensure a normal boot from the cloned hard drive, please make sure that you decrypted the hard drive before taking the following steps to start the clone.

01. Connect A Second Hard Drive

Tools you need: a screwdriver, a Power Splitter Adapter cable, a SATA cable or an USB to SATA adapter. Make sure the target HDD/SSD is larger than the used space of the current drive. For M.2 SSD, you need to idenfity if there is a PCIe slot for connection.

  • Connect the target disk to your computer.
  • For desktop, open the mainframe with screwdriver and connect the disk to the mainboard with a SATA cable, then connect the disk's Power Splitter Adapter Cable into the power supply box.
  • For laptop, you can use an USB to SATA adapter to connect the disk.
  • Initialize a new HDD/SSD to MBR or GPT before you can use it (To keep the target new disk the same style as that of the current disk).
02. Download a Disk Cloning Utility

EaseUS Todo Backup is the cloning software that integrates multiple functions, including system/disk clone, backup, restoring , and system transfer, etc. In the disk clone field, this tool stands out due to the following aspects:

  • Covers as many as disk cloning demands, such as update hard drive to a larger one, clone OS, etc.
  • Disk cloning has the highest success rate among all similar products on the market.
  • Supports all kinds of disk types, including IDE, EIDE, SATA, ESATA, ATA, SCSI, iSCSI, USB 1.0/2.0/3.0.
  • Supports cloning of basic/dynamic disks and MBR/GPT disks.
03. Get Ready with the Clone Procedures

System Clone: Choose System Clone > choose the destination disk > click Next to start. In Advanced options, you can choose the option of Create a portable Windows USB drive to clone the system to a USB drive.

Disk/Partition Clone: Choose Clone > Select the resource disk or partition > Select the target disk > Click Next to start.

04. Boot from the Clone Hard Drive

Option 1. If you want to keep both the old disk and the new disk

  • Restart PC and press F2 (F8,F10, DEL...) to enter BIOS settings.
  • In the Boot option, select new HDD/SSD as the new boot drive.
  • Exit BIOS and restart the computer.

Option 2. If you want to only keep the new disk

  • Unplug the old disk and make sure the new disk is well connected.
  • Restart your computer.
  • Option 2 is a better hard drive retention plan for laptops

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Updated by Jean

Jean is recognized as one of the most professional writers in EaseUS. She has kept improving her writing skills over the past 10 years and helped millions of her readers solve their tech problems on PC, Mac, and iOS devices.

Read full bio

Written by Tracy King

Tracy became a member of the EaseUS content team in 2013. Being a technical writer for over 10 years, she is enthusiastic about sharing tips to assist readers in resolving complex issues in disk management, file transfer, PC & Mac performance optimization, etc., like an expert.

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Product Reviews

TrustScore 4.7 | 47 reviews
  • Taking everything into consideration, we can say that EaseUS Todo Backup Home can offer you a little extra sense of security with a set of advanced tools. The interface provides quick adaptation, every process guiding you all the way through so you don't get stuck or further damage your system rather than keeping it safe.

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  • EaseUS Todo Backup Free lets you create backups of your important files or your entire computer through its streamlined interface. Just choose the backup type you'd like to get started, and let the program do the reset.

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  • EaseUS includes all the features I expect from backup software like versioning, incremental backups, and scheduling. For more advanced users, EaseUS allows you to install a pre-boot environment onto your hard drive so you can use it to restore files without burning a CD or putting it on an external USB drive.

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