How to Copy C Drive to Another Drive Without Losing Data

Copying the system drive or cloning the C drive is not as easy as copying a file or folder. Everything, including the partitions of the drive that lets Windows use it as a boot device, must be copied. The process can't be done manually via copy and paste. But don't worry. This post from EaseUS will tell you how to clone C drive to external hard drive.

Why Copy the C Drive to an External Hard Drive

The C drive, or system drive, is the primary hard disk partition containing the operating system (OS), applications, and related system files. When you plan to copy C drive to new drive, it means you want to clone the Windows C drive to an external storage device, making an exact 1-to-1 copy of your system drive, and you can boot other devices with this bootable cloned drive.

How do I clone my entire C drive to a new hdd?
byu/waffeli intechsupport

You need to clone or transfer the C drive to an external hard disk for various reasons. The following are the benefits of making a copy of the system drive to another one.

Best Disk Cloning Software for Windows Free Download

Cloning a C drive is more challenging than backing up or copying a file or folder. Everything on the drive must be cloned. When done manually, the process will be rather time-consuming because there is a lot of data on the system drive. But don't worry, there is a way out. There will be special disk cloning software - EaseUS Disk Copy available for you to clone the C drive to an external hard drive easily and quickly.

EaseUS Disk Copy, one of the best tools to copy C drive to external HDD, is an easy-to-use disk cloning tool compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7. It can help you clone hard drives, operating systems, disks, and partitions. It allows for upgrading a hard disk to a bigger one and cloning an HDD to an SSD for better performance.

In addition, it can resize and rearrange partitions during the cloning process. It is an ideal tool for anyone looking for a reliable way to migrate an existing Windows system to a new hard disk, such as a larger hard drive. For example, it can help you copy your Windows installation to an SSD.

Take a glance at the key features of this fantastic cloning tool:

• Transfer data from one SSD to another
• Allow for full disk and partition-level cloning
• Resize partition when cloning disks
• Clone a drive with bad sectors
• Create a WinPE bootable disk
• Clone hard drive before replacing

If you want to transfer C drive to new drive, it can suit you well in every aspect. Free download it on your PC, and it will satisfy all your cloning needs.

If you like this post, you can share it on your social platforms to help others copy C drive to external hard drive.

How to Clone C Drive to External Hard Disk

Among the many cloning software available on the market, why do we suggest you use EaseUS Disk Copy? EaseUS Disk Copy is also very easy to use, except for the features mentioned above, because you can finish the disk cloning process in a few clicks. The following are the steps about how to copy C drive to another drive with EaseUS cloning software. 

Video Tutorial on How to Transfer C Drive to New SSD or HDD:

 

Step-by-step guide on cloning drive C to another drive using EaseUS Disk Copy:

Prior Notice:

• The "Sector by sector copy" asks the size of your destination disk to be at least equal to or larger than that of the source disk. Leave this feature unchecked if you wish to clone a larger hard disk to a smaller hard disk.
• All data on the destination disk will be completely erased, so take care.

Step 1. To start copying/cloning an entire disk to another, choose this disk as the source disk under "Disk Mode" and click "Next".

Step 2. Choose the other disk as the destination disk.

Step 3. Check the disk layout of the two disks. You can manage the disk layout of the destination disk by selecting "Autofit the disk", "Copy as the source" or "Edit disk layout". 

• "Autofit the disk" makes some changes by default on the destination disk layout so that it can work at its best status.
• "Copy as the source"does not change anything on destination disk and the layout is the same as source disk.
• "Edit disk layout" allows you to manually resize/move partition layout on this destination disk.

Tick the "Check the option if the target is SSD" option to put your SSD in its best performance.

A message now appears, warning you that data will be lost. Please confirm this message by clicking "OK" and then click "Next".

Step 4. Click "Proceed" to officially execute the task.

If you want to know how to boot from the external drive after copying, refer to:

The Bottom Line

Now, do you know how to clone C drive to external hard drive? After reading this article, cloning a C drive to an external drive via EaseUS Disk Copy will be a breeze. EaseUS Disk Copy is a top-notch cloning utility for all computer users to clone various storage devices, such as a navigation SD card, a USB drive, an external drive, an SSD, etc.

Besides, it also enables you to clone NVMe SSD to SATA SSD. Due to its minimalist design and easy-to-use interface, you can use it immediately, regardless of your technical knowledge. Try EaseUS Disk Copy now to migrate OS to external drive; it will not let you down.

FAQs on How to Clone C Drive to External Hard Drive

1. How do I transfer everything from my computer to an external hard drive?

Transferring data from a computer to an external hard drive is very easy. You can plug the hard drive into the computer, select the files on the computer you want to transfer, and then copy these files to the external drive.

2. Can I clone C drive to D drive?

Yes, you can clone your C drive to your D drive. Ensure your D drive has enough space to hold your data on your C drive and find a reliable disk cloning program to clone C drive to D drive.

3. How do I Backup my C drive?

Click on Start, type backup in the Search box, then click Backup and Restore. Under Back up files or your entire PC, click Back up files. Click Next after choosing where to save your backup.

4. How to copy C drive to external hard drive without software?

If you plan to clone a hard drive without software, it is almost impossible. However, if you want to backup system drive to external hard drives, you can try the Windows Backup & Restore.