Is It Legal to Clone a Hard Disk Which Has Windows Installed?

I want to upgrade my Windows hard drive, but don't lose any data saved on it. Can I clone my old hard drive with Windows OS to the new SSD? Is it legal to clone a hard drive with Windows installed?

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Larissa· Answered on May 17, 2024

It is completely legal to clone a hard disk with Windows installed for personal use. 

However, it is crucial to note that cloning a hard disk with Windows installed may violate the Microsoft End User License Agreement (EULA) if the cloned copy is utilized on a computer other than the one to which the original license is attached. This could potentially cause issues with Windows licensing and activation on the cloned disk. When cloning a hard disk with Windows installed, it is best to refer to the specific terms of the Microsoft EULA. 

Cloning a hard drive is an excellent action when you upgrade a Windows hard drive, replace a failing hard drive, or swap to a new laptop without any data loss. Cloning a hard drive with Windows installed eliminates the hassle of reinstalling the operating system from scratch, and helps to transfer everything from one disk to another without hassle.

While cloning a hard drive, choosing a reliable disk cloning software is essential. EaseUS Disk Copy is one of the most popular cloning tools with powerful cloning features and simple operation. You can use it to clone HDD to SSD, clone a smaller SSD to a larger one or vice versa, clone SATA to NVMe, and it can even clone a hard drive with bad sectors. 

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Use EaseUS Disk Copy to upgrade small HDD, replace old/failed hard drive, migrate OS, clone HDD to SSD without reinstalling data.

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