Best Way to Clone USB Drive without Data Loss [Free]
This article introduces the best free USB clone tool that can help you clone USB drive as well as create bootable USB drive effortlessly.
Cloning a USB drive is essential when you need an exact replica of your data, whether for backup purposes, upgrading to a larger drive, or simply transferring data between devices. Ensuring that the process is seamless and free from data loss is crucial. In this guide, we will explore the best free USB cloner to copy a USB drive without any risk to your data.
Why Need to Clone a USB Drive?
There is no doubt that USB flash drive plays an important role in our daily lives, such as storing data, creating bootable USB drive for Windows, running portable versions of programs and games, and so on. However, it is prone to get lost or damaged. So, cloning a USB is necessary. Some common reasons why you might need to create a USB drive copy include:
💦Data backup and recovery: Creating a clone of your USB drive ensures that you have a backup in case the original drive fails or is lost. This is particularly important for drives that contain critical data.
💦Drive upgrade: If you are planning to upgrade to a larger disk, cloning allows you to transfer all your data without having to manually copy files.
💦Data transfer: Cloning is an efficient way to transfer data between drives without the risk of missing any files or corrupting data.
💦Bootable drives: For bootable USB drives, cloning ensures that the new drive will be bootable as well, preserving all the necessary boot files and configurations.
Best Free USB Drive Cloning Software for Windows 11/10/8/7
Several free tools are available for cloning USB drives, but one stands out for its ease of use and comprehensive features - AOMEI Backupper Standard. This free USB drive duplicator allows you to clone USB drive to another USB drive, SSD, HDD, SD card, and other disks.
- Its Disk Clone can help you copy entire USB drive, and Partition Clone enables you to copy a specific partition on the USB drive at will.
- It is capable of cloning USB to a larger and smaller drive with the help of Sector by Sector Clone and Intelligent Clone features.
- If you are cloning USB drive to SSD, it is able to accelerate the reading and writing speed of SSD via 4K alignment technology.
*The AOMEI Backupper disk cloner free Standard version is only available for copying data disk. If want to use it as a bootable USB clone tool, please upgrade to the Professional or higher version, which enables you to clone bootable USB drive as well as clone Windows 10/11 to USB drive easily.
*If your computer is running Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, etc., you may use the Server edition.
Stepwise Guide: How to Clone USB Drive with Ease
Here is a step-by-step guide to cloning your USB drive free using AOMEI Backupper:
Step 1. Download and run AOMEI Backupper on your computer. Plug both the source USB drive and the target drive into your computer.
Step 2. Go to the Clone tab and choose Disk Clone. It will copy everything on the USB drive.
Step 3. Select the USB drive as the source disk, then choose another disk as the destination drive. Click Next to continue.
Step 4. Check SSD Alignment to accelerate the writing & reading speed of SSD when cloning to SSD. Then, click Start Clone to clone USB drive on Windows 10/11 hassle-free.
- ★Other Useful Features of AOMEI Backupper:
- It offers various backup options like System Backup, Disk Backup, Partition Backup, File Backup, and so on, which helps you create Windows image backup, disk backup, or file backup to USB drive easily.
- Its Create Bootable Media function can help you create bootable USB, DVD/CD that can be used to start a crashed computer.
- It also comes with a Disk Wipe feature that is capable of wiping USB drive completely for secondary usage. (accessible in Pro version)
FAQs about Cloning USB Drive
#1. How to clone a USB drive with multiple partitions?
Cloning a USB drive with multiple partitions is straightforward with AOMEI Backupper. The software allows you to clone the entire disk, preserving the partition structure. Simply follow the steps mentioned above, ensuring that the "Disk Clone" option is selected.
#2. Can Rufus clone USB drives?
Rufus is primarily used for creating bootable USB drives and is not designed for cloning USB drives.
#3. How to make a clone of a bootable USB?
To clone a bootable USB drive, you need to ensure that the cloning software you use supports cloning bootable drives. AOMEI Backupper can handle bootable drives, ensuring that the cloned drive is also bootable. This is particularly useful for creating backups of bootable installation media.
In the End
Cloning a USB drive is a straightforward process when using the right tools. Whether you are creating a bootable clone, backing up important data, or upgrading to a larger drive, the AOMEI Backupper software provides a reliable and efficient way to clone your USB drives, ensuring that all your data is transferred safely and securely.