How to Clone Windows 11/10 with Clonezilla or An Easier Tool

User Case: How to Clone Windows 11 with Clonezilla?

If you want to clone Windows 11 using Clonezilla like this user did, then you've really come to the right place. Looking to boost your Windows 10/11 computer's performance by upgrading the hard drive? Well, worry not! Clonezilla's got your back with its nifty disk-to-disk clone feature.

Want to know how to clone Windows 10/11 to a shiny new SSD or HDD? Look no further! I've got all the juicy details right here for you. Keep reading to discover the step-by-step guide on using Clonezilla to make that smooth transition. Let's get your system cloned and running like a dream on your upgraded drive!

How to Use Clonezilla to Clone Windows 11 to SSD/HDD

In this section, we've got your back on downloading and using Clonezilla for cloning Windows 10/11. We've got all the necessary steps covered, so you're in good hands. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, we've got you covered.

So buckle up and get ready to dive into the world of Clonezilla and its awesome cloning capabilities. We'll walk you through the process step-by-step, ensuring you have everything you need to successfully clone your Windows 10/11 system. Let's get started!

• Preparations

It's important to note that if you plan to use Clonezilla for cloning Windows 10/11 onto a smaller SSD or HDD, you'll need to shrink the source partition to match the size of the destination partition. However, if the destination drive is the same size or larger than the source drive, you can skip this step. Here's a quick guide on how to shrink the partition:

Step 1. To begin, simply type Disk Management in the search box and click on the top result to open it.

Step 2. Right-click on the main volume (usually labeled as "C:") and select the Shrink Volume option.

Step 3. Click on the Shrink button to reduce the volume's size as much as possible.

After completing the previous step, proceed to learn how to use Clonezilla in Windows 10/11.

• How to clone Windows 11 via Clonezilla

Step 1. Visit the official download page to download Clonezilla for Windows 11/10. Choose the appropriate CPU architecture, file type, and repository for the cloning process. For instance, you can use the "zip" file type to create a bootable USB stick (learn more here), or burn the "iso" file to a DVD.

Step 2. Connect your new hard drive to the computer. If your laptop has only one slot for a disk, use a USB adapter to connect the new drive.

Step 3. Boot Clonezilla by starting your computer from bootable media. Press Enter to accept default settings. Initiate the wizard. Choose your language and select Don't touch keymap.

Step 4. Choose the mode. Select the device_device option, and opt for Beginner mode to stick with default settings. Then, select disk_to_local_disk local_disk_to_local_disk_clone for local disk cloning and press Enter.

Step 5. Select the source drive and destination drive. You have the option to check the source file system or simply choose Skip checking/repairing source file system.

Step 6. Select the desired action after cloning. By default, you can choose to reboot, shutdown, etc. once the cloning process is complete.

Step 7. Verify the operation.

• To confirm the cloning process, simply type Y and press Enter.
• To re-confirm the data erasure on the target drive, type Y and press Enter again.
• To finalize the process and make the Windows 10/11 drive bootable, type Y and press Enter to close the boot loader.

Step 8. The software will now proceed to clone data from the source disk to the target disk.

Based on your chosen settings in the previous step, this software will either prompt you to shut down or restart, or automatically perform the action.

☏Tip: When cloning Windows 10/11 to a larger drive, you might encounter the issue of "cloned hard drive unallocated space left" on the cloned hard drive. To resolve this, follow these steps to expand the volume:

Step 1. Open Disk Management by typing it in the search box and selecting the top result.

Step 2. Right-click on the volume adjacent to the unallocated space and select Extend Volume.

Step 3. Proceed by clicking Next, selecting the disk with the desired allocated space (usually the default settings), and clicking Next again. Finally, click Finish to complete the process.

Clone Windows 11 to SSD or HDD with An Easier Way

If you prefer the best alternative to Clonezilla for cloning Windows 10/11 to an SSD/HDD, consider using AOMEI Backupper Professional. It is a user-friendly and powerful cloning software that offers easy steps for cloning, even to smaller SSDs. With AOMEI Backupper, you can directly clone your Windows 10/11 hard drive to another one, ensuring a smooth and efficient process. Here are some key features of this software:

✪Provides three cloning solutions: Disk Clone, Partition Clone, and System Clone, allowing you to clone entire disks, specific partitions, or just the operating system.
✪Supports cloning from larger drives to smaller drives, as long as the target disk can accommodate all the data.
✪Automatically ignores bad sectors during the cloning process, ensuring a successful clone.
✪Offers a user-friendly GUI (Graphical User Interface) for easy navigation and operation.
✪Runs the cloning process in the background, allowing you to use the computer for other tasks simultaneously.

To clone your Windows 10/11 hard disk using AOMEI Backupper, follow these steps:

Step 1. Download AOMEI Backupper Professional. (For server users, you can try AOMEI Backupper Server.)

Step 2. Install and open this software. Click on Clone and choose Disk Clone.

Step 2. Choose the Windows 10/11 hard drive as the source disk.

Step 3. Choose your new SSD/HDD as the destination disk.

Step 4. Review the operation summary and click Start Clone to begin the process.

Tips:
☁If the source disk has bad sectors, it is recommended to avoid checking the Sector by sector clone box. This option clones every sector, including the bad sectors, to the target disk.
☁For SSD target disks, enable SSD Alignment to enhance read and write speeds and prolong the lifespan of the SSD.
☁To boost your computer's performance, consider cloning Windows 10/11 to an NVMe SSD for faster operation.

Summary

Now that you are familiar with cloning Windows 10/11 via Clonezilla and AOMEI Backupper, it's evident that AOMEI Backupper is a much simpler and highly recommended alternative. It supports disk and partition cloning on various Windows versions, including Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP.

Moreover, AOMEI Backupper offers additional data protection features beyond cloning. These include creating system or disk images, restoring your computer to an earlier date, and creating a bootable disc for situations of boot failure.

For IT maintenance and support engineers, AOMEI Backupper Technician or Technician Plus edition allows the creation of a portable version. This enables running the software directly on the target computer without prior installation, making it convenient for cloning Windows 10/11 on different machines.