Super Guide: Clone Windows Server 2012 to New Hard Drive

How to clone Windows Server 2012 to new hard drive? This article provides you with powerful software to help you do this. Read this guide to get the easiest method.

By @Delia Last Updated October 25, 2024

The need to clone Windows Server 2012 to new hard drive

“I have a computer with Windows Server 2012 installed on it. Now I’m planning to replace the old hard drive with a new one which offers higher capacity. But I don’t want to reinstall the system. Is there any good way to accomplish it or is any good software recommended?”

– Question from Anonymous user

As data is increasing day by day, your hard drive storage space is becoming less and less, and your computer will become slower and slower. To improve performance, upgrading to a new HDD or SSD is a good choice. We all know that reinstalling the OS and applications again is time-consuming, so the above user wants to know a good way to make it.

Fortunately, there is a quick and easy method -- System Clone. System clone means to make the same copy of the original OS (operating system) and transfer it to another storage device so that you don’t have to reinstall it. AOMEI Backupper Server is the way to go.

Best software to clone Windows Server 2012 to new hard drive

AOMEI Backupper Server, especially designed for Windows Server systems, is not only a data protection and disaster recovery tool, but also a disk/partition cloning software. It’s handy to operate for everyone even not a computer expert. All Windows OS Platforms are supported.

You can easily clone Windows Server 2012 to new hard drive with the System Clone or Disk Clone feature. The System Clone will only clone the system drive while the Disk Clone will clone the entire drive, including system and data. Before we show you how to perform Windows Server 2012 system clone with AOMEI Backupper Server, you should download AOMEI Backupper Server, install and launch it.

AOMEI Backupper
Top Windows Server Clone Software

  • Smart Clone: Just copy the used sections of the source disk or partition, you can clone your C drive to a smaller drive without any issues.

  • Optimize Disk Space: Increase the size of your system partition using any unallocated space, to help your computer run more efficiently.

  • Multiple Cloning Features: Clone your system, disk, or partitions, making it simple to upgrade or move your operating system or SSD on your server.

Download Free Trial Windows Servers & PCs
100% Secure

How to clone Windows Server 2012 to new hard drive

Next, please follow the steps below to clone Windows Server 2012 to new hard drive, but before you do this, you should connect another disk to your computer, and make sure it’s available to be detected.

Step 1. Select “System Clone” under the “Clone” tab.

Step 2. System drive and all boot-related drives are selected by default. Decide a partition as the destination. Note that you’d better choose the first partition or available area on the target disk. Otherwise, the system could not boot.

Step 3. Confirm the operation and click “Start Clone”. Wait for a while until the progress reaches 100%. In order to make system bootable from the new hard drive, please shut down your computer after system cloning is completed. Then disconnect the source disk and connect the destination disk.

Notes:

  1. If you choose “Sector by sector clone”, then it will clone each space of the selected partitions, whether it is used or not. Not supported in larger disk to smaller disk cloning.
  2. If you are cloning a disk to an SSD, ticking “SSD Alignment” will accelerate its reading and writing speed.

FAQs about clone Windows Server 2012 to new hard drive

1. What are the benefits of cloning over a fresh installation?
 
Cloning allows you to maintain your current system settings, applications, and data, saving time and avoiding potential issues arising during a fresh installation.
2. What types of hard drives can I clone Windows Server 2012 to?
 
You can clone to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). However, make sure the new drive is compatible with your server hardware.
3. Will cloning affect the performance of my new hard drive?
 
If done correctly or using AOMEI Backupper Server, cloning should not negatively impact performance. Upgrading to a newer, larger drive can improve overall system performance, especially if you’re switching to an SSD.
4. Can I clone while my server is running?
 
It's generally recommended to perform the cloning process when the server is not heavily utilized to avoid any data corruption. Some cloning software may allow for live cloning, but downtime is preferable.
5. What should I do if I encounter issues during the cloning process?
 
If you face issues, consult the troubleshooting section of the cloning software's user manual. If you are a user of AOMEI Backupper, please feel free to contact our specialist about your trouble.

Conclusion

As you can see, AOMEI Backupper Server can help you clone Windows Server 2012 to new hard drive without effort. You can choose to only clone the system or the entire hard drive. And it’s also possible to clone a single partition.

Besides cloning, AOMEI Backuper Server is also an excellent backup and restore tool. Offers all kinds of backup options like system/disk/partition/file backup, full/incremental/differential backup, and lets you create multiple backup schedules as per your need. 

PS: It also has the free edition AOMEI Backpper Standard for Windows PC users to protect their data safe.