Best GPT Cloning Software for Windows | Free Download
With best GPT cloning software on Windows - AOMEI Cloner, you can safely clone GPT-to-GPT, GPT-to-MBR, or MBR-to-GPT without boot issues. Scroll down to learn more.
Last Updated September 19, 2025
What Is a GPT Disk?
A GUID Partition Table (GPT) disk is a modern standard for organizing partitions on storage drives, like HDDs or SSDs. It uses globally unique identifiers (GUIDs) to define partitions, replacing the older Master Boot Record (MBR) system.
GPT is widely used in newer operating systems (e.g., Windows 10/11) and supports larger drives, more partitions, and advanced features like UEFI booting. It’s ideal for drives over 2TB and ensures better data reliability with redundant partition tables.
GPT vs MBR: The Top Advantages and Challenges
✨The Advantages:
- Larger Drive Support: GPT handles drives up to 9 ZB, unlike MBR, which is limited to 2TB.
- More Partitions: GPT allows up to 128 partitions per disk, while MBR is capped at 4 primary partitions.
- Better Reliability: GPT stores multiple copies of the partition table, reducing data loss risk if one copy is corrupted.
- UEFI Compatibility: GPT supports modern UEFI booting, required for Windows 8 and later, offering faster startup and secure boot features.
⚠️The Challenges:
- Compatibility Issues: Older systems or BIOS-based hardware may not support GPT, requiring MBR instead.
- Cloning Complexity: Cloning GPT disks needs a professional GPT cloning software like AOMEI Cloner to properly handle EFI/UEFI partitions, disk types, etc., for bootability, especially to smaller SSDs.
- Setup Knowledge: Converting to GPT or setting up UEFI booting can be tricky for beginners, requiring careful configuration.
Best GPT Cloning Software for Windows
Why choose GPT partitioning? For modern PCs, large-capacity drives, or systems requiring UEFI, GPT is the preferred solution. In such cases, a professional tool like AOMEI Cloner is crucial. Whether you're cloning MBR to GPT, GPT to MBR, or GPT to GPT, its features can handle scenarios like cloning to smaller SSDs, capacity issues, and mismatched disk types (e.g., one MBR and one GPT).
- Clone any type of disks, e.g., HDDs/SSDs, MBR/GPT disks, SATA/M.2/PCIe, etc.
- Clone to a larger or smaller drive
- Bootable clone Windows 11, 10, 8,7, and Windows Server. It will include the OS, EFI/UEFI partitions, etc., required to start Windows.
- Intelligent clone technology plays a vital role in cloning to smaller SSD.
- SSD Alignment for high performance.
- Auto-resize and convert disk types (e.g., clone MBR to GPT) in Edit Partitions.
100% SecureHow to Clone a GPT Disk on Windows Safely
👉Apply to: clone GPT to GPT, clone GPT to MBR, clone MBR to GPT
Pre-cloning Prep
- Be sure your computer supports GPT disk/UEFI mode.
- Prepare a SATA/M.2 adapter to connect the GPT disk, depending on its disk interface.
- The destination drive (MBR or GPT) will be overwritten. Please back up your important data early.
Steps to Clone a GPT Disk
Step 1. Connect your target drive, either MBR or GPT, and download AOMEI Cloner for cloning. On the main page, click Clone > Disk Clone.
Step 2. Select the old and new drive (HDD/SSD) respectively. If you are using clone MBR to GPT, MBR is the source disk and GPT is the destination disk. Same applies to cloning GPT to MBR and cloning GPT to GPT.
Step 3. The partitions of the larger drive are auto-resized. Click Edit Partitions to confirm this and, optionally, convert MBR to GPT. Or leave this option unchecked if it's "Convert GPT to MBR" and keep using the GPT disk. At last, click Start Clone.
🤝Notes:
✔ It’s suggested to enable SSD Alignment(for SSD disks) to get the best performance.
✖ The Sector by Sector Clone mode will clone all sectors of a drive, including empty and bad sectors. Just leave it unchecked.
Cloning GPT disk to smaller SSD you just need to follow the steps above, no extra setup required. It does not matter if the target drive is smaller (referring here to the used sectors), as the software defaults to cloning only the used sectors of the drive.
Conclusion
GPT disk is for modern computers,large-capacity drives, or systems requiring UEFI booting, but it’s different for most users to handle UEFI partitions, incorrect partition styles, etc. So it’s necessary to use a professional GPT cloning software on Windows like AOMEI Cloner, which can handle these issues well.
It will include the OS, installed programs, individual files, system settings, etc., from GPT to GPT, GPT to MBR, or MBR to GPT, and be sure the cloned drive is bootable. It does not matter if the target drive is smaller as long as the used sectors of the source disk are smaller than or equal to the target drive.