This article will show you two ways about how to copy from USB to USB, including how to copy a bootable USB to another USB and how to transfer individual data from USB to another.
How to copy a bootable USB to another USB?
I have a Windows 10 installer on a USB drive, and I want to create a backup on another USB in case the image creation tool provided by Microsoft ever becomes deprecated.
Can I just drag and drop the files in the USB install stick to a hard drive, and then move them from my hard drive to the new USB and have it just work?
If you are asking how to copy from USB to USB, chances are you're dealing with one of two scenarios:
Simply put, for a bootable USB, you can't just copy and paste the contents of it to another USB and expect it to work. This is because when a USB drive is made bootable, special boot sector information and partition structure are written to the drive, with which, copy & paste won't transfer. File Explorer (or Finder on macOS) only copies visible files, not the hidden boot records that are essential for booting.
For performing a bootable clone of your USB with Windows installation or simply copying music and photos from one USB drive to another, there are two ways about how to clone USB to USB for you.
As presented above, copying a bootable USB isn't like dragging and dropping files between folders. It contains system files, boot sectors, and specific configurations that Windows File Explorer can't replicate. That’s why you need professional disk cloning software like AOMEI Cloner.
Specifically designed for full disk duplication, it supports USB drives from all brands and handles everything from personal files to bootable system data easily. Here are the features that make it stand out:
Working on all Windows versions, including Windows 11/10/8/7and all Windows Servers, here is a step-by-step on how to copy a bootable USB to another USB using the USB clone tool - AOMEI Cloner:
Step 1. Connect Both USB Drives. Plug in the source USB and the target USB to your computer.
Step 2. Download & Install AOMEI Cloner. Download AOMEI Cloner on your Windows PC, install and launch it. From the main interface, choose Clone > Disk Clone. This ensures everything, including boot info, gets transferred.
Step 3. Select Source and Destination USB. Choose the bootable USB you wish to copy. Pick the other USB drive as the destination path - note that all existing data here will be wiped.
Step 4. Enable Sector-by-Sector (Optional). Check the Sector By Sector Clone option to copy every bit, including boot sectors.
Step 5. Start Cloning. Click on the Start Clone button to begin the process and wait for completion.
If you're simply transferring files like documents, images, or videos, and both drives are accessible, you can do it manually through Windows File Explorer. For how to transfer from USB to USB for specific files:
Step 1. Insert both USB drives into available USB ports.
Step 2. Open File Explorer and navigate to the source USB.
Step 3. Select all files by using Ctrl + A or select specific files, right-click, and choose Copy.
Step 4. Navigate to the destination USB, and then press Ctrl + V, or right-click > Paste.
For how to copy from USB to USB on Mac, you can use the Command C + Command V operation in Finder to do file transfer likewise.
There are many reasons why you might need to know how to copy USB to USB on Windows 10 or Mac:
Whether you want to know how to copy Windows from USB to USB or transfer data from one USB to another, here is a solution for you. To copy a bootable USB, you’d better rely on the reliable disk cloning utility AOMEI Cloner, which not only allows you to clone one disk to another and maintain the functionality of the cloned disk, but also enables you to clone HDD to SSD for desktop or laptop disk upgrade.