How to Copy from USB to USB: Fastest Way

User Case: How Do I Copy an Entire USB to Another USB?

If you are asking how to copy from USB to USB, chances are you're dealing with one of two scenarios:

• Cloning a bootable USB - when the USB drive is used to install or run an OS.
• Copying personal files - like photos, documents, or media that don't need to be ported over boot sectors.

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.

Fastest Way to Copy from USB to USB - Bootable Windows

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:

AOMEI Cloner

Best USB Cloning Software

• Intuitive UI - With an intuitive interface, it is easy to operate for green hands and technicians.
• Disk Clone & Partition Clone - Its Disk Clone allows to clone an entire bootable USB, including hidden and system files. It also offers Partition Clone to copy a specific partition.
• Sector by Sector Clone - It is able to create a 1:1 replication of the old USB by copying every sector on the disk to ensure that every bit of data is copied, preserving bootability.
• Except for cloning USB to USB, it is also capable of cloning USB to SSD/HDD or cloning Windows to USB and other external hard drives.

Free Download
Win 11/10/8/7/Server

100% Secure

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.

How to Copy from USB to USB - Personal Files

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.

Why Need to Copy USB to Another USB?

There are many reasons why you might need to know how to copy USB to USB on Windows 10 or Mac:

• Backup critical data: Having a backup USB ensures that your data is safe from loss, corruption, or theft.
• Distribute software or OS installers: Cloning a bootable USB makes it easy to prepare multiple installation tools.
• Replace old or slower USB: You may want to migrate data to a faster or higher-capacity USB stick.
• Create emergency recovery media: Duplicating your recovery USB ensures you're always prepared.

Summary

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.