AOMEI System Clone vs Disk Clone: Which One Should You Use?
In this article, you’ll get the differences between system clone vs disk clone, the best cloning software - AOMEI Cloner, and how to clone system/disk step by step. Scroll down to learn more.
Last Updated June 20, 2025
Looking to make a bootable backup of win10.Does Aoemi system clone copy all of the c: drive?I only have the c: drive, there is no d:\ drive partition on this hard drive.
- Question from tenforums.
System Clone and Disk Clone are two popular methods used in data migration and backup processes. While they both aim to replicate data for various purposes, like upgrading to a new drive or safeguarding data, but their scope and use cases are quite difference.
If you are confused about system clone vs disk clone, especially for novices, who do not know how to choose, scroll down to learn more.
- What’s the difference between system clone vs disk clone?
- Which tool is best for cloning?
- How to clone hard drive or system partition step by step?
Overview of System Clone and Disk Clone
Before talking about system clone vs disk clone, let’s get some basics:
System Clone refers to copying all of the C: drive, usually boot-related items, including the operating system, system reserved partition, EFI/recovery partition, system files, and essential drivers. So you can easily transfer C drive to new SSD without reinstalling Windows.
Disk Clone is a complete copy of an entire physical drive, including all partitions, e.g, system partition, data partition, recovery partition, and even unused sectors. It creates a perfect duplicate of the source disk. If it’s a system disk, the cloned drive is bootable.
System Clone vs Disk Clone: Key Differences
- 👉 The Key Takeaways:
- Select System Clone for OS migration or SSD upgrade, especially if the target drive is a smaller SSD.
- Select Disk Clone to replace or upgrade the old drive, or create a full backup with everything on it.
|
Aspect |
System Clone |
Disk Clone |
|
Clone Scope |
Only the C: drive and boot-related partitions |
Entire drive |
|
Included Data |
OS, boot files, system settings, drivers, etc |
All partitions and data, e.g., OS, boot sectors, settings, programs, user files, etc |
|
Speed |
Faster, as it clones OS only |
Slower, especially with large drives |
|
Storage Space |
Requires less space to hold all the data |
Requires the same or larger capacity for exact replication |
|
Bootable |
Yes, the cloned drive is bootable with the OS ready to use |
Yes (if the original disk was bootable) |
|
🥇 Best For |
OS migration, SSD upgrade for faster boot |
Full hard drive replacement, create full backups |
Which Software Is Best for System/Disk Clone?
While Windows offers some built-in backup utilities like Backup and Restore (Windows 7) and File History, it does not provide any dedicated cloning software for seamless system or disk migration. That means if you’re looking to:
- Transfer OS to new SSD
- Create a full backup of current hard drive
- Or duplicate a disk for upgrade or replacement
...you’ll need a reliable third-party disk clone software - AOMEI Cloner. It stands out because it is user-friendly, efficient, and safe.
- With a clean and intuitive design, even novices can get started quickly.
- Support 3 cloning methods - System Clone, Disk Clone, Partition Clone. The system disk will remain bootable without extra setup.
- Intelligent clone only used sectors of a drive, greatly saving time and space.
- Clone and resize hard drive or OS to avoid cloned drive show wrong size.
- Optimize SSD disk performance during cloning.
- Compatible with all brands of HDDs and SSDs, such as Samsung, SanDisk, WD, Crucial, etc.
- Supports Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, etc., and Windows Server.
100% SecureHow to Use AOMEI Cloner for System/Disk Clone
Click the download button to get started! Please note that the destination disk or partition will be overwritten during cloning. Be sure to backup any important data. Otherwise, you will lose them after cloning.
How to Clone a Hard Drive
1. Connect the target drive to your computer using a SATA cable or an adapter. Then, open AOMEI Cloner, click Clone > Disk Clone subsequently.
2. You will then be asked to select the source and destination disk (with equal or larger capacity). Select them and click Next afterward.
3. Be sure to check SSD Alignment to improve SSD disk performance (if it is). Click Edit Partitions in the following two situations. At last, check your settings and click Start Clone.
- The target drive is larger. Select “Add unused space to all partitions”or “Manually adjust partition size”to avoid unallocated space left after cloning.
- Clone MBR to GPT or vice versa. Check the option “Convert the destination disk from GPT to MBR ”or vice versa to make them identical.
By default, this software uses the intelligent clone feature to clone only used sectors of a drive, minimizing the cloned SSD won’t boot issue (if it’s smaller).
How to Clone a System Partition
1. On the main page of AOMEI Cloner, click Clone > System Clone instead.
2. You just need to select the destination partition to save all data on the C: drive. By default, this software selects system-related partitions automatically, greatly minimizing the cloned SSD won’t boot issues.
3. Be sure to check SSD Alignment for better performance and click Start Clone.
- Notes:✎...
- Make full use of disk space: It’s checked by default and resize partition size automatically.
- Sector by Sector Clone: Don’t check this if the target drive is smaller as it clones all sectors of a drive.
Conclusion
System clone vs disk clone? The key difference is the content, which also determines what they contain, speed, storage space, best use, etc. The final suggestion is:
- Use System Clone for OS or SSD migration
- Replace hard drive using Disk Clone
- Create a full backup with Disk Clone just in case.
In AOMEI Cloner, you can still enjoy advanced cloning features, such as SSD Alignment, Edit Partitions, Make full use of disk space, etc., which ensures smooth cloning to some extent. Free download it to clone hard drive or system right now!