Backup External Drive to Another External Drive (3 Ways)

Why backing up an external hard drive to another?

Backing up an external hard drive to another one gives you an extra layer of protection that a single drive simply can’t offer. It helps you in the following situations:

✅Prevent data loss: If one drive gets damaged or stops working, you still have a safe copy.

✅Avoid accidental deletion: Mistakes happen. A backup ensures you can restore files instantly.

✅Increase portability without risk: You can travel with one drive and leave the backup safely stored elsewhere.

How to backup external hard drive to another external hard drive

In this part, you’ll learn how to backup hard drive to another hard drive using three effective methods, ranging from beginner-friendly to advanced.

💡Overview of three backup solutions:

Solution 1: Using free backup software

AOMEI Backupper Standard offers the easiest and safest way to backup external drive to another external drive.

AOMEI Backupper

Best Free Windows Backup Software

• Comprehensive Backup Solutions: Protect your entire system, specific disks, partitions, or individual files with flexible backup types.
• Versatile Storage Options: Save your backups to local and external drives, network locations, or popular cloud services.
• Automatic Backup: Automate your data protection with customizable daily, weekly, or monthly backup plans.
• Incremental Backup: Conserve time and storage space by automatically saving only the data that has changed since your last backup.

Download Freeware
Windows 11/10/8/7

100% Secure

Download AOMEI Backupper and follow the steps below to backup one external hard drive to another:

Step 1. Connect both external hard drives to your computer and wait for Windows to recognize them.

Step 2. Install and open AOMEI Backupper. Choose Backup → Disk Backup to backup your entire drive.

Step 3. Click Select Source. Pick your external hard drive that contains the data you want to back up and click OK.

Step 4. Click the destination box > Local Drive. Choose the other external drive where the backup will be stored and click OK.

Step 5. (Optional) Click Schedule to set automatic backups (one time, daily, weekly, monthly, or event triggers).

Note: The scheduled backup runs as incremental backup by default. To change it to differential backup, please upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional.

Step 6. Click Start Backup to begin backing up an external hard drive to another one.

Solution 2: Manual copy

For users who prefer a simple approach, you can manually copy files from one external drive to another using File Explorer. Here’s how it works:

Step 1. Connect both external hard drives. Open File Explorer and browse to the source drive.

Step 2. Select the folder(s) or file(s) you want to copy. Right-click → Copy (or press Ctrl+C).

Step 3. Navigate to the destination external drive in File Explorer. Right-click → Paste (or press Ctrl+V) to start the transfer.

Note: You can also drag and drop files and folders from the source drive window to the destination drive window.

Solution 3: Run Robocopy command

Robocopy (Robust File Copy) is a built-in Windows command-line utility designed for fast, reliable folder or drive replication. Follow the guidance below to backup external drive to another external drive via Robocopy:

Step 1. Connect both external hard drives and note their drive letters.

Step 2. Press Win + S, type cmd, then select Run as administrator.

Step 3. Input Robocopy commands based on your needs. The basic syntax is:

robocopy [source] [destination] [(file)( ...)] [(options)]

For example, to copy files and subfolders from E: drive to F: drive, type:

robocopy "E:\work documents" "F:\my backup" /e

Note: “/e” means to copy subfolders including empty ones.

Step 4. Press Enter to run the command. Robocopy will automatically synchronize the two directories.

Note: You can save your command in a .bat file (e.g., backup_robocopy.bat) and use Task Scheduler to create a scheduled task to copy files to another folder.

Troubleshoot: External hard drive not detected

When backing up one external hard drive to another, you may find that Windows fails to recognize one of the drives. Try the following solutions to make the drive appear.

1. Check the USB Port and Cable

• Plug the drive into a different USB port (preferably USB 3.0).
• Try a different USB cable—faulty cables are one of the most common causes.
• Avoid using USB hubs. Plug the drive directly into the PC.

2. Check Disk Management

Sometimes a drive doesn’t show in File Explorer but is recognized by Windows without a drive letter.

• Press Win + X → select Disk Management.
• Locate your external hard drive in the list.
• If it says No drive letter, right-click → Change Drive Letter and Paths → Add.
• If it shows Unallocated, you may need to create a new partition (this will erase data).

3. Update or Reinstall USB Drivers

Outdated or corrupted USB controller drivers can cause detection issues.

• Press Win + X → choose Device Manager.
• Expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers.
• Right-click each USB Root Hub or USB Controller → Update Driver.
• If updating doesn’t work: right-click → Uninstall Device, then restart your PC. Windows will reinstall the drivers automatically.

Summary

To protect your data from accidental deletion, hardware failure, or corruption, it is wise of you to backup external hard drive to another external hard drive. You may choose an automated backup software, manual copy, or advanced command-line tool as per your needs.

For most users, AOMEI Backupper provides the ideal balance of convenience, automation, and reliability. It supports system, disk, and file backups, incremental backups, scheduling, and fast recovery options. Why not try it now?