By
Lily
/ Last update
December 11, 2024
What is HDD raw copy and why you need it?
A raw disk copy is a kind of disk clone method that will copy all the sectors in the hard drive including the blank ones. The other clone method is an intelligent disk clone that only clones the used sectors.
For a raw disk clone, the target hard drive must have a capacity no less than the original drive that needs cloning. A hard drive raw copy will take more time than an intelligent disk clone.
You may need to perform HDD raw copy for the following reasons:
· Data or system migration: Transfer everything on the hard drive including the system to another one.
· Data backup: Serve as a full backup of the original hard drive just in case of data loss.
· Data Recovery: If your original hard drive is damaged or corrupted, a raw copy captures even the bad sectors, which can be crucial for successful data recovery in the future.
Best free HDD raw copy tool for Windows 11/10/8/7
AOMEI Backupper Standard is a free HDD raw copy tool compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. It allows you to clone your hard drive, ensuring all data, including files, partitions, and system settings, are preserved. This tool is ideal for creating backups, upgrading to a new drive, or recovering data from a failing disk.
✅It can help make an exact copy of your hard drive (sector by sector). Also, it is able to do intelligent disk clones, which is helpful to clone larger drive to smaller drive.
✅It supports all the storage devices recognized by Windows, such as an M.2, mSATA, SATA, IDE, SAS, SCSI hard disk drive, or SSD. It also works with USB removable storage devices.
✅While the disk copy is in process, you can still use the computer to do other things. If you do not want to clone a hard drive within Windows, you can create a bootable media and boot from it to start the clone.
Download the HDD raw copy tool now to ensure the safety and integrity of your data.
Best free disk cloning software for personal use.
How to run hard disk raw copy step by step
AOMEI Backupper Standard will help you achieve a disk raw clone job regardless of your hard drive partition style, capacity, and file system. You can refer to the following steps to create an HDD raw copy.
Before you do, make sure the capacity of the destination disk is greater than or equal to the source disk. As mentioned, the blank sectors will also be cloned in a raw disk copy. Now let's begin.
Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Backupper Standard. Select “Disk Clone” under the“Clone” tab.
Note: The Standard version only supports cloning a data disk. If you want to clone a system disk, please upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional or higher editions.
Step 2. Select a disk you want to clone as “Source Disk” and click "Next".
Step 3. Select a disk to save the clone as “Destination Disk”. Then click “Next”. If you do it for backup purposes, it is recommended to clone to an external hard drive.
Note: If the destination disk contains any data, you will receive a window prompting you to make a backup first. If you have already made a backup or you don’t need the data any more, click OK to continue.
Step 4. On this screen, you can review the operation. Tick the option “Sector by sector clone”. If the destination disk is an SSD, “SSD Alignment” is recommended to optimize SSD performance. After that, click “Start Clone” to start the hard disk raw copy.
During the cloning process, you can watch some videos or do other things on your computer because the cloning process will not take much computer resources.
Best practices when using HDD raw copy
To ensure a smooth and effective raw copy process, follow these best practices:
1. Choose the Right Tool: Use reliable software that specializes in creating raw copies. Ensure the tool supports the specific file systems and hard drive formats you're working with.
2. Ensure Sufficient Storage Space: Before starting the copy process, verify that the destination drive has enough storage capacity to hold the raw copy of the source drive. The destination should be at least as large as the source drive.
3. Perform the Copy in a Stable Environment: Make sure your system is stable and uninterrupted. Use an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to prevent power outages from halting the copying process, which could result in an incomplete or corrupted copy.
4. Verify the Copy After Completion: Once the raw copy is complete, verify its integrity. You can verify partition sizes, open various file types, and launch important applications to see if they work fine. Test system startup if you have cloned a system disk.
Summary
As you can see, the best free HDD raw copy tool - AOMEI Backupper Standard can help you create a raw copy in just a few clicks. If you don’t want an exact hard disk raw copy, you can use it to clone only the used space of a disk (uncheck “Sector by sector clone”) so as to save your time and disk space.
Besides the cloning feature, AOMEI Backupper Standard is also a comprehensive backup tool that provides many other features to protect your important data, like hard drive image backup, system backup, file sync, etc. Just try it by yourself now!
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