Free and reliable hard drive cloning programs

Free and Reliable Disk Cloning Software

Sooner or later, our hard drive will fail, the computer may not boot, or it might be attacked by a hacker. Data loss is inevitable unless we’ve cloned the disk. Disk imaging software from well-known companies can be quite expensive and may not fit within a budget. Therefore, it's worth considering free solutions that get the job done well. Disk cloning applications vary, so it's important to use a tool that best meets our requirements and aligns with our skill level.

Here are the recommended programs:

    Clonezilla – Ideal for deployment across multiple systems.
    Macrium Reflect Free Edition – Reliable.
    DriveImage XML – Suited for basic users.
    EaseUS Todo Backup – Offers various backup methods.
    Paragon Backup & Recovery Free – Great for simple backups and data recovery.

Clonezilla performs bit-by-bit copying and supports numerous file systems (including FAT32, NTFS, HFS+, UFS, NetBSD, OpenBSD, xfs, jfs, btrfs, f2fs, nilfs2, and even LVM2). It features unattended mode, multicast support, and can reinstall the Grub bootloader if necessary. For quick cloning of multiple machines, Clonezilla SE can clone up to 40 machines simultaneously.

Clonezilla can be booted from a USB drive, eliminating the need for installation on the operating system. It also supports booting from CD/DVD or even network boot. It handles multiple file formats, including NTFS, FAT, ext2, ext3, and ext4. Images can be saved to various storage media, and images can be restored from multiple sources, such as network services or local storage.

Pros:

    Highly customizable
    Wide range of supported file systems

Cons:

    User interface is not user-friendly and appears outdated.
    No direct download available.

Macrium Reflect Free Edition is advertised as one of the fastest disk cloning tools available. It only supports Windows file systems but does so effectively, with a fairly simple user interface. It performs disk imaging and cloning, allows access to images via the file manager, creates a Linux rescue disk, and is Windows-compatible. The free edition also allows differential imaging, direct disk cloning, backups on a Hyper-V virtual machine, scheduled backups, and encrypted backups.

Plan automatic backups: Schedule backups in advance, so you don't have to remember to run them. Multiple backups: The commercial version of Macrium Reflect allows you to schedule multiple backups, ensuring all devices in the network are backed up simultaneously. Full image backup: Choose between file-specific, image-based, or full-disk backups. Create a bootable disk: Run Macrium Reflect from a removable drive, such as a USB.

Pros:

    Lifetime license
    Reliable image backups

Cons:

    No file synchronization
    No cloud backup option

DriveImage XML uses Microsoft VSS for imaging and does it well. With DriveImage XML, you can create "hot" images from a hard drive that’s already in use. Images are stored in XML files, so they’re accessible with third-party software. DriveImage XML can also restore an image on a computer without rebooting. It is compatible with Windows XP, 2003, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. However, it cannot be used commercially; a license is required for business use.

User-friendly interface: An organized and clear interface simplifies navigation. Background volume shadow copy service: With DriveImage XML, you can use VSS to create live system images, enabling backups without interruption. Browse individual files: You can browse files on the image disk before restoring the entire disk, which is helpful when you need a specific file from the backup.

Pros:

    Easy to use
    No reboot required

Cons:

    Limited support
    No encryption or network backup

EaseUS Todo Backup is one of the best free hard disk cloning software, offering a broad range of cloning options, including partition cloning. Users can perform full or incremental backups and schedule backups. Paid plans add advanced tools, such as command-line backups, email notifications, and offsite backups.

Variety of backup methods: Users can save multiple backups on cloud storage or a local disk. Choose folders and files to back up: Prioritize critical business data by selecting specific folders or files for backup. Partition backup: EaseUS Todo Backup allows users to back up specific partitions.

Pros:

    Wide range of cloning options
    User-friendly interface

Cons:

    Slow backup speed
    No continuous backup option

Paragon Backup & Recovery Free is designed for standalone Windows PCs and excels at scheduled imaging. The Community Edition allows scheduling of file, volume, and/or disk backups, defining backup strategies, managing disk space, version control, viewing backup contents, and even recovery with WinPE. It also has an intuitive user interface. The free version is based on a powerful pro version but is intended for personal use only.

Combination of full, incremental, and differential backups: Set up a mix of full and differential backups, a unique feature not available in most disk cloning and imaging solutions. Diverse recovery options: Restore the entire system or opt for a more granular approach, selecting only specific data to restore.

Pros:

    Backup to virtual hard drives
    Multiple backup rotation schemes

Cons:

    No partition imaging
    No support forum for users

These are a few examples of reliable and free disk cloning solutions. Some may be a bit challenging to use, and others might lack certain features you’re looking for. However, each should enable you to clone a source disk to a target disk effectively.

Source: TechRepublic, 2024