Which program to clone hard drive?

I run several computers / laptops with Windows and regularly get annoyed with performance losses, crashes, incorrect updates and the like. Now I have just rebuilt a PC (small server with Plex and ioBroker) and would like to completely back it up in the "virgin best condition", so create an absolutely identical clone of the installed hard disk.

I came across a lot of companies (and there are also several products there) that promise help: Acronis, Veeam, Macrium, AOMEI, Clonezilla and many more.

Clonezilla is supposed to be great, but scared me as a layperson, because there are different editions (Ubuntu, Debian etc.), information about the processor must be given when downloading, and the like. If the download is so complicated, the backup will probably not be easier…

With the other mentioned opinions differ so much (from "the best" to "absolute garbage" everything is included) that I'm now as smart as before - especially since the supposed experts also use some terms (RDX, WSUS etc.), of which I have no idea anyway and which I would have to research again for hours to be able to follow!

Can someone recommend a good, simple program that is as free as possible?

The following is important to me:
1) Really intuitive and simple operation (eg "Selection of the hard disk to be backed up", "Selection of the target hard disk for the backup files", press the "Start backup" button and you're done!).
2) Creation of a simple 1-to-1 copy of my SSD hard drive on an external hard drive (no SSD, but a classic hard drive!), With all the trimmings (including partitioning information, etc.)! The backup does not have to be transferable to another hard drive / SSD, but only back to the source hard drive if necessary.
3) Possibility to simply restore the backup via USB if required.
4) It would also be practical if I could move the backup from the external hard drive to my NAS (so that I can still use the external hard drive for another time) and then only copy it back to the external hard drive if necessary, if I actually did a restore want to do.
5) The whole thing should work smoothly, especially on Win10 systems; Support for older versions of Windows (for example, my network scanner is still running Win XP and on an old laptop still Win 7) would be practical, but is not a must. I don't need Linux support.

I don't need any scheduled backups, no setting options for the partitions, I don't have any "virtual machines" or other clutter - I just want to clone a single hard disk completely and then (without data garbage) completely, with all programs installed at the time of the backup, to restore!

How about the Windows own solution?

https://it-service-ruhr.de/tipp/windows-10-datensicherung-mit-bordmitteln

Google times.

Which program to clone hard drive?

I always clone my system hard drives using the ' Mini Tool Partition Wizard '' program. I've always had good experiences with this. The cloned hard drive can then simply be connected and it is bootable.

Why are you using Windows as the server operating system? Downloading Clonezilla is easy. What do you care about Debian and Ubuntu or something. You seem to want it only for Windows. So download the Windows version and you're done.

Clonezilla is of course cmd based. You seem to be a mouse person. Then I can recommend the Partition Wizard from mini Tool. Everyone climbs there. Even mouse people

You can guess three times what I did first… I described the result in my text.

I have tried several times to switch to different Linxus distributions and every time I'm back to Windows. Not because Windows is great (on the contrary, apart from Win98SE and Win7!), But because I just found Linux as a beginner / switchover (yes, also Mint and Co.) even worse, any important things didn't work out for me etc.

To download Clonezilla: As written, even downloading the program is confusing. Apparently the part is based on Linux (Ubuntu or Debian) and there are even more versions based on whatever - that's where it starts! Which version is right for me? And even if I now simply try out Ubuntu, there's still the question of processor, etc. As an absolute layperson, I don't want to try whether the user interface of the program is intuitive later, since I can actually assume the opposite - as you confirm to me directly (cmd-based, so not for Windoof users!) …

Thanks for the tip Partition Wizard! I'll take a closer look at it!

You don't have to "clone" a hard drive!
It is sufficient to save the hard disk as an image.

I have been using the http://www.drivesnapshot.de/de/ tool since Windows XP (single license 39 euro).

I have it on a USB stick, a small tool, works very quickly, individual files can also be copied from the image, integrated as a virtual drive and many other advantages.

Unfortunately I don't trust MS when it comes to data backup and recovery! Occasionally tested this on previous versions of Windows (simple backup and then recovery) and the result was garbage every time! There were some strange directories with file corpses left, the restored backups were just as lame or broken as the lame or broken system that I wanted to get rid of, the restored versions sometimes didn't even start and the like.

It is actually hardly surprising if the backup is carried out within the running operating system that is to be backed up. In my experience, open files and running processes often twitch around when they are accessed again.

It would be best if the backup was carried out by a system that runs without Windows and on its own disk, so that the disk to be backed up is accessed "from the outside" and when Windows is not started.

Thanks for the tip! Does this also work with non-system disks (e.g. My system is always on C and the data on D) and does the tool also work with older versions of Windows? How does the replay from the cloned record to the original record work? I only want to use the external disk as a "buffer" and otherwise use the normal internal disk again.

True, I don't really need a "clone" that can run on other computers - just a way to restore it.
How does the tool work to back up and restore the backup to the internal hard drive? The tool seems to run in the Windows environment that it is supposed to secure? I would normally think of something that runs completely independently on the external hard drive and creates a clone of the system that is not running, since running processes and open programs often twitch around when there's simultaneous access by the system itself and an additional program.

PS: I just see that I had already looked at the program, but then threw it out of the selection because of the bloatware, which is probably installed without being asked.

PS: I just see that I had already looked at the program, but then threw it out of the selection because of the bloatware, which is probably installed without being asked.

Yes you are probably right. That's why I use it. The range of functions is huge and I need almost all of these functions more often. A different program for each function would be cumbersome.

But clearly in your case it is probably foolish to have so many functions and not to use them.

A first look looks promising! Mainly because the program itself does not need an installation that would fill up the clean system. I also like minimalism.
I think it would be best if I had the program on a USB stick with LiveXP or similar. (ie a system that runs on a bootable USB stick or the backup disk itself) so that the disk to be backed up is not "in operation" while it is being backed up. Would that be feasible in this form?

So I don't know all of your expected problems!

I can create an image from any connected storage, i.e. From a hard drive internally or externally, but also connected an SD card or stick via USB.

It works something like this:

I plug the USB stick with the tool into the running PC, start the program and select, source and target drive, plus the name of the image (on the target drive), possibly a comment and a password to encrypt.

You don't have to worry about it after the start, so you can still work in the system, and after a few minutes everything is ready. So far I have never had problems with running processes or Windows. It is only faster if the PC is not used.

It is similar when playing back:

start the PC, start the tool. When restoring the system disk, the tool then switches to DOS mode and practically flashes the image back.

Then the PC restarts and everything is done.
You don't need an extra system, you don't have to boot or do anything, just use the tool.
Give it a try, there's a trial version of it.
I'm only a user and do not earn commission!

Yes, I did that when my system was broken. I also have Win 10 on the USB stick. I use it for repairs and / or tests.

Oh yes, it just has to be a Windows system from which it is started, even under Windows PE from the stick I have already used it.

I have now decided on a different strategy: I created a bootable Win10 hard disk with Rufus. Here I do not have to worry about interventions in the system, bloatware and the like. In this respect, Partition Manager would again be an option, since the tool is probably quite easy to use and can do everything I need. But now I read on the page that you can probably not clone system partitions with it (free version) ?! Can you confirm it?

I have now decided on a different strategy: I created a bootable Win10 hard disk with Rufus. Here I do not have to worry about interventions in the system, bloatware and the like. In this respect, Partition Manager would again be an option, since the tool is probably quite easy to use and can do everything I need. But now I read on the page that you can probably not clone system partitions with it (free version) ?! Can you confirm it?

Unless I find a free alternative that can work from a bootable Win10 disk, I will probably choose Snapshot (or the partition manager from minitool). The only annoying thing about Snapshot is that the license must be bought once per computer if I understand it correctly. Then I get a few euro together…

As written, I use it on the USB stick on every computer, even with family and friends. But I've had it for ages (90s - there was only one update about 10 years ago or something).

But now I read on the page that you can probably not clone system partitions with it (free version) ?! Can you confirm it?

Hm. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with Rufus and other programs. I only use this one tool and unfortunately I have had very bad experiences with the Windows backup.

Ok, then I ask the developer how this is regulated with the license. With three stationary and three mobile computers, as well as three network scanners based on Windows, that would otherwise be a bit too expensive for me…

That with Rufus is not a problem - I only installed the Win10 on my external hard drive so that I have a "" take away Windows "that I can start on any computer. This eliminates the problem of backing up the running system make (probably leads to problems more often) because the backup is just started from the system that is on the external hard drive and not from the internal (to be backed up) disk.
The only question is whether the Partition Manager can clone a C hard disk or not. Because the side of the developer says that you can't clone system partitions (which is what I'm doing now) …

I have already cloned some hard drives with the free version. It may be that they have now switched it off. I don't think so. Unfortunately I don't have the program there right now, so I can't watch it.
I clone very, very rarely. Because that usually doesn't make any sense. I rarely have a case like yours.