DriveImage XML Clone Disk [Detailed Steps]

Whether upgrading to a new hard drive or setting up multiple machines with the same configuration, disk cloning is an important part of data management. DriveImage XML and AOMEI Cloner are two popular tools for disk cloning and will be introduced to you in this article.

Overview of DriveImage XML Clone Disk

DriveImage XML is a free disk imaging and cloning tool that allows imaging and cloning drives using Microsoft's Volume Shadow Service (VSS), which means you can clone a drive that is in use, perfect for Windows environments.

✨Main Features:

• Hot Image: Clone or mirror a drive without rebooting.
• Incremental backup: Image only the parts of the disk that have changed.
• Image browsing: View and extract files from an image backup.
• Partition and drive cloning: Clone an entire disk or partition.
• XML format: Store backups in XML format for flexibility and transparency.

How to Clone a Drive with DriveImage XML

The following shows you how to clone a drive using DriveImage XML.

Step 1. Connect the New Drive

• Install and launch the program.
• Plug in your new hard drive or SSD using a SATA port or USB adapter.
• Make sure Windows detects the drive. You can check in Disk Management.

Step 2. Open the Drive to Drive Cloning Wizard

• From the main menu, click Drive to Drive.
• Then, you will see a list of available drives.

Step 3. Select the Source Drive

• Choose the source drive (the one you want to clone).
• Click Next.

Step 4. Select the Destination Drive

• Choose the destination drive (your new or empty drive).
• Be careful to choose the correct one - this will erase all data on that drive.
• Click Next.

Step 5. Start the Cloning Process

• Confirm the settings.
• Click Next to begin the cloning.

Try a Robust Disk Clone Tool – AOMEI Cloner

AOMEI Cloner is another powerful SSD cloning and migration tool. It supports cloning all brands of hard drives to SSDs, and it also provides other features:

😊User-friendly Interface: It provides an easy-to-follow GUI, making it ideal for beginners and those who prefer a hassle-free experience.
🎉SSD Alignment: It helps to accelerate the writing and reading speed of the SSD drive and extend its lifespan.
✨Intelligent Clone: It clones only used sectors, making it possible to clone a larger HDD to a smaller SSD. You can also clone all sectors of a hard drive using Sector By Sector Clone.
🔮Various Cloning Methods: It supports disk clone (clone a hard disk drive to another), system clone (clone or migrate system to SSD or other disk), and partition clone (clone a partition or volume from one to another).

How to Clone a Drive with AOMEI Cloner

Follow the simple steps to clone a drive without reinstalling the Windows operating system and installed programs.

Step 1. Click the button below to install AOMEI Cloner. After installing, click Clone > Disk Clone.

Step 2. Choose the hard disk you want to clone as the source disk, and click Next.

Step 3. Select the new disk or the larger disk as the destination disk, and click Next.

Step 4. Click Edit Partitions to adjust the partition size or partition style of the destination disk according to your needs.

📌Note: If you choose Sector by Sector Clone, the Edit Partitions will be unavailable. If the target disk is larger than the source disk, don’t use it unless you want to clone all sectors on the source disk.

Step 5. After all these settings, click Start Clone to begin the process.

Which One to Choose

Faced with these two disk cloning tools, you may be annoyed to choose which one better meets your requirements. The following table may give you the answer.

Feature	DriveImage XML	AOMEI Cloner
Free for Personal Use	✅	✅
SSD Alignment Support	❌	✅
Hot Cloning	✅	✅
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Speed & Efficiency	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
UI Modernity	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Conclusion

DriveImage XML and AOMEI Cloner are both disk cloning tools that can play an important role in the cloning process, but their ideal use cases are different, so you can pick a disk cloning tool that meets your requirements based on the details in this article.