In this article, we'll describe two WinPE disk cloning software, both free and paid, and how to perform a WinPE clone of hard drives in Windows 10 or 11.Scroll down to learn more.
When your Windows system won't boot or you want to avoid locked files during cloning, cloning hard drive using WinPE (Windows Preinstallation Environment) is the safest and most reliable option. It allows you to:
In sum, this is a go-to method for users dealing with corrupted or dead Windows OS or who need a clean, secure, and boot-independent environment to clone or repair their systems safely, especially when Windows can’t.
Here are two popular hard drive cloning software you can use inside a WinPE environment, e.g., AOMEI Cloner and Hasleo Disk Clone.
AOMEI Cloner is a full-featured disk cloning software that allows you to clone hard drive or SSD within Windows or reboot to a WinPE environment by creating a bootable media (USB, CD/DVD, or ISO file). The following are the key disk cloning features:
Hasleo Disk Clone is a free Windows cloning software that can reboot to WinPE for cloning hard drive to another one. Below are highly related disk cloning features:
Note that the free version does not support the server operating system and lacks some useful cloning features, such as sector-by-sector clone, advanced cloning, etc., resulting in boot issues. In addition, it’s less flexibility for complex configurations, such as modern UEFI systems with GPT disks.
By comparison, AOMEI Cloner is worry-free and effective when cloning HDDs/SSDs and MBR/GPT disks. It will include the operating system, system files, etc., required to start Windows and make the cloned drive bootable. So you can directly boot from it without extra effort. Free download it to have a try!
Step 1: Plug in a USB drive (at least 16GB) into the computer you want to clone hard drive in WinPE environment. Then, Launch AOMEI Cloner, go to Tools > select Create Bootable Media.
Step 2: It will check the Windows PE option automatically. Click Next to continue.
Step 3: Check the USB Boot Device and select your USB drive. Then, click Next to create a bootable USB.
Now, you have a WinPE USB with AOMEI Cloner on it. Please restart from this drive and attempt to clone hard drive in the Windows PE environment.
Step 1: Restart your computer. Press the BIOS key on the initial screen when prompted and go to the Boot option and set the USB drive as the first boot device. Then, save changes and reboot from the WinPE USB drive.
Step 2: After loading, you will see AOMEI Cloneragain, but in the WinPE environment. Then, click Clone and Disk Clone subsequently.
Step 3:You will be asked to select the source disk and destination disk (all data will be overwritten). Click Next after making your selections.
Step 4: Optionally, enable some useful cloning features to ensure you get the best results.
Step 5: Be sure your settings and click Start Clone to clone hard drive in WinPE.
|
Feature |
AOMEI Cloner |
Hasleo Disk Clone(Free edition) |
|
WinPE Bootable USB Creator |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
|
Clone System Disks |
✅ Yes (highly UEFI-compatible) |
✅ Yes (basic only ) |
|
Clone Windows to USB Drive |
✅ Yes | ❌ No |
|
Sector-by-Sector Clone |
✅ Yes | ❌ No |
|
4K SSD Alignment |
✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
|
Resize Partitions |
✅ Yes (automatic) |
✅ Yes(manual) |
|
Convert MBR and GPT |
✅ Yes | ❌ No |
|
Advanced Mode |
✅ Yes (default) |
❌ No |
|
Advanced UI & Options |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Best for |
Complex setups, no worries about cloning issues |
Simple tasks, especially for MBR system disks and data disks |
Whether you're upgrading a hard drive or rescuing a non-bootable system, cloning hard drive through WinPE is the safest approach. Both AOMEI Cloner and Hasleo Disk Clone are solid tools, and you can choose them based on your needs.
AOMEI Cloner stands out for its richer features, worry-free procedure, etc., that make it suitable for everyone, especially newbies, to minimize potential cloning issues. While Hasleo Disk Clone is for fast cloning, especially in a WinPE environment. Note that the free edition lacks lots of useful cloning features.
Q1: What is WinPE and why should I use it to clone a drive?
WinPE (Windows Preinstallation Environment) is a lightweight version of Windows that lets you boot your PC even when your system fails. It’s ideal for clean and error-free disk cloning.
Q2: Is cloning with WinPE better than doing it in Windows?
Nope, it depends. It offers users a cleaner, faster, and safer cloning process, avoids locked system files and malware interference, protects privacy & sensitive data, etc. You can also clone hard drive in Windows without interrupting any operation.
Q3: Will the cloned disk be bootable?
Yes, if the cloning process is done correctly. However, you need to pay more attention to Hasleo Disk Clone if you use it to clone GPT disk, especially to MBR disk, or vice versa, which may have cloning issues.
Sometimes, you need to unify the disk partition style, check the boot mode, manually resize partitions after cloning, align for SSD performance (4K alignment), fix boot entries, etc., which are not required manually in AOMEI Cloner.
Q4: Can I use WinPE on any PC?
Yes, as long as the system supports the Windows pre-install environment that allows users to boot from a bootable USB drive. And usually, it requires to match the Windows architecture (32-bit or 64-bit). However, AOMEI Cloner can bypass it.
Q5: Which tool is better for SSD upgrades?
If you want to upgrade hard drive to SSD, it’s essential to find a cloning software like AOMEI Cloner that supports SSD alignment and is highly compatible with SSD brands, from Samsung to WD, Crucial, SanDisk, Sabrent, Corsair, PNY, etc.
Q6: Do I need to format SSD before cloning?
No, most SSD cloning software handles the partitioning and formatting process, so you don't need to do it manually.Just double-check if it’s showing up in File Explorer.