Best Software for WinPE Clone Hard Drive in 2025 | FREE Download

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.

By Ivy Updated on April 24, 2025

Why Clone a Hard Drive in WinPE Mode?

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:

Boot into a clean, minimal Windows interface.
Bypass locked system files, e.g,. pagefile, system registry, boot sectors, etc.
Rescue non-bootable systems due to system crashes, failed updates, file system errors, etc.
Repair or replace your hard drive without reinstalling Windows
Enjoy a cleaner, faster, and safer cloning process as there are no background apps, services, or antivirus running in WinPE.
Protect privacy & sensitive data, especially when cloning drives for re-use or resale, avoid malware or ransomware interference, etc.

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.

Best Cloning Software for WinPE Clone Hard Drive

Here are two popular hard drive cloning software you can use inside a WinPE environment, e.g., AOMEI Cloner and Hasleo Disk Clone.

Option 1: AOMEI Cloner (Less intervention and high compatibility)

👍Best for: Users looking for an advanced cloning method with less intervention and high compatibility requirements with GPT/UEFI, cloning issues, etc.

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:

❤❤❤ Why Choose AOMEI Cloner?

👑Clone HDDs/SSDs or MBR/GPT system disks without boot issues.
Intelligent clone only used sectors or sector by sector for different scenarios, e.g. clone large HDD to smaller SSD, or for forensic-level or full byte-to-byte copies.
4K align HDD and SSD to optimize SSD performance and longevity significantly.
Resize partition on the target disk, especially those with different disk partition styles(one MBR, one GPT). It can be automatic.
Support all brands of hard drives and SSDs, such as Samsung, WD, Crucial, SanDisk, etc., and common disk interface (e.g. SATA, M.2, NVME, or PCIe).
Support Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, and Windows Servers. Learn More »

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Option 2: Hasleo Disk Clone (For basic cloning)

👍Best for: Users looking for a simple, cost-free solution with a bootable WinPE creator. The free edition works best in MBR system disks and data disks.

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:

Simple but outdated GUI interface.
Clone MBR system disks and data disks smoothly.
Adjust the partition size manually.
Auto-1M disk alignment to boost SSD performance.

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.

How to Perform a WinPE Clone of a Hard Drive with AOMEI Cloner

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!

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Part 1: Create a WinPE Bootable USB

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.

Create Bootable Media

Step 2: It will check the Windows PE option automatically. Click Next to continue.

WinPE

Step 3: Check the USB Boot Device and select your USB drive. Then, click Next to create a bootable USB.

Select USB Boot Device

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.

Part 2: Reboot to WinPE and Clone Disk

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.

Disk Clone

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.

Disk Clone

Step 4: Optionally, enable some useful cloning features to ensure you get the best results.

Check SSD Alignment to boost SSD disk performance and improve its longevityif the target disk is.
Leave Sector by Sector Clone unchecked, especially when cloning large HDD to smaller SSD, to avoid boot issues. By default, this software uses the Intelligent clone mode, which clones only the used sectors of a drive.
Try Edit Partitions to adjust the partition size manually or automatically if your target disk is larger, or they have different partition styles (MBR/GPT).

Edit Partitions

Step 5: Be sure your settings and click Start Clone to clone hard drive in WinPE.

When Should You Use Hasleo Instead?

You only need a basic free cloning solution.
You’re cloning MBR to MBR or GPT to GPT.
Your computer has two disk slots. Note the free version does not support cloning Windows to USB drive, even with HDDs/SSDs connected using adapter.
Your system is older and doesn’t require advanced SSD optimization.

AOMEI Clonervs Hasleo Disk Clone: Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	AOMEI Cloner	Hasleo Disk Clone(Free edition)
WinPE Bootable USB Creator	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Free Version Available	❌ No	✅ 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

Conclusion

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.

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FAQs About WinPE Clone Hard Drive

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.

Ivy · Editor

Ivy, our dedicated editor at AOMEI Technology, is committed to providing valuable insights and guidance in data protection. Her mission is to empower everyone with her knowledge of computer backup and recovery, disk cloning, file synchronization, and more. Ivy's goal is to do her best to ensure your digital world remains safe and secure.