If you want to create an exact copy of a hard drive, bit-by-bit copy is a great option. In this article, you'll find the best free bit copy software for Windows.
Bit-by-bit copy, also known as sector-by-sector clone or a raw copy, is the process of copying every individual bit (or sector) from one storage device to another. This method duplicates the entire contents of a hard drive or SSD, including the operating system, files, applications, and even empty or unallocated space.
Bit-by-bit copy is useful in the following situations:
As Microsoft hasn’t ever included a tool for making an exact copy of a hard drive in Windows, what you need is reliable bit copy software to achieve the goal of bit-by-bit copy. AOMEI Backupper Standard, the best free disk cloning software for Windows, comes to help.
🌟It offers you two clone modes: Disk Clone and Partition Clone. You may use it to clone either an entire disk or a specific partition. 🌟It provides the Sector by sector clone feature, allowing you to run bit copy for a hard drive. If you don’t enable this feature, AOMEI Backupper defaults to intelligent sector clone, which is very helpful to clone larger drive to smaller drive. 🌟It is embedded with the SSD Alignment function. If you are cloning disk to an SSD, you can use this function to optimize SSD’s performance and prolong its life span.
All Windows PC operating systems like Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP are supported. Download AOMEI Backupper right now!
Best free bit copy software for personal use.
Before you start a bit copy, you need to do some prep work.
1. Check sector size. Cloning disk sector by sector requires the logical sector size of the source and target disks to be same, or the cloning process will fail. Therefore, you need to check logical sector size of both disks before cloning. To do this, you can follow the instructions below:
2. Check disk capacity. Sector-by-sector clone will copy every sector on the source disk whether it is used or not, so the destination disk must be equal to or larger than the source disk.
3. File backup. All the data in the destination will be deleted in the cloning process, so you must backup files on the destination drive in advance.
In this part, I will show you how to use this bit by bit copy software step by step.
Step 1. Install and run AOMEI Backupper. Click “Clone” on the left pane and select “Disk Clone”.
Notes: ✿ The Standard version only supports cloning a data disk. If you want to clone a system disk, please upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional. ✿ If you want to clone only OS, you can select “System Clone” (advanced feature).
Step 2. Select the source disk that you want to clone and click “Next”.
Step 3. Select the destination disk to store the cloned data and click “Next”.
Step 4. Tick “Sector by sector clone” to enable bit-by-bit copy. Confirm the operation and click “Start Clone”.
1. How is bit copy different from regular file copying?
Unlike regular file copying, which only transfers selected files, bit copy software copies the entire contents of a drive, including hidden or system files, unallocated space, and bad sectors, making it a more comprehensive solution.
2. Can bit copy software help recover data from a damaged drive?
Yes, bit copy software can copy data from damaged or corrupted sectors, which might be inaccessible through regular file transfer methods, offering a potential way to recover lost data.
3. Can I use bit copy software to clone a hard drive to a smaller one?
Yes, some bit copy software like AOMEI Backupper offers intelligent cloning features that allow you to clone a larger drive to a smaller one by excluding empty space. For a full sector-by-sector copy, the destination drive needs to be of equal or larger size.
With the right bit copy software, you can save a significant amount of time and effort when performing a bit copy of a hard drive. Bit-by-bit cloning ensures that you create an exact replica of your drive, reducing the risk of missing data and making the recovery process smoother.
In addition to the cloning feature, AOMEI Backupper offers the backup, restore and sync functions. You can use it to run automatic file sync in Windows. Why not try it now?
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