驱动器不会永远持续下去。尽管固态(sol)驱动(id-state)器比硬盘驱动器更稳定( drives are more stable than hard drives)，但它们也可能出现故障或损坏。任何人都不希望丢失他们的数据，尤其是如果其中包含您无法替换的家庭照片和视频。
解决方案是创建硬盘驱动器的副本。虽然备份到云端(back up to the cloud)很好，但为了冗余，您还应该进行物理备份。您拥有的数据副本越多，您就越有可能将其保存多年。
我们检查了一些适用于Windows 10(Windows 10)的最佳免费硬盘克隆软件，并比较了它们的优缺点，以帮助您做出最佳选择。
EaseToDo Backup是一款轻量级、易于使用的工具，即使在免费层也具有许多功能。但是，此应用程序的主要缺点是它会促使您在付费版本上进行投资；在安装和设置过程中，您必须多次拒绝购买选项。
也就是说，即使对于以前从未使用过备份或硬盘克隆工具的人来说， EaseTodo Backup也很容易使用。(EaseTodo Backup)特点包括：
- 多个(Multiple)备份选项，包括单个文件和文件夹、系统备份和分区备份
- 多个(Multiple)备份位置，包括本地驱动器(Drive)和/或LAN、云(Cloud) 设备(Devices)和NAS设备
- 在 Windows 无法正常启动时充当备份启动点的“紧急磁盘”
- 即使操作系统无法启动也允许访问EaseTodo的“ Pre-OS ”
- 检查文件是否可以恢复的图像验证工具(image verification tool)
备份过程并不快。要将我的 465 GB 驱动器备份到外部SSD，该过程大约需要 2.5 小时，但顺利进行。如果您决定投资EaseTodo Backup，它的费用大约为每月 20 美元、每年 40 美元或终身许可证 60 美元。
Macrium Reflect是一款功能强大、功能齐全的Windows 10备份和恢复工具。它提供家庭(Home)版和商业(Commercial)版，最近推出了新版本的Macrium ( Macrium Reflect 8 )，可免费试用。
有趣的是，与许多限制在非商业环境中使用的程序不同， Reflect 7的免费版本已获得家庭和企业使用许可。(and)如果您经营一家小型企业，Reflect 7 可以成为备份工作站的简便方法。特点包括：
- 对选定的磁盘、整个Windows或特定文件进行映像
- 分离图像
- 创建可启动应急媒体(bootable rescue media)
- 查看 Windows VSS 事件
- 查看(View)、编辑和执行VBScript、PowerShell和MS-DOS文件
Macrium 是一款专业工具。仅设置过程就证明了这一点，因为它涉及多个步骤，包括输入发送到您的电子邮件的验证码。缺点是它不是一个负担得起的计划，家庭许可证起价为 70 美元。
该界面不是最容易使用的，主要是因为它拒绝看到我使用的外部驱动器。但是，一旦我弄清楚如何使用该程序，就可以立即创建可启动媒体。将数据从一个驱动器映射到另一个驱动器也相对容易，Macrium允许我确定程序的优先级。
您可以在它工作时将其隐藏在后台，并且不会支配我的 PC 资源。制作一个 25 GB 的文件大约需要 45 分钟。
虽然这个名字有点傻，但 AOMEI Backupper(AOMEI Backupper)是一个简单的工具，用于创建备份、同步文件或从以前的备份恢复系统。特点包括：
- 多种(Multiple)备份工具，包括系统(System)、磁盘(Disk)、分区(Partition)和文件(File)备份
- 文件之间轻松同步
- 磁盘和分区克隆工具
- 创建可启动媒体的工具
- 文件图像验证工具
- 磁盘擦除工具(Disk wipe tools)
- 在Windows启动菜单选项中显示AOMEI的选项(AOMEI)
大多数工具都在免费版本中可用，但一些AOMEI功能被锁定在购买Pro版本之后——一次性费用为 50 美元。这些功能都不是该工具的主要用途所必需的。
AOMEI Backupper的界面非常简单。当它开始备份时，它显示完成百分比，但没有时间估计。它也没有宣传其所有功能，但一个小的设置 cog 允许您将备份优先于 PC 上的其他任务。
虽然这个过程感觉像是在以蜗牛的速度移动，但它的速度是合理的。备份硬盘的核心文件大约需要两个小时。
DriveImage XML看起来像是 2000 年代初出现的，但它的工作原理与今天的任何现代工具一样好，尽管它的界面很简单。特点包括：
- 一个或多个驱动器的备份工具
- 一个恢复工具(restore tool)
- 将一个驱动器复制到另一个驱动器的工具
- 调度工具
- 一个解决Vista启动问题的工具
DriveImage XML是一款完全免费的家用工具，但如果您需要，也可以使用商业许可证。它工作得很快。虽然最初估计复制一个 465 GB 驱动器需要四个小时，但它设法在大约 1.45 小时内完成了这项工作。DriveImage XML显示经过的时间和剩余时间，以及它正在积极备份的扇区。
尽管它的界面非常简单，但 DriveImage XML(DriveImage XML)是最容易使用的程序之一。只需(Just)选择您要备份的驱动器、该备份的目的地，然后让它完成它的工作。
Paragon提供了一个完全免费的版本，它是其高级软件的精简版。虽然(Though)功能很简单，但它拥有备份系统所需的一切。特点包括：
- (Schedule backups)为任何时间安排备份最有效
- 创建具有多个还原点的完整备份
- 恢复媒体创建工具
- 从外部媒体恢复备份
Paragon是一个简单、简洁的备份工具的不错选择。使用Paragon很简单；您只需选择备份源、目标，然后选择立即备份(Back)。它估计剩余的时间量，但这个估计会随着时间的推移而增加。
Paragon的缺点是运行速度极慢。尽管它的估计不断猜测在 10 到 20 分钟之间，但实际过程需要两个多小时才能完全备份驱动器。在此期间您可以毫无困难地使用您的 PC，尽管我在打开通常不存在的大文件时确实遇到了延迟。
MiniTool 分区向导(MiniTool Partition Wizard)的设计首先是帮助在驱动器内创建分区，但它的功能和工具列表使其成为任何想要创建备份的人的绝佳选择。特点包括：
- (Partition management tools)用于复制分区、磁盘和文件的分区管理工具
- 用于测量传输速度的磁盘基准
- 用于驱动器的空间分析工具
- 用于启动或加载备份的数据恢复工具
该程序的付费版本还锁定了更多有用的功能，例如更改集群大小、将动态磁盘转换为基础磁盘、创建可启动媒体等等。如果您决定升级到付费版本，最好的选择是一次性费用 130 美元，而不是每年订阅。
当您备份数据时，它会启动一个名为MiniTool ShadowMaker的辅助程序。该程序使备份变得容易。您选择备份目标，备份的目标，然后在它工作的时候坐下来。
它的工作原理与任何其他硬盘克隆工具一样。它不提供时间估计，而是显示已复制驱动器的百分比。与此列表中的许多其他人一样，完全备份 465 GB 驱动器需要大约 1.5 小时。
HDClone X是最后一款免费软件，可以轻松克隆驱动器(clone a drive)、保护或恢复备份、执行速度测试等。一个显着的特点是，该软件以多种语言提供给世界各地的用户。特点包括：
- 用于克隆硬盘的工具
- 备份和恢复工具
- 创建磁盘映像的工具
- 用于检查读写速度的测速工具
HDClone X虽然不像其他选项那样具有特色，但它是一个简单的工具，可帮助您立即创建备份或克隆驱动器。缺点是程序本身的大小更大，约为 200 MB，而许多其他选项的大小不到 50 MB。
HDClone X缺乏其他程序的用户友好性。在许多情况下，它拒绝复制磁盘，直到我调整设置。在HDClone X(HDClone X)创建备份之前，我必须选择VSS作为映像选项。此外，它还列出了可以更快地复制文件的方法列表——其中最明显的是购买高级版本以消除人为限制。
克隆和备份您的驱动器(Clone And Backup Your Drives)
驱动器的构建考虑了特定的使用寿命。如果您随身携带带有硬盘的笔记本电脑，振动会缩短其使用寿命。花时间备份和创建驱动器克隆以保存数据。
所有这些工具都相对容易使用。如果您需要更全面的软件，此列表中的许多选项包括功能更强大的高级版本，甚至还附带技术支持号码，您可以在遇到困难时拨打电话。
Best Free Hard Drive Cloning Software for Windows 10
Drives do not last forever. Although solid-state drives are more stable than hard drives, they too can fail or get damaged. The last thing anyone wants is to lose their data, especially if that contains family photos and videos that you can’t replace.
The solution is to create copies of your hard drive. While it’s good to back up to the cloud, you should also have physical backups for the sake of redundancy. The more copies you have of your data, the more likely you can preserve it for years to come.
We examined some of the best free hard drive cloning software available for Windows 10 and compared their pros and cons to help you make the best choice.
EaseToDo Backup is a lightweight, easy-to-use tool with many features even at the free tier. However, the major downside to this application is just how much it pushes you to invest in the paid version; you’ll have to turn down purchase options multiple times during installation and setup.
That said, EaseTodo Backup is easy enough to use even for someone who has never used a backup or hard drive cloning tool before. Features include:
- Multiple backup options including individual files and folders, system backup, and partition backups
- Multiple backup locations including Local Drive and/or LAN, Cloud Devices, and NAS devices
- An “emergency disk” that acts as a backup boot point if Windows can’t boot normally
- A “Pre-OS” that allows access to EaseTodo even if the operating system can’t start
- An image verification tool that checks whether a file can be recovered
The backup process isn’t fast. To back up my 465 GB drive to an external SSD, the process took around 2.5 hours but went off without a hitch. If you decide to invest in EaseTodo Backup, it costs roughly $20 per month, $40 per year, or $60 for a lifetime license.
Macrium Reflect is a powerful, fully-featured backup and restoration tool for Windows 10. It’s available in both Home and Commercial versions, and a new version of Macrium (Macrium Reflect 8) recently launched and is available for a free trial.
Interestingly, the free version of Reflect 7 is licensed for both home and business use, unlike many programs that restrict use to non-commercial environments. Reflect 7 can be an easy way to back up your workstations if you run a small business. Features include:
- Imaging selected disks, Windows as a whole, or specific files
- Detaching images
- Creating bootable rescue media
- Viewing Windows VSS events
- View, edit, and execute VBScript, PowerShell, and MS-DOS files
Macrium is a professional tool. The setup process alone demonstrates this, as it involves multiple steps, including entering a verification code sent to your email. The downside is that it isn’t an affordable program, with a home license starting at $70.
The interface isn’t the easiest to work with, mainly because it refused to see the external drive I used. However, once I figured out how to use the program, it took no time to create bootable media. It was also relatively easy to image data from one drive to another, and Macrium allowed me to prioritize the program.
You could hide it in the background while it worked and didn’t dominate my PC’s resources. To image a 25 GB file took around 45 minutes.
Though the name is a little silly, AOMEI Backupper is a straightforward tool for creating backups, syncing files, or restoring your system from a previous backup. Features include:
- Multiple backup tools including System, Disk, Partition, and File backups
- Easy synchronization between files
- Disk and Partition cloning tools
- A tool to create bootable media
- File image verification tools
- Disk wipe tools
- An option to display AOMEI in the Windows boot menu option
Most tools are available in the free version, but a few AOMEI features are locked behind a Pro version purchase — a $50 one-time fee. None of these features are essential for the tool’s main purpose.
AOMEI Backupper is pretty barebones in its interface. When it begins the backup, it shows a completion percentage but no time estimate. It also doesn’t advertise all its features, but a small settings cog allows you to prioritize the backup over other tasks on your PC.
Although the process felt like it moved at a snail’s pace, it was at a reasonable speed. It took around two hours to back up the core files of my hard drive.
DriveImage XML looks like it came out of the early 2000s, but it works just as well as any modern tool today despite its simplified interface. Features include:
- Backup tools for one or more drives
- A restore tool
- A tool to copy one drive to another
- A scheduling tool
- A tool that corrects the Vista boot problem
DriveImage XML is a completely free tool for home use, although a commercial license is available if you need it. It works quickly. While it initially estimated four hours to copy a 465 GB drive, it managed to finish the job in around 1.45 hours. DriveImage XML displays the time passed and the time remaining, as well as what sectors it is actively backing up.
Though its interface is so simple, DriveImage XML was one of the easiest programs to use. Just select the drive you want to backup, the destination for that backup, and then let it do its job.
Paragon offers a completely free version that is a stripped-down version of its premium software. Though light in features, it has everything you need to make backups of your system. Features include:
- Schedule backups for whatever time works best
- Create a full backup with multiple restore points
- Recovery media creation tool
- Restore backups from external media
Paragon is a good option for a straightforward, no-frills backup tool. Using Paragon is simple; all you do is select the backup source, the destination, and then select Back up now. It estimates the amount of time remaining, but this estimate increases over time.
The downside of Paragon is that it runs extremely slowly. Despite its estimates constantly guessing anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes, the actual process took over two hours to fully back up the drive. You can use your PC during this time without much difficulty, although I did experience lag when opening large files that aren’t normally there.
MiniTool Partition Wizard is designed first and foremost to help create partitions within drives, but its list of features and tools make it a fantastic choice for anyone that wants to create backups. Features include:
- Partition management tools to copy partitions, disks, and files
- A disk benchmark to measure transfer speeds
- A space analysis tool for drives
- A data recovery tool to boot or load backups
There are even more useful features locked behind the paid versions of the program, such as changing cluster sizes, converting dynamic disks to basics, creating bootable media, and more. If you decide to upgrade to a paid version, the best option is the one-time fee of $130 instead of the yearly subscriptions.
When you back up data, it launches a secondary program called MiniTool ShadowMaker. This program makes backups easy. You select the backup target, the destination for the backup, and then sit back while it works.
It works like any other hard drive cloning tool. It doesn’t provide a time estimate but instead shows the percentage of the drive that has been copied. Like many others on this list, it took around 1.5 hours to fully backup a 465 GB drive.
HDClone X is a final bit of freeware that makes it easy to clone a drive, secure or restore backups, perform speed tests, and more. One notable feature is that this software is available in various languages for users all over the world. Features include:
- Tools for cloning hard drives
- A Backup and Restoration tool
- A tool to create disk images
- A speedtest tool to check read and write speeds
While not as featured as other options, HDClone X is a simple tool that will help you create a backup or clone a drive in no time at all. The downside is that the program itself is larger in size at around 200 MB, versus many other options that measure in at less than 50 MB.
HDClone X lacks the user-friendliness of other programs. In many cases, it refused to copy the disk until I tweaked settings. I had to choose VSS as the imaging option before HDClone X would create a backup. In addition, it showed a list of ways the file could be copied faster — the most obvious of which was buying the premium version to remove artificial throttling.
Clone And Backup Your Drives
Drives are built with a specific life span in mind. If you carry a laptop with a hard drive around, the vibrations can shorten its lifespan. Take the time to back up and create clones of your drives to preserve your data.
All of these tools are relatively easy to use. If you need more comprehensive software, many of the options on this list include premium versions that are more powerful and even come with tech support numbers you can call should you encounter difficulty.
