How to Clone Disk with Hiren's Boot CD - Picture Guide

Sherly updated on Oct 24, 2024 to Computer Instruction | How-to Articles

To learn how to clone disk with Hiren's BootCD, follow the tutorials in this article. You can learn what Hirens Boot CD is and how to use it.

EaseUS will introduce what Hiren's Boot CD is and how to use Hiren's Boot CD to clone a disk. For beginners, an easier option is to use Hiren's Boot CD's alternative, EaseUS Partition Master.

What Is Hiren's BootCD

Hiren's Boot CD is a comprehensive bootable rescue disc that contains a collection of useful tools for troubleshooting and repairing computer issues. It can be used to address issues when a computer's main operating system won't boot or is having problems. The Windows PE environment allows you to access a functional Windows-like interface even if the main OS is not working.

Here are some key points of Hiren's Boot CD you may like to know:

  • It is a bootable CD/USB that contains a customized version of Windows 11 PE (Preinstallation Environment).
  • It includes a wide variety of free and legal software tools for diagnosing and fixing computer problems.
  • It has lower hardware requirements than a full Windows installation, so it can often boot on older systems.

Share this article and let more users know about the pros and limits of Hiren's bootable CD.

 

However, it's not a perfect cloning tool. It does have some limits:

  • Legal concerns: Some versions of Hiren's Boot CD included proprietary software without proper licensing, raising legal issues for commercial use.
  • Outdated components: Hiren's Boot CD hasn't been updated for some time, meaning some of its tools and utilities may be outdated.
  • Security risks: Using older, potentially unpatched software could expose systems to security vulnerabilities.
  • Compatibility issues: As it's based on older Windows versions, it may not work well with newer hardware or operating systems.
  • Complexity: The wide array of tools can be overwhelming for less experienced users.

Hence, to break all these limits, you can select a reliable alternative to clone a disk - EaseUS Partition Master. It works well on Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista. The most important thing is that it's safe and easy for beginners to use.

You can download this tool and skip to part 3 to learn how to use EaseUS Partition Master to clone a disk.

How to Clone Disk with Hiren's BootCD

If you determine to use Hiren's BootCD to clone a disk, you can follow the guides below to perform the task. Before that, read the notice:

  1. 💡Use the latest version available
  2. 💡Carefully follow all instructions
  3. 💡Double-check all selections before proceeding
  4. 💡Have a complete backup of your important data before starting

Stage 1. Create Hiren's Boot CD

To use Hiren's Boot CD PE, you need to download the Hiren's Boot CD ISO file and burn it to a disk to make a bootable USB, which you can use to boot your computer and clone the disk. Here are the specific steps:

Step 1. Download the Hiren's Boot CD from its official website.

Step 2. Download Rufus, insert the USB device, and run Rufus. Please note that this operation will erase all data on the USB; please back it up in advance.

Step 3. Select FAT32 as the file system and choose the ISO image option in Rufus

Step 4. In Rufus, navigate to the formatting options and change the option next to Create a bootable disk using an ISO image.

Step 5. Select the small CD icon next to this box; then, you can find the location of the ISO file in the HBCD folder and select it.

Step 6. Finally, click "Start" when you are ready.

Once the process is complete, your Hiren's Boot CD will be ready to boot.

Stage 2. Set Hiren's Boot CD as Boot Drive

Now, follow the guide to set the Hiren's boot CD as the boot drive.

Step 1. Start your computer. When the computer boot screen appears, press Esc/Del/F2/F12 to enter the BIOS setup. (You can check the correct boot menu key using your computer model.)

Step 2. After entering the BIOS, set the Hiren's boot CD/USB as the first boot drive.

Step 3. Then, press the "ESC" key to return to the BIOS main interface and select Save and Exit.

When you restart the computer, the computer will automatically enter the Hiren's boot CD startup main interface.

Stage 3. Clone a Disk with Hiren's Boot CD

After that, you can boot to the main interface of Hiren's Boot CD.

Step 1. Open "Utilities" in Hiren's Boot CD, find "Partition Tools" in "Disk Tools," and then you will see a tool - EaseUS Partition Master.

Step 2. Start EaseUS Partition Master in the "Disk Clone" section of the main interface, and select "Data Disk" or "OS Disk" according to your actual situation to complete the cloning.

In fact, it is not a complicated task to clone a disk. For beginners, it's difficult to perform the 3 stages to use Hiren's Boot CD to clone a disk. Hence, there comes a professional cloning tool, as the alternative to Hiren's Boot CD.

Best Alternative to Hiren's Boot CD - Much Easier for Beginners

Compared to Hirens Boot CD, EaseUS Partition Master Professional is time-saving , and you don't need to burn ISO or change the boot order. To clone a disk (including a data disk and OS disk), you just need simple clicks. With its clear interface, EaseUS Partition Master is easy to use.

Step 1. Select the source disk.

  • Click the "Clone" from the left menu. Select the "Clone OS Disk" or "Clone Data Disk"  and click "Next".
  • Choose the source disk and click "Next".

Step 2. Select the target disk.

  • Choose the wanted HDD/SSD as your destination and click "Next" to continue.
  • Read Warning message and confirm "Yes" button.

Step 3. View the disk layout and edit the target disk partition size. 

Then click "Continue" when the program warns it will wipe out all data on the target disk. (If you have valuable data on the target disk, back up it in advance.)

You can select "Autofit the disk", "Clone as the source" or "Edit disk layout" to customize your disk layout. (Select the last one if you want to leave more space for C drive.)

Step 4. Click "Start" to start the disk cloning process.

Conclusion

You must have known how to clone a disk using Hiren's Boot CD. But for beginners, that process is too complicated. EaseUS Partition Master is better for ensuring successful cloning and data security. It can perfectly match various Windows models. If you clone the system disk, it can automatically change the boot order to let you boot from the Destination disk.

FAQs About Hiren's Boot CD Clone

Hiren's bootable CD contains software tools and utilities, including the clone software. Here are some topics you may also like to know.

1. Is it safe to clone my disk with Hiren's Boot CD?

Hiren's Boot CD hasn't been updated frequently, so some of its tools may be outdated, potentially leading to compatibility issues or security vulnerabilities. For those less experienced, more modern disk cloning software may be safer and more reliable.

2. How to clone a disk using Hiren's?

To clone a disk using Hiren's Boot CD, follow these steps:

  • Create a bootable Hiren's Boot CD USB drive:
  1. Download the Hiren's Boot CD ISO file from the official website.
  2. Use a tool like Rufus to burn the ISO to a USB drive.
  3. Select FAT32 as the file system and choose the ISO image option in Rufus.
  • Boot from the Hiren's Boot CD USB:
  1. Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive.
  2. You may need to change the boot order in your BIOS settings.
  • Use the cloning tool:
  1. Once booted into Hiren's Boot CD, navigate to the "Utilities" section.
  2. Look for "Partition Tools" under "Hard disk tools."
  3. Use the cloning tool to clone your disk.

3. How to copy Hiren's boot CD to USB?

You can easily burn Hiren's boot CD to a USB:

  1. Prepare a USB formatted into FAT32.
  2. Download the Hiren's boot CD ISO from its official website.
  3. Use Rufus to burn Hirens' Boot CD ISO to the USB.