Can Clonezilla Clone to Larger Drive? See How to Do!

Jerry updated on Sep 10, 2024 to Disk/Partition Clone | How-to Articles

You're in the right destination if you want to Clonezilla clone to larger drive. We'll outline the detailed steps for using this clone tool on your PC. We'll also discuss a Clonezilla alternative to conveniently clone a larger or smaller drive.

Clonezilla is a popular free disk cloning software for SATA SSDS, HDDs, and NVMe SSDs. It supports almost all operating systems and allows you to clone a drive to a larger one or one that is equal in size. Are you wondering how to Clonezilla clone to larger drive? You should look no further since EaseUS has all the answers you need.

Why Use Clonezilla Clone Smaller Disk to Larger Disk

You may want to clone to a larger disk because of depleted storage. Cloning allows you to easily upgrade to a larger disk and boost your storage capacity. This allows you to store more data and run other memory-intensive tasks. Cloning to a larger disk also enhances the performance of your device.

This is because your system won't hang up when accessing specific files. Upgrading from HDD to SDD could also boost your performance. You may also want to clone to another disk for backup purposes. This ensures you have somewhere to revert if your current disk gets damaged or corrupted.

Can you clone to a larger drive using Clonezilla? YES. This free disk cloning software supports larger drives or those equal in size to your current drive. It's a bit tricky to clone to a smaller drive using Clonezilla. You should, therefore, ensure that your target drive has sufficient space. 

How to Clone Hard Drive to Larger Drive Using Clonezilla

Cloning hard drives using Clonezilla involves downloading the clone tool and creating a bootable USB to run it. This section will discuss 2 stages to Clonezilla clone Windows to larger disk.

Stage 1. Create a Clonezilla Bootable USB

You can accomplish this task via the following steps:

Step 1. Download Clonezilla from its official download page

Step 2. Download Rufus from the official website (you'll use this tool to create a bootable USB).

Step 3. Launch Rufus and select the Clonezilla ISO file that you downloaded. Click the Start button to burn the ISO file. Once the process completes, you'll have a bootable USB drive.

Stage 2. Clonezilla Clone to Larger Disk

You'll first need to connect the new disk to your computer. Next, follow these steps to clone clone hard drives or transfer data from one SSD to another:

Step 1. Boot your computer using the bootable USB created in Stage 1 above. When the Clonezilla window loads, select "Clonezilla live" and press Enter

Step 2. Select your language and press Enter.

Step 3. Next, choose "Start Clonezilla" and hit Enter.

Step 4. Select the following series of options and press Enter after each of them:

  • device-image option
  • local-dev option
  • sdb1 8G_ext4 option
  • Top_directory_in_the_local_device option

Step 5. Next, select the "Beginner Mode" option.

Step 6. Navigate to the "save to disk" option and select the destination disk.

Step 7. Choose the disk you want to clone and press Enter.

Step 8. Select "skip checking/repairing the file system."

Step 9. Type "Y" once you've confirmed your cloning information three times. Hit Enter to initiate the cloning process.

Step 10. Your Clonezilla sector-by-sector copy will then start. 

Once done, press "2" and then enter to leave the Window. You now have a cloned hard drive. You can reboot your device to continue using it.

Share this article on your social media to help others clone to another disk using Clonezilla or any of its kind!

 

EaseUS Disk Copy: Easier Way to Clone Hard Drive with Different Sizes

Cloning your hard drive using Clonezilla entails many steps, which could consume a significant amount of time. Due to the complex steps, it's also possible to get lost along the way. You must create a bootable USB drive before you start using Clonezilla. Do you want to avoid all this hassle? You can try a Clonezilla alternative like EaseUS Disk Copy.

This disk cloning software offers far better options for cloning your current drive. You can also use it to clone your HDD to other larger drives. The cloning process happens in just a few clicks, guaranteeing the safety of your files during the entire clone process.

Disk Copy allows you to clone HDD to SSD different sizes and migrate Windows to another disk without reinstalling. What if your old drive is failing? This clone tool allows you to retrieve all the data from it effortlessly. It can also let you copy hard drive bit by bit if your source disk has bad sectors. Do you want to use this Clonezilla alternative today? Ensure you download it to your computer now.

Prior Notice:

  • The "Sector by sector copy" asks the size of your destination disk to be at least equal to or larger than that of the source disk. Leave this feature unchecked if you wish to clone a larger hard disk to a smaller hard disk.
  • All data on the destination disk will be completely erased, so take care.

Step 1. To start copying/cloning an entire disk to another, choose this disk as the source disk under "Disk Mode" and click "Next".

Step 2. Choose the other disk as the destination disk.

Step 3. Check the disk layout of the two disks. You can manage the disk layout of the destination disk by selecting "Autofit the disk", "Copy as the source" or "Edit disk layout". 

  • "Autofit the disk" makes some changes by default on the destination disk layout so that it can work at its best status.
  • "Copy as the source"does not change anything on destination disk and the layout is the same as source disk.
  • "Edit disk layout" allows you to manually resize/move partition layout on this destination disk.

Tick the "Check the option if the target is SSD" option to put your SSD in its best performance.

A message now appears, warning you that data will be lost. Please confirm this message by clicking "OK" and then click "Next".

Step 4. Click "Proceed" to officially execute the task.

To Wrap Things Up

This tutorial has shown you how to Clonezilla clone to larger drive. You can use this cloning software to clone to larger or equal drives. You'll need to download it and then create a bootable USB drive to get started. A Clonezilla alternative is necessary if you want a simpler approach to cloning your drive.

Try EaseUS Disk Copy today to easily clone your current drive to another one. This cloning solution offers faster cloning speeds than Clonezilla. It also allows you to clone to a smaller disk without any limitation. Download the tool now and follow the simple steps to use it.

FAQs on Using Clonezilla to Clone a Larger Drive

The common FAQs on this topic include:

1. Can Clonezilla Clone Windows 10?

YES. You can use this clone tool on a PC running Windows 10. It supports different operating systems, including Windows.

2. Can Clonezilla Clone to a Smaller Drive?

NO. The second drive should be larger or equal to the source drive. This allows you to clone the two drives easily. Cloning to a smaller drive using Clonezilla will not always yield the desired results.

3. How Do I Clone to a Different Size Disk in Clonezilla?

This varies based on whether the destination disk is larger or smaller. Cloning to a larger disk or one that is equal in size is a seamless process with Clonezilla. The challenge is cloning to a smaller disk. You'll need to shrink the partition on your source disk (Clonezilla resize partition after clone).

4. Can I Clone a 500GB HDD to a 250GB SSD?

YES. The used space on your HDD must be smaller than your SSD's full capacity. This will allow you only to copy the sectors used in the HDD. You can do that effortlessly using a reliable third-party tool. EaseUS Disk Copy gets the job done pretty well.