How to Manage Disk Before Cloning

Disk Cloning is a safe and secure method to transfer data from one hard drive to another without reinstalling Windows or losing data. Sometimes, you may need disk cloning for disk upgrades, data backup, OS migration, etc. However, after you prepare a new disk for cloning, you still have much work to do with your hard drive before cloning to ensure a hassle-free cloning procedure. EaseUS will tell you how to manage disk before cloning for a safe and successful disk cloning.

Clean up Your Source Drive

The source hard disk may contain many unnecessary or junk files due to a long time of use, such as temporary data, caches, rarely used programs, duplicate files, corrupted files, etc. The fewer files on the source disk, the shorter the time it will take for disk cloning. To free up disk storage on the source drive, you can:

• Use the built-in Windows tool or third-party disk cleanup software to remove temporary files. (Start > Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations) 
• Uninstall unnecessary programs and remove software-related files. (Start > Settings > System > Storage > Installed apps > Click 3-dot icon > Click Uninstall) 
• Empty Recycle Bin to free up disk storage space. (Go to Recycle Bin and then click Empty Recycle Bin)

Connect Your Destination Drive

You need to connect the target drive to your computer for disk cloning. The destination disk may use different connection ways; for example, it may need a USB-to-SATA cable or external hard disk enclosure. Most importantly, the ways of connecting vary between desktops and laptops.

For a desktop:

• Power down your PC
• Open the desktop case
• Install the new drive in the available SATA ports
• Connect power cables securely

For a laptop:

• Purchase a USB to SATA adapter
• Connect the target drive via USB
• Keep the target drive on a flat and stable surface

Ensure Target Drive Has Enough Space

When you purchase a new disk, you must pay attention to the hard drive's storage capacity, disk interface, and form factor. It is okay if the target HDD or SSD is smaller than the source disk, but you need to ensure it can hold all the data of the original disk. That's to say, the target disk should be larger than the used space on the source disk.

It would be best, and it is recommended that there is extra storage space on the target disk after cloning for data storage and future OS updates, which can somewhat guarantee disk performance.

Verify Drive Recognition

After connecting your hard drive to your computer, you must ensure your PC can recognize it. To verify the hard drive recognition:

• Open Disk Management
• Confirm both hard drives are visible
• Note the disk letters and sizes
• Initialize the target disk if necessary

To open Disk Management:

• 1️⃣Right-click on Start Menu (or press Windows+X) and select "Disk Management."
• 2️⃣Press Windows+R  to open the Run window, then type "Diskmgmt.msc" and click "OK" or hit "Enter."
• 3️⃣Type "disk management" in the Windows Search bar and choose "Create and format hard disk partitions."

After making these preparations, you can start cloning one hard drive to another with your selected disk cloning software.