How to Clone Disk Using PowerShell on Windows 11/10/8/7🔥

There are many benefits of cloning hard drives/disks. Be it for backup, upgrading, or creating bootable media. If you want to know how to clone disk using PowerShell, we give you a detailed tutorial in this post.

Why Do You Clone Disk via PowerShell

Speaking of cloning a hard drive to SSD or HDD, you can do it using two methods. One is to use the command line scripting software like PowerShell, and the other is to use an app with a graphical user interface (GUI).

While both methods have their own merits and demerits, Tech-savvy people prefer to clone a hard drive using PowerShell since it's a powerful and multifunctional scripting language and automation framework. You can do a lot with this tool to manage disks and files, such as formatting a disk, checking disk space, and deleting files with PowerShell. People with less computer experience can use the graphical user interface (GUI) apps if they do not prefer a command-line app or find it amusing.

How to Clone Hard Drive Using PowerShell

PowerShell is a command-line scripting language by Microsoft for the IT and tech-savvy professional to work with your OS and authorize or configure administrative tasks. Simply put, it is an advanced version of Command Prompt with more interactiveness and advanced capabilities. While both are built-in tools with some differences, Let us see two ways to clone a hard drive with Command Prompt.

Method 1: Using Xcopy Command

Windows provides a disk copy program with the Xcopy command to copy files and directories. You can easily copy or copy data from one drive to another, and this helps you replicate a drive identical to the source drive. Check out the steps below:

Step 1. Search and open Windows PowerShell as administrator.

Step 2. Enter the below command to copy all the files from the source drive to the destination drive. This includes copying each and every piece of file like empty subdirectories, systems, and hidden files.

xcopy c:\ d:\ /s /e /h /i /c /y

C and D are the source and destination hard drives, respectively. The purpose of other commands is listed below:

/s: Copies directories and subdirectories which are not empty.

/e: Copies all subdirectories, including the empty ones.

/h: Copies files with hidden system files.

/i: This command assumes the destination folder if it is not provided or wrong.

/c: Continues copying the files even if the error arises.

/y: If any issues with prompts arise, it will suppress them to overwrite the files.

Step 3. Now, Wait until the process ends and check the destination drive to confirm.

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Method 2: Using Copy Command

The other Windows command to clone hard disks using PowerShell is Copy. It is available for all 32-bit Windows, including Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP. This command is helpful, even if you wish to copy files or documents.

Step 1. Run Windows PowerShell in the Administrator mode.

Step 2. Before moving forward, understand the commands below to perform the process without any hassle.

• To copy a file: copy c:\example.txt
• Copy and file from one drive to another: copy c:\example.txt d:
• Copy each and every file: copy *.txt c:

Step 3. Now, let us assume you want to copy a text file from the C drive to the D drive. Type the below command in PowerShell and press Enter.

copy c:\example.txt d:

Easier Way to Clone Hard Drive: Using Disk Cloning Software

If you want to go with PowerShell to clone your hard drive, you need to be well-versed with commands. Moreover, many users find it difficult due to more space for errors, instructions, and less customer support with only Google articles. What's the point of learning a range of commands to clone your hard drive if you can do it with just a few clicks using a GUI app, right?

EaseUS Disk Copy is professional cloning software to make accurate clones quickly. The app is simple to use and runs smoothly on all Windows OS. You have to select source and destination, drive, and you will have your clone ready in a few minutes. Additionally, you can upgrade your OS, transfer the OS to a new hard drive, and create images or backup solutions for instant restoration.

If you choose to use EaseUS Disk Copy, below are the detailed steps for you.

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

To clone your hard disk, both the command-line and cloning tools are useful. But what to choose depends on your tech expertise. In this post, we will see how to clone disk using PowerShell using two different methods. While both methods are pretty straightforward, many find them difficult and look for a GUI alternative.

EaseUS Disk Copy is excellent cloning software to clone your hard drives, systems, files, and folders. Additionally, you can create full backup and restore solutions to meet your cloning and backup demands. Give it a try, and you will love it.

FAQs on Clone Disk Using PowerShell

Here are some of the most frequent FAQs asked on how to clone disk using PowerShell. I hope you find these queries helpful.

1. What is the fastest way to clone a HDD?

The fastest and easiest way to clone an HDD is to use professional cloning software. While there are many, the best cloning software is EaseUS Disk Copy. Select your Source and destination drive, you will have your clone ready in a few minutes based on the volume.

2. Can PowerShell do everything CMD does?

Yes, PowerShell can run every command you can run on CMD. PowerShell is more advanced and interactive than the CMD, as it works on a scripting language. You can consider CMD as a subset of PowerShell.

3. How do I run a PowerShell program from the command prompt?

If you want to start a PowerShell session in the Command Prompt window, type PowerShell and press Enter. Immediately, you can see a PS prefix added to the command prompt to indicate that you are using a PowerShell session.

4. Can I use PowerShell instead of CMD?

Yes, PowerShell can execute every command you can run on CMD. In fact, PowerShell offers even more functionalities compared to the CMD. Since it is an object-oriented automation engine, it is more interactive and advanced than CMD.