Clone a Drive with HDClone: Free and Pro Guide 2026

HDClone is a cloning suite from Miray that works at the sector level and can run from Windows or from its own bootable media. It is known for handling damaged drives and unusual hardware better than some consumer tools.

This guide explains how the free edition differs from the paid versions, how to run a clone, and what to check before you boot the copy.

HDClone Editions and Features

Sector-level copy. Reads and writes raw sectors, including space that file-level tools skip.
Bootable media. Runs without Windows when the installed system will not start.
SMART-aware reading. Can skip failing areas and keep copying the rest of the drive.
USB and network modes. Supports external drives and some network transfer options.
Multiple editions. Free, Basic, Standard, Professional, and higher tiers add speed and features.

The free edition is enough for a simple one-to-one copy on healthy hardware. Damaged drives, resizing, and fast multi-pass copies usually need a paid edition.

Inspect the NVMe drive before an HDClone sector copy

Clone a Disk with HDClone

Start HDClone. Run the Windows build or boot the USB media on the target machine.
Choose the copy mode. Select a disk-to-disk copy and the drive pair.
Pick the source. Confirm the disk number and the used space.
Pick the destination. Accept the warning that the target will be overwritten.
Run the copy. Watch the progress screen and wait for verification before you reboot.

HDClone shows read and write speeds during the copy. A sudden drop to near zero usually means a failing sector, not a software error, so let the tool skip and continue.

Check the used space before choosing the target disk

Free Edition Limits

Speed is capped. The free build runs slower than the paid editions on large drives.
Fewer modes. Resizing and some image formats are locked behind paid tiers.
Interface is dated. The wizard looks older than modern consumer tools.
No automatic boot repair. A failed boot needs manual repair from Windows Recovery.
Media creation needs care. A wrong USB target erases the stick without warning.

For a single healthy HDD-to-SSD upgrade, the free edition is workable. For a failing drive or a resized copy, budget for a paid edition or use a tool that includes those features.

Clone with Qiling Disk Master

Qiling Disk Master offers a faster wizard, automatic partition resizing, and a backup path for failed copies, without the edition tiers of HDClone.

Watch the video tutorial below to clone the drive step by step with Qiling Disk Master.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step 1. Open Qiling Disk Master, choose Clone, and then select Disk Clone.

Choose Disk Clone in Qiling Disk Master

Step 2. Select the source disk and click Next.

Select the source disk

Step 3. Select the destination SSD and confirm that its data will be replaced.

Select the destination SSD

Step 4. Choose the clone mode and adjust the partition size for the new drive.

Choose the clone mode and resize the partitions

Step 5. Click Proceed, wait for the copy to finish, then shut the machine down before you remove any cable.

Monitor the clone progress bar until the task finishes

Boot and Verify the Copy

Remove the source drive. Boot with only the cloned disk attached.
Check the drive letter. The system volume should still be C.
Confirm the capacity. Extend the volume if the target is larger and space is unallocated.
Open your main programs. Confirm the settings and profiles load.
Restart twice. A stable second boot confirms the copy is complete.

If the firmware does not list the new drive, check the SATA or M.2 connection and the boot mode. A sector-level copy can still fail to boot when the target uses a different partition style.

FAQs About HDClone

Is HDClone free for disk cloning?

The free edition handles basic one-to-one copies, but speed and some modes are limited. Paid editions unlock the rest.

Can HDClone clone a failing drive?

Yes, it can skip bad areas and continue reading. For very unstable drives, a dedicated recovery tool may be safer.

Does HDClone resize partitions?

Resizing is available in paid editions. The free build focuses on straight copies.

Can HDClone clone a larger disk to a smaller SSD?

Only when the used data fits. Shrink the source partitions before the copy.

Why is the free copy so slow?

The free edition caps the transfer speed on purpose. Paid editions remove the cap.

Back Up Before You Clone

A sector-level copy of a failing drive can push it over the edge. Save an image first if the data matters more than the hardware.

Watch the video tutorial below to back up Windows and restore it if the clone fails.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step 1. Open Qiling Disk Master and select System Backup to include the boot partitions.

Select System Backup in Qiling Disk Master

Step 2. Save the image to a drive other than the target disk and start the backup.

Choose a folder on another drive for the system image

Step 3. Click Proceed to start the system backup and wait patiently until it finishes. You can also tick Shut down the computer when the operation is completed to power off automatically.

Watch the system backup progress until it finishes

Step 4. If the HDClone copy will not boot, restore the image and retry with a different copy mode.

Restore the image with Disk recovery when the clone fails

Conclusion

HDClone is a solid sector-level cloner with a capable free tier, but the speed cap and the paid feature split are real limits. Use it for healthy one-to-one copies, and keep a backup for anything else.

For more clone comparisons, see Best Free Disk Cloning Software 2026, Sector-by-Sector Clone vs Intelligent Clone, Clone a Hard Drive Without Booting Windows, and Cloned Drive Won't Boot? Fix It.

Best Free Disk Cloning Software 2026
Compare free tools side by side.
Sector-by-Sector Clone vs Intelligent Clone
Pick the right copy mode.
Clone a Hard Drive Without Booting Windows
Use bootable media instead.
Clone a Hard Drive with Clonezilla
Try another free bootable tool.
Cloned Drive Won't Boot? Fix It
Repair the boot after cloning.