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Cloning a Desktop HD: How to Perform a Clone in Windows with DiscWizard

This operation migrates/copies the entire contents of one disk drive to another (e.g., when installing a larger disk) to get two identical drives with the same file structure. The "Clone Disk" tool effectively copies all of the contents of one hard disk drive onto another hard disk drive. The operation allows you to transfer all the information (including the operating system and installed programs) from one hard disk drive to another without having to reinstall and reconfigure all of your software.

Items to Note:

  • It is recommended to always perform a Clone from the DiscWizard Boot CD. This article is for those who want to attempt a clone from inside Windows on a desktop computer with both drives attached directly to the SATA/PATA motherboard.
  • DiscWizard will not clone a single partition. It will only clone an entire disk.
  • Source disks can be cloned to your destination "as is" or resized.
  • It is strongly suggested not to format your source disk or discard it after the clone until you are confident that the new disk boots properly.
  • Only Basic Disks can be cloned. Dynamic Disks cannot be cloned using Seagate DiscWizard.
  1. Launch the DiscWizard software.
  2. Under the Tools tab, click Clone Disk.
  3. Select the Automatic Mode to have the source drive's partitions automatically and proportionally resized to fit the new drive.

     
  4. Select your old hard drive as the Source Disk, then click Next.

     
  5. Select the new hard drive as the Destination Disk, click Next.

     
  6. If the destination drive has been partitioned, click OK to allow DiscWizard to erase all the partition on the drive before performing the clone.

     
  7. Review the operation and summary screen, then click Proceed.

     
  8. The clone will start and display a progress Window.

     
  9. If you are cloning a disk with a currently active operating system, the program will ask for a reboot. Click Reboot to continue cloning:


    **If you click Cancel, the job will be aborted.
     
  10. The computer will reboot into a pre-Windows environment where the clone will be performed. Once the clone has completed, you can shut down the computer and remove the original source drive.

    *For more information regarding DiscWizard, you can access the built-in help guide through the Help tab located on the left side of the software.