Free Download HDD Raw Copy Tool (With Clear Guidance)

What is HDD raw copy?

HDD raw copy creates an unaltered clone of a hard disk drive (HDD), copying all sectors, whether used or unused. When you encounter scenarios like data recovery, forensic analysis, backup of specialized systems, or cloning for system migration, hard disk raw copy can be very useful for data integrity.

In contrast, intelligent disk cloning only copies used sectors, resulting in a smaller image file. To perform a raw disk clone, the target HDD must match or exceed the original drive's capacity, although it takes more time due to copying all data.

What are the criteria for a reliable hard disk raw copy tool?

Generally, a reliable HDD raw copy tool should be handy and safe enough for data reservation, minimizing the risk of data corruption or loss during the cloning process. Besides, these factors should be taken into consideration as well:

• Compatibility: It should be compatible with the operating system you are using and the hardware configuration of your computer.
• Speed: While raw copying can be time-consuming, a good tool should aim to complete the process as efficiently as possible.
• Versatility: It should be versatile enough to work with various hard drive types, sizes, and file systems, supporting a wide range of storage devices.
• Verification: After copying, the tool should offer a verification process to confirm that the copied data matches the original.

Free Download the best HDD raw copy tool

According to the standards of a practical HDD raw copy clone tool, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard is the qualified tool. It can duplicate everything on your disk, including programs, files, folders, and even the operating system, while keeping your data safe and intact. If you need to clone system disk, please choose its Professional Edition.

In this part, we will show you how to use an HDD raw copy tool on Windows 10 computer. But first, let's get everything ready to avoid any problems during the copying process.

Before you do:
✎ Connect the HDD to your PC and make sure it can be detected.  If your device is a laptop and has no second disk bay, a SATA-to-USB cable is necessary for connection.
✎ It is better to do a clean for your hard drive to shorten copying time and improve efficiency.
✎ Kindly please go to Disk Management and make sure to set up the new disk with the same type as the one you're cloning.

Step 1. Run the hard disk raw copy tool. From the top pane, click "Clone" > "Clone Disk" in turn.

Step 2. In this window, you need to choose a copying method to clone to hard disk. Here "Clone Disk Quickly" is selected.

▪ Clone Disk Quickly: Only copies the used space of the source disk. The destination disk should be larger than the used space of the source disk and can be smaller than the source disk.
▪ Sector-by-Sector Clone: Copies all sectors of the source disk no matter it is used or not. The target disk should be larger than the source one.

Step 3. Select the disk that needs to be migrated as the source disk.

Step 4. Choose the new disk as your destination disk. 

Step 5. Here you can adjust the partition size on the destination disk. When cloning to a smaller disk, the first option will be greyed out.

▪ Clone without resizing partitions: Keep the size of source partitions.
▪ Fit partitions to the entire disk: Adjust the partition size automatically to fit the whole target disk.
▪ Edit partitions on this disk: Change partition size manually on the destination disk as you like.

Step 6. You’ll get a note on how to boot from the destination disk after cloning. Keep it in mind and click “Finish”.

Step 7. In the home interface, click “Apply” and “Proceed” to commit the operation.

Tip for data safe: How to use AOMEI Partition Assistant to recover lost data

Data loss can be a frustrating setback for data integrity. Even if you've already selected a suitable HDD raw copy tool, unexpected accidents can still lead to data loss. However, if you have already upgraded to AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, you can rest assured that your important files are protected from unexpected accidents.

Its "Recover Data" feature can quickly and reliably get back your files from computer or external storage like HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, and so on. Moreover, it can bring back over 200 types of files, including text, pictures, videos, music, emails, compressed files, and more.

In the main interface of AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, you just need to click “Recover” on the top pane and choose “Recover Data”.

Then, following the instructions and guidance, you can easily retrieve your lost data back.

Bottom line

With the comprehensive introduction of HDD raw copy tool, you can effectively protect the data integrity. AOMEI Partition Assistant can both ensure your data integrity and data safety.

This software can also be helpful in computer problems solving. You can use it to free up space, rebuild MBR or convert system disk between MBR/GPT. For Windows Server 2003, 2008 (R2), 2012 (R2), 2016, 2019, 2022 and SBS 2003, 2008, 2011 users, please turn to the Server Edition to enjoy convenience and efficiency.