Windows 10: AOEMI disk clone versus system clone, all of the c:\ drive is copied?

Looking to make a bootable backup of win10.
Does Aoemi system clone copy all of the c: drive?
I only have the c: drive, there is no d:\ drive partition on this hard drive.

Best Free Hard Disk Clone Software – AOMEI Backupper

System Clone/System Migration

:)

 

Replacing an existing Hard Disk by cloning

I've never used EaseUS, but AOEMI Partition Assistant works well for cloning Windows.

With AOEMI you clone only the C:\ drive, not the whole HDD/SSD.

Other partitions can be done via the backup option, or you can create new partitions later

via Windows Disk Manager and copy data directly to the partition.

I have never tried using a external drive via USB though (I have an e-SATA dock on my case, which is the same as connecting to a SATA port on the motherboard).

Using a USB may cause issues with the MBR not being written to the cloned OS drive, but this should not

be an issue if cloning back to the original HDD as the MBR on the original HDD should still be viable.

Free Partition Manager - AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard

Note that when doing a cloning operation you start with unallocated space on the HDD you want

to clone to, not a partitioned space.

.

 

Drive letter for D, E, Y and Z are incorrect and I can't change them.

This all started with 10 needing more space than Microsoft stated. I cloned the original drive and adjusted the space accordingly.

-> There is no need to resort to cloning when adjusting partition sizes. Free tools such as AOEMI will do it on the fly.

I can access Control Panel but I can't access any Command Prompts, Regedit or Device Manager even though C:\ is the Windows drive. I get a message that "Windows cannot find C:\Windows\System32\diskmgmt.msc
when I try to access Disk Management.

-> To me this suggests that the cloning process is flawed.

I've tried changing the drive letters from the Command Prompt using 10's install disk and Advanced under repairs.

-> Drive letter assignments are held in the registry. To change them while in Repair Mode you would need to modify the off-line System hive (which is not quite trivial).

You probably need to restore the original system, then resize your partitions with a tool of known quality.

 

With AOMEI or any other backup / restore / cloning program, if you clone source HD onto target HD, the target HD normally should boot up fine. Sometimes a disk manager must be used to Mark As Active the target HD's partition containing Windows. Do not have both HDs connected at the same time during normal non-backup operations -- ransom-ware can strike both HDs. If/when you ever need to fix a boot and load problem, do not have both HDs connected, more problems might occur.

 

you did not answer specifically, will system clone backup the c: drive

mute issue as the free version only does the entire drive clone which is ok

 

I don't know the answer, I have to learn exactly what a AOMEI system clone is and exactly how it is done. I'll listen in and learn alongside you from those who have used AOMEI's System Clone operation.

 

System clone will clone all files on C drive and required hidden partitions. Drive clone will clone all files on all partitions.

IIRC, free version only has clone all partitions.

I use minitool partition wizard free, as it can do partial cloning directly - you have to manually select partitions though.

Even the great Macrium Reflect does not allow partial cloning directly, but does allow you to do it via image backups.

If you just want to backup OS and not data on C drive, simply create a usb recovery drive or dvd from Windows.

 

Not True. Sure it does.

 

Clone and Backup are different operating tasks.
To clone system with AOMEI Backupper, you'll clone entire C drive as well as required hidden partitions (system reserved partition for example) to target disk, so that successful boot ensured.
To backup C drive with AOMEI Backupper, you will create a system image of C drive as well as required partitions to the destination place. But you have to restore the system image before you can use it.
In your situation, if you have only C drive on that hard drive, there is not much difference between Disk Clone and System Clone. That is, the free version Standard is able to do system migration.
Regards.

 

It did succesfully clone win10 and it booted also. However it added several partitions which were empty. 100mb in front of win10, a 60gb and a 500mb or something raw partition behind it. I deleted the ones behind win10, and win10 expanded into the space

 

To which statement does this apply - regrettably I am not a mind reader *Biggrin.

 

The statement that was highlighted in RED in your post that the reply quoted. Macrium Reflect Free will do partial drive cloning. You just have to drag and drop the partitions you want cloned.

 

@NavyLCDR
Well, not quite ....
Using drag & Drop. You actually perform "COPYING" which the partition(s) will end up one after another on destination disk. in the screen shot, partition 3 ended up next to partition 1.

CLONING : Everything ended up the same place as the source disk.