Step-by-Step Guide to Clone Your Windows 11 Drive to New SSD, NVMe, or HDD Using Clonezilla (Free Tool)

UPDATED 3/12/2025: If you’re seeking a seamless way to clone your Windows 11 installation onto another drive—like an SSD, NVM Express (NVMe), or traditional Hard Disk Drive (HDD)—you can do so for free using **Clonezilla**.This open-source Linux tool expertly captures an exact bit-for-bit copy of your drive, enabling a hassle-free transition to a new, larger, or faster drive without the arduous process of reinstalling your entire operating system.

Clonezilla not only facilitates transferring the entire operating system—along with all settings, applications, and files—but it’s also a fantastic safety measure, enabling efficient backups of your system before major updates or changes.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the step-by-step process to effectively clone your Windows 11 installation to a new drive using Clonezilla.

How to Clone Windows 11 to Another Drive for Free Using Clonezilla

Before diving into the cloning process, preparation is crucial. You must connect the new drive, create a bootable Clonezilla USB drive, perform the cloning operation, and reconfigure the cloned drive to utilize the full available space.

1. Connect Your Clone Drive

The method of connecting a new drive—be it SSD, HDD, or NVMe—differs depending on your computer’s manufacturer and design. For detailed instructions, it is advisable to refer to your computer manufacturer’s support documentation.

Note: Avoid using external USB drives as boot media; however, they are useful for data backup. The cloning effort should solely utilize internal drives.

2. Create Clonezilla Bootable USB Media

Creating a USB bootable device is best accomplished with the Clonezilla ISO file alongside Rufus, a trusted tool for generating bootable USB drives compatible with various operating systems, including Windows 11. Following these precautions will help maintain your current system’s integrity while creating the bootable media.

Step A: Download Clonezilla ISO File

To access the Clonezilla ISO file, follow these precise steps:

Visit the official Clonezilla download page.
In the second step, select the ISO option as the file format.
Hit the Download button.

Step B: Create Clonezilla Bootable USB with Rufus

For creating bootable media using Rufus, insert a USB flash drive (minimum 4GB capacity) and follow these steps:

Access the Rufus website.
Click on the download link for the latest version located in the “Download”section.
Launch the tool by double-clicking the downloaded file.
Select your USB flash drive from the “Device” dropdown menu.
Click the Select button.
Select the downloaded Clonezilla ISO file.
Click Open.
Hit the Start button to commence the process.

Step C: Create Clonezilla Bootable USB with Tuxboot

You can alternatively generate a Clonezilla USB using Tuxboot as follows:

Download Tuxboot from SourceForge (be sure to select the latest stable version available).
Open the tuxboot-x.x.x.exe file by double-clicking it.
Click Yes to bypass any warnings.
Select the On-Line Distribution option.
Choose clonezilla_live_stable from the On-Line Distribution dropdown.
Select USB Drive in the “Type” dropdown menu.
Choose the USB drive using the “Drive” dropdown menu.
Click OK to finalize.

Following these steps, assure that your system can boot from the USB by accessing the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) during the startup phase. This typically requires hitting a function key (F1 through F12), ESC, or Delete key.

Within the firmware settings, locate the “Boot” section, check that your boot sequence prioritizes the Windows 11 drive, and save the adjustments. Your computer manufacturer’s support documentation provides specific booting instructions.

3. Clone Windows 11 to New Drive Using Clonezilla

Once the bootable media is created, follow these steps to clone Windows 11 onto the new SSD or HDD:

Boot your computer using the Clonezilla media.
Select the Clonezilla live option and press Enter.
Choose your preferred language and press Enter.
Select the “Keep option to stay with default keyboard layout” and press Enter.
Pick the “Start_Clonezilla” option and press Enter.
Select device_device and press Enter.
Choose the Beginner mode option and press Enter.
Select the “disk_to_local_disk local_disk_to_local_disk_clone” and press Enter.
Select your source drive (the one you wish to clone) and press Enter.

Important: Ensuring you select the correct source drive is critical; choosing incorrectly may result in data loss.
Identify and select the destination drive (the empty drive to take on the cloned data), then press Enter.
Opt for the sfsck option to bypass checks, then press Enter.
Choose the action you want to undertake upon completion of the cloning. Options include “choose, ” “reboot, ” or “poweroff.” Make your selection.
Press Enter to move forward.
Type Y and press Enter to confirm the cloning process.
Type Y and press Enter again to affirm the deletion of all data on the destination drive.
Finally, type Y and press Enter to close the boot loader, which allows the Windows 11 drive to be bootable.

Upon completing these steps, Clonezilla will commence the cloning operation, transferring all data from the source Windows 11 drive to the designated destination drive.

After cloning, replace the old drive with the new one or keep it as a backup.

4. Reconfigure the Cloned Drive

If your cloned drive features a larger capacity than the original, you can expand its volume to maximize available storage by following these instructions:

Open Settings.
Select Storage.
Access Advanced storage settings within the “Storage management” section.
Click on Disks & volumes.
Choose the Windows 11 volume and click Properties.
Click the Change size button.
Specify the maximum available space in the New (MB) field.
Click OK to finalize your changes.

Once completed, the main Windows 11 volume will expand to use the unallocated space on the drive.

5. Move the Recovery Partition (if Necessary)

If you encounter issues expanding the primary partition due to an obstructive recovery partition, you can utilize a third-party tool like **GParted** to adjust its location. Follow these steps, but proceed cautiously as this operation may risk your installation. Always back up important data before making partition changes:

Boot your computer using the GParted USB drive.
Select the “GParted Live (Default settings)” option and hit Enter.
Select the “Don’t touch keymap” option and press Enter.
Select your preferred language and press Enter.
Choose 0 and press Enter.
Using the dropdown menu in the upper-right corner, select the drive containing the partition you wish to move.
Select the recovery partition and click the Resize/Move button.
Drag the recovery partition to the end of the drive (right).
Click the Resize/Move button to execute the relocation.
Click the Apply button to confirm changes.
Click Yes to finalize the operation.
Click Close after the process is complete.

After successfully moving the recovery partition, you can return to the earlier steps to create more usable space on your drive.

Update March 12, 2025: This guide has been meticulously updated for accuracy and to reflect the latest process instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Clonezilla safe to use for cloning Windows 11?

Yes, Clonezilla is a reliable and free cloning software that’s widely regarded as safe for cloning Windows 11 installations. However, always back up important data before executing cloning tasks as a precaution.

2. Can I use Clonezilla on SSDs and NVMe drives?

Absolutely! Clonezilla is compatible with SSDs, NVMe drives, and traditional HDDs, making it a versatile tool for all your cloning needs.

3. What should I do if the cloning process fails?

If you encounter failures, ensure that your destination drive is connected correctly and has sufficient space. Double-check that you’ve selected the correct source and destination drives. If issues persist, consult the Clonezilla troubleshooting guide for further assistance.

Source & Images