How can I get a clone from running Windows?


ContosoUser

ContosoUser

Active member
Local time
8:33 AM
Posts
3
OS
Windows 11 Enterprise 64Bit
Hello my good friends, good time.
I have Windows 11 Enterprise Edition, how can I take a full backup of it when Windows is running, that is, I want to have a clone of it.
How can I have a complete clone?.


Thank you
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Enterprise 64BitIntel(R) Core(TM) i7-4702MQ CPU @ 2.20GHz 2.2...16.0 GBnVidia Geforce 750M
OS
Windows 11 Enterprise 64Bit
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
HP Envy 17 Leap Motion SE NB PC
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4702MQ CPU @ 2.20GHz 2.20 GHz
Motherboard
Hewlett-Packard
Memory
16.0 GB
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia Geforce 750M
What do you mean by clone?

Do you want a direct bit for bit copy on a separate disk?

Do you want a direct used space copy on a separate disk?

Do you want a used space copy stored in an image file?
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win7,Win11i7-97002x16gb 3600mhz
    OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-9700
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x16gb 3600mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i

  • At a glance

    win7,win11i5-84002x8gb 3200
    Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
ContosoUser said:
Hello my good friends, good time.
I have Windows 11 Enterprise Edition, how can I take a full backup of it when Windows is running, that is, I want to have a clone of it.
How can I have a complete clone?.


Thank you
Click to expand...
I have always cloned my system after closing Windows because I'm "old school" and want to be sure system files are copied properly without the fear of a system failure during cloning. With that said, visit the link below for an answer to your question.

How to Clone Disk While Running Windows Safely and Easily

You are going to learn how to clone disk while running Windows without any issues from here.
www.diskpart.com
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-940032GBIntegrated Intel UHD Graphics 630
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Microcenter B677
CPU
Intel Core i5-9400
Motherboard
ASRock H310CM-HDV/M.2
Memory
32GB
Graphics Card(s)
Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630
Sound Card
Intel Kaby Lake - High Definition Audio / cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech) [A0]
Monitor(s) Displays
LG Model: GSM59F1
Screen Resolution
2560x1080
Case
Lian Li 205M
Antivirus
Kaspersky AV
You could try Macrium Reflect which has many backup/ cloning features (paid and free versions available), it can backup/ create disk images while Windows is running and from outside the Windows environment using a boot disk.
DISM, the built in Windows image management utility can be used to image a Windows install and create a custom install image.
There are tutorials for both methods on these forums, there are other backup, image creation apps available that have a following here as well.
Detailing exactly what you want to do and how you want to use the 'clone' would be helpful.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 22H2, build: 22621.521Intel i7-12700K 3.6GHz Base (5.0GHz Turbo)64GB DDR 3600MhzAsus Tuff RTX 3080 10GB OC
OS
Windows 11 Pro 22H2, build: 22621.521
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Scan 3XS Custom 1700
CPU
Intel i7-12700K 3.6GHz Base (5.0GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Asus ProArt Creator B660 D4
Memory
64GB DDR 3600Mhz
Graphics Card(s)
Asus Tuff RTX 3080 10GB OC
Sound Card
Onboard Realtek
Monitor(s) Displays
Gigabyte G32QC 32inch 16:9 curved @2560 x 1440p 165Hz Freesync Premium Pro/ Dell SE2422H 24inch 16:9 1920 x 1080p 75Hz Freesync
Screen Resolution
2560 x 1440p & 1920 x 1080p
Hard Drives
WD SN570 1TB NVME (Boot), Samsung 870QVO 1TB (SSD), SanDisk 3D Ultra 500Gb (SSD) x2, Seagate 3Tb Expansion Desk (Ext HDD), 2x Toshiba 1Tb P300 (Ext HDD)
PSU
Corsair RM1000X Modular
Case
Corsair 4000D Airflow Desktop
Cooling
Corsair Hydro H150i RGB Pro XT 360mm Liquid Cooler, 3 x 120mm fans, 1x Exhaust
Keyboard
Microsoft Ergonomic
Mouse
Logitech G402
Internet Speed
800Mbs
Browser
Edge Chromium
Antivirus
Defender, Malwarebytes
DigitalGoat said:
You could try Macrium Reflect which has many backup/ cloning features (paid and free versions available), it can backup/ create disk images while Windows is running and from outside the Windows environment using a boot disk.
DISM, the built in Windows image management utility can be used to image a Windows install and create a custom install image.
There are tutorials for both methods on these forums, there are other backup, image creation apps available that have a following here as well.
Detailing exactly what you want to do and how you want to use the 'clone' would be helpful.
Click to expand...
I would recommend an image backup rather than a direct clone, if I interpret correctly OP's intent.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ16 GB solderedIntegrated Intel Iris XE
OS
Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14
CPU
I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
Motherboard
Yep, Laptop has one.
Memory
16 GB soldered
Graphics Card(s)
Integrated Intel Iris XE
Sound Card
Realtek built in
Monitor(s) Displays
laptop OLED screen
Screen Resolution
2880x1800 touchscreen
Hard Drives
1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
PSU
Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
Case
Yep, got one
Cooling
Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
Keyboard
Built in UK keybd
Mouse
Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
Internet Speed
900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

Macrium Reflect Home V8
Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
It would help if you would explain your reasons for needing a clone and why you need the system to be running. Exactly ?
Are you confusing a clone with an image? As has been suggested already, Macrium can make a backup image while system is running but we need to know what are you attempting to accomplish with your drives and why..
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8655i9-10900 10 core 20 threads32 gbnone-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8655
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457AMD Ryzen 7 6800U32 gbintegrated
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.8457
cereberus said:
I would recommend an image backup rather than a direct clone, if I interpret correctly OP's intent.
Click to expand...
I alway's do an image backup, but was just wondering, is there a difference if recovering from a disk backup you cloned vs a recovery from an image?
Thanks!
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows XP (Stable, iconic) 7/8.1/10/ Tiny11 ...Intel i7 4790K32GB DDR3 1600 MHzATI Radeon HD 7770 2GB GDDR5
OS
Windows XP (Stable, iconic) 7/8.1/10/ Tiny11 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Alienware PC
CPU
Intel i7 4790K
Motherboard
ASROCK Z97 EXTREME4
Memory
32GB DDR3 1600 MHz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 7770 2GB GDDR5
Sound Card
Onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
SAMSUNG UE57 Series 28-Inch 4K UHD
Hard Drives
SAMSUNG 860 EVO 250 gigabyte SSD
PSU
EVGA 850 watt
Case
Alienware Area 51 Black Tower Case
Keyboard
HyperX - Alloy Elite 2 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard.
Mouse
Microsoft Wireless
Internet Speed
1.2 GHz
Browser
Chrome..Edge..Firefox
RD Mercer said:
is there a difference if recovering from a disk backup you cloned vs a recovery from an image
Click to expand...
A clone is an identical uncompressed copy of a disk sector by sector, free space and all. You can replace a disk with a cloned disk and you're ready to go.
An image is a compressed version of the contents of a disk written to a file.
Unlike a clone, an image does not copy free space and the layout of the files on the disk is ignored. Cloning takes way longer than making a backup image.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8655i9-10900 10 core 20 threads32 gbnone-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8655
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457AMD Ryzen 7 6800U32 gbintegrated
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.8457
I use an Eaxer Drive Dock which can hold 2 drives. It has a function to do the Byte for Byte clone BUT it cannot be connected to a computer to do it. It does involve removing a Source drive from the computer. The Destination drive needs to be the same capacity of the Source drive or larger. I just did one over the weekend, 250GB to a 320GB with Win7 before Upgrading to Win10. The clone has always been bootable.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz12GB
    OS
    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe M.2

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz16GBOnboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA a...
    Operating System
    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 4TB Seagate HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
glasskuter said:
A clone is an identical uncompressed copy of a disk sector by sector, free space and all. You can replace a disk with a cloned disk and you're ready to go.
Click to expand...
It doesn't mean that anymore. Most imaging programs and partition programs will do clones. Sometimes called partition copy or disk copy, or os migration, and they usually offer to clone only used sectors by default.

Some are good at ensuring the clone is bootable, some are not very good at it. Which is probably why macrium fans always suggest imaging because it is not the best at cloning.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win7,Win11i7-97002x16gb 3600mhz
    OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-9700
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x16gb 3600mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i

  • At a glance

    win7,win11i5-84002x8gb 3200
    Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Solved How can I get THIS PC to show up initially with windows file explorer?
Replies
3
Views
341
netrate
N
WIN 11 preventing startup program from running macros
Replies
0
Views
587
GerryPeters
G
How Can I Get W11 25H2?
Replies
11
Views
3K
Yearofthegoat
Y
Solved How can I get the latest Realtek Audio Driver for my ASUS laptop? Windows Update and support page only provides version 6.0.9590.1 which is from 2023
Replies
12
Views
5K
Tweakfiend
Tweakfiend
Can I get QuickLaunch in Windows 11?
2
Replies
25
Views
5K
Try3
Try3

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom