Most drive cloning tools are no longer free (subscription).

[Fielder 3,738]

Macrium Reflect is only free until the end of this year. Starting next year, it is subscription. Macrium was free now, but it would not do a clone for me.

Donemax Disk Clone looks like it is free, but it would not do a clone on my system.

AOMIEI used to be free. But if you start a clone, then it asks you to subscribe to finish.

EaseUS Partiition Manager is now the same.

HDCclone is the same.

The only freeware that would actually do a clone for me were older versions of MiniTool Partition Wizard Free (versions 10.2.3. and 11.5 are free, later versions are subscription. This one worked for me today (v 10.2.3).

The reason MiniTool works is that it starts to run and then tells you to do a system restart. Windows closes and it clones as you boot up Windows again. It reads out simple progress numbers 0 to 100% and only then Windows login screen appears. 1.6TB took about 95 minutes.

Because Windows has not yet booted during the clone, other programs on the C drive are not running and will not interfere. Therefore it is extremely solid and runs in difficult situations. You have to ignore the Windows warning that the software has not passed inspection when you install it from the web. From legitimate sites it is safe. I download the older (free) version from MediaFire.

I thought I may have to give up, and send back my new NVMe until trying this software.

 

[jlohrenz 133]

Clonezilla is free.  Works well too.

[somiller 694]

Windows 10 has the Windows 7 system image tool that I've used for some time. More than once I have recovered my C drive using the system image.

[Fielder 3,738]

Thanks for tips on Clonezilla. I'll take a look at Windows Sys image.

Anyone who has older versions of clone software, keep it. Some popular ones have went to payware in the last 3 or 4 months for their newer versions. (It took me 3 hours to find one that worked. I didn't want to pay because then it might not even work)

 

[Fielder 3,738]

If your NVMe drive slots are hard to reach, and the drive hold down is with an M2 size screw instead of a latch, and you don't have a magnetic screwdriver... Touch the screwdriver tip with something like Vaseline or silicon grease, and it will hold on to the screw better than a magnetic screwdriver.

[Ray Proudfoot 9,039]

On 9/18/2023 at 10:55 AM, Fielder said:

AOMIEI used to be free. But if you start a clone, then it asks you to subscribe to finish.

They switched some features from the free version to a Pro one. Explore Image was one. But you can download earlier versions that still have these features.

I’m on an earlier one and my backup strategy is to use Disk Clone which is still free.

download: https://www2.aomeisoftware.com/download/adb/6.9.1/AOMEIBackupperStd.exe