How to clone a hard drive - EASY step by step walk-thru!

Video Description

If you have considered backing up your computer's hard drive, this method is arguably the BEST method, not only to protect your data, but also to avoid costly PC repair expenses. It's easy to do, and in this video, I walk you through each step of the process...PLUS! At the end, a serious Q&A session where I answer all of the questions you haven't thought of yet! Let's go! *** CORRECTION: (3:05) For simplicity, I stated in the video that "you *need* a target drive equal to or larger than your source drive." It IS feasible to clone both the operating system and data from a larger drive to a smaller one, provided that the used space on the larger drive fits within the capacity limits of the smaller drive. 💻 FREE computer recommendations: https://forms.gle/6hsvxDGpUFifH4WF8 Support the channel using our affiliate links! My TOP 10 Favorite Windows programs of all time - https://youtu.be/-dEB7kIU0TM MalwareBytes: https://prf.hn/l/q3BJaLB Every Windows user should do this right now! - https://youtu.be/OWPjOgAjr4o DriverMax: https://secure.2checkout.com/affiliate.php?ACCOUNT=INNOVAAL&AFFILIATE=133236&PATH=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.drivermax.com%3FAFFILIATE%3D133236 2-week FREE trial: stop Data Brokers from selling YOUR personal data - https://aura.com/askyourcomputerguy Products: - Sabrent 2-bay SATA docking station/cloner: https://amzn.to/3toXbA9 - Sabrent HDD/SSD/NVMe offline cloner: https://amzn.to/46hMs9d Links: - Macrium Reflect FREE edition 8.1: https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/macrium_reflect_free_edition.html Videos you might enjoy: HDD vs SSD vs NVMe - should you upgrade your hard drive? How much faster is SSD vs HDD? https://youtu.be/EJfOPHTSQ7c *** TIMESTAMPS *** 00:00 - how to clone your hard drive 01:07 - what is the best method of backing up your personal files? 01:47 - what exactly is drive cloning? 02:33 - what do I need to clone my hard drive? 04:15 - what is the difference between source drives and target drives? 04:28 - why you should format the target drive first when cloning 05:50 - how to download and install the Macrium Reflect cloning software 06:35 - how to clone your hard drive using Macrium Reflect cloning software 09:11 - standard desktop configuration with extra data and power connections 09:26 - desktop configuration with no extra data or power connections (small form factor and mini-pc's) 09:57 - laptop configuration for hard drive cloning 10:57 - all in one PC configuration for hard drive cloning 11:38 - are there any downsides to cloning a hard drive? 12:25 - can i clone to a USB flash drive or external hard drive? 13:15 - how long does it take to clone a hard drive? 13:37 - can I clone a Linux or MacOS drive? 13:52 - how do I safely store my backup clone drive? 14:12 - how often should I clone my computer's hard drive? 14:40 - can I use different software besides Macrium Reflect to clone my drive? 14:59 - how do I find out if I have extra SATA ports and power connections? 15:18 - is cloning the best way to backup my computer? 16:23 - can I insert my clone drive into another computer? 17:10 - do I need to take my laptop or my computer apart to clone the drive? 17:40 - say thanks for my hard work :) Help support the channel! ❤️ Purchase anything on my Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/POI6B4LK90RH?ref_=wl_share 💢 ALL the tools that I *highly* recommend and use personally every day... Hardware --- ◼ 142-piece magnetic electronics precision screwdriver set with 120 bits 👉 https://amzn.to/3exdNeb ◼ StarTech 4-bay USB 3.0 hard drive docking station 6Gbps 👉 https://amzn.to/3z6zNpG ◼ StarTech 2-bay USB 3.0 hard drive docking station SATA 6Gbps 👉 https://amzn.to/3sAGZt0 ◼ Netgear A6100 wifi adapter 👉 https://amzn.to/3DWUp5p ◼ Godshark NVME to USB adapter M.2 SSD to Type-A USB 10Gbps 👉 https://amzn.to/3FGw3O8 ◼ Cordless, rechargeable air duster 6000mAh 10w fast-charging 👉 https://amzn.to/3pzJWIa 💢 Helpful/useful everyday software --- ◼ Ninite (used to automatically download and install your favorite software): 👉 http://www.ninite.com ◼ Defraggler (used to defragment and organize HDDs, NOT SSD): 👉 http://www.defraggler.com ◼ Open Office (Microsoft Office FREE replacement) 👉 http://www.openoffice.org 💢 FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ✔ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AskMeComputers ✔ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askyourcomputerguy ✔ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ask-your-computer-guy-953248217/ ✔ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askyourcomputerguy/ ✔ Discord: https://discord.gg/jPwMdc3MVW *** Affiliate link notice *** Some links included in this video are affiliate links. The creator may make a small percentage from any products you purchase through one of these links. This comes at ZERO extra cost to you, and greatly helps to support the growth of this channel. Thanks so much for watching!