How to Copy or Clone Windows XP OS to HDD/SSD
Windows XP is an operating system that Microsoft released in 2001. Even though Windows 10 is the most commonly used operating system now, there are some users who still insist on using Windows XP. When Windows XP users would want to upgrade to a larger hard drive, they may consider cloning the old hard drive in order to keep all the data.
If you are one of the users mentioned before, one thing that bothers you must be 'How to clone a hard drive by myself?' This article is meant to help you out. Here, we will introduce how to clone Windows XP to a new HDD/SSD in simple clicks. Keep reading and check more details.
3 Simple Steps to Clone Windows XP to SSD or HDD
To clone the hard drive in Windows XP, we strongly recommend you to choose a third-party tool - Qiling Backup for help. It is developed for users to clone the computer system and back up the computer data easily. For more amazing features, check the list below:
- It helps in cloning, upgrading, or transferring the system easily.
- Do not require much advanced computer knowledge.
- Cloning hard drive in three simple steps. Even a new hand can do it by himself.
- Provides four backup types: full backup, incremental backup, differential backup, and schedule backup.
- 100% safe. Certificated by authorized agencies like SOFTPEDIA, PCWorld, and techradar, etc.
Download Qiling Backup now, and follow the step-by-step guide below to see how to clone Windows XP.
Preparations before hard drive cloning
Connect your new drive to the computer. If your computer has only one disk slot, connect the hard drive via a SATA-to-USB connection cable. If your computer has a second slot, install the new drive to your PC.
Initialize the new HDD/SSD. If you need to clone and upgrade the hard drive in Windows PC, initialize the new drive in Disk Management.
Tip
If you are trying to clone a Windows system to a new HDD or SSD disk, empty the disk in advance. One more thing that you can do is to convert your HDD/SSD disk to MBR or GPT - exact the same as your current system disk, which will allow you to effortlessly boot system after cloning Windows system.
Let's see how to clone your current Windows OS to a new HDD/SSD without reinstallation Windows OS now:
Step 1. Connect the new HDD/SSD to your PC
Step 2. Run Qiling Backup to start system cloning
Select "System Clone" on the tools page by clicking the icon at the right top corner.
Step 3. Choose the destination disk - HDD/SSD to save Windows system
Choose the new HDD or SSD as your target disk for saving the cloned Windows system.
Step 4. Then click "Proceed" to start cloning Windows system to HDD/SSD now.
After this, insert your new HDD or SSD into your computer and reboot PC, change the boot order to set computer boot from new HDD/SSD with cloned Windows 10 system:
- Restart PC and press F2 or F8 to enter BIOS settings.
- In the Boot option, select new HDD/SSD as the new boot drive and save all the changes.
- Exit BIOS and restart the computer, you should be able to see the Windows system running on your new disk without any problems.
After cloning Windows XP, if you want to use a new HDD or SSD to replace the Windows XP system drive, please shut down the computer and replace the Windows XP drive with the new cloned HDD or SSD.
Tips: Qilinag Backup with recovery to dissimilar hardware can copy your present system to new hardware without reinstallation.
The Bottom Line
That's all about cloning hard drive in Windows XP. As you can see, it is quite easy to clone OS with the help of Qiling Backup. You can also apply this software to back up your partitions and computer data. Because losing data is very discouraging. To protect data, regular backup makes sense.
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