How to Clone EFI Partition to Another Drive on Windows 11/10/8/7

The EFI system partition is important to your Windows operating system since it stores boot loaders, drivers, and applications required during UEFI boot. Without this partition, your Windows OS won't boot correctly. You may want to clone EFI partition to another drive for backup purposes or to install Windows.

Don't worry if your computer is running on Windows 11/10/8/7 and you are wondering how to clone an EFI partition to another drive. This article from Qiling will describe how you can easily do that using reliable disk clone software. We'll also let you know the preparations needed before cloning the EFI system partition ESP to another drive.

Real-life Scenarios That Require Cloning EFI Partition

Now that you know the preparations to make, here are some common real-life scenarios and our recommended solutions to fix the issues outlined.

Scenario	Solution
1️⃣"During Windows installation, I stored the main installation on the C drive while the D drive houses the EFI Windows boot partition. However, I want to move the EFI partition to the C drive and delete the other drives. How can I do that?" -From Microsoft Community.	You can do that easily using cloning software. One software that has proved efficient and I think you should try out is Qiling Disk Copy.
2️⃣"I initially installed the UEFI boot partition for my Windows 8 on the HDD. However, I want to switch to SSD because of speed and efficiency issues. Is it possible to move along with the EFI system partition?" From Superuser.	Yes, it's possible to do that. We recommend you use Qiling disk clone software for cloning purposes. You can also use Clonezilla to migrate your data.

The next section will discuss how to copy an EFI partition to a new drive. Read on.

Cloning EFI Partition? What Will You Need?

Since cloning an EFI partition to another drive entails moving important data, keeping everything in place is important to guarantee a safe and secure transfer. The key factors that you need to consider before you think of cloning the EFI partition include the following:

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How to Copy EFI Partition to Another Drive via Qiling Disk Copy

Qiling Disk Copy provides a fast and reliable way to clone your EFI partition from one drive to another, whether HDD or SSD. No matter the location of your EFI partition, this software allows you to copy data from one hard drive to a target drive conveniently. This tool is useful if your current drive runs out of space or has slowed your system performance.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, 100% Secure

Apart from performing drive cloning, Qiling disk cloning software also allows you to upgrade your operating system, clone dynamic disk to an SSD, migrate your files and data or create a WinPE bootable drive. Also, if you have a failing hard drive, Qiling allows you to securely copy the data and transfer it to a healthy drive.

The main features of Qiling Disk Copy include the following:

• Clone your EFI boot drive to a new location
• Transfer the operating system from one SSD to another
• Resize disk partition size during the cloning process
• Clone a hard drive with multiple partitions
• Migrate data between computers easily

To get started with Qiling Disk Copy, you can download and install the software on your computer today. Next, you can follow the steps below to use it for EFI partition cloning.

Follow the steps below to use Qiling Disk Copy:

Prior Notice:

• The "Sector by sector copy" asks the size of your destination disk to be at least equal to or larger than that of the source disk. Leave this feature unchecked if you wish to clone a larger hard disk to a smaller hard disk.
• All data on the destination disk will be completely erased, so take care.

Step 1. To start copying/cloning an entire disk to another, choose this disk as the source disk under "Disk Mode" and click "Next".

Step 2. Choose the other disk as the destination disk.

Step 3. Check the disk layout of the two disks. You can manage the disk layout of the destination disk by draging the disk or edit the postion or size of disk.

Tick the "Check the option if the target is SSD" option to put your SSD in its best performance.

Step 4. Click "Proceed" to officially execute the task.

A message now appears, warning you that data will be lost. Please confirm this message by clicking "OK".

To Wrap Things Up

If you were stuck with how to clone EFI partition to another drive, this article has outlined everything you need to know. In summary, before cloning your EFI partition, ensure you have a reliable HDD/SSD; backup data on the old drive; prepare a SATA cable; and download the relevant disk cloning tool.

As discussed in this article, the best disk cloning tool to clone an EFI partition to another drive is Qiling Disk Copy. This tool is fast, convenient, and mostly applicable if your current drive runs out of space. Ensure you download the Qiling Disk Copy today to start cloning your EFI system partition.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, 100% Secure

FAQS on How to Clone EFI Partition to Another Drive

Below are some frequently asked questions about how to clone EFI partition to another drive.

1. Can I Copy EFI Partition to Another Drive?

You can easily achieve that using third-party software like Qiling Disk Copy. Just ensure the target drive has enough space so the cloning/copying process won't get interrupted.

2. Why Can't I Clone the EFI Partition of My NVMe Drive to a New NVMe Drive?

Check if there's enough space on your new drive. The destination drive must always have a larger storage than the source. Something else to check out is the USB-to-SATA cable connection. If there's a loose end, data transfer won't happen.

3. Do I Need to Clone EFI System Partition?

It's important to clone an EFI system partition so that you can create a backup. This partition is very important for booting Windows; therefore, it's essential to have a copy to rely on when anything happens with the original copy.

4. How Do I Delete EFI System Partition on My HDD?

Under normal situations, you can't delete an EFI system partition on your HDD. However, with a third-party tool like Qiling Disk Master, you can easily do that. Follow the steps below:

• Step 1. Download, install, and launch Qiling Disk Master on your PC.
• Step 2. Navigate to the Partition Manager section and click on it.
• Step 3. Next, right-click on the EFI system partition and select Delete from the dropdown menu. You can then follow the onscreen instructions to finish deleting the partition from your PC.

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