BitCopy

With BitCopy, which is also referred to as “Bare Metal Copy,” a bit-exact, physical copy of an entire storage medium, or a selected part, is created. All sectors on the source are copied to the target, regardless whether the file system or the partition table register the sectors as being occupied. Find more information about the BitCopy mode in the Copy Modes section.

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fig. 1: Main screen

Source

Select the disk you wish to use as source for the copy. For more information on how to choose a disk, see the section on disk selection.

Partitions

The layout of the partitions on the source disk will be displayed in a bar below the disk selection dropdown.

Additional Details and Settings

Access Additional Details and Settings via the button (fig. 2), where you will find technical information about the source as well as these options:

• Unlock HPA: unlock HPA in order to include the data contained therein in the copy.
• Remove HPA+DCO: remove HPA and DCO in order to include its data in the copy. This will permanently change the HPA and DCO configuration for the source disk.
• HotCopy/LiveImage (HDClone/W only): choose an option for access from the HotCopy/LiveImage dropdown.

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fig. 2: Additional information and options for the source

Target

Select the disk you wish to use as target for the copy. For more information on how to choose a disk, see the section on Select a Disk. Access Additional Details and Options via the button. Here you will find technical information about the target and can choose the HPA and DCO options.

Options

Choose the following options for the copying process:

• Verify copied data: The completed copy will be compared to the source to verify that the contents precisely match.
• SafeRescue for faulty media: in the event of read errors, the faulty areas will be re-read following termination of the copying process by applying special data rescue strategies.

Shut Down Computer Automatically

You can choose to have the computer shut down automatically after the copying process. Specify the scenario after which the computer is supposed to be shut down:

• Only after an error-free process: the computer will only be shut down if absolutely no errors occurred during the process.
• Even after a partially successful process: the computer will be shut down if errors occurred during the process that did not impact the success of the result
• In any event: The computer will be shut down even if the process was completed with errors.

In any case, a report will be stored automatically.

Advanced Options

Click on Advanced Options to choose from the following:

• FastCopy: A special algorithm that accelerates the copying speed
• Trim: Unused data blocks are deallocated which may speed up writing for SSDs during and after cloning.
• Limit speed: Reduces the writing speed, as the level of HDClone's performance may lead to excessive strain on some of the faster SSD models.
• Sector Area: To create a Partial Area Copy, determine the sector area by entering the start offset and the target offset.

Warning: An inaccurately defined sector area can lead to data loss or can render the result unusable. You may find more information about this function in the chapter Partial Area Copy.

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fig. 3: Advanced options