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System Disk Clone doesn't start

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I just tried cloning my Windows 10 system disk.

The source is installed in my desktop.

The destination is plugged into a USB 3 port on the desktop.

The disks are identical, and I have done disk cloning in the past with the same disks and earlier versions of Acronis.

After I start the process I get a popup saying it's preparing to clone.

Nothing changes after that, for up to a few hours, the longest I've waited so far.

This is my prime use for Acronis and would appreciate suggestions.

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John, welcome to these public User Forums.

The first check point is whether the target drive for the clone contains an existing copy of Windows 10 or has been cleared and left as unallocated space?  The latter is most likely to lead to a faster, more successful clone without the need to restart the PC to continue the operation.

The next point to be aware of is that Acronis will assume that the target drive will be used to replace the source OS drive, and will attempt to make it bootable based on the hardware being used to connect it externally.  This can cause issues because that external hardware will not be present if that target drive is swapped with the source drive.

A further point is that Acronis will hide the target drive when the clone is finished.  This again is because of the assumption that the drive will replace the source drive, and you do not want to have both drives with the same disk signature showing in the system.

My own preference is not to use cloning unless absolutely essential and even then only after making a full disk backup of the source drive first.  I prefer to make backups and store these on my external drives, NAS and in the Acronis Cloud, then recover from the same when / if needed.

Steve Smith wrote:

My own preference is not to use cloning unless absolutely essential and even then only after making a full disk backup of the source drive first.  I prefer to make backups and store these on my external drives, NAS and in the Acronis Cloud, then recover from the same when / if needed.

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