How to Clone BitLocker Encrypted Hard Drive [Proven Way]

You can clone BitLocker drive to SSD or HDD in Windows 11, 10, 8, or, 7 via powerful and reliable hard drive cloning software – AOMEI Partition Assistant.

Posted by @Bryce December 17, 2024 Updated By @Bryce June 27, 2024

Can you clone a BitLocker drive?

 

 

I have a computer that is running Windows 10. My current hard disk drive is encrypted with BitLocker, now I want to clone it to a larger newly purchased SSD so that I can replace it without reinstallation. I know that cloning a disk without encryption is not tough, but I have no idea about how to clone a BitLocker encrypted hard drive to SSD? Is there any advice on such a hard drive cloning task? Thanks in advance!”

BitLocker Drive Encryption, also known as BitLocker, is a standard feature in Microsoft Windows operating systems. BitLocker encryption enables users to safeguard their data by employing either a password or a fingerprint, contingent upon the device. Although the feature has been in existence for over 16 years, it has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years as a result of its widespread use. However, it also poses a risk of data loss in the event of neglected passwords, despite its ability to secure data. 

What's more, because your drive is encrypted, when it comes to BitLocker drive cloning, regular cloning software may fail as it can’t access data on the drive.  Although it might seem like an impossible feat to clone Bitlocker encrypted hard drive, it can be done. Keep reading to get the proven way.

What do you need to clone BitLocker drive?

A BitLocker encrypted device can be challenging to clone. The primary reason is that it is encrypted using the AES encryption algorithm. In simplified terms, it is a robust encryption method that guarantees comprehensive data security. Nevertheless, it is feasible; consequently, you will require the following:

  • A new, vacant hard drive that is equivalent to or greater in size than the encrypted drive.

  • A disk and partition cloning program that is dependable and has a comprehensive encryption system.

  • Target drive backup to protect your important data and files.

  • Steady power supply is necessary due to the potential for data loss in the event of a power outage.

Best cloning software to clone Bitlocker drive

To clone BitLocker encrypted drive in Windows 10, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, reliable and powerful cloning software, should be your best choice. It's warmly welcomed by users because it can perfectly ease many cloning problems like coping disks with bad sectors.

This software allows you to clone BitLocker encrypted disk without unlocking the drive using the Sector-by-Sector Clone method. As this cloning method will copy all sectors including unused sectors, it requires that the capacity of the destination disk is not smaller than the capacity of the source BitLocker encrypted disk.

Tip: It works smoothly in Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7. If you are using Windows Server 2025/2022/2019/2016/2012 (R2), AOMEI Partition Assistant Server is suitable.

Note: It's available to free download the demo version of AOMEI Partition Assistant  to see how to clone bitlocker drive!

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

[Stepwise] How to clone BitLocker drive to SSD or HDD in Windows 11/10/8/7

Once you decide to clone Bitlocker encrypted disk, the following tutorial will help you get it done in a fast and safe way. First, connect destination disk to your computer and make sure extenral disk can be detected by the operating system. All data on this selected destination will be wiped out after this operation; you’d better back up important files on it at first.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, click "Clone" in the main interface and select "Clone Disk".

Step 2. Choose the hard disk that you need to clone as the source disk and click "Next".

Step 3. Select the destination disk to store the data on the source disk, and then click "Next".

Step 4. Then, you can check the source and destination disk in the next window or change to “Sector to Sector clone”, and click the "Confirm" button to continue if there is no problem.

Here, you can also click the "Settings" button to adjust the partition size on the destination disk or tick "4k alignment" to improve the reading and writing speed of SSD if the target disk is an SSD drive.

Step 5. At last, click "Apply" and "Proceed" in the main interface to start cloning the hard drive.

Notes: ◤ AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional supports you to clone various hard drives belonging to different brands, including Samsung, SanDisk, Seagate, etc. ◤ To clone a hard drive without encryption to a smaller SSD/HDD, choose Clone Disk Quickly method, which will only copy used sectors on the source hard drive.

Further reading: How to turn off BitLocker after cloning? 

It is only natural to desire to eliminate the BitLocker encrypted drive once you have completed its use. Therefore, if you desire to disable BitLocker following cloning, the following steps can be taken:

Step 1. Open Control Panel and go to "System and Security" > "BitLocker Drive Encryption".

Step 2. Click Turn off BitLocker on the drive that you want to decrypt.

Step 3. Confirm whether you want to decrypt your drive, then click “Yes” to start the process, and your drive will not be protected anymore.

Final words

Obviously, with AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, you can clone a BitLocker drive to SSD or HDD within a few steps. As comprehensive software, it provides many other useful functions. For example, it can convert to GPT and rebuild MBR, enabling you to repair boot failure out of corrupted MBR; it can extend C drive without deleting partition, helping you to solve the C drive full problem.

FAQs about BitLocker encryption

1. Is the entire drive encrypted by BitLocker?

Indeed, it does. BitLocker is designed to encrypt an entire partition on any storage device, including data and system devices.

2. Is it possible for BitLocker to encrypt external hard drives?

Yes, it is feasible. Simply insert the external drive you wish to encrypt and follow the standard encryption process to safeguard it with BitLocker. In contrast, as demonstrated in this article, it is possible to clone an external device using AOMEI Partition Assisrtant Professional.

3. How does BitLocker encrypt and safeguard a hard drive?

BitLocker enhances data security by encrypting the device with password protection. The data is rendered meaningless if it was safeguarded by BitLocker when a device is decommissioned or recycled. Consequently, BitLocker implements sophisticated encryption algorithms to guarantee the security and integrity of a hard disk and its contents.