However, this can be difficult for some users, so there are applications such as WinToHDD that will allow us to reinstall or clone Windows from the hard drive itself.
What is WinToHDD?
WinToHDD is a practical free software that allows us to install, reinstall, or generate exact copies of Windows on the hard drive of our computer no need to use a CD/DVD/USB drive. With this all-in-one tool for Windows, we can easily reinstall the operating system, install Windows on disks other than the one where it is installed, or clone the existing Windows installation on another disk. For this we will not have to depend on any Live operating system.
This powerful application can also be used for create a windows installation usb that contains all the Windows installation ISO files that we have, being able to install Windows in any of its versions from the same USB drive on BIOS and UEFI computers. And it is that WinToHDD offers us compatibility with any modern version of Windows like 10/8/7/ Vista/ 2019/ 2016/ 2012/ 2008 both 64-bit and 32-bit, so we can reinstall or clone to another unit simply by mounting the ISO of the system that we are going to install in the program.
Of course, depending on the edition of Windows with which we are going to need to work or clone, we will have to opt for one version of this program or another. This is something that we will talk about later, since this application will be free or not depending on the edition of the operating system that we have, that is, Home, Pro or Enterprise.
How WinToHDD works
Once we have executed the program, a window appears with its main menu, with an isimple and clean interface completely in Spanish, in which we will only find four buttons. One to reinstall the operating system from the local workstation, another to start a fresh installation of Windows on a second device, the third to make an exact copy of our installed operating system on another disk. The fourth button allows us to create a Windows installation USB that contains all the Windows installation ISO files that we have.
Once we select the desired option, the program it will ask us for the ISO file of our operating system that contains the Windows installation files. WintoHDD automatically reads the data from the disk image and retrieves all the information about the operating system and its architecture. Later we must select the destination unit where we are going to install or reinstall the operating system. Next, we need to select the system partition on which Windows will be deployed and choose the installation mode. There are 3 options available: Inherited (standard mode), VHD or VHDX.
Once we have chosen the desired partition, regardless of whether we choose to install, reinstall or clone Windows, the program it will take a while to create the WinPE image necessary to continue. Once the installation is finished, our operating system is ready to work. We only have to restart the computer and choose the partition or disk from which we are going to start. In the event that we have chosen the option to clone the system, the program itself will detect both the system partition and the boot partition, in order to guarantee the proper functioning of the operating system that we have cloned.
Free Download WinToHDD
WinToHDD is a program that has a free version for home use that we can download from its . It is compatible with all versions of Windows from Vista to Windows 10 and for 32-bit and 64-bit systems. Its latest available version is 5.9 corresponding to January 2023, which speaks of the good support and update policy from its developers. Along with the free version, it has two paid versions, Professional and Enterprise.
- Free: is intended for home users. With it we can install and reinstall Windows without using a CD / DVD / USB drive, as well as clone the system, create a multiple installation USB drive, offering compatibility with Windows Home. The truth is that this free version that we mention here will be more than enough for most of you, end users. Among other things, this is because here it is more than likely that most of you have the Home edition of Windows 10 on your home computer. And it is that the rest of the paid versions of this application focus on the Pro and Enterprise of the operating system, among other things.
- professional: It is aimed at both home users and companies. In addition to the features of the Free edition, it offers compatibility with Windows Professional and Enterprise operating systems. It also allows you to encrypt the Windows partition with Bitlocker, has support for 4K size disks, as well as free technical support and updates. It can be used by one user on 2 computers and is priced at $29.95 plus VAT.
- business: It is aimed at all types of companies. In addition to the features of the Professional version, it also includes support for Windows Server operating systems. It can be used by all computers within the same organization without limitation. Its price is $199.95 plus VAT.
Worth?
The use of WinToHDD is intended to install Windows from scratch on another partition or a different disk from a previously installed system, but without the need to use an installer from a drive external storage such as a DVD or flash drive. That is why it can be useful for those users who want to carry out the process from their own operating system. It also has the extra functionality of creating a USB to include different operating systems, to be able to install from it, when we need it. Also, the free version is quite functional, although it is only compatible with Windows 10 Home.
The real utility of this application is limited to installing the same operating system on computers that have exactly the same componentssince the time required for Windows to install all the components necessary for it to work is reduced, so its usefulness, outside of this area, is really very limited, unless we have several computers with exactly the same components and we have the need to install Windows on all at once.
Alternatives to WinToHDD
As is usual in most current software sectors, when carrying out a certain task, we have multitude of alternatives to choose from. And all this that we have been talking about now was not going to be less. Here we have focused on a certain program that will be of great help to reinstall or clone the Windows system more directly. This is an extremely interesting and easy-to-use program for these specific tasks, but it’s not the only one.
At the same time we have the opportunity to test other similar software solutions that perhaps, for one reason or another, are more interesting. If we need to install, clone or make backup copies of our operating system, we suggest a couple of alternatives to WinToHDD:
- AppleXsoft Hard Drive Copy. Disk image migration program to copy a hard drive or partitions and create an exact bootable clone of our hard drive. It is compatible with all the most common hard drives such as IDE, RAID, Serial ATA, SCSI and SSD. We can download AppleXsoft Hard Drive Copy from .
- Drivelmage XML. This free program allows us to create images and backups for Windows, allowing us to perform any basic cloning. It also allows you to schedule backup copies and restore images, being compatible with FAT 12, 16, 32 and NTFS file systems. We can download Drivelmage XML for free from .
Furthermore, if something characterizes this particular solution, it is the simplicity of use that it offers us. This is largely thanks to the user interface that it presents to us and that we can control in a matter of minutes and take full advantage of its potential.
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