Cloning Software

What Does Cloning Software Mean?

Cloning software is a range of tools designed to make a complete copy of a hard drive to an image file. This copy can than be used to duplicate the contents of a hard drive to the same computer or to a new computer. The cloned disk is a bit-for-bit copy.

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Techopedia Explains Cloning Software

Cloning software is used to make a complete backup copy of a hard drive, where conventional backup software typically works on individual files. A bit-for-bit copy is made to an image file, which can then be copied back to the hard drive in case of failure.

There are several major uses for cloning software. Companies can load a standard image file with the operating system and applications and deploy it to all computers using a clone server. If the hard drive is being upgraded to a larger one, all the information can be copied to the image for restoration after the new drive is installed. A computer that is sold or given to a new users can be reloaded with an image without the previous user’s files.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…