How to Fix ‘Macrium reflect clone failed’ Error

When trying to clone a disk with Macrium Reflect, users might see a “clone failed” error, stopping the cloning process. This means Macrium Reflect couldn’t copy the source disk to the target disk successfully. The most common reason is bad sectors on the source disk, which prevent proper data reading.

Other possible reasons include file system errors on the destination disk or interference from antivirus software.

in this article, we will discuss different ways to solve this error.

1. Check the Disk for Bad Sectors

Bad sectors on a disk can stop the cloning process by preventing data from being read or transferred correctly. By running a disk-check utility to find and fix bad sectors, you ensure that Macrium Reflect can access and copy all the data needed without any interruptions, fixing one of the main causes of the “clone failed” error.

1. Press Windows + S, type “command prompt” in the dialog box, right-click the application, and select “Run as administrator.”
2. In the elevated command prompt, execute the following command:

   chkdsk /r

   

3. If prompted to check after a restart, press ‘y’ and restart your computer. Upon restart, ‘chkdsk’ will be scheduled by the operating system, and a scan will run. Be patient and let the process complete.
4. Once the utility has scanned and fixed bad sectors, try cloning the storage device again.

2. Clean Up Destination Disk

Clearing the destination disk helps to prevent data or file system issues from affecting the cloning process. By removing extra partitions or formatting the drive, you give Macrium Reflect a fresh start, reducing the chances of errors due to mismatched sectors or old data.

1. Press Windows + R, type “command prompt” in the dialog box, right-click the application, and select “Run as administrator.”
2. In the command prompt, enter these commands in order:

   diskpart
   
   list disk
   
   select disk [disk number of the destination drive]
   
   clean all

   

3. Restart your computer, ensure both drives are properly connected, and try cloning again.

3. Try Disabling Antivirus

Antivirus programs often watch disk activity, which can stop or slow down cloning by blocking access to certain parts of the disk. Turning off the antivirus temporarily lets Macrium Reflect read and write to the disk without problems, lowering the chances of the cloning process failing because of the antivirus.

Learn how to disable antivirus.

4. Create an Image Instead of Cloning

An alternative to direct cloning is creating a disk image, which avoids immediate conflicts between the source and target drives. This method saves an exact copy of the source disk as a file, skipping bad sectors or file system problems during the process. Once the image is made, it can be restored to the target drive, effectively achieving the same result as cloning but with more flexibility and better error handling.

1. Open Macrium and let it load all connected drives. Select the drive you want to image and click Image this disk at the bottom.
2. Click the browse button to choose the location for the image. Press OK after selecting the location.
3. Click Next, and if you’re not sure about the template, select None.
4. Press Finish to start the image creation. Wait for the process to complete.

5. Ignore Bad Sectors

Skipping bad sectors lets Macrium Reflect ignore unreadable parts of the source disk, so the cloning process can finish without getting stopped by corrupted data. While this means damaged sectors won’t be copied, it focuses on moving the good data to the destination disk. This is a helpful solution when disk errors can’t be avoided.

1. Open Macrium, then go directly to the Advanced options at the top.
2. Check the box for Ignore bad sectors when creating images.
3. Click OK to save changes and exit, then try creating the image again.

6. Check the Drive Connection

Making sure the drives are securely connected is important for a successful cloning process. Loose cables or bad connections can cause errors. By checking that all cables are tightly connected and using dependable SATA or USB ports, you can avoid hardware issues during cloning.

Change the SATA connection for the hard drive and, if possible, attempt to change the cable. Cables can get damaged easily, and because of this, the cloning process can be disrupted. Once you are sure that both the target and the destination drives are connected properly, proceed with the cloning process.

7. Try Third-Party Alternatives

Exploring third-party options like AOMEI Backupper can offer a reliable solution when Macrium Reflect doesn’t work. These tools often manage bad sectors and disk errors better. Many users have had successful cloning with AOMEI, even when Macrium Reflect had problems.

For user information, we recommend the software AOMEI. You can download the software from its official website and try cloning your drive with it.

Note: Appuals has no affiliations with any software. All the software recommended is purely for the reader’s information.