Disk cloning is the process of copying the contents of one computer hard disk to another disk or to an “image” file. This may be done straight from one disk to another, but more often, the contents of the first disk are written to an image file as an intermediate step, then the second disk is loaded with the contents of the image. Typically, this is done for archiving purposes, to restore lost or damaged data, or to move wanted data into a new disk, though other reasons also exist.

Unlike standard copying functions, disk cloning involves copying hidden and in-use files, and thus presents special challenges, as those types of files are typically not available for copying. Additional complications arise when the process is used for networked computers, as the network must be able to distinguish between different computers.