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To make a bootable Clonezilla Live USB, download the USB ZIP for your computer’s boot mode, prepare the drive using Clonezilla’s matching instructions, then boot from it. Before imaging, shut down the installed operating system completely and verify which disk is the source and which one will store the image. Mixing up those disks can put your data at risk.

Before you start: Clonezilla Live or Clonezilla SE?

This guide covers Clonezilla Live, the bootable GNU/Linux distribution for imaging or cloning an individual computer. Clonezilla SE is a separate server edition for deploying many computers; it requires a DRBL server and network boot. See Clonezilla’s project overview for the distinction.

  • A USB flash drive to hold the boot files. This is boot media, not necessarily the storage device for your image.
  • A separate disk or USB storage device with room for the image if you plan to save one.
  • Access to the target computer’s firmware boot menu or boot-priority settings.

Choose the correct Clonezilla download

Open the official Clonezilla download page and select the architecture appropriate for the computer you intend to boot. Clonezilla distinguishes the ISO download for CD/DVD from the ZIP download for a USB flash drive or USB hard drive. For its documented UEFI USB procedure, the guide specifies the amd64 ZIP.

Make the USB for the target computer’s boot mode

Clonezilla’s official USB installation guide separates UEFI and legacy setup. Check the target computer’s firmware mode and follow the corresponding current instructions; boot behavior and available firmware settings vary by computer.

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UEFI: extract the ZIP contents

  1. Use the amd64 ZIP specified by Clonezilla for its UEFI procedure.
  2. Prepare a FAT16 or FAT32 partition of at least 1 GB. For a USB intended only for UEFI boot, Clonezilla says either GPT or MBR can be used and recommends GPT.
  3. Extract the archive onto the USB while preserving all files and directories. Do not move files out of their folders or copy only part of the archive.

Legacy boot: follow the platform-specific route

The USB guide lists several methods for legacy systems rather than one universal procedure. On Windows, it documents graphical tools including Rufus and Etcher; for GNU/Linux, it describes manual and graphical approaches. Follow the instructions for your operating system and target firmware instead of assuming that the UEFI extraction steps will work for legacy boot.

Windows and GNU/Linux device-targeted steps

Some methods involve writing to a specific device. Clonezilla explicitly warns Windows users not to run makeboot.bat from the local hard drive: doing so could prevent Windows from booting. Its GNU/Linux directions likewise warn that a wrong device path can cause data loss or stop the system from booting. Check the selected drive carefully before running a command or writer operation, and do not guess a device name.

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Boot Clonezilla Live from the USB

  1. Safely shut down the computer you intend to image; do not leave its operating system hibernating or in fastboot mode.
  2. Connect the prepared Clonezilla USB and turn on or restart the computer.
  3. Open the computer’s firmware boot menu or adjust boot priority, then choose the USB device. The exact key and menu labels depend on the computer; use its on-screen prompt or manufacturer instructions if needed.
  4. Choose the default Clonezilla Live display mode. If it has graphics problems, the general live-use instructions list alternate display and failsafe modes.

Clonezilla’s Live usage guide describes selecting the USB as the boot medium. If the computer starts its usual operating system instead, return to the boot menu and check that you selected the prepared USB and that its creation method matches the computer’s firmware mode.

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Save an image without confusing the disks

In Clonezilla, saving an image means capturing a disk into image files stored elsewhere. Clonezilla’s save-image walkthrough demonstrates saving a first disk to a second disk or USB storage. Keep the boot USB, the disk being captured, and the image-storage destination distinct in your mind; the boot USB is not automatically the image destination.

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  1. Choose the save-image workflow and identify the storage device where the image will be kept.
  2. Identify the source disk—the disk whose data you want to capture—and verify it by its on-screen identity and contents.
  3. Review the source and destination selections before confirming. If you cannot confidently tell which disk is which, stop rather than proceed.

The walkthrough specifically says the installed operating system must be fully shut down, not hibernating or using fastboot, before imaging. Read each on-screen choice carefully: a mistaken save, restore, or clone selection can alter the wrong disk.

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Safety checks before confirming an operation

  • Confirm the boot mode and creation method: use Clonezilla’s UEFI or legacy instructions as appropriate.
  • Confirm device paths before writing boot files: selecting the wrong drive or running the boot script from the wrong location can damage data or disrupt booting.
  • Confirm the source and image destination: know which disk contains the data and which device will hold the image.
  • Stop if the screen’s disk identities are unclear: do not proceed on a guess.

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