Cloning software that works with Windows 8.1 and creates a bootable UEFI/EFI USB drive

I use Casper for cloning:
http://www.fssdev.com/products/casper/

It's not free, but it is reasonably priced and is excellent software, definitely worth the cost (and it works on W7, W8, and W8.1, all in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions).

Here's a 5-minute EE video Micro Tutorial, Cloning a Hard Drive with Casper, showing how to do it.

Casper creates a bootable USB drive as long as you use the Copy an entire hard disk method, not the Copy a specific drive method. I'm not sure about the EFI/UEFI issue, but there's a free trial, so you can know the answer before you purchase:
http://www.fssdev.com/products/casper/trial/

The only issue with the trial is that it doesn't support volume resizing. Of course, the purchased product does — it can clone to a larger disk or even to a smaller one, as long as there is enough space on the smaller one to house the used (non-free) space from the larger one.

As a disclaimer, I want to emphasize that I have no affiliation with this company and no financial interest in it whatsoever. I am simply a happy user/customer.

can you tell me what exactly you want to do with the bootable usb drive ?

for creating bootable usb drives, i use Yumi : http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/
lets you even boot to multiple iso's from the same stick - and very easy to use

Disable secureboot on your PC, and your tools should be able to boot. Maybe also change the BIOS mode from UEFI to conventional if it still doesn't work. After that you can always go back to UEFI and secureboot.

I want to be able to boot from the USB drive and run the cloning software.

These particular Acers will not allow me to turn off UEFI in the BIOS. They're really a pain.

They must allow you to disable secureboot though. That is a requirement of m$.

did you try this method?

http://itsfoss.com/disable-uefi-secure-boot-in-windows-8/

btw - i use paragon software to clone, ; here their free soft :  http://www.paragon-software.com/free/

Have not had much luck with these Acers. I wound up pulling the hard drive and using HDClone on my machine. Few extra steps, but works....even to a smaller drive.

Meanwhile I have gotten hold of a mainboard with UEFI BIOS, and there is no problem cloning/imaging. I've used paragon software, as well as CloneZilla. And I can boot from USB stick or DVD drive without issue, but as I mentioned above you at least need to disable secureboot within the BIOS. Also, when you get to the boot selection, you should be able to choose between UEFI and Standard mode when you select the USB stick.

For example when I select the "Boot Menu" of my UEFI BIOS, it shows my JetFlashTranscend USB stick twice, once as UEFI, and once just as the stick. There you would not select the UEFI version, and your cloning / imaging software should boot normally.

Stupid Acers must not follow standards since I cannot turn off secure boot.

i don't think they are to blame, but faulty hardware
acer is one of the cheapest manufacturers around.
if you want better quality, buy a business model from HP, Dell, or Lenovo

You must be able to turn off secureboot. That is a requirement they have from m$. Maybe it is just called differently on that PC.

OF course if it is an Windows RT system, then it is different. Windows RT runs on ARM processors, and there the m$ requirement is different, you can't turn off secureboot there. But your cloning software wouldn't run anyway, as that was made for x86 type CPU's.

what model is this?

I don't recall the model off the top of my head. I had to take the drive out and clone it with a USB/SATA adapter. There are 12 screws on the back and 3 more for the hard drive. What a pain.

I am using Miray HDClone. Works great, but their documentation on how to create a boot USB is lacking. I still have not been able to figure it out.

are you trying to make the image bootable from USB?   with win7 - that won't work

What are you referring to nobus?

well - windows 7  does not have the option to run from an usb device, like win8

I still don't see how that helps nobus.

if we don't know what you are trying to do, we can only guess at possible solutions
that's why i posted - as example - one that does not work
eliminating impossible turns you to the possible solutions

I've requested that this question be deleted for the following reason:

I don't care any longer.