Cloning a disk?

From personal experience, has anyone come across a good (free) piece of software that can easily clone the entire contents from one hard drive to another hard drive please?

 

DriveImage XML

 

Easeus Todo

 

Macrium Reflect does not clone, i.e. directly copy one disk to another byte by byte, but like all imaging programs it will create an image of your hard disk in a file to be stored on a separate drive or partition. That image file can then be restored to another disk or partition and will be functionally identical to the original. Whether you clone or image the end result is the same.

 

Depending on the hard drive they come with a tool disk, you can also download them from the manufacture site. One uses a branded version of True Image.

 

You could try Clonezilla as well.

 

I used Western Digital's version of Acronis TrueImage to clone the original HD in my old laptop to a new Western Digital HD.

To do this, I put the new HD in an external (USB) enclosure and connected it to the computer. I ran TrueImage to clone the old HD to the new one, removed the old HD from the computer, removed the new HD from the external enclosure, and installed the new HD in the computer.

 

Thanks all for the ideas on this. I tried the one above, to backup about 150Gb, and besides slowing the pc right down, it also seems to be saving the files into a PBD file? Is this right, or do I need to change the settings somewhere?

 

Trust me, this is what you want:

EaseUS Disk Copy Home Edition

http://www.easeus.com/disk-copy/home-edition/

 

You said you wanted to clone, but you didn't choose Clone, you chose Backup. But that's Ok actually, as Backup creates a .PBD file that you can subsequently restore to either the same or a different HDD. Just be sure to create the bootable CD which you will need when when you come to restoring your image file to the new HDD.

Clone requires that both the source and target drives are connected and it then writes an exact copy from source to target with no intermediate file as in Backup.

As to it slowing your comp down, it's best left to get on with the job rather than trying to use it while it's backing up.

 

In fact, I will want it for cloning, but just need to back up a huge amount of files from one connected hd to another connected hd at the moment. No bootable stuff needed, as it's just files. The exact amount is about 230Gb, it's taken 7 hours and has got 10 hours to go!!

 

OK, understand. It will take roughly the same time whichever backup method you use - 230GB is a lot of data! A disadvantage of using free products is inability to exclude named file types, so when you do come to imaging your entire system you will have the same wait on your hands. With Acronis for example you could exclude all those data files already backed up and do the job in 15 minutes.

 

That just copies. It doesn't clone. You need EaseUS Todo Backup Free to clone.

 

Incorrect. It does a sector by sector clone and, I strongly suspect, uses exactly the same cloning mechanism as does Easeus Todo. So it's OK to use either.

 

Yes, it does clone drives. Click on the link should you still doubt it.

In fact, the difference between Todo and DiskCopy is that the latter is much simpler. Todo consistently backs up your image. DiskCopy is just a tool to clone.

 

Food for thought Chris but if you partition your drive and move all of the 'My' folders to a separate data partition it greatly simplifies and speeds up this whole imaging/backup thing. Not only that, but if you have any sort of problem/infection affecting your system drive it will not affect your invaluable data files.

 

You're so wrong

Listen you 2. I've been testing all the free cloning software on the market on and off for the last week or more. I know what I'm talking about.

Disc Copy does exactly what the name implies. It just copies. I've made some pretty pictures for you. Hopefully, you'll admit you where wrong.

You need Todo Backup to clone!

Here's Disk Copy's bootable ISO maker. Notice what it says at the bottom.
http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/9941/lhee.png


Here's the copy operation from the bootable ISO.
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/725/2ve9.png


Here's my C drive, which it copied.

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/4466/2vbi.png

And here is J, the destination drive, an exact copy of C.

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/319/vb63.png

Here's Todo Backup. Notice the clone function.

http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/9543/jaer.png

There you have it.

 

Listen I've been working PCs a LOONNG time. The difference between CLONING, and COPYING is that CLONING also copies hidden, and files which are in use by the OS. The purpose of Todo is for a single click backup process which is user friendly. When you're replacing an HDD, you don't need all that crap.

From the looks of your "copied" screenshots, nothing is missing. And, for good measure I have a screenshot of my own. For simple cloning without the bells and whistles, here ya' go:

 

Wrong again bob. It's doing it from a bootable CD. How is a file going to be in use? Windows is not running! Every single file is copied, no matter what.

I've been working on PCs for a "LOONNG" time also. You don't know what you are talking about.
A cloning operation makes an image of the drive.

That image is an obvious mistake or overselling on their part. Most likely overselling.

 

Listen, I'm trying to be nice. REGARDLESS of your modus operandi, you have been explained to the difference between COPYING and CLONING. A plain COPY will not have HIDDEN files, or if the OS is booted files which are in use. The destination for a clone can be an "image", or another HDD.

You are incorrect, and have been overbearing not only towards Earthling, but to myself as well.

Lay off the minutia, and the crusade to be "right" and maybe you might learn something...


:major

 

Do you not see BOOT, RECYCLER, SYSTEM VOLUME INFORMATION, and all the hidden files in the root of the drive? When it's faded like that and you have show hidden and system files, it's a hidden or system file/folder.
Would a screenshot with the attributes column showing convince you?

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/319/vb63.png

 

C: and J: are indentical with all files intact. So what?

What do you think cloning is?

It's a COPY of the source drive. Cloning came along long after files were being copied in a computer environment.

DiskCopy is cloning software with the convenience of being able to be used as a bootable .iso disc, and will copy even hidden files. Trying to make a copy of a system drive without such software will not achieve the same result. Go ahead, try and use DOS to pull it off.

Get back to us when the COPIED system drive via DOS boots, unless you know how to use the proper command...

 

@captcha,

The forum threads are not the place to settle arguments.

If you disagree with someone, use the PM feature and the two of you can "Duke it out".

Arguing within a Forum thread makes MGs look bad and Major Attitude (co-owner of MGs) does't tolerate it. He's put up the Forum with the sole purpose of assisting people having problems with their computers, software, drivers, etc. or looking for suggestions on how to accomplish a specific task.

In the end, it's the OP's choice on which course of action he/she takes. Not ours.

 

You're missed addressing someone in your post. Why are you addressing only me? It takes 2 to have a argument.

Besides, who are you to come down on me? You're not a mod.

 

Sorry guys but cloning has nothing whatsoever to do with files, hidden or otherwise. It is a copy of every sector of a drive, including track 0 which houses the MBR and partition table. As I have never tried Easeus Disk Copy I can't be sure whether it clones or just copies but given Easeus' high profile I would be absolutely flabbergasted if they were using the word clone in the product description when they actually mean copy. They would be a laughing stock.

 

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. Post-cloning operations may be necessary to address these and other issues.


~ Courtesy of Wiki

Via the vernacular, cloning is a more advanced form of copying...

 

Sorry, you can't just quote a wiki and expect it to be accepted as authentic. Anyone can post anything on wikis.

The Oxford English Dictionary, the bible here for students of English, defines a clone as 'a person or thing regarded as an exact copy of another'. Disks are made up of tracks and sectors, not files, and if every track is copied from one disk to another then every file will be too, even those fragmented across several sectors.

 

Um, guys? I believe the OP made his/her decision and went with EaseUS but chose Backup instead of Clone from the options?

 

I did not simply perform such an act. The Wiki was simply an aid.

A "clone" is an exact copy. A copy, is not a clone in the vernacular of the computing world.

Cloning, is the process of creating an exact COPY, or duplicate of an existing HDD.

If you simply use DOS to COPY and an HDD, your efforts will be fruitless.

Cloning is a copy, but it is not the act of copying files.

Y'dig?

 

Dunno why you are pointing that at me - it was captcha you were arguing with. Haven't used Easeus DiskCopy myself but from the product description I would be pretty sure it does clone, not just copy files. So could be used to clone a bootable drive.