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    Hdd Clone Software

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Tinderbox (UK), May 18, 2007.

  1. Tinderbox (UK)

    Tinderbox (UK) BAKED BEAN KING

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    Hi.

    I have a new 100GB HDD that i would like to copy my original 80GB including restore partition to it.

    I have the 100GB installed in my laptop and the 80GB in an USB EXTERNAL.

    is it possible, I can switch the HDD drives around if needed be.

    thanks.

    John.
     
    Tinderbox (UK), May 18, 2007
    #1
  2. John Ratsey

    John Ratsey Moderately inquisitive Super Moderator

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    Yes, there are various utilities which will do HDD cloning. Run the program. it clones your existing HDD onto an external HDD, then swap the HDDs and restart.

    Norton (now Symantec) Ghost was one of the first.

    Then there was Powerquest DriveCopy and Drive Image, but Powerquest got bought up by Symantec. I have used this in the past, pre-takeover.

    Then I moved to Acronis MigrateEasy. before upgrading to Acronic TrueImage which combines Disk Cloning with the Ability to make backup images. This has given me good service for a couple of years with XP installations but couldn't handle a dual boot XP / Vista.

    So I then got Casper which cloned the dual boot installation without any problem.

    MigrateEasy may be the least expensive of the above for online shopping but I think you may get charged VAT (but I don't think I got hit for VAT when I bought Casper). Or you can go to Amazon.co.uk.

    Scan also sell some of these softwares, but their delivery charge is high.

    Maybe there is a good free package, but I don't know it.

    Hope this helps,

    John
     
    John Ratsey, May 18, 2007
    #2
  3. Arla

    Arla Notebook Deity

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    I've found Ghost to be very reliable, but you need an older version (I don't hear the best things about newest versions) you also need to know something about DOS since it is a DOS program and you most likely will have to play around a bit.

    I used it last night to restore XP when my XP install decided to start playing really silly buggers (IR port just stopped detecting anything, and every other boot windows would just lock up).
     
    Arla, May 18, 2007
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  4. Circa69

    Circa69 Notebook Evangelist

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    LOL @ John, I was going to pop in and post Ghost or Casper and then I see another of his overkill posts :) (better too much than too little :) )

    so, uh, yeah what ^ he said ;)
     
    Circa69, May 18, 2007
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  5. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    I have a howto on how I moved it under Linux, using all free tools. It may be more difficult than it is with something like Acronis, but it's free. My install was more complicated because I was moving multiple different systems over, yours would be much simpler, just image the entire drive over with dd, and I think even in Windows you can just expand the partition to the size of the drive.
     
    Pitabred, May 18, 2007
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