Disk cloning software (1 Viewer)

Jul 29, 2007
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Wife's lappy is playing up, done a few disk checks and each time it comes up with some faults so I have decided to replace the hard disk. Just ordered a disk caddy from Amazon, I already have a new 2.5" 160gig disk so I just need some software. Anybody got any recommends for free disk cloning software?

Ian
 

scotjimland

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Jul 25, 2007
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Hi Ian

I use Acronis , but it's not free.. but well worth the licence ..

What about Windows7 own back up which now has the ability to create disk images.. ?

If you want something else, this is an excellent site for 'free stuff'

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olley
Jul 29, 2007
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Hi Jim I have looked at some of them, and also looked at reviews. Some don't appear to do disk cloning, only recovery and backup, and even when they do some of them seem to cause problems with the MBR.

I have downloaded "EaseUS Todo Backup" which has a couple of good reviews, but wondered if anybody had a recommend. I have seen Acronis advertised but its £40!

Windows 7 doesn't do disk cloning as far as I know, only copying and recovery.

Ian

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scotjimland

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Hi Jim I have looked at some of them, and also looked at reviews. Some don't appear to do disk cloning, only recovery and backup, and even when they do some of them seem to cause problems with the MBR.

I have downloaded "EaseUS Todo Backup" which has a couple of good reviews, but wondered if anybody had a recommend. I have seen Acronis advertised but its £40!

Windows 7 doesn't do disk cloning as far as I know, only copying and recovery.

Ian

I think it's only Windows7 Home Premium that has the disc cloning tool Ian

I purchased Acronis back in 2008 .. after Jim recommended it .. must have been rich then :roflmto:
 
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Jim

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I use Acronis. Its superb.

As soon as i have a machine running sweet and fast I use Acronis. I can revert back to that fast PC any time I like in 15 minutes. Its worth £40:thumb:

On the Mac I use a free program called Carbon Copy Cloner, that works well but I don't know if they have it in Windows flavour.

Whatever you use, you need the images to be reliable, so many are just "not recognised" when you really need them. :Doh: Acronis is reliable, but I still verify the backups and try a full disc clone before I'm happy that i have it safe. I then copy that DVD, belt and braces; I know, but I have spent literally weeks coming back from disk failures, now, with Acronis, it takes 15 minutes max:thumb:
 

hilldweller

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Wife's lappy is playing up, done a few disk checks and each time it comes up with some faults so I have decided to replace the hard disk. Just ordered a disk caddy from Amazon, I already have a new 2.5" 160gig disk so I just need some software. Anybody got any recommends for free disk cloning software?

Ian

Do you really want to dump a shed load of suspect bytes on to the new hard drive ?

New clean install and then attempt to recover anything useful off the old drive is what I would do. A real balls ache but you'll end up with a sweet machine then you make a clone copy.

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olley
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No windows disk guys, just a recovery partition, I know you can download a new copy from M/S using the original win 7 validation number, but I can't be bothered with all the hassle. A disk cloner should copy the recovery partition as well so I could then fire that up, but having already tried that and then spent a week while it download all the updates I can't be bothered.

She only uses it for facebook ::bigsmile:

Ian
 
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I use CloneZilla and have done for years. Bit of a techy tool but works perfectly.

You boot it off the CD and then plug a USB external drive in...

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hilldweller

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I can't be bothered with all the hassle.
Ian

You'd better stick to the day job then, computers is all about wearing the b&&^^%^&^^ds down, proving you are tougher than they are.

>> Facebook

I'd not even run checkdisk for that.

Although, if it keeps her happy maybe I would.
 
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olley
Jul 29, 2007
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Hi Brian I have spent many a happy week? or two playing with computers, but there comes a point when you think does it matter? She who must be obeyed can get on facebook, Next, shopping sites ect. So why try to get it perfect. ::bigsmile: Now my laptop is a different story. ::bigsmile:

I see Acronis do Easy Migrate which is half the price of the fully works, but I'll give Easyus a try first, its easy enough to swop out the hard drive, so if that won't work I can try another, keep me amused for days. ::bigsmile:

Ian

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Wildman

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surely a disk clone will result in a warts and all copy done at this stage, using as Jim does to clone when new fresh and good is fine but cloning when you have a problem just transfers the problem.
 
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olley
Jul 29, 2007
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Hi Wildman, while what you say is true, it will only mean that areas marked by check disk as naff will I presume be marked the same on the new disk; however as its 160gig and I doubt anymore than 50 gig is used that loss of space shouldn't be important. I am not dealing with corrupt software or viruses here, just a dodgy disk. (I hope:roflmto:)

If I can't fix it then its plan "B", install XP on it as I have a disk. :thumb:

Ian
 
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Rayb182

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If you got Windows 7 OEM number I've got a w7 disk you can borrow with MS office, your only up the road from us.

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olley
Jul 29, 2007
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Thanks Ray I may take you up on that. :thumb: Got the disk caddy yesterday, its a usb3 version so to test it and easus software I got it to clone my lappy which unlike the wife's has usb3, took 28mins to clone 48gig.

Using "Easus to do" was simple, just selected the disk to be cloned and the disk to send the clone to, it resized all the partitions from my 500gig down to the 160gig on the disk in the caddy and that was it. It would have been nice to try it by booting from the caddy, but microsoft don't allow USB boot.

So tonight I will try cloning her machine, which might take a while on usb2.

Ian
 

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