Best way to clone Notebook/laptop HDD?

polkatese
polkatese Posts: 6,767
edited November 2007 in Electronics
My current Fujitsu HDD is start giving me Invalid non-system disk error, but it is still bootable. I ordered a replacement OEM WD HDD and looking for the best way to clone the HDD. The laptop has no floppy drive, only CD/DVD ROM drive. I need recommendation from the techie Polkie experts on the following:

- Cloning software to use
- Steps and procedures, gotcha, etc. to watch out

Since I have no means to have HDD run simultaneously (what I would have done with desktops), I am hoping for tips/tricks to minimize the pain of having to reinstall softwares.

TIA
I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
Post edited by polkatese on
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Comments

  • tcrossma
    tcrossma Posts: 1,301
    edited November 2007
    I use Norton Ghost 2005 for things like that. You can create an image to a DVD or external hard drive. I have a USB floppy drive for such situations, and i'm not sure it would work without one or not.
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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited November 2007
    I normally use g4u but it requires either FTP server on another machine or another HD. If you have a local network and desktop at home, just download Filezilla FTP server and you're good to go.

    http://www.feyrer.de/g4u/
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  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited November 2007
    Thanks, guys! I also downloaded HDclone software, it seems a bit more user friendly, but g4u seems to be doable too. I'll see when I get my replacement HDD from Newegg.
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
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  • jakelm
    jakelm Posts: 4,081
    edited November 2007
    polkatese wrote: »
    Thanks, guys! I also downloaded HDclone software, it seems a bit more user friendly, but g4u seems to be doable too. I'll see when I get my replacement HDD from Newegg.


    Putting it all on disc? What happens if it doesnt fit all on one disk?
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    Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek:
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  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited November 2007
    no. it won't be possible to do that, most HDD nowadays are >5GB. Both methods (HDclone and g4u) employ a bootable location to execute the copy command. The disc or USB are only good to boot into a prompt/GUI, to facilitate the copying.
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
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  • jakelm
    jakelm Posts: 4,081
    edited November 2007
    polkatese wrote: »
    no. it won't be possible to do that, most HDD nowadays are >5GB. Both methods (HDclone and g4u) employ a bootable location to execute the copy command. The disc or USB are only good to boot into a prompt/GUI, to facilitate the copying.

    So cloning a HDD is no good if you cant put it on a removable drive. So would not help him since he cannot load both HDD's at the same time and he cant clone to DVD.
    Monitor 7b's front
    Monitor 4's surround
    Frankinpolk Center (2 mw6503's with peerless tweeter)
    M10's back surround
    Hafler-200 driving patio Daytons
    Tempest-X 15" DIY sub w/ Rythmik 350A plate amp
    Dayton 12" DVC w/ Rythmik 350a plate amp
    Harman/Kardon AVR-635
    Oppo 981hd
    Denon upconvert DVD player
    Jennings Research (vintage and rare)
    Mit RPTV WS-55513
    Tosh HD-XA1
    B&K AV5000


    Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek:
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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited November 2007
    I'll test if g4u will let you clone to USB drive. It should.
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  • jakelm
    jakelm Posts: 4,081
    edited November 2007
    But he only has a DVD drive. So he has no way of pulling all the HDD software off the laptop and putting it on another HDD, unless he can get a big enough thumb drive for the USB.
    Monitor 7b's front
    Monitor 4's surround
    Frankinpolk Center (2 mw6503's with peerless tweeter)
    M10's back surround
    Hafler-200 driving patio Daytons
    Tempest-X 15" DIY sub w/ Rythmik 350A plate amp
    Dayton 12" DVC w/ Rythmik 350a plate amp
    Harman/Kardon AVR-635
    Oppo 981hd
    Denon upconvert DVD player
    Jennings Research (vintage and rare)
    Mit RPTV WS-55513
    Tosh HD-XA1
    B&K AV5000


    Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek:
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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited November 2007
    Sure does. I would get a USB adapter for your drive ($20 for adapter with SATA/IDE/laptopIDE connections) and plug it into your laptop. Boot from g4u and copy straight from disk to disk without making any images.
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  • jakelm
    jakelm Posts: 4,081
    edited November 2007
    Sami wrote: »
    I'll test if g4u will let you clone to USB drive. It should.


    The USB drive will do no good if there is nothing hooked to it to get the software out of the laptop. Right?
    Monitor 7b's front
    Monitor 4's surround
    Frankinpolk Center (2 mw6503's with peerless tweeter)
    M10's back surround
    Hafler-200 driving patio Daytons
    Tempest-X 15" DIY sub w/ Rythmik 350A plate amp
    Dayton 12" DVC w/ Rythmik 350a plate amp
    Harman/Kardon AVR-635
    Oppo 981hd
    Denon upconvert DVD player
    Jennings Research (vintage and rare)
    Mit RPTV WS-55513
    Tosh HD-XA1
    B&K AV5000


    Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek:
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  • jakelm
    jakelm Posts: 4,081
    edited November 2007
    Sami wrote: »
    Sure does. I would get a USB adapter for your drive ($20 for adapter with SATA/IDE/laptopIDE connections) and plug it into your laptop. Boot from g4u and copy straight from disk to disk without making any images.

    +1 and keep the adapter for other projects...
    Monitor 7b's front
    Monitor 4's surround
    Frankinpolk Center (2 mw6503's with peerless tweeter)
    M10's back surround
    Hafler-200 driving patio Daytons
    Tempest-X 15" DIY sub w/ Rythmik 350A plate amp
    Dayton 12" DVC w/ Rythmik 350a plate amp
    Harman/Kardon AVR-635
    Oppo 981hd
    Denon upconvert DVD player
    Jennings Research (vintage and rare)
    Mit RPTV WS-55513
    Tosh HD-XA1
    B&K AV5000


    Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek:
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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited November 2007
    jakelm wrote: »
    The USB drive will do no good if there is nothing hooked to it to get the software out of the laptop. Right?

    By USB drive I mean external hard drive.

    1) download g4u CD image, make a boot disc with it
    2) connect the USB HDD to your laptop
    3) boot to g4u
    4) type in 'disks' to see your internal and external HDD's
    5) type in 'copydisk internal external' where you replace the internal and external with the device names
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  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited November 2007
    sami, g4u has no problem cloning from internal HDD to a usb adaptered HDD correct?

    I am waiting for the adapter this morning, and then I am ready to clone

    Thanks for your help.
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited November 2007
    Shouldn't have, although I haven't tried it. I always use FTP server to clone as that's where I store my images.

    Just be careful with the disk names, make sure you're copying from the internal HDD to the external and not vice-versa. Shouldn't be a problem though as it tells you the description with the 'disks' command.
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  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited November 2007
    Ok. I will. Thanks again.

    I'll let you know how it goes.
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
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  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited November 2007
    Q sami: if the target HDD is twice the source, is there a way to mount and combine the partition as one volume during or after installation? FYI, I am on Vista.

    TIA

    EDIT: NM, I found the answer - yes, extending a volume on Vista turnout to be as easy as apple pie.. :)

    thanks.
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited November 2007
    You want to create the new HDD as one partition? You can resize the new HDD partition with GParted. Initially g4u will create an exact copy with the same size as the original.

    http://gparted-livecd.tuxfamily.org/
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  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited November 2007
    that's what I read, it appears that, once I completed and boot with the new HDD, then I can extend the volume. We'll see. thanks for your support.
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
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  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited November 2007
    I am currently copydisk using g4u. Dang, the speed is excruciatingly slow, about 500 kb/s other than that it seems to move nicely. I have about 65GB to transfer. No hack to push the speed to 5mb/s, Sami? :)
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
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