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Software => Computer software => Topic started by: ash41 on August 16, 2008, 02:20:17 AM

Title: Hard Drive cloning & Backup
Post by: ash41 on August 16, 2008, 02:20:17 AM

Hi. I am in need of some help please. I need to be able to clone a hard drive back up all drivers data and operating system onto another device. I have been reading about Norton Ghost but it says it can take an age to complete which as put me off a little. Does anyone use this form of software and what are your recommendations please.
Oh and would I be able to make a cloned disk bootable.

Best Regards
Chris

Title: Re: Hard Drive cloning & Backup
Post by: Dusty on August 16, 2008, 04:39:52 AM

All cloning takes time, the length of time depends on whether you are cloning entire volumes or merely updating files written since the previous cloning operation.

If you want to experiment try the XXClone free version which can only clone full volumes and can make the destination device bootable.   Whether you can boot from the device depends on your system.  e.g. there's no real point in making an external hard drive bootable if your system does not support booting from a usb device.

Good luck.

Title: Re: Hard Drive cloning & Backup
Post by: Dias de verano on August 16, 2008, 05:11:15 AM

I don't know what you mean by "an age" - that it a very vague measure of time indeed. How long are you prepared to wait to get your system backed up? Getting your system back if there is a drive problem might take several ages!

Anyway. I have a system with 2 IDE 7,200 rpm hard drives. My windows system partition is 25 GB in size, and it has around 15 GB of data on it. If I boot into DOS and use Norton Ghost 8, I can make a backup image of that partition is about 15 minutes.

You can use Ghost to make an exact copy of a hard drive, including making it bootable.

Title: Re: Hard Drive cloning & Backup
Post by: pcsourcepoint on August 16, 2008, 06:53:19 PM

I have used the free DriveImage XML (http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm), and made it bootable with the free BartPE program (http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/) (you make a image to burn on a disc), and use with the DriveImage XML plug in. The backup image I stored on a USB drive, and worked fine with BartPE's boot disc...

There is also the WinPE boot cd-rom noted on the DriveImage XML site...

Title: Re: Hard Drive cloning & Backup
Post by: ash41 on August 17, 2008, 04:58:57 AM

ok guys I will take a look at those programs and thanks for reading.

Title: Re: Hard Drive cloning & Backup
Post by: Carbon Dudeoxide on August 17, 2008, 05:00:16 AM

This was recently posted too.
http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,63821.0.html