HDD copying

[nellynewbie]

Probably a silly question with a very simple answer but..

Is it possible to clone/copy a complete HDD without needing any specialist software?

I have a fairly old laptop (good for what I need it for for work purposes so I don't want to replace it), but the HDD is on the way out.

I have a spare HDD that will go nicely into the laptop, (same make and capacity) and if possible I would like to copy everything from the old drive onto the new one so that when I replace it, it will boot straight up.

Would a straight "copy and paste" between the old drive and the new one connected in an external caddy work, or does doing it this way means that some files don't always get transferred?

Thanks in advance

Nelly.

[Milo Minderbinder]

"Is it possible to clone/copy a complete HDD without needing any specialist software?"

Answer - NO

"Is it possible to clone/copy a complete HDD with FREE software?"

Answer - YES

How to do it depends on many things
What version of Windows are you using?
What sort of computer?
What are the make and model numbers of the hard drives?

[nellynewbie]

Wow, that was quick.

The laptop is a Toshiba satellite (I'm not too sure of the model number at the moment), running WIN 7 home premium. and the new HDD is a Toshiba SATA MK2035GSS. 250GB

The HDD fitted in the laptop is also a Toshiba SATA and I think it's a 500GB capacity. (although only about 80GB is used)

[MG23]

If you were running Linux it would be pretty easy. Windows is more painful; some files can't be copied (or can't be safely copied) while Windows is running, and there are things you'd need to fix up in the registry after copying it.

I've done it manually myself but I took a while to figure out how to make it work and don't remember the details; I'd recommend finding software that can do it for you.

Edit: BTW, my Toshiba's hard drive died shortly after the warranty expired... maybe it's becoming a common feature of the brand?

[Milo Minderbinder]

Use Acronis True Image Home
You can download a 30-day trial fully working copy from
Hard disk drive backup and system recovery tools allow you to instantly restore the entire machine (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/#tryorbuy)

You'll have to attach the new hard drive to the laptop using a USB> SATA adaptor, do a disk to disk copy and then switch the drives

You'll need an adaptor like this to do the copy
AK-CBSA03-80BK - AKASA - LEAD, 2.5" SATA HDD - ESATA,FLEXSTOR | CPC (http://cpc.farnell.com/akasa/ak-cbsa03-80bk/lead-2-5-sata-hdd-esata-flexstor/dp/CS21921)

As for the drive - my experience of Toshiba laptop drives is that they don't last very long

Another comment - you're trying to copy to a smaller hard drive than the original - that often goes wrong. You'd be doing yourself a favour if you can exchange it for one at least as big as the existing one

[spannersatcx]

last time I did it I used EASEUS Disk Copy, funny enough it was on Daughters Toshiba!

[Milo Minderbinder]

I've never used it, but someone in this forum in an earlier thread said it worked OK

Other software options would be to use a Clonezilla Linux boot CD, but that gets messy as you have to do one partition at a time - and that machine will probably have three (boot partition, system partition, recovery partition) of which two will be hidden

[vulcanised]

I know it's not free, but you can usually source a used copy of Norton Ghost (the only Norton product I would ever use) and that does a fair job.

Unless Milo knows different...........

[Milo Minderbinder]

Ghost does a good job - especially the newer versions which aren't Ghost at all, but are actually based on the now unavailable Powerquest DriveImage program (which was the far better product) In many ways what is now known as Ghost is the best of the lot - I just object to paying for it!

[oldbeefer]

Paragon free will clone it. If Seagate/Maxtor or WD, they have their own slimmed down version of Acronis that can be downloaded for free.

[Milo Minderbinder]

but these drives are toshibas

[419]

When using any of the clone programs suggested above, does the entire disk get copied? (I was wondering about drives that have hidden partitions for software reinstallation purposes).

I'm not doing any cloning myself, simply something that I'm not too sure about.

[Milo Minderbinder]

tricky one
depends on the program and how the partition has been hidden.
Some are hidden by a routine in the drives firmware which reduces the size of the drive thats visible to the operating system by loading a false MBR.
When you run recovery, the "real" MBR is loaded, making the partition visible.
However there are several ways of doing this, and some are easier to find than others. The simple answer is until you try, you don't know

[Old and Horrified]

Hear is an easy and free option.

Download Disk Wizard from Seagate web site, create a bootable version as described and then use that. If it is not a Seagate or Maxtor HD, type Alt t o before clicking on OK button (technical override). I have used it several times and it works fine, including if the discs are of different sizes. My understanding is that it does a sector by sector copy so will copy everything.

[Saab Dastard]

It is possible to clone a disk from a larger to a smaller one, providing that the used space on the larger disk is less than the capacity of the smaller disk - and providing that the software supports it. I have definitely done it with Acronis, and possibly with Ghost.

SD

[oldbeefer]

Old and Horrified

Can you confirm the keystrokes to allow copying of other makes of HDD, please.

[Old and Horrified]

Cloning non-Seagate disks.

As you run the programme it comes up with an error message "To use the products at least one Seagate or Maxtor device should be installed in your system" There is an OK button which, if presses, will power off the machine.

Before you click OK, hold the ALT key down and type t then o. When you then click OK, it should all work fine.

[oldbeefer]

Useful tip - thanks!

[A A Gruntpuddock]

In WIN 7, if you go into the Control Panel, select show all items, then click on Backup and Restore, you will find a link to clone your drive.

[Milo Minderbinder]

not all versions

[A A Gruntpuddock]

"... running WIN 7 home premium..."

So am I, and it is available in mine.

[Milo Minderbinder]

have you tried using it?