2

I'm not clear about what disk to disk "cloning" can/will actually do compared to using the imaging choice in Clonezilla. I'm a refugee from XP support end and I am accustomed to cloning an HD using software like EaueUS Todo backup which literally clones(copies) an entire HD onto an external HD (mounted in a caddy), afterwards plugging in that clone in place of the old HD. After recognition that clone is then an exact copy of the old HD and works the same way including boot. While I think I understand the imaging function of Clonezilla, after doing that it's clear to me that you can't just plug in that image, and need to "restore" before you can use the restoration.

I would prefer the option of plugging in the "clone" instead of having to restore. so the question is does disk to disk truly clone the HD (instead of just saving the image) so that I can remove it from the external caddy I’m using and plug it into the puter so that I have an exact working copy of the original. If so, follow up question is will disk to disk copy literally everything including such things as email accounts and/or all original app settings. That to me is the definition of a clone.

Thanks for any answers

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

You need to do tell Clonezilla to do a "device-device" clone instead of a "device-image" clone.

  1. Boot Clonezilla Live.
  2. Select "Other modes" form the boot menu.
  3. Select "Clonezilla live (To RAM. Boot media can be removed later)".
  4. It will load into memory (so that it's not using any drives).
  5. When it loads, go through start up options, and when it comes time, choose "device-device".

enter image description here

Source (clonezilla.org)

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    Thanks Techie007, but that much I understood about device-device. What I want to know for sure is (1) after the device-device process can I remove the target device (the new "clone") from the external caddy and replace the internal HD that was cloned with that new clone........and (2) will that new clone be an exact working and functional copy of the original HD that I cloned?
    – provobis
    Feb 20, 2015 at 2:06
1

Here is a short report about my successful use of Clonezilla to clone my operating system "disk to disk" - successfully, today, 9 May 2017:

I used Clonezilla (Version obtained in December 2016) for cloning the 320 GB hard drive of my laptop computer to a 1 TB hard drive to be used instead the old one.

In previous years I had many issues with tasks like this, but this time it went ideally smooth:

  • Left the original disk installed as it was

  • Plugged the new disk in via USB

  • Started Clonezilla from CD

  • In the various dialogues that appear when Clonezilla starts, I selected "local disk to local disk", leaving all other settings at default

  • Selected the installed (original) hard drive as source

  • Selected the new hard drive (on USB) as target

  • Started cloning. Clonezilla asked if the boot sector should be copied as well, which I confirmed

  • Waited for 2 hours until everything was copied

  • Removed the original hard drive and installed the new one

And, to my honest surprise, the laptop started immediately, without any hassle.

I had to re-activate my MS Office programmes because the activation obviously is bound to hardware including the HD.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .