Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 17 to 28 of 28

Thread: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

  1. #17
    Super Moderator Jonj1611's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    5,718
    Thanks
    1,754
    Thanked
    994 times in 761 posts

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    How does that help?
    Jon

  2. #18
    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    31,023
    Thanks
    1,870
    Thanked
    3,381 times in 2,718 posts
    • kalniel's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra
      • CPU:
      • Intel i9 9900k
      • Memory:
      • 32GB DDR4 3200 CL16
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Samsung 970Evo+ NVMe
      • Graphics card(s):
      • nVidia GTX 1060 6GB
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic 600W
      • Case:
      • Cooler Master HAF 912
      • Operating System:
      • Win 10 Pro x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell S2721DGF
      • Internet:
      • rubbish

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jonj1611 View Post
    How does that help?
    It's a way of cloning a hard drive - put it in a linux box and use the dd command to duplicate data (including master boot record etc.) or create an image.

  3. #19
    Super Moderator Jonj1611's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    5,718
    Thanks
    1,754
    Thanked
    994 times in 761 posts

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    Yeah I know the function, I just meant how would it help in the situation given especially as they didn't have linux.

    But good to know for future use.

    So you just put in dd and its as easy as that? Handy
    Jon

  4. #20
    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    31,023
    Thanks
    1,870
    Thanked
    3,381 times in 2,718 posts
    • kalniel's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra
      • CPU:
      • Intel i9 9900k
      • Memory:
      • 32GB DDR4 3200 CL16
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Samsung 970Evo+ NVMe
      • Graphics card(s):
      • nVidia GTX 1060 6GB
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic 600W
      • Case:
      • Cooler Master HAF 912
      • Operating System:
      • Win 10 Pro x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell S2721DGF
      • Internet:
      • rubbish

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jonj1611 View Post
    Yeah I know the function, I just meant how would it help in the situation given especially as they didn't have linux.
    Putting devil's advocate hat on, OP doesn't mention they don't have linux, we can only imply they at least have Windows given mention of Acronis, and I guess a very roundabout way might involve running a linux VM to mount the source and target drives and use dd within the VM.. but that kind of negates the benefit of using dd in the first place which is very low level access to the drive. You can run Linux natively within Windows now so that's another option.

    So you just put in dd and its as easy as that? Handy
    It can be that easy.. but it's also quite easy to trash your own data if you (badly) mess up the command. Drowning duffers and all that. The respondent is in danger of linux snobbery (just like I am of Arthur Ransome with my previous sentence) with a throwaway comment implying that life aboard the linux train is simple once you master it.

  5. #21
    Goron goron Kumagoro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    3,147
    Thanks
    37
    Thanked
    170 times in 139 posts

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    I tend to use Acronis true image boot disk out of habit. The 2020 version though is so slow to back up compared to older versions I will stick with 2019. So much slower and only a bit smaller end result. I care about speed than it being a bit smaller.

    Macrium reflect is my other go to as it is British (I think). I used to like it for doing a remote back up of some ones Windows machine and making a vm from it. Then upgrading their machine and having them be able to then remote into their old environment to move stuff over and make songs the same. I think I could even make a back up while they were using it but I maybe remembering wrong.

  6. #22
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Posts
    4
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    Macrim Reflect or if I'm cloning to a virtual machine Disk2VHD from MS. I've used a VHDX file running on HyperV to clone with Macrim Reflect to a laptop when it borked. I also use Disk2VHD to create an image for casting from my PXE server.

    It just saves so much time, especially if you have a lot of software or software that takes ages to install (looking at you Adobe) to clone a drive when swapping them out. It also less hassle trying to tweak all the settings back to normal. This machine I'm on is still the original install image from about 8 years ago upgraded to Win 10, but I create a VHDX of the drive once a month so can re-image the image when I upgrade the drive or if it dies.

  7. #23
    Getting old...
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    You Want To Ask That?
    Posts
    2,568
    Thanks
    188
    Thanked
    93 times in 89 posts
    • UseItNow's system
      • Motherboard:
      • It's holding everything together!
      • CPU:
      • It's in my PC
      • Memory:
      • It's remembering, alright?
      • Storage:
      • It's a hard drive, what more do you want?
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Cr*p, there I said it!
      • PSU:
      • It's old and juicy!
      • Case:
      • Bog standard!
      • Operating System:
      • You Got To Ask? I'm here at Hexus because of it!
      • Monitor(s):
      • Big Enough, Yay For Me!
      • Internet:
      • Hell if I know, care anymore?

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    I've repeatedly used Acronis over the years, but on family machines where they've decided not to opt for a paid product, I've gone with EASEUS TODO or Aomei Backupper, tried Macrium a few years ago, was left unimpressed sadly as it couldn't even load, I have no idea why that was the case to this day! I'll look into it again.

  8. #24
    Goron goron Kumagoro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    3,147
    Thanks
    37
    Thanked
    170 times in 139 posts

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    Quote Originally Posted by UseItNow View Post
    I've repeatedly used Acronis over the years, but on family machines where they've decided not to opt for a paid product, I've gone with EASEUS TODO or Aomei Backupper, tried Macrium a few years ago, was left unimpressed sadly as it couldn't even load, I have no idea why that was the case to this day! I'll look into it again.
    I think it could be chipset and uefi. I had to add a driver for an Intel raid driver before to the boot image. It was HP but dell also have a habit of setting the BIOS to raid instead of AHCI. I think it would affect any WIN PE based boot disks. That's why I prefer the Linux boot disk of true image less hassle.

  9. #25
    Registered+
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Posts
    36
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    3 times in 2 posts

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    dd all the way

  10. #26
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    12,113
    Thanks
    906
    Thanked
    580 times in 405 posts

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    DD is a bit big, I prefer a C at best..


    As for cloning drives, I use Veeam..

  11. Received thanks from:

    AGTDenton (17-12-2020)

  12. #27
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Posts
    22
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    Macrium reflect works great

  13. #28
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    20
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Re: What's your software of choice for imaging a hard drive?

    I also have been transistioning to Liunx more over the last few months and used to use TRK "back in the day". For clones I have an ISO of HDClone. However I recently discovered this dd command and for a quick simple option when you want to save time then this is the way to go.

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •