Re: How to clone boot drive to larger disc with less partitions ?
- From: "Anna" <myname@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:18:06 -0400
"$Bill" <msnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:eshTUqdnIHA.3532@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
While you have several interesting suggestions, my 120 is pretty much
crammed
with data and I don't want to chance losing it prior to the copy, so I'm
shying away from the more esoteric solutions like image/restore and
combining
partitions.
Can I just use the Disk Manager to create my partitions and manually copy
the
contents from each partition on the 120 to the 320 (combining P5/P6 in the
process) ? Or is there a problem using Explorer to do this with the
system
running ? Maybe problems with the swap file and such ?
NOTE: I managed to find a way to almost do it in DiscWizard - skip down to
after the ----------- line below if you like.
The reason there were 6 partitions is in part due to the time it took to
check
a partition when you have a crash and have to check the filesystem on
reboot
plus to isolate alternate OS, Windows system, installed programs, data and
my stuff.
I have Windows on D, my stuff on E and program apps installed on F. G and
H
are data drives, so it doesn't matter much what happens to them - no
registry
entries should point there. I can't move D or F without a big hassle.
C is an alternate OS installation (UNIX/Solaris).
So what I need is to copy D-F to the new drive and make sure it's
bootable.
The other partitions can easily wait. My 120 shows C as Healthy (System)
and
D as Healthy (Boot) and the rest as Healthy. My new drive is showing just
Healthy for the 5 partitions I created (haven't formatted them or anything
yet - just tried making partitions the right size).
I could do an Add Disk in DiscWizard, but then how to make the boot and
system partitions ? <I hate programs that aren't flexible>
The clone would be better since it would handle the boot/system stuff I
assume.
When I do the clone in DiscWizard and choose 'manual' relayout, it shows
49.65
for each partition and 49.80 on last P. So I check 'Proceed relayout' and
start
with the C drive and it won't let me change the 49.66 GB to 60 GB (I
assume
because there is no room to expand into due to it being backed up to the
next
partition). It would seem I would have to somehow get rid of the last
partition
before I can do anything, but then it won't do the clone since it wants
the same
number of partitions (catch 22). So without a mod to the program it
appears
an alternate method is needed.
So repeating myself a bit, can I do this all manually ? And how do I
handle
the system/boot settings for the new C and D drives if I do it manually ?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stet the above - I found a way to get all but the last two partitions up
to
60 GB - by going from the back and shrinking each partition to 17-18 GB
(the
min allowed), I managed to then go left to right and increase C-F to 60
GB.
That leaves 40.83 GB and 17.25 GB for the last two. Is there a Windows
tool
(Disk Manager maybe) that will allow me to combine those two after the
clone ?
Here's what DiscWizard is ready to do (note the last 2 partitions would
need
to be re-partitioned into 1 (Disk Manager ? - delete last 2 Ps and make
new
logical from now free space) and probably manually recopied later from old
drive after mounting with new letters - not a big problem hopefully) :
(I assume I could avoid the rebooting with a bootable version of
DiscWizard.)
Operation 1 of 8
Clearing disc
Hard disc:2
Operation 2 of 8 (Reboot required)
Copying partition
Hard disc:1 -> 2
Drive letter:C: File system:NTFS Volume label:SYSA120 Size:18.62 GB ->
60.00 GB
Operation 3 of 8 (Reboot required)
Copying partition
Hard disc:1 -> 2
Drive letter:D: File system:NTFS Volume label:SYSB120 Size:18.62 GB ->
60.00 GB
Operation 4 of 8 (Reboot required)
Copying partition
Hard disc:1 -> 2
Drive letter:E: File system:NTFS Volume label:DATA120 Size:18.62 GB ->
60.00 GB
Operation 5 of 8 (Reboot required)
Copying partition
Hard disc:1 -> 2
Drive letter:F: File system:NTFS Volume label:PROG120 Size:18.62 GB ->
60.00 GB
Operation 6 of 8 (Reboot required)
Copying partition
Hard disc:1 -> 2
Drive letter:G: File system:NTFS Volume label:SPAREA120 Size:18.62 GB ->
40.83 GB
Operation 7 of 8 (Reboot required)
Copying partition
Hard disc:1 -> 2
Drive letter:H: File system:NTFS Volume label:SPAREB120 Size:18.68 GB ->
17.25 GB
Operation 8 of 8
Copying MBR
Hard disc:1 -> 2
Thanks for your response and any new ones coming.
Bill:
(Background - the OP currently has a multi-partitioned 120 GB HDD containing
six partitions. He wants to clone the contents of that drive to a larger 320
GB HDD, but create only five partitions on the new HDD, in effect combining
the data on his current 5th & 6th partitions into a single partition - the
fifth partition on the new HDD. At least that's my understanding of his
objective).
First of all - without getting into the "mechanics" of what you want to
do...
You say "The reason there were 6 partitions is in part due to the time it
took to check a partition when you have a crash and have to check the
filesystem on reboot plus to isolate alternate OS, Windows system, installed
programs, data and my stuff."
I'll skip your reference to the "in part" rational as to why you're
multi-partitioning your HDD and just say that perhaps you should reexamine
your reason(s) for multi-partitioning your HDD along the lines you have
chosen for the reason(s) you have indicated. In my view - and I really think
this is the *crucial* element here - what you're focus should truly be is to
prevent the onerous tasks of reconstructing your system after a "crash",
i.e., if & when the HDD involved becomes defective or system corruption of
one sort or another results in your system becoming unbootable and/or
otherwise dysfunctional.
To that end it seems to me that your main concern (and that of nearly every
PC user) should *not* be on multi-partitioning your HDD in order to
facilitate recovery or restoration in the event of those possibly occurring
nasty events referred to above, but rather to establish & maintain a
comprehensive backup system that you would use on a routine systematic basis
to backup your entire system including your OS, all your programs &
applications, and all your user-created data. In short, *everything* that's
on your day-to-day working HDD.
So that you would have at hand - in effect - a precise copy of your "source"
HDD that would be more-or-less immediately bootable & functional in all
respects. Isn't this what your real aim is? Or should be? To this end is
there really any good reason to multi-partition your day-to-day HDD
primarily or exclusively for "safety's sake"? I understand that there might
be some organizational reasons for multi-partitioning one's HDD although
here again I usually find that in nearly every case there's no reason why
organizationally a user can't use a single-partitioned HDD and simply set up
folders to contain major elements of their programs & other data along the
lines they desire. In any event I really don't want to get into a discussion
of the value (or lack of) of multi-partitioning so I'll leave it go at this.
As I indicated in my previous post to your original query I'm not that
familiar with Seagate's DiscWizard so I'm loathe to offer any more advice
other than what I've provided in my previous response. Perhaps the rather
tortuous process you've outlined above will work to achieve your objective.
As I previously mentioned the disk-cloning program we work with virtually
exclusively nowadays is the Casper 4 program. It's a relatively simple &
straightforward process to accomplish your objective with that program. In
considerably less time than it took to read your latest post and my writing
this response, you (and I!) could have accomplished your basic objective of
cloning your source HDD to the destination HDD and at the same time
establishing the new partition setup you want on that destination HDD.
The Casper 4 program does have a trial version available but I can't
remember if it will permit the manipulation of partitions along the lines
you desire. But you might want to take a look at it. In any event, as I
previously stated we highly recommend this program for disk-cloning purposes
on a routine basis as a comprehensive backup system.
Anna
.
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