clone a drive

[Doug]

On 10/5/2010 1:16 PM, Maxime Alarie wrote:
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ubuntu-users-bounces at lists.ubuntu.com
> [mailto:ubuntu-users-bounces at lists.ubuntu.com] On Behalf Of Ash Wyllie
> Sent: 05 October 2010 02:00
> To: ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> Subject: clone a drive
>
> Now that I have my laptop back, now I want to put a new larger drive in
> it.
>
> Ideally, I would like to:  copy /dev/sda1 to /dev/sdb3
>                             remove the 120GB drive
>                             install a 250GB (or larger)
>                             user the USB stick to formatand
>                                          partition the new drive
>                             copy /dev/sdb3 to /dev/sda1
>
> Can that be done?
>
> If not, how can I get my current set up to a new drive?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Maybe there is a better option, but  I would use rsync. This will
> synchronize your 2 disks.  If there is an error, restarting  rsync will
> resume the sync.
>
> rsync -alvn for a dry run  (option n is for a dry run)
>
> Remove the -n flag to sync when the dry run completed.
>
>
I don't know what rsync does.  I assume that /dev/sdb3 is an external
usb hard drive.  What I did, in the exact same situation, was to use
a flash drive--I only had a 60M drive to copy--where you are going to
use the external hd.  I used Miray HDCLone 3.9, which is available
in several flavors, the cheapest one being free, and all are 
downloadable.  Copy the whole disk to the external storage, then copy 
the external storage to the new drive, which you have now replaced in 
the laptop.  DO NOT follow any instructions on HDClone regarding 
modifying anything in the copying, or you won't be able to boot the
new drive.  Just do a straight 1:1 copy in both directions.  HDClone
is self-booting, so operating systems don't matter.  I copied a WinXP
and 2 Linux partitions from the small to the large drive, and all
is copacetic.  (If you need to modify any partitions, do it with
GParted or Visopsys Partlogic _after_ you have the new drive in place.)

I understand that there is a way to use GParted for this whole job, but 
I don't know how.

--doug

-- 
Blessed are the peacemakers...for they shall be shot at from both sides. 
  --A.M. Greeley