Do Hardware Cloning Device do better than Software ones ?

[Matiw]

I would like to buy a fast cloning Device/Software. If someone can provide the below information, I would be grateful.

Does not the media access speed limit apply to the hardware ones ?

What difference does it make whether one uses his computerºs hardware or a Separate hardware device for cloning ? Does not the Separate hardware device ultimately use a built in Sofware to do the cloning ?

Thanks

[LoboX]

Yes Hardware is always better than software.

[labtech]

Use the forum's search function. Heavily discussed throughout years.

There are many factors involved, but essentially it is much better and often it can make the difference in whether can recover data or not.

[digitalferret]

I would like to buy a fast cloning Device/Software. If someone can provide the below information, I would be grateful.

TL:DR
Simple copy, good drives: PC v Hardware, i would choose a dedicated copying device for its versatility, ease of operation, and lack of PC induced issues.

Alternatively .....
Much as you could ask what's the fastest car in the world, it depends on where you are going to use it.

What do you want to do specifically?

clone 1 drive to 1 or many?
clone drive in forensically sound manner?
clone drives that maybe unstable or have bad sectors?
clone drives with just a push of a button?
clone drive to drive?
clone drive to image file?
clone drive and compress?
clone just the data and not the frreespace?

Where do you want to do it?
ie: at your premises, customers premises, in the field, covertly?

All could impact your choice, not just speed of data transfer.

Does not the media access speed limit apply to the hardware ones ?

All cloning devices depend on both hardware and software whether it's a standalone unit or a PC with bays. Speed limits are imposed by bottlenecks ie where you plug the drives in, which cables you use, the speed/response of the drive, the write blocker if used, the imaging algorithm etc.

What difference does it make whether one uses his computerºs hardware or a Separate hardware device for cloning

If you use a PC, you have to be aware that the OS can and will modify the source drive if you don't take appropriate steps to prevent it happening.

There can be a broad range of speeds between standalone units themselves as well as PC versus PC. Bottlenecks again.

Decision should really be made taking into account operational needs rather than just speed alone.

Kern

[Matiw]

Thank for the info. I have now understood the advantage of a hardware cloning devices over their Software counterparts.


But, knowing the media access bottle neck (which is way below 1Gbyte/sec), I can not swallow the 1Gbyte per second cloning speed claimed by some websites. I fail to understand how they can pass the media access limit as long as the cloning device uses the HDDºs Read/Write mechanism ?

I want to get some info instead of taking their claim at face value, and buy the device.

Use the forum's search function. Heavily discussed throughout years.

There are many factors involved, but essentially it is much better and often it can make the difference in whether can recover data or not.

[xsoliman]

One of the recent discussion about this is here
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25275&p=170118&hilit=+hardware+cloning+#p170118

Particulary in the way they can protentially handle retries on back sectors and automatic power cycling etc

But I agree with your question regarding cloning speed if all sectors are good and readable -- must be limited by the disk hw I/F speed ?

[Matiw]

Thank you Xsoliman.

Is there a Cloning Software that can selectivly clone data-area only. As most HDDs have data on only small precentage of the total disk space, selective cloning software would have saved me a lot of time. I know hardware cloning devices can not differenciate data-area from no-data-area.

One of the recent discussion about this is here
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25275&p=170118&hilit=+hardware+cloning+#p170118

Particulary in the way they can protentially handle retries on back sectors and automatic power cycling etc

But I agree with your question regarding cloning speed if all sectors are good and readable -- must be limited by the disk hw I/F speed ?

[BlackST]

@Matiw,

HW imagers DO have certain features (implemented) that "generic" software tools (more or less you are asking for free or cheap solutions) CAN'T have for obvious reasons. They handle different drives (mean brands, families) in different ways OR have parameter fine tuning capabilities. They can push the interface to the limit and there is no compatibility / matching problem like software with hardware (i.e. same SW running on different PC/chipset etc.)

So said, I know that the price to pay for it is something that sucks, but it's take or leave and it can be the difference between doing a job or not or doing it efficiently (unless you have so much time to waste struggling with parameters, command lines and spending most of the time in front of a screen or cycling power or tweaking some other stuff...) vs. wasting time.

There are some specialist software-only tools that are much more efficient than other, but they are NOT for free (the price is a fraction of a DDI or Atola in any case). But sooner or later they will show a certain limit.

The best way to understand the difference, is to use one.

[Tawfeek]

@Matiw,


The best way to understand the difference, is to use one.

that's very very true

[Matiw]

Thanks Blackst, tawfeek_mokhtar.

Could you please recommend one of those best cloning devices ?

@Matiw,

HW imagers DO have certain features (implemented) that "generic" software tools (more or less you are asking for free or cheap solutions) CAN'T have for obvious reasons. They handle different drives (mean brands, families) in different ways OR have parameter fine tuning capabilities. They can push the interface to the limit and there is no compatibility / matching problem like software with hardware (i.e. same SW running on different PC/chipset etc.)

So said, I know that the price to pay for it is something that sucks, but it's take or leave and it can be the difference between doing a job or not or doing it efficiently (unless you have so much time to waste struggling with parameters, command lines and spending most of the time in front of a screen or cycling power or tweaking some other stuff...) vs. wasting time.

There are some specialist software-only tools that are much more efficient than other, but they are NOT for free (the price is a fraction of a DDI or Atola in any case). But sooner or later they will show a certain limit.

The best way to understand the difference, is to use one.

[BlackST]

DDI (Deepspar) , Atola .

If you just want a fast cloning device for disks with no or small problems (means you have already stabilized the disk) , there are a lot of other simple cloning machines on the market.

[fzabkar]

Is there a Cloning Software that can selectivly clone data-area only. As most HDDs have data on only small precentage of the total disk space, selective cloning software would have saved me a lot of time. I know hardware cloning devices can not differenciate data-area from no-data-area.

That depends on what you mean by "clone". If your file system is intact, but the drive has bad sectors, then the following tool can clone individual files:

Bad Block Copy for Windows:
http://alter.org.ua/soft/win/bb_recover/

It's like ddrescue, at the file level.

[Matiw]

Thanks for the info BlackST,fzabkar.

I will check those ones and decide.

Is there a Cloning Software that can selectivly clone data-area only. As most HDDs have data on only small precentage of the total disk space, selective cloning software would have saved me a lot of time. I know hardware cloning devices can not differenciate data-area from no-data-area.

That depends on what you mean by "clone". If your file system is intact, but the drive has bad sectors, then the following tool can clone individual files:

Bad Block Copy for Windows:
http://alter.org.ua/soft/win/bb_recover/

It's like ddrescue, at the file level.

[Nesa]

I recomend you to read this:

http://www.deepspar.com/pdf/DeepSparDis ... paper3.pdf