Hi folks

I have a simple question about cloning disks. I hope it's not "off topic" here. If it is, please suggest where else I could ask it

I have a Windows XP laptop with one hard disk. Various programs identify this disk as:

FUJITSU MHT2060BH 0000104A (59.6GB)
or
FUJITSU MHT2060BH (IDE) 60GB

I plan to create a full, sector-by-sector copy of that disk, and store that data as a single, compressed file, on an external USB drive. (The disk will be offline when I create the copy. I'll boot from a Linux live CD for that purpose.)

Then, if the laptop hard disk fails, I'll get a new hard disk, and restore the sector data, from the file on the USB drive.

I know that the new hard disk, must be compatible with the old one; otherwise, a sector-by-sector copy/restore would not be meaningful.

My question is: what does "compatible" mean in this context? Would it be enough, if the new hard disk was another FUJITSU MHT2060BH? Or are there extra things that have to match, between the new and old hard disks? So far, I haven't opened the laptop and copied the details from the hard disk sticker. Should I do that? If so, why?

Please note: I have specific reasons for wanting a full disk (sector by sector) backup.

Hoping my question is clear,

TC

Hi TC,

If you are creating a sector by sector image file of your hard disk you only need a hard disk with enough available storage capacity to store the single file (eg. whatever size the final image file is).

If you want to make a sector by sector copy of a drive to another drive then you need a drive with a capacity of at least as much as the original (in your case 59.6GB). Bigger is just fine. Smaller means you might lose some data.

To be honest I don't know why you might want to use a by sector copy to backup and restore in this way. Typically people might use Norton Ghost or similar to do this though you may have a valid reason for using a different method.

Sector copy is a good idea.

That is how I upgrade laptops for my customers to replace a failing disk. Your command line from linux is "ddrescue /dev/sda /dev/sdc" assuming that your laptop internal HDD is sda, you have a built-in optical drive as sdb, and your USB-connected drive is sdc. That command will work around bad sectors. If you do not have an optical drive, then use /dev/sdb. If your knowledge of linux is good enough, you'll figure out other ways as well.

Do not run it unless you know how to confirm device names. This will overwrite anything that's on the USB drive without warning. Not responsible if you make a mistake with device names and overwrite your data on any device involved.

@dick:

Ok, thanks for confirming.

I was mainly worried that a typical filesystem (in my case, NTFS) might have entries that assumed the geometry of the disk it was on. If that was TRUE, then, a sector-by-sector copy (from an old hard disk to a new one) would NOT produce a working result, unless the new hard disk had the same geometry as the old one. I also thought there might be problems with a sector-by-sector copy overwriting the target disk's firmware.

So just to be absolutely certain, let me restate it:

"A sector-by-sector copy from one hard disk to another hard disk, WILL produce a working result, as long as the new hard disk has the same (or more) capacity as the old one. The new hard disk need NOT be the same brand or model, and it need NOT have the same geometry, as the old one."

Correct?

@wiseleo: As I understand it, ddrescue is a snazzy version of the venrable 'dd' command. You can pipe the output of 'dd' through 'gzip', then redirect it to a file. So the sector data is saved as a single, normal, compressed file on the target device, and any/all existing files on that device are retained. Perhaps you can do the same with ddrescue.

TC

T_C - potentially.

If I am imaging something, I usually don't mess with the output stream although you can certainly try to real-time Gzip or Bzip2 it, which would be an interesting choice indeed. There are options to mount the other device and to simply image to a file. I've posted such a workflow once. It basically involved formatting an external drive with NTFS, mounting the ntfs partition, and writing an image to that partition. You also have pretty nice log support from which to resume. I usually write the log file either to an external drive, flash drive, or an extra internal drive. I also image to a file rather that than a device. However, explaining mounting commands to someone who has never touched a shell prompt is always fun.

Hello all!

I have a problem with my hard drive/ Maxtore with 120GB of space. It is full of very important files and documents for me.
It has the surface problem with many bad sectors. For some time (2-3 days) I am using HDD Regenerator but there is so many bad sectores which are recoverable.

My idea is to recover all bad sectors with HDD Regenerator (I have experience in HDD Regenerator) and to clone bad hard disk sector-by-sector to new hard drive (250GB).
Is the Norton Ghost good idea to do sector-by-sector cloning?

I dont want to start Windows from recovered/new hard drive, just to backup all data. So I need to recheck file structure from Windows.

Is it good idea or need something else?

Thanx in advice.
Gnikolic.

Do not run HDD regenerator.
Ghost will fail.

There is one answer is in this thread that would work. If it doesn't make sense, you need professional help.

Hi wiseleo!
Thanx for fast response!

My answer is HUH?!?!

Can you give some explaination about HDD Regenerator, Ghost and professional help?

Thanx in advice.

You r fucking of your drive to make the data recoverable more complex. HDD Regenrator is going to overflow the Glist.
Go to professional if you really want to get access to your data with a less price comparatively until the Glist overflowed. Then you have to pay more- not less than $800.

_________________
__________
There is no substitute for education and experience
THANK YOU
SHAHI
shahi.mahbub@gmail.com

I think that in forum rules (which I carefully read it) says that word "fucking" is illegal!

@SHASHI - I dont need your opinion. You send me a PM with your price od recoverying!
I need information of polait professionals, like wiseleo. He answerd me Ok.

@wiseleo - Like in Matrix... "Need an little help..."

You misunderstood. When someone drive is going to be die, then no professional can tolerate- cos, its going to be die in front of eyes. Its the first time in this forum for me that someone could not realize the truth about my comments.

Anyway, when you use sector by sector copy for a drive, then drive should be intact, if you want to do it yourself/professional for a defective drive you have to use HW-SW complex/custom made tools.

From my past experience with HDD Regenerator (at least 4/5 years ago) got the Glist overflowed after a long run. If you see more than 1000 bad sectors at your drive-then your drive is not in normal condition, its going to be degraded.
I believe, if you scan from the start of your drive, then you will get again bad sectors at the same sector by using HDD Regenarator. Its not a professional tool, No professional will recommend you for the tool. Its being used by END USER only. Not professional.

Sorry if you take the advice as wrong way, We all here to help each others, just like give n take. Until its possible by a end user we refer to do something otherwise we refer professional help.
That's all.

_________________
__________
There is no substitute for education and experience
THANK YOU
SHAHI
shahi.mahbub@gmail.com

Keep in mind also, dont run CHKDSK/SCANDISK to your drive.

_________________
__________
There is no substitute for education and experience
THANK YOU
SHAHI
shahi.mahbub@gmail.com

This Yours anwser is very well! Thanx in response and in advice.

I understand You for HDD Regenerator. I known that I have very amateur equepment, which is just my computer, but that is the fact.
I understand what You are saing and I am not begginer in computer. I am working with networks and servers, but not with this kind of hardwars.
Anyway, after HDD Regenerator recovers some bad sectors, as You said, his Glist overflowed, I restart computer and start HDDRegenerator from MB-5MB (5-10 MB earlyer/before bad sector), and he recovered that bad sector.

I will say whole history of that hard disk.
Before some 8-9 months, there was similiar problem with very less bad sectors. I used HDD Regenerator, and he after hours of restarting computer, recovered ALL bad sectors. After recovering, I leved it to scan whole hard disk from begging to end. Every sector is Ok. And I used that hard drive allmoust 8-9 months. It is silly, but dont have money at that time to bye new disk and I forgot about that problem.
At that time, Windows is worked Ok and I have a good transfers of files. But before some 5-6 days, Windows worked very sllow and had a BIG using of hard drive. I used HDD Regenerator and he recovered some bad sectores. I dont have time to spend more time to check all hird drive, and Widnows chkdsk tool give my drive a BIG hole in hard drive. That is mistake.
After that, I used HDD Regenerator and the disk is full of bad sectors. From 3076MB I am trying to recover bad sectors. It is Ok, but I am trying to find a more faster way to recover it.
From 3076 MBs (checked other MBs and there are some holes, bur sporadic), I recovered allmoust 100 bad sectors. After while, I scaned again that sectors and they are recovered and usefull. Beleive me!

My idea is to recover all bad sectors, to clone that hard disk to new hard drive sector-by-sector, to do chkdsk to new hard drive, to backup all data, and to cut old hard drive to pieces.

I am noticed You that, earlyer recovering bad sectors had some moveing to Ok way.
I known that drive is sick, but my interesting is to back up the data, and to bye a better power supply.

Why the ghoust is not good idea if all sectors are recovered?

And for HDD Regenerator. I known that tool is not proffesional. I planed to make some hard drive controlers and to make some app in c to scan the drive.

Thanx in advice.

There is a possibility that once HDD Regenerator runs, making a sector-level copy of the drive will be impossible. You are gambling with your data without any control over the process by using that tool.

Moreover, it won't make a difference as far as data is concerned whether HDDR ran or not.

I am not saying that Ghost is not a good idea. I am saying that Ghost will fail on bad sectors. It is not designed to image dying hard drives. Read this entire thread, before you posted your message. There is enough information here. If it's not enough, then you need professional help.

Ghost is a great tool when the drive and the file system is healthy. It is not a good tool for data recovery. What you want to do is make a sector by sector copy FIRST before doing anything. Bad drives only get worse. Get your stuff NOW if you can, as you likely will get less, or nothing if you mess with the drive more. Forget HDD Regenerator and Spinrite-like programs. They will help you lose your data more quickly and permanently.

Thanx for fast response.

Ok. I am going to backup all hard drive to another hard drive. But what about current bad sectors on source hard drive? Will the Media Tools or Norton Ghost just overlap the bad sectors and move to another? Or just stuck on that bad one?

Thanx in advice.
GNikolic.

Would you please forget about Ghost? If you have access to Media Tools, that's a professional tool designed to image drives that may not be healthy. Ghost will fail. Period.

Thanx without period.

Ok. Have Media Tools on Hirens Boot CD. Check it and it is registreted. Just checked how to do in virtual machine with two virtual drives.

Will do this evening and see the situationo.

Thanx in advice.

Media Tools stuck in reading first faulty sector. Is there any way to configure Media tools to skip bad sector(s)? I didnt see anything to configure...

Thanx in advice.

No one told you that your drive heads are going to die (if not died at all) and hdd regenerator is likely a hdd killer.
At this point you probably have nothing to do anymore, and assuming you don't want to spend a dime neither in solutions neither on giving to a pro (that use HW cloning instead of software, disabling relocation and other relevant things, but requires HW equipment), you're completely on a dead end. Live without that drive / forget it. Or buy a HW cloning equipment... ooooops.... it's not for free.