Software to copy an entire disk to another ?

Louis · Jan 10, 2008

Hello !

An hard disk partition table is corrupted and one of its partitions is
no longer accessible/visible.

Before using a partition recovery tool, I'd like to make a copy of this
entire disk - including the areas which are now in "twilight zone".

Most, if not all, disk imaging/cloning softwares I know will
image/clone existing partitions - which would obviously exclude the
unaccessible partition of the corrupted disk.

Can you recommend a software to make an exact bit-per-bit copy of the
entire disk ?

Thanks

PS: while on the subject, any experience/opinion on partition recovery
softwares such as Acronis Disk Director or Active@ Partition Recovery ?

Arno Wagner · Jan 10, 2008

Previously Louis said:
Hello !

An hard disk partition table is corrupted and one of its partitions is
no longer accessible/visible.

Before using a partition recovery tool, I'd like to make a copy of this
entire disk - including the areas which are now in "twilight zone".

Most, if not all, disk imaging/cloning softwares I know will
image/clone existing partitions - which would obviously exclude the
unaccessible partition of the corrupted disk.

Can you recommend a software to make an exact bit-per-bit copy of the
entire disk ?

PS: while on the subject, any experience/opinion on partition recovery
softwares such as Acronis Disk Director or Active@ Partition Recovery ?

dd_rescue under Linux, e.g. from a Knoppix Linux CD. Similar
functionality to dd, but you get a progress indicator.
Comparison for same contents can be done with the standard
utility "cmp" under Linux, just use the disk device
special files as input, e.g. "cmp /dev/sda /dev/sdb".

Arno

Man-wai Chang ToDie · Jan 10, 2008

Before using a partition recovery tool, I'd like to make a copy of this

entire disk - including the areas which are now in "twilight zone".

Under Linux, you could use dd.

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.23.13
^ ^ 20:52:01 up 4:05 0 users load average: 0.00 0.00 0.00
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Man-wai Chang ToDie · Jan 10, 2008

Man-wai Chang ToDie said:
Under Linux, you could use dd.

And you should copy/dd the entire disk to another disk A, and then
attempt recovery on disk A rather than original. DO NOT touch/write
anything to the original (watch out for those automatic stuff).

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.23.13
^ ^ 20:52:01 up 4:05 0 users load average: 0.00 0.00 0.00
? ? (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_addressesa/

mscotgrove · Jan 10, 2008

Hello !

An hard disk partition table is corrupted and one of its partitions is
no longer accessible/visible.

Before using a partition recovery tool, I'd like to make a copy of this
entire disk - including the areas which are now in "twilight zone".

Most, if not all, disk imaging/cloning softwares I know will
image/clone existing partitions - which would obviously exclude the
unaccessible partition of the corrupted disk.

Can you recommend a software to make an exact bit-per-bit copy of the
entire disk ?

Thanks

PS: while on the subject, any experience/opinion on partition recovery
softwares such as Acronis Disk Director or Active@ Partition Recovery ?

I've found Partition Table Doctor works

Michael

Folkert Rienstra · Jan 10, 2008

Man-wai Chang ToDie wrote in news:[email protected]

And you should copy/dd the entire disk to another disk A, and then
attempt recovery on disk A rather than original. DO NOT touch/write
anything to the original (watch out for those automatic stuff).

Moron.

chrisv · Jan 10, 2008

Louis said:
Can you recommend a software to make an exact bit-per-bit copy of the
entire disk ?

I know that WD has software on their Web site for this, if the drives
are WD. Other manufacturers may provide this utility as well.

Rod Speed · Jan 10, 2008

Louis said:
An hard disk partition table is corrupted and one of its partitions is no longer accessible/visible.

Before using a partition recovery tool, I'd like to make a copy of this entire disk - including the areas which are
now in "twilight zone".

Most, if not all, disk imaging/cloning softwares I know will
image/clone existing partitions - which would obviously exclude the unaccessible partition of the corrupted disk.

Can you recommend a software to make an exact bit-per-bit copy of the entire disk ?

The most important consideration is whether the drive is dying and thats whats produced
the problem or whether its purely a software problem thats made that partition invisible.
The best way to see if the drive is fine is with the Everest SMART report.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

If the drive is fine, you can use any of the major imagers like True Image
or Ghost and image the entire physical drive at the sector level.

You can also use forensic cloners like CloneDisk
http://invircible.com/resq.php

PS: while on the subject, any experience/opinion on partition recovery
softwares such as Acronis Disk Director or Active@ Partition Recovery ?

I prefer Easy Recovery Pro myself, but it isnt cheap if you have pay for it.

amj rescue repair co 01 · Jan 10, 2008

The most important consideration is whether the drive is dying and thats whats produced
the problem or whether its purely a software problem thats made that partition invisible.
The best way to see if the drive is fine is with the Everest SMART report.http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

If the drive is fine, you can use any of the major imagers like True Image
or Ghost and image the entire physical drive at the sector level.

You can also use forensic cloners like CloneDiskhttp://invircible.com/resq..php

I prefer Easy Recovery Pro myself, but it isnt cheap if you have pay for it.

The other thing to watch out for, is bad sectors....I have used ghost
and other proggies and have had some issue with that in the past. I do
not know if the other version works better or not......

Louis · Jan 10, 2008

Thanks for your reply,

If the drive is fine, you can use any of the major imagers like True Image
or Ghost and image the entire physical drive at the sector level.

The drive is fine.

Are you referring to a specific version of Acronis ? I looked at True
Image Workstation version 8 and True Image Home version 10 and I can't
find any indication that imaging an entire disk would include the non
partitionned disk areas.

Rod Speed · Jan 10, 2008

Louis said:
Thanks for your reply,

The drive is fine.

How did you decide that ? You cant just go on the OKs in the Everest SMART report.

Are you referring to a specific version of Acronis ?

Yeah, sorry, that showed up with 11 from memory.

I looked at True Image Workstation version 8 and True Image Home version 10 and I can't find any indication that
imaging an entire disk would include the non partitionned disk areas.

Its a tick box with disk and partition backups with 11.

Louis · Jan 10, 2008

Thanks to all who replied..

I'm currently cloning the disk (with "dd" - quite long !), and as soon
as I'll get a working image, I'll feel safer to experiment other
proposed solutions to clone the disk and repair the partition table.

Louis

Arno Wagner · Jan 11, 2008

And you should copy/dd the entire disk to another disk A, and then
attempt recovery on disk A rather than original. DO NOT touch/write
anything to the original (watch out for those automatic stuff).

Exactly. If you are very careful, you make a second copy as well, that
you do not touch.

Arno

Arno Wagner · Jan 11, 2008

Previously amj rescue repair co [email protected] said:
The other thing to watch out for, is bad sectors....I have used ghost
and other proggies and have had some issue with that in the past. I do
not know if the other version works better or not......

That is one of the reasons why I recommend dd_rescue indstead of
dd. dd_rescue can deal with defect sectors, as this was its design
motivation.

Arno

Man-wai Chang ToDie · Jan 11, 2008

Moron.

??? Wanna OT?

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.23.13
^ ^ 15:06:01 up 22:19 0 users load average: 0.00 0.06 0.03
? ? (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_addressesa/

Man-wai Chang ToDie · Jan 11, 2008

I'm currently cloning the disk (with "dd" - quite long !), and as soon

as I'll get a working image, I'll feel safer to experiment other
proposed solutions to clone the disk and repair the partition table.

Just don't touch the original disk at this point of time. Use the clones
to attempt recovery. Hard disks are cheap these days.

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.23.13
^ ^ 15:06:01 up 22:19 0 users load average: 0.00 0.06 0.03
? ? (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_addressesa/

Louis · Jan 11, 2008

Rod Speed a utilisé son clavier pour écrire :

Yeah, sorry, that showed up with 11 from memory.

Its a tick box with disk and partition backups with 11.

My understanding is that it will image the unused parts of an existing
partition, not the unpartitioned parts of a disk..

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/faq/sector-by-sector-backup/

Is this the same with Ghost ?

Rod Speed · Jan 11, 2008

Louis said:
Rod Speed wrote

My understanding is that it will image the unused parts of an existing partition, not the unpartitioned parts of a
disk..

Not when you are imaging an entire physical drive, as I originally said.

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/faq/sector-by-sector-backup/

Is this the same with Ghost ?

Yes, if you do a sector by sector op, the 'free' sectors are copied with both.

Software to copy an entire disk to another ?

Louis

Arno Wagner

Man-wai Chang ToDie

Man-wai Chang ToDie

mscotgrove

Folkert Rienstra

chrisv

Rod Speed

amj rescue repair co 01

Louis

Rod Speed

Louis

Arno Wagner

Arno Wagner

Man-wai Chang ToDie

Man-wai Chang ToDie

Louis

Rod Speed