Free drive imaging software that offers...

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...operation across dissimilar drive sizes? I have a 500 GB HDD in our desktop computer with about 80 GB of files on it. I'll eventually like to put an SSD in it, say 120 GB or so. Is there a free imaging software that will recognize that I have only 80 GB on my HDD and transfer it across to a 120 GB SSD? I tried something similar with Macrium Reflect and it won't do it. It'll do same-size or larger, but it won't copy larger-to-smaller, even if the actual amount of data will fit.

Ideas?
 
What if you partition the original/larger drive into one that is the same size as the secondary one to be copied to? Then keep the files you want to image on that partition only. Maybe the imaging program will accept it then.
 
I am pretty sure Clonezilla allows you to go from smaller to larger. It is also free (open-source).

Second edit: Clonezilla actually *will* let you do what you want -- go from a larger partition with only a small amount of data to a smaller partition.
 
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I'm going from memory as well, but I think you might be able to use something to reduce the partition size on the large drive, then get it imaged over to the smaller SSD. I've used EaseUS Partition software to resize. I've also used Gparted live cds to do some partition stuff. I can't remember which software I used to do what in which sequence to get my big laptop drive moved to the smaller SSD.
 
It never occurred to me to split the larger drive into smaller partitions...that makes sense. Either way, it does look like there are software options out there. Thank you!
 
Originally Posted By: ABerns
I am pretty sure Clonezilla allows you to go from smaller to larger. It is also free (open-source).

Second edit: Clonezilla actually *will* let you do what you want -- go from a larger partition with only a small amount of data to a smaller partition.


+1 for Clonezilla. I have been using that for years for this exact task. I carry a Clonezilla, a Kaspersky live anti-virus (based, apparently on **Gentoo** Linux?!), a 32-bit Linux Mint and a 64-bit Ubuntu USB stick with me at all times. I have been a hero more than once with them!

EDIT: If you ever feel like nerding it up a bit, you can skip cloning software altogether and research the "dd" command in Linux.
 
I paid 20$ for acronis 2011, got a free upgrade to 2012.. and it works flawlessly.

I too had that macrim reflect issue and it was really difficult to fix.

Wanted to restore a 320GB raid 1 mirror image to a 128gb ssd


was transitioning from raid to SSD+hdd backup.

There was only 16gb of data but macrim reflect does not do this... I didn't know that when backing up.
 
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
EDIT: If you ever feel like nerding it up a bit, you can skip cloning software altogether and research the "dd" command in Linux.

Is there a "tar" for Windows? That would be my solution.
wink.gif
 
I just installed a Samsung 840 EVO in my nephew's laptop. I used the free (included) Samsung migration software and a Kingwin ADP-07U3 cable to go from 320GB spinning disk to 120GB SSD.

EaseUS Todo Backup (free home edition) can also migrate to smaller SSD (I have used the paid version at work to install SSDs in company laptops).

I wish my local computer store stocked the Samsung "Laptop Upgrade Kit" (includes SSD, software, and migration cable)... That would have saved me time researching because some SATA to USB cables and docks obscure the drive info so manufacturer provided disk tools won't work because they can't see "their" brand of drive attached to the other end of the cable. The first ADP-07U3 cable I got was defective (Windows threw "USB device not recognized" error), the second cable combined with the free Samsung software worked like a charm and the entire migration process only took about 30 minutes.
 
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
Does covering a Windows box in tar count?

Maybe.
wink.gif
I'm sure I've seen utilities to open tarballs in Windows, but I've never tried to create one there.
 
Tar wouldn't clone, it's a file copy utility. If all you want to do is copy files, tar away. (Or cpio if you are so disposed.)

A program like dd will make an image of the entire partition. It knows nothing about files, directories, and logic. It's just a brute force copy of all the bytes in the partition.

But chances are, it's bootable when you lay the image down on the destination partition.

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
EDIT: If you ever feel like nerding it up a bit, you can skip cloning software altogether and research the "dd" command in Linux.

Is there a "tar" for Windows? That would be my solution.
wink.gif
 
Certainly, but I've done complete backups with tar many times. The only thing "extra" I've had to do after restoring with a tarball is adjust UUIDs in the fstab, since it's, as you point out, not a clone.
 
I agree with Paragon products. I have used EaseUs, Partition Wizard, Myoemi, Acronis (free HDD versions), if you have a simple single partition, they work fine, but on laptops, if you are interested in preserving the OEM partitions or Secure Boot Paragon has always gotten it right.

Acronis came in a close second, but required editing disk IDs and partition GUIDs.
 
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