backup full drive content regardless of file system

**justpassingby** · 09-05-2008, 12:14 AM

Hi guys !

Imagine you just install a new system, dual booting XP and Linux. How to backup or create an image of the full content of the drive to be able to restore the NTFS and ext3 partitions as well as the MBR, boot sectors and the properly configured boot loader ?

XXclone and DriveImage don't support ext3.

Stu_computer · 09-05-2008, 01:24 AM

did you try the hdd manufacturer utility software?

**justpassingby** · 09-05-2008, 01:36 AM

Thanks for your answer Stu_computer, but I'd like something that doesn't depend on the brand and model of the hard drive so I can advise it to other users, preferably a free program working under Windows or Linux. If it only supports FAT32, NTFS and EXT2/EXT3 it's ok but I'd like to be able to restore the whole content of the drive in one go instead of restoring the NTFS partition, the EXT3 partition and having to mess with the boot loader.

Stu_computer · 09-05-2008, 04:33 AM

I rarely have occasion to need one these days, the only ones I keep around is an old maxblast floppy for the simple clones and Ranish Partition Manager for the others, also an Ultimate Boot CD-somewhere.

Didn't realize you were volunteering to test the latest/greatest apps. So here's a few to start you off, look forward to your updates, have fun.

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp
http://selfimage.excelcia.org/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/nfgdump/
http://ping.windowsdream.com/
http://www.dubaron.com/diskimage/
http://www.miray.de/products/sat.hdclone.html#versions

09-05-2008, 12:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
justpassingby Moderator, Microsoft Support Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 6,219 OS: XP Home SP3 / Ubuntu My System	backup full drive content regardless of file system Hi guys ! Imagine you just install a new system, dual booting XP and Linux. How to backup or create an image of the full content of the drive to be able to restore the NTFS and ext3 partitions as well as the MBR, boot sectors and the properly configured boot loader ? XXclone and DriveImage don't support ext3. __________________ Malware removal steps. Post your logs there and not here ! Posting system specs

09-05-2008, 01:24 AM	#2 (permalink)
Stu_computer Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,459 OS: Windows	Re: backup full drive content regardless of file system did you try the hdd manufacturer utility software? __________________

09-05-2008, 01:36 AM	#3 (permalink)
justpassingby Moderator, Microsoft Support Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 6,219 OS: XP Home SP3 / Ubuntu My System	Re: backup full drive content regardless of file system Thanks for your answer Stu_computer, but I'd like something that doesn't depend on the brand and model of the hard drive so I can advise it to other users, preferably a free program working under Windows or Linux. If it only supports FAT32, NTFS and EXT2/EXT3 it's ok but I'd like to be able to restore the whole content of the drive in one go instead of restoring the NTFS partition, the EXT3 partition and having to mess with the boot loader. __________________ Malware removal steps. Post your logs there and not here ! Posting system specs

09-05-2008, 04:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
Stu_computer Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,459 OS: Windows	Re: backup full drive content regardless of file system I rarely have occasion to need one these days, the only ones I keep around is an old maxblast floppy for the simple clones and Ranish Partition Manager for the others, also an Ultimate Boot CD-somewhere. Didn't realize you were volunteering to test the latest/greatest apps. So here's a few to start you off, look forward to your updates, have fun. http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp http://selfimage.excelcia.org/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/nfgdump/ http://ping.windowsdream.com/ http://www.dubaron.com/diskimage/ http://www.miray.de/products/sat.hdclone.html#versions __________________