Question clonezilla clone partition to image and than restore partition from image. Questions

[babuz87]

Hi guys, I'm trying to use clonezilla to migrate a windows OS installed into an ssd (512mb) to an ssd more larger(1TB). I have copied the image of the partition on a third hdd drive and it has works fine.
Now I'm not sure what exactly I have to do. I have some question to recovery from image:
Do I to format the 1TB target ssd? now there are other partitions inside. Do I have to unallocated all the disk? or clonezilla can erase all the disk for me?
Do I have to copy also the image that windows uses for boot? like the FAT32 500 MB, also the recovery partition? I don't remember the exactly name of other partitions.
For me it's not clear how the new SSD can boot windows after the partition recovery from the image, if I select only the partition where windows is installed.
I don't choose to make the copy of the disk as an image, because the disk was partitioned in 3 or 4 partition like this and I don't need all the data inside:
2 for the system boot fat32 or recovery
1 with the OS installed 250 GB
1 without the OS but only for data 250 GB
Do I have to copy disk to an image? it is not possible to make copy a partition to an image, and than copy the partition to a new disk and make it bootable? I tried also to restore the windows boot manager using the prompt command from recovery menu of the installing windows ISO but it doesn't works.
Thanks

 

[Lafong]

I don't know anything about Clonezilla, but......

Other imaging applications don't require you to do anything with the drive you restore to. The restoration process should do it all.

Usually, you'd include all partitions on the original drive in the image file.

If the original drive has a data partition that doesn't contain any Windows or application files, you should be able to omit it. Or you could include ALL partitions and then simply delete the unwanted one from the new drive after you restore to the new drive.

 

[Eximo]

Been a while since I used clonezilla. You should not have to pre-format or empty a drive before use. Almost all of your questions seem to be answerable by running it and seeing what options you get.

Personally, I would just clone the original drive entirely, see if it boots, then delete the unwanted data partition, and then extend the OS partition to fill the remaining volume. None of those steps after the cloning would be done in clonezilla.

You could opt to leave out the other partitions and there are tools for creating new boot partitions on drives, but that is far more complicated.

 

[babuz87]

thankyou for the fast answer

 

[USAFRet]

There are MUCH easier ways to clone this.
CloneZilla was a good tool. Years ago.

Please show us a screencap of your Disk Management window.


But for basic cloning, this:
-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD. This is not optional.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD

(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

 

[Grobe]

I'm trying to use clonezilla to migrate a windows OS installed into an ssd (512mb) to an ssd more larger(1TB).

Yes this should be no problem. It can expand to fit in larger devices, but not smaller.

I have copied the image of the partition on a third hdd drive and it has works fine.

Yes, but no. When you're dealing with Windows there is to little use having backups of only single partitions. Use whole disk image (source drive) instead of single partition if you intend to have a backup that you can use to revert back to windows as it is.

Now I'm not sure what exactly I have to do.

The safest option is to do a disk to disk or disk to image operation. Actually, I'll opt for a disk to image operation because that will give you an extra backup copy.
Also, I'd prefer to first do the disk to image operation, then swap the ssd's, and after that do an image to disk operation.
In general - you should avoid having more local storage devices connected than the two that is engaged in whatever clone operation you're going to perform.
If I remember correctly, Clonezilla will ask you to expand the partitions or not.

Do I to format the 1TB target ssd? now there are other partitions inside. Do I have to unallocated all the disk? or clonezilla can erase all the disk for me?

No, you don't have to do anything (ok, you may have a look at the s.m.a.r.t. values just to see if there are any defects of the ssd). When you following the "wizard" you'll be warned that all data will be erased.

Do I have to copy also the image that windows uses for boot? like the FAT32 500 MB, also the recovery partition? I don't remember the exactly name of other partitions.

Just select whole disk to be sure.

Do I have to copy disk to an image?

if you want to have an additional backup

it is not possible to make copy a partition to an image, and than copy the partition to a new disk and make it bootable?

Direct answer to that specific articulated question - No, because MBR/GPT doesn't lay within the partition itself.

However - I slightly remember options in CloneZilla menu that includes MBR/GPT sector(s) - but I've never tested this in the way of trying to revert only single partitions and see if that actually get able to boot.

CloneZilla was a good tool. Years ago.

Still is 😎

 

[USAFRet]

Still is

It can expand to fit in larger devices, but not smaller.

And that size thing is why I say "used to be".