Cloning a drive (older, running Windows Vista)

[bruxjcj]

If I clone a hdd with probable sector issues, do I copy "holes" in my programs/data as well? Note, this laptop will go blue or just shut off on occasion)

 

[popatim]

Yes, the clone copies exactly what it see's, holes and all.

 

[ArtPog]

As popatim has pointed out, the clone is (generally) a precise copy of the "source" drive that's being cloned.

Naturally you understand that if you clone garbage, garbage is what you get. However, there are some disk-cloning programs that will balk at cloning the data from a defective drive. It will depend upon the degree of the problems. But most will clone the data contents of the drive regardless of data corruption or disk "sector" issues.

In any event you probably should attempt a disk-cloning operation. There's really little - if anything - to lose and since your drive may fail with the loss of data you should have a backup if it can be managed at this point-in-time.

But, of course, you're avoiding the real problem, aren't you? If you're dealing with a failing or defective drive it should be replaced as soon as you possible can.

Or if you're dealing with system corruption problems of one sort or another that are causing the problems they too should be corrected A/S/A/P.

I'm probably only reiterating what you already know, but that's the bottom line isn't it with a system that's going "blue or just shut(ting) off on occasion"?