Question Is it better to clone with hard drive duplicator?

[brannsiu]

I'd like to make a 1:1 clone of my hard drive where my system is located. I happen to find that there are something like docking where two hard drives (usually internal drives) are connected and it's advertised to be able to copy or clone the drive. Price usually ranges from $10 to $50. Do you recommend such product? Are these products outdated? Do they automate the process once connected and powered? Do I still need any third-party software or tool to assist the process? Are these products making 1:1 or bit by bit clone of my hard drive, rather than kinds of "intelligent" process that may omit some files automatically?

I thought about using Macrium Reflect or other similar tools for creating backup. However, I don't know, I personally have a bad impression for image file. I think they are not making 1:1 identical copy, some unimportant or system files may be automatically omitted in the process, and possibly corrupted in the future and unable to restore anything.

 

[USAFRet]

I use Macrium for this.

Either a direct clone, or an Image.

And I have used an Image to restore after a dead drive.

 

[hotaru.hino]

I thought about using Macrium Reflect or other similar tools for creating backup. However, I don't know, I personally have a bad impression for image file. I think they are not making 1:1 identical copy, some unimportant or system files may be automatically omitted in the process, and possibly corrupted in the future and unable to restore anything.

Cloning software doesn't ask for the files or whatnot and makes a copy of that. It asks the drive directly for its data in the raw form, then saves that.

So it has no facility to skip over any files because it's not even aware of there being anything to skip.

 

[brannsiu]

Cloning software doesn't ask for the files or whatnot and makes a copy of that. It asks the drive directly for its data in the raw form, then saves that.

So it has no facility to skip over any files because it's not even aware of there being anything to skip.

Hi. For example, my cloning software is running on Windows 10 which is installed on my system C: drive, but I am going to make a clone or backup for the system C: drive. The computer has to be turned on, and thus the C: drive is running in order to perform the cloning process. In that case, during the processing time, some files in the system may change by itself even if we don't use the computer. Did you mean there is no influence to the final copy?

Somebody told me to unplug the internet cable, quit as many programs as possible to stop them from changing system files, stop using the computer, when the backup or clone is in process.........

 

[hotaru.hino]

Hi. For example, my cloning software is running on Windows 10 which is installed on my system C: drive, but I am going to make a clone or backup for the system C: drive. The computer has to be turned on, and thus the C: drive is running in order to perform the cloning process. In that case, during the processing time, some files in the system may change by itself even if we don't use the computer. Did you mean there is no influence to the final copy?

Somebody told me to unplug the internet cable, quit as many programs as possible to stop them from changing system files, stop using the computer, when the backup or clone is in process.........

System files don't change when using the computer oustide of OS updates. Heck, most program files don't change when using the computer unless you're actually updating them. Any file that updates regularly is a data file that's not technically needed for the application to run (any developer worth their salt would be using defaults if the data doesn't exist)

If anything, when cloning a system partition, the program may set up a pre-boot environment for the computer to reboot into. Though it looks like in Marcium Reflect's case, it doesn't need to do this.

 

[USAFRet]

Hi. For example, my cloning software is running on Windows 10 which is installed on my system C: drive, but I am going to make a clone or backup for the system C: drive. The computer has to be turned on, and thus the C: drive is running in order to perform the cloning process. In that case, during the processing time, some files in the system may change by itself even if we don't use the computer. Did you mean there is no influence to the final copy?

Somebody told me to unplug the internet cable, quit as many programs as possible to stop them from changing system files, stop using the computer, when the backup or clone is in process.........

Macrium Makes a Volume Shadow Copy when it starts.
It uses that VSS to write out the clone.

It does not matter what the OS is otherwise doing.

As strange as it sounds, it DOES work on a running Windows instance.

It is the basis for my entire backup routine.