Need help with Clonezilla, Ive mamy doubts

[leandrodafontoura]

Here is my goal, replace my notebook 250GB HDD with a 120GB SSD. On the HDD, Im dual booting vista and linux. Linux partition is 20GB. Vista has the rest, but Im using only around 30GB. So, 30Gb + 20GB = 50GB.

1)Do I have to clone to a drive bigger than 250GB regardless?
2)If everything fails, how do I copy only the Linux part?
3)Is it possible to perhaps make a clean install with linux from a USB, and then simply restore the system settings? (I tweaked color, transparency, themes, icons, applications etc...)

BTW, my notebook doesnt have a CD/DVD drive. It has 3 usb ports, and I do have 2 USB sticks and 2 usb external hardrives.

 

[hang-the-9]

The cloning program should only copy the used area, but may need options to make sure that the restore works on a smaller drive. Look over the options for clonezilla and their forums and give it a shot. Since you are not touching the original drive, you have nothing to loose.

 

[leandrodafontoura]

Thansk for repling, but it simply doesnt work. I was able to copy to a USB drive, but the restore process fails. I dunno if this is duo to the fact that the original HDD has a hidden partition between C: and the MBR.

At this point, no longer gonna try to simply use a laptop to trasnfer files, Im connecting both drives to a PC with Windows Vista and try a direct cloning, Is it possible?

I need a GUI program similar to Time Machine from Mac Os, there must be like 200 similar programs for windows or linux, can you recomend me a free one? The catch is that it needs to copy also ext4, the llinux files.

I also have no problem using the command line inlinux, if I know what to type, I simply want a direct cloninng, and then install the new SSD.

 

[hang-the-9]

You can do a drive to drive clone sure here are some programs (2008 but will work) http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/09/05/5-free-apps-to-clone-your-hard-drive/

Arconis True Image also works very well, your drive vendor may even have a cloning software you can download for free.