How back up all sectors on failing drive

[Don]

I have an 8 GB drive in an old PC which is starting to fail. It's
Win98 and FAT32.

I want to backup all the data on that HDD vecause it is important to
me. This includes any data in clusters marked "unused".

QUESTION: What is the best way to do the backup? Can I just do a
partition copy to a larger drive or could errors on the HDD prevent
that going smoothly?


BTW: I haven't done a CHKDSK in case it repairs lost clusters by
casting them aside.

 

[Rod Speed]

I have an 8 GB drive in an old PC which is starting to fail. It's Win98 and FAT32.

I want to backup all the data on that HDD vecause it is important to me.

This includes any data in clusters marked "unused".

Why ?

QUESTION: What is the best way to do the backup?

Best to use a forensic cloner. You will need another drive at least as big to do that.
Clonedisk will do that.
http://invircible.com/resq.php

Can I just do a partition copy to a larger drive

Nope. That wont try to get what data is available out of bad sectors.

or could errors on the HDD prevent that going smoothly?
Yep.

BTW: I haven't done a CHKDSK in case it repairs lost clusters by casting them aside.

Good move.

 

[Arno]

I have an 8 GB drive in an old PC which is starting to fail. It's
Win98 and FAT32.

I want to backup all the data on that HDD vecause it is important to
me. This includes any data in clusters marked "unused".

QUESTION: What is the best way to do the backup? Can I just do a
partition copy to a larger drive or could errors on the HDD prevent
that going smoothly?

BTW: I haven't done a CHKDSK in case it repairs lost clusters by
casting them aside.

Linux dd_rescue is a specialized tool to copy a disk with errors
sector-by-sector.

The problem with most other software is that it has trouble
with errors.

Best approach is to get a KNOPPIX CD (i.e.
download it from the web), boot, go to console (ALT-F1),
look for the disks (fdisk -l should didsplay all partitions)
and then "dd_rescue <src> <dst>". Take care that <dst> will
be overwritten.

Arno

 

[Rod Speed]

I have I think is a Big problem, I have a failed Seagate 120Gig IDE
drive that I would like to try to recover.

But most of these backup programs seem to run under a Dos mode.

So what Clone software one will work with a Drive connected to a
Raid controller, and a Backup drive on a SATA or USB drive..

Acronis True Image will, but its not a forensic cloner
and you really need one of those to do the job properly.

DOS can see the drives that are connected to
the ITE Raid controller, but not Seagate Sea tools..

Drives are not being run as a Raid setup, just as extra IDE ports.

You should be able to move the drive to a normal controller for the backup using a forensic cloner.

But its possible to move this drive to the onboard Intel controller,
so then the only problems are is the use of a SATA or USB drive to do the backups..

To right the clone to you mean.

I prefer to use the SATA as it will be a lot faster..

A decent forensic cloner like CloneDisk should be able to do that fine.

 

[Rod Speed]

Thanks you are more on the lines that I have been thinking about


What software version of CloneDisk are you referring to...?

The current one.

I have had a play with Acronis in the pass and from memory
it can do a Sector copy with skipping of bad ones,
Correct.

does CloneDisk do more than this..?

Yes, it trys harder to get the data out of bad sectors before giving up on them if they are too bad.

 

[Rod Speed]

Thanks


but I still don't know what Brand or version of CloneDisk that you
referring to, software company ,who makes it etc



Could you Please give me a link to it..

Sorry, thought it was you I have it to in the last few days, it was actually someone else.
http://invircible.com/resq.php

 

[Don]

Why ?

Hello Rod. I may have used a misleading term. When I said a cluster is
marked "unused" then I meant it may contain data from a former file but
the system had marked the cluster as ready to store new data.

In other words, an undelete utility might recover the original data. If
that's the case then I don't want to lose what's in those those clusters.

Best to use a forensic cloner. You will need another drive at
least as big to do that. Clonedisk will do that.
http://invircible.com/resq.php

Thanks. I took a look at Clonedisk.

Is there any freeware you know which will do the same? (Copy *all* my
hard drive?)

 

[Don]

Linux dd_rescue is a specialized tool to copy a disk with errors
sector-by-sector.

The problem with most other software is that it has trouble
with errors.

Best approach is to get a KNOPPIX CD (i.e.
download it from the web), boot, go to console (ALT-F1),
look for the disks (fdisk -l should didsplay all partitions)
and then "dd_rescue <src> <dst>". Take care that <dst> will
be overwritten.

Arno

Hi Arno. Would your suggested Knoppix CD utility do the same sort of copy
as the forensic cloner which Rod mentioned?

 

[Johnw]

After serious thinking Don wrote :

Hello Rod. I may have used a misleading term. When I said a cluster is marked
"unused" then I meant it may contain data from a former file but the system
had marked the cluster as ready to store new data.

In other words, an undelete utility might recover the original data. If
that's the case then I don't want to lose what's in those those clusters.


Thanks. I took a look at Clonedisk.

Is there any freeware you know which will do the same? (Copy *all* my hard
drive?)

Take the drive out & Slave your HD to another HD/comp ( no need to bolt
it in, just cable it & leave it outside the case ) & copy your stuff (
don't forget your emails & address book ) onto the other HD or other
media.
You may have a choice of jumper settings on the master HD, such as
master with slave or ms.

 

[Dave]

Hello Rod. I may have used a misleading term. When I said a cluster is
marked "unused" then I meant it may contain data from a former file but
the system had marked the cluster as ready to store new data.

In other words, an undelete utility might recover the original data. If
that's the case then I don't want to lose what's in those those
clusters.


Thanks. I took a look at Clonedisk.

Is there any freeware you know which will do the same? (Copy *all* my
hard drive?)

CopyWipe will do a raw sector copy(used and unused),a scaled size copy,or
a straight copy of a drive to another drive.Excellent tool for wiping
drives clean too.From the makers of BootIt Ng.

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/copywipe.php

Dave

 

[Rod Speed]

Don wrote

Hello Rod. I may have used a misleading term. When I said a cluster is
marked "unused" then I meant it may contain data from a former file
but the system had marked the cluster as ready to store new data.

That is the correct term for those.

In other words, an undelete utility might recover the original data.
If that's the case then I don't want to lose what's in those those clusters.

OK, that answers my question.

Thanks. I took a look at Clonedisk.

Is there any freeware you know which will do the same? (Copy *all* my hard drive?)

Well, there are quite a few that will copy all the sectors, used or unused.

The problem is that since you said the drive is failing, you really should use a
forensic cloner that trys harder to get the data from failing sectors, and I dont
know of any good freeware forensic cloners. Clonedisk isnt very expensive.

 

[Rod Speed]

Hi Arno. Would your suggested Knoppix CD utility do the same sort of copy as the forensic cloner which Rod mentioned?

No, its not a forensic cloner, so it doesnt try hard to get what it can get out of failing sectors.

All it really does is handle bad sectors gracefully, which isnt the same thing.

 

[OZZY Boy]

Don wrote


That is the correct term for those.


OK, that answers my question.




Well, there are quite a few that will copy all the sectors, used or unused.

The problem is that since you said the drive is failing, you really should use a
forensic cloner that trys harder to get the data from failing sectors, and I dont
know of any good freeware forensic cloners. Clonedisk isnt very expensive.

And Clonedisk is Totally useless, as its only a DOS program, no support for large drives or SATA and
USB..

I pulled a Demo copy and had a reed what it can do, then again for $25 what do you expect..

Please can some one Post a link to a Real one that can work with a SATA drive for writing to.