Best option for cloning a drive?
 

I have been using an old copy of Norton Ghost (dos based) to make image files for years. It chokes when I run across a drive with multiple partitions. My parents showed up today with a newer laptop they want cloned. Dad brought some sort of Seagate copy program with him that boots to dos to do the cloning but the laptop keeps going into sleep mode (while in dos) before the clone has been completed. I've looked in the BIOS and turned a few things off but I cannot find what is causing this. Anyway, I was just curious to see what you guys would use if you had to copy a multi-partition drive.

If the new drive is a Shamsung SSD... the software it comes with is pretty good.

It is not a SSD. Any idea what the software is called?


BTW, that was a damn fast reply...

For a non Shamsung drive I've used Macrium. (free)
It worked, but you need to get the initial settings right.

<p>Fairly recent article with links to free software.</p><p>Best Free Drive Cloning Software | Gizmo's Freeware</p>

I'm still using Norton Ghost. Version 14, which is based on Windows, seems to work with every partition type imaginable.

I ended up trying Aomei and it worked fine. It was free but a little slow. The computer went to sleep while in Win7 as well but I went into the power options and stopped it. I used the "clone" option and it created/duplicated all three partitions. Still not sure why it was going to sleep in DOS but I am glad I found some newish software.

Thanks guys!

I use norton ghost at work, no complaints. Its easy to use(menu driven) and deals with partitions just fine.

<p></p><p>I used to use Norton products including Ghost.&nbsp; Since they sold to Symantec I refuse to allow any of the stuff on any of my computers.</p>

I wont and hanvnt had any symantec products on my personal computers for over 12 years. Ghost is one of the few things(the only thing?) they have that actually works.

Just remember that you don't need to install Ghost to use Ghost. The portable runtime on the bootable DVD is the only one I ever need.

I run mine off a key. Very handy to have.

Like the others, that is the only Norton/Symantic thing I run.