a basic clone question

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I have no problem adding a backup image to my external HDD by assigning it to its own partition on that HDD. But I can’t seem to do that for a cloned image so I’m wondering if a cloned image MUST be cloned to its own device and cannot be part of a series of partitions, each containing its own clone. Since it works for a backup image I was wondering why it doesn’t work for a cloned image. After all, if its just a bit-for-bit copy why can’t that be stored as a file in its own partition?

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anonymous wrote:

After all, if its just a bit-for-bit copy why can’t that be stored as a file in its own partition?

It’s a bib-for-bit copy that is for a drive root, not a partition.  A clone of a disk is just that, a clone of a disk, and it needs an empty disk as a target.

It can be used as a type of backup, but it is not the same as a disk or drive image.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

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CADesertRat

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Personally I prefer “Cloning” and have been doing it for years.

Bruce is correct in his explanation, a separate Drive (usually) of equal space or larger is required depending on the cloning software used. The separate drive is basically a replacement drive at a certain point in time if things go pear shaped with your current drive. It should just boot up as your old drive did.

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

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I’ve long used cloning to backup my Windows SSD which also has documents and program files on a weekly basis.  Quarterly, I clone my 3TB ‘bulk storage’ WD Green HD.  I have everything on ‘slider bays’ that make insertion or removal easily done in 10 seconds for SSDs, and 20 seconds for the HDs (key lock)…always with my computer powered off.

I much rather simply replace a failed or virus-compromised (or a Windows drive that my quest for speed made unbootable) than to attempt any other kind of recovery process that obviously requires a successful boot up to do its recovery. That’s why the slide trays.

I’ve used EaseUS Backup for at least 7 years, maybe more.  But since moving from Win 7 to Win 10 18 months ago, when cloning the C: drive, it doesn’t play well with the internet security product I use that has ‘locked’ a couple of Windows internal files.  So, it creates it’s own DOS script and requires a reboot which then performs the clone operation in DOS before Windows ever comes up.

2 other of their previously ‘life time’ license products I installed years ago recently demanded to be upgraded, for a fee, of course.  So I’m 99% completed at moving away from EaseUS.  In short, WHY should I pay an annual fee for a newer version of something that works PERFECTLY for my needs today?  But I suspect many companies are moving towards that continuous income by annual fees model, so the no-need-to-update licenses will become a thing of the past.  Windows 10 works fine for me and updates for free.  WHY would I want to go to Windows 11 for a fee?

 

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bratkinson wrote:

Windows 10 works fine for me and updates for free.  WHY would I want to go to Windows 11 for a fee?

There is no fee for Windows 11:

On any PC with a properly licensed copy of Windows 10, the upgrade to Windows 11 will be free.

Windows 11 FAQ: Everything you need to know

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Do not clone unless you want to waste space.
Make an image backup and you can restore it to almost any replacement disk.

Image backups can also be incremental or differential, saving both backup time and disk space, as well as providing multiple “snapshots” to restore.

cheers, Paul

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