Learned Members of the Board,
I own a desktop PC, on which I have migrated successfully to Puppy Linux 4.2.1 three years ago. whereas my daughter has a net book with Windows XP installed on it. The net book often gets corrupted due to virus infection or some other reasons and has to be reformatted and Windows XP along with its applications to be reinstalled from the scratch.
As the reformatting and reinstalling takes considerable time and effort, I have been in lookout for some solutions for the problem when I come across partition copying/partition cloning software in Linux i.e PUDD, GNOST, CLONEZILLA , PARTIMAGE etc. Each and every piece of software has its own merits and demerits, which has confused me a bit, as I am not able to decide which software will accurately serve my purpose of saving the time so spent in reinstalling the Windows XP system.
As a test case, I have installed GNOST on my Desktop and tried to clone my 4 GB bootable USB drive which contains Legacy 4 Mini/Puppy Linux 4.3.1/ Puppy Linux 4.2.1. Although I got a replica of my original USB in the cloned USB but cloned USB failed to boot unlike original USB. The original USB was prepared by transferring Legacy 4 Mini, on FAT 32, through Universal USB installer and then configuring syslinux configuration file appropriately.
With this post, I request the Learned members of the Forum to kindly enlighten me as to :-
(i) Reasons for failure of cloned USB drive to boot up
(ii) Procedure to be adopted so that the problem of non booting up does not happen if I restore Windows XP on net book.
(iii) If GNOST is not the appropriate software for the functionality which I am looking for, details of any other software which offers the desired functionality .
Thanks and warm personal regards to all.
Appropriate partition software for cloning Windows XP
Appropriate partition software for cloning Windows XP
Last edited by sansriraj on Tue 01 May 2012, 15:41, edited 1 time in total.
Gnost is a PARTITION backup/restore/cloning tool. It does not transfer the content of the MBR that controls booting. This is discussed in the How-to.
Did you try to reinstall syslinux on the new USB drive?
First, check that the boot flag is set on the new drive. That may be all that's necessary. Do this with Gparted.
If not, plug in the flash drive but don't mount it. Type:
where sdxy is the flash drive partition. This installs the syslinux bootloader.
Locate a file named "mbr.bin" in the syslinux package. Look for it in a folder like /usr/lib/syslinux.
Write this file onto the MBR of your flash drive using a command like:
Note that this command uses "sdb" and not "sdb1"
=============
This will not be an issue with XP because you are not going to boot it off the backup drive. You will make a backup image file on the USB drive, then restore it to the original drive.
Did you try to reinstall syslinux on the new USB drive?
First, check that the boot flag is set on the new drive. That may be all that's necessary. Do this with Gparted.
If not, plug in the flash drive but don't mount it. Type:
Code: Select all
syslinux /dev/sdxyLocate a file named "mbr.bin" in the syslinux package. Look for it in a folder like /usr/lib/syslinux.
Write this file onto the MBR of your flash drive using a command like:
Code: Select all
dd if=mbr.bin of=/dev/sdb=============
This will not be an issue with XP because you are not going to boot it off the backup drive. You will make a backup image file on the USB drive, then restore it to the original drive.
rcrsn51
Many thanks
for your lightening fast reply which I genuinely appreciate very much.
I already tried booting up the cloned USB by setting up the boot flag with GParted but was unsuccessful.
Whether there exists any software which offers complete backup/cloning of the boot partition including MBR etc. If so, please let me know.
As informed in my original post, it was a test USB, hence its successful booting does not matter to me much( I can build it again the way I have built my original USB). My intention was to test the extent by which the cloning process is successful with GNOST. ( The fact that GNOST does not copy MBR, I came to know only from your post ). I will surely give a try of installing syslinux as suggested/instructed by you.
I further fails to understand as to why this problem may not occur with Win XP as to the best of my knowledge, formatting does destroy the old MBR. Kindly do correct me if I am wrong.
Further, in your view will GNOST is the correct software to achieve the functionality as described in my original post regarding window XP. Kindly do reply.
With very warm personal regards to you for attending my query in the lightening fast manner.
Many thanks
for your lightening fast reply which I genuinely appreciate very much.I already tried booting up the cloned USB by setting up the boot flag with GParted but was unsuccessful.
Whether there exists any software which offers complete backup/cloning of the boot partition including MBR etc. If so, please let me know.
As informed in my original post, it was a test USB, hence its successful booting does not matter to me much( I can build it again the way I have built my original USB). My intention was to test the extent by which the cloning process is successful with GNOST. ( The fact that GNOST does not copy MBR, I came to know only from your post ). I will surely give a try of installing syslinux as suggested/instructed by you.
I further fails to understand as to why this problem may not occur with Win XP as to the best of my knowledge, formatting does destroy the old MBR. Kindly do correct me if I am wrong.
Further, in your view will GNOST is the correct software to achieve the functionality as described in my original post regarding window XP. Kindly do reply.
With very warm personal regards to you for attending my query in the lightening fast manner.
Possible alternate solution (for Windows only)
Before I have wrote my reply, rcrsn51 already created his advice. As he is expert for Gnost, you probably have solution now. I think Gnost is very good, capable (and also small) solution.
But because you have found some disadvantages in using Linux based solutions as Clonezilla, Partimage etc., let me suggest you other, Windows only solution. Please excuse possible errors in my writing because English is not my native language
For Windows only users I would suggest DriveImage XML. Unlike most Windows based cloning software (like Norton Ghost, Acronis True Image) there is free Private Edition. Before I have switched to Linux I was using it in Windowx XP without any problems for several years. Also, I have recommended it to several other users with success. It has easy to follow GUI and I think even you daughter can use it for backup easily and regularly. While DriveImageXML is primary partition cloning tool, you can restore also individual files. There are two basic way how to use it:
1. Install it in Windows. It is only about 1,8 MB, therefore it will not bloat your Windows installation. (Another advantage of this program.) You can run it directly from Windows in two ways:
a) It will lock the drive you want to back up
b) It can also utilize Microsoft's Volume Shadow Services (never done this).
2. Besides doing backup regularly within Windows, I would certainly recommend to create bootable CD wih DriveImage XML for case, you want to recover from backup and cannot boot Windows at all or Windows are too infected. Ready to download ISO are available directly from the site, Now, there are two version of ISO:
a) Windows based (WinPe based or BartPE based): I was using this regularly.
b) Linux based recovery CD: I did not use that (I think it was not available some time ago).
http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm
Only now, I have realized that PC of your daughter is netbook. In case you netbook does not have (external) CD-ROM drive, you can boot from, I hope you can create bootable USB stick, too. I think UNetbootin can do this (and UNetbootin has Windows version, too), but I was using only bootable CD.
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
I hope that possible lack of CD-ROM drive will not prevent you from successfully trying DriveImage XML. Besides this, I am aware of only one limitation of DriveImage XML: for some reason DriveImage XML cannot restore to smaller partition than original one (only to the same size or larger), even if real space usage is below partition size. But this should not be problem in your situation.
I hope this advice is useful for you and looking forward to you feed back.
Edit after my post: related to your post from 14:01 hour. I cannot remember if DriveImage XML can backup MBR, too. And I cannot test it now, having no Windows machine at home (only at work). Please look at documentation or try it yourself.
But because you have found some disadvantages in using Linux based solutions as Clonezilla, Partimage etc., let me suggest you other, Windows only solution. Please excuse possible errors in my writing because English is not my native language
For Windows only users I would suggest DriveImage XML. Unlike most Windows based cloning software (like Norton Ghost, Acronis True Image) there is free Private Edition. Before I have switched to Linux I was using it in Windowx XP without any problems for several years. Also, I have recommended it to several other users with success. It has easy to follow GUI and I think even you daughter can use it for backup easily and regularly. While DriveImageXML is primary partition cloning tool, you can restore also individual files. There are two basic way how to use it:
1. Install it in Windows. It is only about 1,8 MB, therefore it will not bloat your Windows installation. (Another advantage of this program.) You can run it directly from Windows in two ways:
a) It will lock the drive you want to back up
b) It can also utilize Microsoft's Volume Shadow Services (never done this).
2. Besides doing backup regularly within Windows, I would certainly recommend to create bootable CD wih DriveImage XML for case, you want to recover from backup and cannot boot Windows at all or Windows are too infected. Ready to download ISO are available directly from the site, Now, there are two version of ISO:
a) Windows based (WinPe based or BartPE based): I was using this regularly.
b) Linux based recovery CD: I did not use that (I think it was not available some time ago).
http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm
Only now, I have realized that PC of your daughter is netbook. In case you netbook does not have (external) CD-ROM drive, you can boot from, I hope you can create bootable USB stick, too. I think UNetbootin can do this (and UNetbootin has Windows version, too), but I was using only bootable CD.
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
I hope that possible lack of CD-ROM drive will not prevent you from successfully trying DriveImage XML. Besides this, I am aware of only one limitation of DriveImage XML: for some reason DriveImage XML cannot restore to smaller partition than original one (only to the same size or larger), even if real space usage is below partition size. But this should not be problem in your situation.
I hope this advice is useful for you and looking forward to you feed back.
Edit after my post: related to your post from 14:01 hour. I cannot remember if DriveImage XML can backup MBR, too. And I cannot test it now, having no Windows machine at home (only at work). Please look at documentation or try it yourself.
You are not going to CLONE the entire Windows hard drive. You are just going to BACKUP/RESTORE the Windows partition. Formatting a partition does not affect the MBR. However, if you want to also make a clean MBR when you restore the partition, see these instructions from the Gnost How-To about working with NTFS partitions:I further fails to understand as to why this problem may not occur with Win XP as to the best of my knowledge, formatting does destroy the old MBR. Kindly do correct me if I am wrong.
Gnost does not attempt to backup/restore MBR's . If you want to, you can do it manually with commands likeOrdinarily, you will use Gnost to backup/restore an image to the same Windows partition. But you may eventually need to upgrade your hard drive or replace a failing unit. In this scenario, you will be transferring the image to a new drive whose geometry may be different than the original. So some extra steps are required.
Before running Gnost, you must prepare the new drive by making an NTFS partition and setting the boot flag. Make sure that the new partition is at least as big as the original.
After Gnost restores the image, it will expand the NTFS filesystem to fill the new partition, update the boot sector and write a new WinXP MBR.
Code: Select all
dd if=/dev/sda of=mbr.bin bs=512 count=1Mysp,
Many thanks for your valuable suggestion regarding the use of DriveImage XML for cloning the Window XP. I will surely give it a try as it will free me from the trouble of periodically backing up the contents of my daughter net book. She can do it for herself.
rcrsn51
I am grateful to you for enhancing my knowledge about the MBR. Now, I am clear about how Gnost does its job.In addition to using DriveImage XM as suggested, I will create a backup image of the Window XP partition in its pristine state and let my daughter makes her periodical backup using DriveImage XML. I hope this will solve this problem.
rcrsn51 and Mysp
I am truly grateful to both of you for sparing your valuable time in attending and understanding my query and offer the solutions for the same.
With very warm, personal and kind regards to both of you and other Learned /Contributing members of the Forum.
With this post, I further wish to express my sincere gratitude to the developers of Puppy Linux with the help of whose effort, I am able to save lot of my time which otherwise was getting wasted in updating the Anti Virus software when I was a Window user three years ago. With very warm personal regards to each and all of them.
.
Many thanks for your valuable suggestion regarding the use of DriveImage XML for cloning the Window XP. I will surely give it a try as it will free me from the trouble of periodically backing up the contents of my daughter net book. She can do it for herself.
rcrsn51
I am grateful to you for enhancing my knowledge about the MBR. Now, I am clear about how Gnost does its job.In addition to using DriveImage XM as suggested, I will create a backup image of the Window XP partition in its pristine state and let my daughter makes her periodical backup using DriveImage XML. I hope this will solve this problem.
rcrsn51 and Mysp
I am truly grateful to both of you for sparing your valuable time in attending and understanding my query and offer the solutions for the same.
With very warm, personal and kind regards to both of you and other Learned /Contributing members of the Forum.
With this post, I further wish to express my sincere gratitude to the developers of Puppy Linux with the help of whose effort, I am able to save lot of my time which otherwise was getting wasted in updating the Anti Virus software when I was a Window user three years ago. With very warm personal regards to each and all of them.
.