Resizing GPT during cloning drives?

[sajunky]

Which program will clone GPT partition with resizing?
Asking, as notebook drive is giving up the last breath. Scanning shows increasing number of bad sectors which can be repaired only temporarily and friend of mine cannot afford a new hard drive in this month. I found the old 120GB drive and would like to transfer Windows installation. Files will fit, but need a program which understand GPT, as a replacement hard drive is smaller.

Second question. It is EFI secure boot Windows 8 installation. How secure boot affect copying and resizing? Thinking of disabling secure boot in BIOS or removing from the laptop for copying.

I see DMDE works with GPT, will try later.

 

[ODTech]

Which program will clone GPT partition with resizing?
Asking, as notebook drive is giving up the last breath. Scanning shows increasing number of bad sectors which can be repaired only temporarily and friend of mine cannot afford a new hard drive in this month. I found the old 120GB drive and would like to transfer Windows installation. Files will fit, but need a program which understand GPT, as a replacement hard drive is smaller.

Second question. It is EFI secure boot Windows 8 installation. How secure boot affect copying and resizing? Thinking of disabling secure boot in BIOS or removing from the laptop for copying.

I see DMDE works with GPT, will try later.

You can disable EFI and secure boot for the copy then just re-enable it afterwards. If the copy was successful the system shouldn't have any issues

I resize with Windows then do the copy with Ultimate Boot CD, i don't remember the apps name but it's in the cloning menu and has (Free Edition) in brackets next to it.

Mini Tool Partition Wizard handles GPT resizing too.

 

[sajunky]

Thanks, I needed for confirmation, will try couple programs, as need proper error handling too.
There is already 50 UNC's on the patient.

 

[ODTech]

Thanks, I needed for confirmation, will try couple programs, as need proper error handling too.
There is already 50 UNC's on the patient.

Make a image of the disc if your afraid it will fail completely then you can mess around with it until you got the new disc working

 

[munky82]

Acronis TrueImage has always done the job perfectly and is fast. But it costs money, unless you can find a sponsored copy from the drive manufacturer. Before that I used Easeus Todo Backup (Free). Sometimes it failed. I found that creating the clone, sector by sector, and then afterwards do a chkdsk of the cloned drive and then while booted into the new drive's Windows you resize the partition(s) in Disk Management are a workaround for many failed tries.

Macrium Reflect also does the job but I never liked their interface, so I shied away.

 

[sajunky]

Some feedback:

1. Program from UBCD is called HDCLONE. According the website it doesn't do partition downsizing in free edition. It doesn't say about GPT. I tried it in the past and remember it had poor error handling. It is good for cloning a good drive, as interface is nice.

2. DMDE, I used it before and has a good file recovery. It doesn't need to scan entire disk, it can pickup important files before HDD dies. Not important in this case, but it is my first choice for good error handling. Supports GPT, but still not sure it will do resizing.

Thanks munky82 for suggestions. Seagate Disk Wizard is also based on Acronis. There is also R-Tools R-Studio R-Drive Image 30 days full feature demo.

Downloaded DMDE and DiscWizard, started to take out hard drive and what?

This is 15.6" Samsung NP270E5G-K05ZA. Sh^!. It doesn't have hard drive bay!!!
If I open the case, I will lose warranty. I verified that notebook is still under warranty, so I gather it is Samsung business to fix a hard drive. What do you think?

 

[ODTech]

Some feedback:

1. Program from UBCD is called HDCLONE. According the website it doesn't do partition downsizing in free edition. It doesn't say about GPT. I tried it in the past and remember it had poor error handling. It is good for cloning a good drive, as interface is nice.

2. DMDE, I used it before and has a good file recovery. It doesn't need to scan entire disk, it can pickup important files before HDD dies. Not important in this case, but it is my first choice for good error handling. Supports GPT, but still not sure it will do resizing.

Thanks munky82 for suggestions. Seagate Disk Wizard is also based on Acronis. There is also R-Tools R-Studio R-Drive Image 30 days full feature demo.

Downloaded DMDE and DiscWizard, started to take out hard drive and what?

This is 15.6" Samsung NP270E5G-K05ZA. Sh^!. It doesn't have hard drive bay!!!
If I open the case, I will lose warranty. I verified that notebook is still under warranty, so I gather it is Samsung business to fix a hard drive. What do you think?

That's something you'll have to ask Samsung but it hasn't put me off in the past.

 

[sajunky]

That's something you'll have to ask Samsung but it hasn't put me off in the past.

I don't know about Samsung, but they have one of service centre at Pinnacle Micro, Midrand, close to me. I know these guys and they are very good. Just little bit hassle with finding invoice and I will see them again.