Disk cloning/backup

[3ee Dee]

I just got a Vantec Nexstar MX 2-bay enclosure and a Western Digital 500GB Caviar Green that will be used for system backup.

My main system hard drive(also a WD 500GB Caviar Green) is divided into 3 partitions. My plan is to clone/backup the whole system drive to the new backup drive and be able to occasionally update it when I need to. Basically, I want an exact duplicate that I can swap right into the system in the event that the main drive fails.

So my question is, will I have to partition the new backup drive the same way I did the main system drive? Or will the cloning software configure that automatically if I were to just format the backup drive with a full single partition?

Also, can anyone recommend some good cloning software? I've been researching a few freeware ones and so far I'm considering either EASEUS Todo Backup or XXCLONE. Any opinions on these?

 

[Mathemabeat]

Any halfway decent cloning software will automatically dump the partitions over to the new drive just fine.

I have no experience with either of those two products, but I have used Acronis True Image for several years.

Although it usually costs money, Western Digital does offer a basic, free version for their drives:

http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp


If you are copying from and to WD drives, that would be a great choice.

 

[Wipeout]

Partition Wizard has come recommended from a couple of sources - their home version is free. Clonezilla is also pretty good.