hdd cloning

HDD Cloning

Here is my question. If I make a clone of a 40 GB hard drive (that I think may die in the near future) using something like let's say http://www.bay-wolf.com/ghostclone.htm

When I clone it to a bigger HD (120 GB+) do I need to have it formatted with the same filesystem, or should I leave it raw? (and let the program do it for me)

I know it sounds like a specific question, but I'm guessing most "ghost" cloning programs work around the same way.

Good question. I would suggest using something on Hirens Boot CD for this operation since the applications contained within it have proven priceless for myself and countless others. I've never cloned a drive before but I think as long as you make the new drive the same format as the other (fat32 or NTFS) the clone process should be a cake walk. This is just me thinking aloud though, I'm curious to see what others might have to say.

Edit: I'm looking on the boot cd now, this is what's available on Version 8.3. The best part about these hiren tools is that they're all DOS bootable and they all come with excellent, step by step instructions. A Sloth could navigate these programs.

Disk Clone Tools
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ImageCenter 5.6 (Drive Image 2002)
Best software to clone hard drive

Norton Ghost 8.3
Similar to Drive Image (with usb/scsi support)

Acronis True Image 8.1.945
Create an exact disk image for complete system backup and disk cloning.

Partition Saving 3.20
A tool to backup/restore partitions. (SavePart.exe)

COPYR.DMA Build013
A Tool for making copies of hard disks with bad sectors

With Ghost 2003 you can clone the partition to a raw drive. The destination partition can be bigger than the source, or even smaller as long as it is big enough to hold all the data.

I think that if you use Partition Magic you have to clone it to a partition of the same size, then change the size of the target partition. But you give it a list of the things you want it to do and then tell it to make the changes, so it works out the same UNLESS you want to make the target partition smaller and you don't have room for a partition of the same size as the original.

Ah thank you. I'm pretty sure I have a copy of Hiren's Boot CD somewhere already also.

I may start with the Ghost 2003 and see how it works out first though.

Thanks again