Cloning PCIe SSD...

[drjones]

Hi.

So a client has a Dell XPS 13 ultrabook with a PCIe SSD that's failing - Windows pops up & says the HD has problems, backup your data, etc. GFI also trips the HD check.

I was thinking I'd do what I've done before; to simply attach the new drive via USB & use EaseUS or Acronis, but that's clearly not possible as it's a *PCIe* interface...argh.

So what I'm doing is cloning it onto a 500GB drive, then will install the new drive into the laptop, and clone back from the 500 onto the SSD....hopefully it will work.

Any other better solutions or ideas?

 

[cyabro]

That's about the only way it can be done at the momoent, as far as I know.

I had to do the same with an Intel NUC unit with a faulty SSD - backup image using SHadowProtect to a USB drive - Replace SSD - Restore image

When will PCs get something like Target Disk mode on the Macs?

 

[drjones]

Do you think it will work?

Ironically, the client wants me to purchase & install Acronis - I definitely considered just using that to do it, but was afraid to install anything else onto the drive lest it die or error out.

The EaseUS is a bootable program, figured it would be just a bit easier on the disk...

 

[JustInspired]

Do you think it will work?

Ironically, the client wants me to purchase & install Acronis - I definitely considered just using that to do it, but was afraid to install anything else onto the drive lest it die or error out.

The EaseUS is a bootable program, figured it would be just a bit easier on the disk...

Install Acronis on another PC. Create a boot CD or bootable USB and use that.
So if you boot from a live CD, won't Linux see the drive because it's pciex?
I'm thinking the first order of business is Parted Magic and DDRescue. Heck, you could use that method to clone back to a new SSD too, couldn't you?

 

[brandonkick]

I've not dealt with PCIe SSD's but would clonezilla do the work?

You could boot the live clonezilla cd and then clone the disk to an external hard drive?

 

[FremontPC]

You can boot off the Acronis install disk, unless they've changed things recently.

 

[drjones]

Well holy crap, it worked!

I used the EaseUS Disk Copy (free) that I've successfully used before, to clone it to a 500GB mechanical drive.

Swapped the bad drive out, installed the new PCIe SSD, cloned from the 500gb to the new SSD, looks like it worked!

The other thing that was complicating things a bit is it's an ultrabook without a CD/DVD drive. I could have bought a USB one, but instead made a bootable USB drive to boot to the EaseUS copy program.

 

[KompuKare]

I could have bought a USB one, but instead made a bootable USB drive to boot to the EaseUS copy program.

Do you not have the #1 technicians tools? That is a decent USB to SATA/IDE adapter? While I have a USB optical too, at base I prefer to use my USB adapter with a desktop SATA optical which is much faster than my slimline USB DVD drive.

BTW, PCIe SSD is not the right word. They're called mSATA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSATA#mSATA
Although yes they are mini PCIe, but to PCIe SSD mean these big things:

which obviously don't fit in a ultrabook.

 

[drjones]

Do you not have the #1 technicians tools? That is a decent USB to SATA/IDE adapter? While I have a USB optical too, at base I prefer to use my USB adapter with a desktop SATA optical which is much faster than my slimline USB DVD drive.

BTW, PCIe SSD is not the right word. They're called mSATA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSATA#mSATA
Although yes they are mini PCIe, but to PCIe SSD mean these big things:

which obviously don't fit in a ultrabook.

I do have a couple USB to SATA/IDE adapters, but neither of them accommodate the drive in question - mSATA.

Do they make one that does?

 

[KompuKare]

I do have a couple USB to SATA/IDE adapters, but neither of them accommodate the drive in question - mSATA.

Do they make one that does?

No, sorry I meant you could have made and used a bootable DVD instead of using a USB flash drive. USB>mSATA would be hard because it would basically be USB>mini PCIe. Expresscard > mini PCIe might be available but can't see that being generally useful for anything else. Expresscard > fullsize PCIe does exist but that's for people trying/experimenting with using external PCIe graphic cards etc on laptops.

EDIT: Looking on ebay, SATA>mSATA adapters and PCIe>mSATA boards do exist but since you already managed to recover the data you're fine.