Data Transfer

[frecklesnoot]

Hello everyone, I have an 8tb drive with about 5.5tb of data with the drive failing. I have got a new 8tb drive and I was wondering what the best way to get that data from one drive to another.


The usual method I'd use is to simply use a dock and clone the drive. the other method is straight copy and paste, but could have issues on length of file name.

What method do you all use for this type on data transfer.

Time is not the issue as it's my brothers machine, I just want to do it right for him.

Thanks James.

 

[fincoder]

I suppose it depends how badly it's failing.

If being cautious or I suspect the drive is quite bad, I would use HDDSuperClone (Linux) which does several passes to clone the drive, first skipping any slow or error-prone blocks, then retrying the skipped blocks. Could take a while for 8TB though! The full version of this tool is now free for commercial use, it's now abandonware (only in the last year or so).

Otherwise I would use a data recovery tool in Windows like GetDataBack. Even though it sounds like you could try just copying in File Explorer, data recovery software is more likely to handle errors better when copying data.

 

[frecklesnoot]

I suppose it depends how badly it's failing.

If being cautious or I suspect the drive is quite bad, I would use HDDSuperClone (Linux) which does several passes to clone the drive, first skipping any slow or error-prone blocks, then retrying the skipped blocks. Could take a while for 8TB though! The full version of this tool is now free for commercial use, it's now abandonware (only in the last year or so).

Otherwise I would use a data recovery tool in Windows like GetDataBack. Even though it sounds like you could try just copying in File Explorer, data recovery software is more likely to handle errors better when copying data.

Thank you for the suggestions mate. The drive is still currently usable. It doesn't really matter which way I go, it's going to take a long time to get the data transferred.

I'll have a look into HDDSuperClone, it sounds like it might be the best way to go.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

We have a few of these drive duplicators for cloning...

HDD Duplicators - Hard Drive Cloning/Copying | StarTech.com

Our standalone, eSATA, and USB Drive Duplicators provide comprehensive hard drive copying, saving time by providing immediate access to drive contents without having to mount the drive in a computer chassis or install into an enclosure

www.startech.com

 

[Markverhyden]

The only time I would use copy paste is if it's a small amount of data. Imaging in Linux using the native drive interface is the quickest and safest technique. If the drive is not throwing bad blocks I'll just dd. But if it is acting up HDDSuperClone is a great option. If you don't have a Linux box then a great option is Clonezilla. Been around for over 15 years. Developed by the Taiwanese in their Nation Center for High-Performance Computing.

 

[frecklesnoot]

We have a few of these drive duplicators for cloning...

HDD Duplicators - Hard Drive Cloning/Copying | StarTech.com

Our standalone, eSATA, and USB Drive Duplicators provide comprehensive hard drive copying, saving time by providing immediate access to drive contents without having to mount the drive in a computer chassis or install into an enclosure

www.startech.com

I have a couple of docks and I use them all the time.

@Markverhyden I'll look into clonezilla, I completely forgot about that one. Many thanks mate.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Assuming windows, I'd just use robocopy. There are some switches that will skip bad files, and you can make it generate a report of things not moved.

The only time I image disks is when there's a boot sector involved, or an OS I have to worry about otherwise. Data is just that, copy it.

 

[labtech]

Get a SMART report with something like HDDScan or CrystalDiskInfo.
This waynwe can have some clues on how degraded with bad sectors the drive is.

Note: This Seagate model family is highly prone to developing disk surface damage when pushed hard while degraded. Once disk surface occurs, it is pretty difficult to get successful full recoveries. Lots of donors drives needed for cleanroom work typically.

You said you want to do the job right for your brother. If you truly intend that, then a data recovery specialist is the best bet.

Short of that and wanting to do it yourself, then the drive should be cloned with HDDSuperClone. If it takes more than 12-48 hours wirth of cloning, then something is wrong, where either the drive is very degraded, or it has a damaged reading head.

 

[Diggs]

...and don't forget about Ddrescue. I use the GUI version (again Linux). It will run great on even a Core2Duo (with SATA3) which are just about free these days.