Hard drive cloning - Cloning to a newer model

Asellus

Honorable
Oct 25, 2013
21
0
10,510
Hi,

I have to clone a hard drive, since the current disk have disk errors. I wanted to buy the exact same hard drive model, so there wouldn't be any difference at all (it's an OS disk). But unfortunately it is an old model (Western Digital - WD20EARS-00J99B0), which aren't very common in stores anymore (especially not in Denmark where I live).

So my question is: How problematic would in be to use a newer model hard drive? Is it even possible? And if it is, what would have to be done, for the new disk to work exactly like the original one?

Cheers!
 
Solution
Your current os disk will be source and the new disk will be target. Nothing will be written on the source os disk during the process. So you can try again and again without affecting your current os disk.

Even when cloning, with Acronis, I first choose to backup first then restore to the new disk later.

One last thing, with such cloning or backup/restore software you may be asked to copy the disk signature too. If you plan to use both disks on the same computer later, you should not transfer the disk signature. I don't think any installed software will miss it. On the other hand if you copy the disk signature too, when you reboot after the process with both disks inside the computer, two disks with the same disk signature will puzzle...

Kursun

Distinguished
Jan 6, 2008
334
1
18,860
The new disk doesn’t have to be an exact same as the old disk. You could have bought a new and faster disk. You can even upgrade to an ssd. The os doesn’t care about such matter.

Cloning is perfectly possible.
I use Acronis True Image Home 2013 for backups. It is capable of cloning too. In fact its free demo download works too. You may find other and more practical software for cloning.
 

Asellus

Honorable
Oct 25, 2013
21
0
10,510
Thanks, I found Acronis as well, which gave rise to yet another question. Since the current disk has errors it seems like a reasonable assumption that the process might freeze. If that is the case, is it then possible to cancel the process without it affecting the original disk?
 

Kursun

Distinguished
Jan 6, 2008
334
1
18,860
Your current os disk will be source and the new disk will be target. Nothing will be written on the source os disk during the process. So you can try again and again without affecting your current os disk.

Even when cloning, with Acronis, I first choose to backup first then restore to the new disk later.

One last thing, with such cloning or backup/restore software you may be asked to copy the disk signature too. If you plan to use both disks on the same computer later, you should not transfer the disk signature. I don't think any installed software will miss it. On the other hand if you copy the disk signature too, when you reboot after the process with both disks inside the computer, two disks with the same disk signature will puzzle the pc and it will see only one of them. It is possible to remedy this situation with the help of disk manage though...

 
Solution

Asellus

Honorable
Oct 25, 2013
21
0
10,510


The new disk is to replace the old (and faulty) one, so the more the new disk is like the old, the better (except the faults of course). Thank you very much for your answer.