What's the difference between cloaning and backing up a hard disk?

Question

What's the difference between cloaning and backing up a hard disk? Also, what are some of the programs out there (free and for purchase) that perform cloaning and/or backing up? Thx.

Answer 1

Cloning make an exact duplicate, that can replace the original. Old HD out, New one in. Used most often when upgrading from say a 10GB drive to a 100GB dive.



Backing up is just the files being stored but it is not bootable.

Can be to HD to HD or HD to CD/DVD drive.



Acronis Migrate easy

Norton Ghost

HD Clone (Free)

Answer 2

Backing up usually refers to copying data files to another file system either on tape, another hard disk, or onto an online storage service.



Cloning a drive performs the copy at a lower level than the file system. It actually copies the file system itself. This is why you can clone a hard drive onto a brand new unformatted drive becasue the file system is laid down with the data in a single operation.



Cloning is best used for configuring large numbers of PCs with the same hardware. One PC has the operating system installed normally and all applications are installed. When the installation is complete, an image of the hard disk is made which can be saved to another hard disk or a LAN. This image can then be rolled out over a network to hundreds of other computers which results in a reduced workload for IT staff.



The only cloning software I have used is Symantec Ghost which is fantastic. For backing up, the industry standard is Backup Exec from Veritas.

Answer 3

Cloning means that it will copy file for file in the exact same order etc. Cloning also does not take into account if the file has been modified since the last backup. Cloning usually takes all the files, no matter what they are. Cloning can be terrible because it will also clone system files that could be: huge, locked and of no value. System files should not be backed up regularly because they dont change, and they are typically related to the installation you made, and cant be simply copied to another computer.



Backing up usually involves backup software that compresses the files into an archive. The files selected for backup are usually the ones with the archive bit set which means it was modified since the last backup. when a file is backed up using backup software, the archive bit is set to OFF once it is backed up. If you open the file and modify it, the bit is set to ON and thus, the backup software knows to back it up so that way, your backups only contain modified files. This requires you to save all of your backup archives. Once in a while it is good to do a complete backup regardless of the archive bit.



You can backup a hard drive by copying all the files to another media like DVD or CD or floppies. In this case, it is not a "backup" that uses backup software and the archive bit will not be set on the file in the origin but will be set on the destination. These DVD or CD discs are like a clone backup.

Answer 4

Backing up means putting all your data (in compressed format) to another medium (say from hard disk to CD)



Imaging or Cloning means making exact copy of the hard disk (i.e. creating a mirror of the sectors and clusters) to another drive.



You can restore the image to bring the drive to EXACT position with same clusters containing same information including Boot Sectors etc.



Restoring backup would only restore data, but not to the exact same location of the drive.

Answer 5

Do you means 'clone'??



Exactly it's not the same.



Cloning is duplicating your hard drive including the system.



Backing up data usually do to avoid data lost in case you're hard drive might corrupted or damaged. Data backup can be saved into a removeable drive such as diskette,cd or another hard drive.

Answer 6

at the start, Disk is a storage gadget. force is a gadget by which information is written right into a storage gadget. Secondly, on the subject of a HDD. no longer elementary disk is a magnetic fabric lined disk (platter/s). no longer elementary force is a gadget for storing information right into a no longer elementary disk. right here the force potential a shifting actuator arm with magnetic heads arranged on it to envision and write information to the no longer elementary disk floor. ultimately, As a no longer elementary disk and its respective no longer elementary force is obtainable in fixed mutually in one casing it somewhat is observed as a no longer elementary disk force altogether (as no longer contained in relation to a Compact Disk force / Floppy Disk force).

Answer 7

cloaning : what all formats,files etc on one drive will be available in the other this is cloaning...



backup: only the speciied part of what u need is stored somewhere...

Answer 8

cloning or mirroring is usually used in raid 0 meaning if your main HD fails the Mirrored one will continue to run without losing any data or unsaved files. While back-up is copying everything or specific stuff from your HD for future use.