[ale] Failing external drive. Planning to DD the failing drive to new external drive. Help please

[DJ-Pfulio]

On 11/12/2015 10:58 AM, H P Ladds wrote:
> On Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 10:49 AM, Jim Kinney <jkinney at jimkinney.us> wrote:
> 
>> The dd will migrate the format as well as the data so no need. However,
>> you will need to create partitions on the new location that are at least
>> the same size as the originals.
>>
> 
> So when I create the new partitions on the new drive don't (no need) format
> them?
> 

a) probably want to use ddrescue, not dd.
b) if you dd at the whole drive level, the partition table AND
partitions (inc format, data) are copied.  /dev/sda
c) if you dd at the partition level, the file system and data are
copied. /dev/sda1

If the drive isn't almost full, using rsync will be faster. dd/ddrescue
copy empty bits too. rsync only copies actual data. You'll have to make
any partitions and create the file system prior.