Can I transfer all data from one HDD to another in a single step. Win7/Kubuntu 14.04

[Shabakthanai]

Thank you, I may have misunderstood something in another reply. I appreciate the follow-up. I have turned on the laptop twice since the first notice of warning. Just briefly, but both times that same warning came on screen. Do you think I will have enough time to dd the HDD before it stops, and are these recent warnings going to disrupt the transfer? I have read about it but not experienced the loss of a HDD.

To clarify, if you do a full-drive copy using dd, the partition table will be copied as well, so you'll get the same partitions, each the same size, on the new 1 TB drive that currently exist on the old 500 GB drive -- but you'll then be able to use a partition tool to resize/move partitions (CAUTION: don't move or resize the Windows partition with a Linux tool or you'll render it unbootable; use the Windows OS tools for that job) or create new partitions and allocate the remaining unused space. I have six or seven NTFS partitions on my 1 TB HDD, the result of once upon a time having had, under Windows, four (small, by today's standards) physical hard disks, copying each to a single larger drive, resizing, then copying that set to another still larger drive and adding partitions to use the empty space.

This is not as complicated as you're making it out -- the only thing that can make your 1 TB hard drive unable to allocate the unused space with common partitioning tools would be a low level format (i.e. rewriting the sectoring and tracks) using incorrect parameters, and I'm not at all certain that low level formatting is even possible with modern SATA drives (nor would I know how to attempt it, nor would I want to try; if it fails it can make a hard disk into a paper weight and the only sensible reason to want to do it lost most of its validity over the past twenty years of reductions in cost per gigabyte; i.e. with TB drives now under $50 from discount sources, there's no sense in trying to low level format a drive).

[Silent Observer]

Thank you, I may have misunderstood something in another reply. I appreciate the follow-up. I have turned on the laptop twice since the first notice of warning. Just briefly, but both times that same warning came on screen. Do you think I will have enough time to dd the HDD before it stops, and are these recent warnings going to disrupt the transfer? I have read about it but not experienced the loss of a HDD.

I don't see back on the thread what warning you're getting. If it's a S.M.A.R.T. warning, it usually means that the hard drive's self-testing capability combined with BIOS- or OS-level monitoring software has detected that the hard drive's condition points to imminent failure. That usually doesn't mean it won't stand another startup or run long enough to copy the contents to a new drive using dd; typically it means you have weeks to months before you'll lose data (though it could be minutes or hours; even with detailed reports it's not very predictable). To me, a S.M.A.R.T. warning during startup means it's time to order a replacement drive, and make a backup of your data if you have the ability. Since you already have the drive in hand, it's time to get both drives temporarily connected to the same computer (you can get a test connector that will hook up most IDE and SATA drives to a USB port for about $15 at a local computer store; that would let you make the copy directly on the laptop, vs. finding a way to adapt both the old and new laptop drives to your desktop machine for the job), run the dd copy, and then install the new drive into the laptop. Once installed, it should start right up the way you're used to, but show an additional approximately 500 GB of unallocated, unformatted space visible only with a partitioning tool.

BTW, if you're curious as to what's playing up in your old hard disk, Parted Magic includes a very good S.M.A.R.T. monitoring tool; it'll tell you whether your warning is just due to the drive running hot (a perennial problem with laptops), or whether it's developing an increasing number of bad sectors, taking too many tries or too long to spin up, requiring a lot of retries for reads, etc. Combined with some knowledge of how hard drives work, that information can tell you, for instance, whether you need to vacuum the dust out of your computer, if it's playing up because it got dropped (worst while the HD was spinning), or if the drive is just getting old.

[Shabakthanai]

I had a small problem initially and do not know why. It put me off my feed for a while. A while ago, I tried your wonderful code again and the code was accepted. This time it worked perfectly. What a wonderful new piece of knowledge you have provided. Thanks to you, I saved all my data and avoided all the work required to install two Operating Systems. I hope your day continues at the level of mine or better, new friend.

Thanks GerardV,
I have two Operating Systems on the one HDD. Kubuntu 14,04 an Widows Vista. Do I have to concern myself about the two different Operating Systems?

[GerardV]

I had a small problem initially and do not know why. It put me off my feed for a while. A while ago, I tried your wonderful code again and the code was accepted. This time it worked perfectly. What a wonderful new piece of knowledge you have provided. Thanks to you, I saved all my data and avoided all the work required to install two Operating Systems. I hope your day continues at the level of mine or better, new friend.

Very good to hear it all worked out well for you.

Cheers,
Gerard

[Shabakthanai]

Guess I spoke too soon and in error Gerard. Because I posted this as solved in error, I had to post again, no way to remove the SOLVED. Still needing more help, I did not use your name in reference. Didn't want anyone to think you gave me improper assistance. I really don't know what I did wrong, excepting the first time I tried the command, I got an error message saying /dev/sdb was a directory as cause for the failure. My thoughts are that I copy and pasted the command argument, but wasn't sure, and thought I may have entered the data in error.

However later when I returned to work the problem, and after entering the same code, the copying seemed to happen. I was excited at how easy, although pretty time consuming, it was going. I remember several progress reports of % completed coming on screen and no hangups throughout the entire process, and no interruptions indicating HDD failure, and even the LED on the New HDD blinking constantly during the copy process until the end. I guess I was just plain over confidant at that time.

I was also considering those who would spend time reading what I thought was a solved problem, instead of using their time for a better use.

After removing the damaged HDD and installing the New One, I started the computer to enjoy my success. I was stopped with a GRUB prompt, the cause - lack of recognition of the file system. I then booted the live USB to see if I get more info. I opened the partition application which showed the content of the working liveUSB, but the application did not recognize any partitions, I believe. I am writing this from memory and a not too good one, anyway, there was no evidence of partitions for the two OS's or any unused or used space. The file system for the drive was shown as FAT32, which is correct, I believe, without any other entries.

I am stuck again, my friend. I still have the failing HDD, so I believe I still have my data, if my error can be corrected. And if it can be corrected, I am hopeful I can leave the New Drive installed in the Laptop, then put the damaged HDD in the container that connects to the laptop. I am waiting for anyone to comment who has the answer right now.

The new post is under the Title, [Errors] "dd" transfer of data failed in part. Can it be salvaged?, should you be able to put me back on track.

I apologize for posting success too soon. I suppose it is possible that the data could be in the new Drive too, with errors in its recognition. If that is true and can be repaired, my problem may be mostly over as well. Thanks for your interest and help.