====== Clone HDD or flash disks ====== ===== Copying one partition ===== The image created may be too large for your hard drive:\\ ''dd if=/dev/sda of=hdd.img'' Clone the image back onto another drive:\\ ''dd if=hdd.img of=/dev/sda'' ===== Copying MBR ===== MBR Total Size = 446 + 64 + 2 = 512 * 446 bytes - Bootstrap. * 64 bytes - Partition table. * 2 bytes - Signature. 512 vs 446 Bytes: * Use 446 bytes to overwrite or restore your /dev/XYZ MBR boot code only with the contents of $mbr.backup.file. * Use 512 bytes to overwrite or restore your /dev/XYZ the full MBR (which contains both boot code and the drive's partition table) with the contents of $mbr.backup.file. **dd command to copy MBR (identically sized partitions only)** Type dd command as follows:\\ ''dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1'' Above command will copy 512 bytes (MBR) from sda to sdb disk. This will only work if both discs have identically sized partitions. **dd command for two discs with different size partitions** ''dd if=/dev/sda of=/tmp/mbrsda.bak bs=512 count=1'' Now to restore the image to any sdb:\\ ''dd if=/tmp/mbrsda.bak of=/dev/sdb bs=446 count=1''