Cloning the HDD of an X31: solution, the

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roibm · #1 Post by **roibm** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:23 pm

After just short of 2 days trying to clone the HDD of my X31, I finally found what the problem was, or better said the right way to do it...

The only way to clone the X31's HDD is by installing the new HDD in the notebook itself, and clone from the old HDD that is attached via USB. That is because the HDD geometry that the X31 uses for the HDD is different than the standard one(which is usually 255 heads, the one TP uses is 240 heads). So, if you try to clone it, do it this way, don't waste your time.

PS: if there is an easier solution, please reply, I'm curious about it.
PS2: test my theory, with the HDD installed in the notebook, see what's the geometry, then attach it on USB and see it is different. When internal, there are 240 heads, when attached on USB there are 255. How comes, I don't know, but I know I hate it !

#2 Post by **tomh009** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:39 pm

Hmmm ... are you sure? I have two external USB disks that used to live inside my X31. And in each case I am using it directly without having reformatted the disk in the interim.

IIRC last time someone ghosted the new disk (Hitachi 7K100) for me on a desktop PC. No problems in any case.

roibm · #3 Post by **roibm** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:58 pm

I'm sure it's what it took me to get it working.
The problem was booting it, not having it recognized or being able to read once booted. Anyway, it was such a horrible story I don't even want to think abou it. It doesn't make any sense, I know, but I cloned the HDD 3 times on my desktop, 2 times using the notebook(having the old disk installed within the X31 and the new one attached via USB) and the once the other way around. This was the only way it worked. And I used various application for cloning it, no luck though.

It might have been because of the 160Gb seagate, and the way X31 sees it's geometry, but I do doubt it since the same strange geometry behavior was also observer while using my old 60gb/7200 hitachi.

#4 Post by **tomh009** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:49 pm

I wonder if it is indeed the 160 GB Seagate.

Your Hitachi 7K60 worked equally well inside and on a USB connection, so that would indicate that the head geometry was identical for the two interfaces (which really are both IDE in the end, the USB just transports the IDE commands across the cable).

roibm · #5 Post by **roibm** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:04 pm

tomh009 wrote:Your Hitachi 7K60 worked equally well inside and on a USB connection

Yes. Didn't try to boot while connected externally though. I'll try it tomorrow since the hitachi is currently @ work.

tomh009 wrote:, so that would indicate that the head geometry was identical for the two interfaces (which really are both IDE in the end, the USB just transports the IDE commands across the cable).

No. Let me elaborate...
The hitachi connected internally, it appears as having 240 heads.
The hitachi connected externally(USB), it appears as having 255 heads, PQMagic also warns about this, a message to the effect that the partition table indicates a 240 head geometry while currently being 255.

#6 Post by **tomh009** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:15 pm

I understand that PQMagic says that. But did it say the same thing for the 7K60?

roibm · #7 Post by **roibm** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:32 pm

tomh009 wrote:I understand that PQMagic says that. But did it say the same thing for the 7K60?

Could you please my post one more time? I was talking about the hitachi 7k60...

And PQMagic is not the only soft I used for checking the values, testdisk and some other DOS based apps all report the same. Sandra also reports the same under windows.

Cloning the HDD of an X31: solution, the

Cloning the HDD of an X31: solution, the

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