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Need a disk cloning .iso that work on Hyper-V VM's (issues with Clonezilla)
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Need a disk cloning .iso that work on Hyper-V VM's (issues with Clonezilla)

myhkenmyhken Member
edited March 2017 in General

I have tested this with Clonezilla Live CD, but I run into a issue.
I want to clone a virtual disk with a size of 500GB to a new disk with a size of 100GB.
The 500GB disk contains only 50GB of data, so it will fit fine one a 100GB disk.

But using Clonezilla with thees options clicked:

Give me this result:

But I do not get the option to add the -C option in Expert mode.

If I type the command in command line and add option -C, I only get this error:

Using the same line in command line, minus the -C option, works, but of course give the same error as the second picture.

How can I fix this, and is there any other software I can use, with a .iso file, that let me go from one larger size to a smaller size?

Comments

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran

    Make an image with clonezilla, then deploy that.

    Thanked by 1myhken
  • Use resize2fs to shrink the filesystem, then shrink the partition with fdisk or parted. Snapshot/clone the smaller filesystem.

    Thanked by 1myhken
  • mikhomikho Member, Host Rep

    You have to consider that the 50GB you have stored on that 500GB disk isn't necessary in the first 50GB.

    It could easily be spread out across that 500GB disk, meaning you could have 10Gb in the last "pie" on the disk.

    That is the reason why most applications which do block transfer/backup/clone have a problem with shrinking the disk. It requires that the file allocation table to be updated with where the new position of that block is now.

    Sorry for rambling, in a hurry, hope you understand.

    Thanked by 1myhken
  • @mikho makes sense.

  • mikhomikho Member, Host Rep

    @myhken said:
    @mikho makes sense.

    Not saying it's impossible, only hard to achieve. Especially if it is the boot disk.

  • But do anybody know about any software that can clone from one larger disk to a smaller that I can use, without having to do lots of work first?
    I think Acronis can do it, but I'm unsure the Home edition works and their server version cost too much money.

  • mikhomikho Member, Host Rep
  • No I have no. Actually found a solution, I have Macrium Reflect 7 on one of my home computers. I used it to create a Rescue USB, then used UltraISO to make me a .iso file of that USB. It's used Windows PE.
    Then using the .iso file in my Hyper-V computer, I get access to clone disks, and it allow me to clone from a larger disk to a smaller one. So I'm using their Home edition, that do no support Server versions, but since I start from a .iso file, it allow me to clone any system.

    So no need to buy their expensive business/server version. :D

    Thanked by 1mikho
  • That is a lot of work. Why do you need an iso format for Hyper-V images?

    Within Hyper-V, there are couple of much easier ways which I use daily.

    1) Export the image then resize when done.
    or

    2) Simply copy the .vhd or vhdx file to a new folder. Within Hyper-V create a new image and specify the .vhd as an existing disk, attach, then resize.

    Thanked by 1myhken
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