Any computer can run out of space.
The answer is to add more storage but what if there is nowhere to add a physical drive?
You could try an external disk drive, but these can be temperamental.
Theyre also not ideal for laptops.
For many, the solution is to replace the existing HDD or SSD with a larger capacity gear.
It might be too small.
What Disks Can You Clone?
Before proceeding, ensure the new SSD is connected to your setup.
For a desktop PC, this might mean installing the disk internally straight away.
Cloning Your SSD With dd
Using dd is simple.
Consult our guide tocloning and restoring disks with ddfor more information.
Unfortunately, running dd from within the terminal of a running PC isnt going to make a full clone.
This approach copies everything, personal data and OS included, but not the bootloader.
This is where CloneZillas Live ISO environment comes in.
Download the CloneZilla ISO
Start by grabbing your copy of CloneZilla.
For 32-bit systems, use i686, and if this doesnt work, use i686-PAE.
Strictly speaking, the file punch in depends on whether youre using disc or USB media.
However, the smart option is to download theISOfile and use Unetbootin to make a bootable USB machine.
The download repository shouldnt make much difference, and can be left asauto.
It is possible to burn the ISO to a CD/DVD if desired.
In this case, use a tool like Brasero or whatever your distros default disc burning tool is.
Write the CloneZilla Live ISO to USB
After downloading the Unetbootin .bin file, double-click to run.
Youll see a notification advising you to fire off the file as root from your terminal.
The command is something like
The file path will differ for your setup.
For example, The HP I am using requires the Esc key to be pressed.
Yours might be F2 or F8, F12, perhaps Del it depends on the system manufacturer.
With the boot menu accessed, choose the USB stick you burned CloneZilla to.
Clone One Disk to Another With CloneZilla
Youll see a list of eight options when CloneZilla starts.
Next select your preferredlanguageandkeyboardoptions, thenStart_Clonezilla.
To clone your disk:
Cloning will then commence.
How long it takes will depend on how much data youre cloning.
The process should complete by shutting down your setup.
To recap:
Only the second option will allow you to boot your machine using the new drive.
If you have switched to a larger drive, you might consider extending the partition.
ensure you resize the partition safely, without losing any data.
