"DriveImage XML DriveImage XML will do the job. It runs from within Windows and it can copy directly from drive to drive. A lot of people rave about it after good experiences with the software.
DriveImage XML is an easy to use and reliable program for imaging and backing up partitions and logical drives. Image creation uses Microsoft's Volume Shadow Services (VSS), allowing you to create safe ""hot images"" even from drives currently in use. Images are stored in XML files, allowing you to process them with 3rd party tools. Never again be stuck with a useless backup! Restore images to drives without having to reboot. DriveImage XML is now faster than ever, offering two different compression levels.
EASEUS Disk Copy EASEUS Disk Copy is a great alternative if you don't want to go for a 'hot' backup that runs from within Windows. Good review at lifehacker and on a par with DriveImage XML. They quite clearly state that it is ideal for moving from one disk to a larger one. Like other suggestions, this requires that you create a boot CD.
EASEUS Disk Copy is a potent freeware providing sector-by-sector disk/partition clone regardless of your operating system, file systems and partition scheme by creating a bootable CD. The sector-by-sector method assures you a copy 100% identical to the original. Disk Copy can be used for copy, cloning, or upgrading your original small hard drive to a new larger drive. Simply speaking, it can copy anything from the old hard drive including the deleted, lost files and inaccessible data. So, the freeware is a perfect tool for Data Recovery Wizard to recover files from a backup disk."
"GParted GParted on the Ubuntu (and I'm sure other Linux distros) Live CD will do exactly this. I've used it to successfully migrate entire operating systems from one dying drive to another new drive.
GParted is a free partition editor for graphically managing your disk partitions. GParted is useful for tasks such as: creating space for new operating systems, restructuring disk space to separate user and operating system data, and copying partitions to enable upgrading to a larger hard disk drive."
I have personally used Acronis True Image Home Edition, upgraded that to Home Edition 2009.
Acronis True Image Home 2011 assures that all your important data, including photos, videos, music, documents and applications, are fully protected and can be recovered quickly in the event of any disaster.
Have NEVER had a failure, never had a gotcha. Now however, as mentioned above, you can get it for FREE by downloading Seagate Disk Wizard, from their website. It's the same as Acronis, but with Seagate's name on in, obviously because they paid a fee for that."
"Partimage can do it, but it's all command line stuff. this link should help you with doing that. http://www.partimagedotorg/Partimage-manual_Backup-partition-table"
"My preference is that it would be really easy. Boot into Vista. Pick drive to move, pick target drive, copies everything over, and reboots to correct partition.
if you mean the newly cloned drive by ""correct partition"", then this cannot be done automatically. you'll have to clone the drive and then set it in the BIOS as primary boot device or (if the BIOS doesn't provide this option) connect the drive to the primary controller.
furthermore, you're looking for 'hot imaging' of a 'live operating system' which is not recommended (unless absolutely necessary), too many things can go wrong.
for further reference, you may want to read this:
RADIFIED - Guide to Norton Ghost presents what many consider the ultimate back-up strategy. It is based on features found in Ghost, a hard drive imaging/cloning software program developed by Symantec. Altho designed around Ghost (considered the most reliable application of its kind), the strategies presented here (such as performing a test-restore, to ensure your back-up image will work when you really need it) can be applied to any disk cloning program.. After nearly 9 years on the 'Net - and countless updates - it is still the site's most requested Windows tutorial. Users of Ghost from all over the world contribute regularly to the insights it contains, which might be why its popularity continues to grow. When you realize how much time & misery Ghost's supernatural disaster recovery features can save you.
as outlined, many of these practices and tips can applied to other disk cloning programs, in case you have other preferences than Ghost. i will not tell you to which program to use because there are many available that are equally as good (Ghost, Drive Snapshot and DIXML are just very easy to integrate into BartPE) but Radified's is (by a far cry) the best tutorial on drive cloning i have ever come accross. this may not be the 'easiest method' but data security in general and drive cloning in particular is too serious to be taken lightly. even if you get lucky and don't need the backup, you definitely want it to be reliable and ready to be applied at a moments notice (should the faeces ever hit the paddles :)."
