Hi All:

I like Clonezilla! Clonezilla is so good it even tells me when it doesn't work, now that is very good! I've used Clonezilla often and it works GREAT.

I posted a similar but not identical thread on the clonezilla forum. I'm looking for different options with this thread.

Clonezilla didn't work this time and it did tell me it didn't work. I like that, that is a great piece of software that tells you it failed. But I still need a backup.

The Question: How can I make a backup of my USB 32Gig thumbdrive? I tried, clonezilla fails. Details:

Sandisk Cruzer 32Gig USB2 about a year or so old has two partitions.

I used Lili ( http://www.linuxliveusb.com ) to create a live session of Mint16 Cinnamon (FAT32) in partition 1. I followed Lili directions to make a BIG persistent partition ( http://www.pendrivelinux.com/create-...per-partition/ ) so I followed the directions and the 27Gig EXT2 partition works GREAT!

Problem: Clonezilla live beginner mode won't back it up. It says it failed backing up the persistent EXT2 second partition. I want to be ready in case of a USB crash to be able to re-create this USB thumbdrive easily and have the data backed up too.

What will backup this USB flash thumb drive so I can restore it if I have to? I want to be able to restore it in case the USB crashes.

I'm a clonezilla novice, linux power user, not programmer.

Thanks! - Mike Colley

Was there any indication or messages as to what caused it to fail? You might try a bit-for-bit copy to another flash using dd command.

You don't use clonezilla on such an install. I'd consider other ways. Try gparted from another live cd.

Hi Yancek, thanks for the reply:

Clonezilla said the first partition backed up ok.
Clonezilla said the second partition didn't back up correctly.
I will have to do it again to check for detailed messages.
Where is the best place to find the detailed messages, the screen only says it failed backing it up.

I would be happy if Clonezilla just did a bit for bit copy of the entire thumb/flash drive to a file I could then use to restore. I just don't know the command line to use.

I'm not tied to Clonezilla, any good backup program would work.

Can't use another 32Gig thumb/flash drive as a backup, lack of funds. My other 32Gig went read only(common brick mode).

Thanks! - Mike

The link below has an explanation of how to use dd to copy one drive to another. I would read it very carefully several times before beginning anything. One small mistake and you can destroy your system which is why it is sometimes referred to as "Data Destroyer". I haven't tried this method so read carefully and use at your own risk and I therefore have no idea if it will work.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/19141...buntu-live-cd/

So from your last post, if you don't have a 32GB flash what are you using? With Clonezilla, it would need to be 32GB or larger.

Hi Yancek:

I have a 3T USB I have backed everything up to. Each backup has its own sub-directory/folder.

I went back and duplicated the problem and paid more attention this time.

I went back and duplicated the failure and found:
user@saucy:~$ cat /var/log/partclone.log
Partclone v0.2.70 http://partclone.org
Starting to clone device (/dev/sdc2) to image (-)
Reading Super Block
extfsclone.c: FS was not cleanly unmounted

So now I can see that plugginng in the 32Gig thumb/flash drive after plugging in the 3T disk was a bad thing to do because the 32Gig thumb/flash drive didn't get unmounted. I have to judiciously plug in the drives in the correct order so Clonezilla boots and unmounts the drive I want to back up and mounts the drive I want to back up to.

If I don't report back then I figured how to do this. I will try to report back, but I am busy(moving). Thank You for your help!

Thanks! - Mike

Edit - It is still broken being careful to have the 32Gig thumb/flash USB drive plugged in when I boot the Clonezilla thumb/flash USB drive. Next I tried to just Clonezilla the second partition (after another re-boot) and I still get the same error message.

How can I back up this 32Gig thumb/flash USB drive?

If clonezilla can read the filesystem it tries to copy file by file. In your case the persist ant file is readable since it is on a fat or other common format even if it can't read into the file.

If clonezilla can't read the file format it tries to use a bit by bit copy (dd).

As you can see from the error it reports that there is a file system issue. I'd either investigate why it is saying that or just use a dd of sometype that ignores the issue.

Not all clones can be easily moved. Any number of references and loader issues could need to be changed.

If clonezilla has a command line and you are very very very very very careful you can use dd command. Be sure you know what is target locations. Mount command or fdisk and other commands help determine what is what.

Hi Jefro:

Thanks for the note.
The error happens immediately when Clonezilla tries to read the second partition:
"extfsclone.c: FS was not cleanly unmounted"
this is an EXT2 partition. This happens after it has successfully read the first FAT32 partition during the command to copy the entire disk which is two partitions on the flash/thumb USB 32Gig drive.

When I try to just Clonezilla the second EXT2 partition only, I get the same result.
I booted Clonezilla from one flash/thumb USB 4Gig drive and I'm trying to back up another flash/thumb USB drive 32Gig to a 3T rotating USB hard disk.

Can you suggest a dd command line I can use to back up the 32Gig to a file on the 3T rotating USB hard disk? Yes I will be very careful and read about dd before I use it.

I'm very busy tomorrow, sorry if I don't get back to this real fast.

Thanks for your note.

Run filesystem tools on second partition booting from a live cd with the same level tools that made the filesystem.

I think ddrescue or such, I forget the other. gddrescue or something. Others may know.