If you use a Linux live-CD, you can use ddrescue
to create an image of the whole HDD and store this (probably large) file anywhere you like. ddrescue
is similar to dd
in the way that it will create a raw disk image. But it is designed specifically to work with slightly broken HDDs.
Many websites like ForensicsWiki suggest multiple passes of ddrescue
to get fast and satisfying results (you need to use the same logfile every time, so it can know which sectors were already tried):
ddrescue -n /dev/sdX NETWORK/diskimage.img logfile.txt
ddrescue -r4 /dev/sdX NETWORK/diskimage.img logfile.txt
(For best results, you might want to have a good look at the manpage or other tutorials using ddrescue, depending on the damage on your HDD)
You can then mount this image (using the mount
command from Linux/Cygwin or tools like OSFMount for Windows) so it is accessible like any other folder structure.
There is one caveat to your solution using the image: if you have a raw image, the empty space in the filesystem is also copied (so a 500GB HDD that is only filled with 300GB data will still have a 500GB image to copy over the network).
However, if you have enough local storage, you could first keep the image there and then resize it using tools like gparted
There are three layers of filesystems in your scheme: filesystem of the imaged drive, filesystem of the drive on which image is stored and virtual filesystem emulated by network. It won't be faster than reading directly from disk. Please see What is the XY problem? and ask for the solution to original problem.
– gronostaj – 2015-04-20T22:01:29.230@gronostaj I don't care as far as I can extract files later. – Smit Johnth – 2015-04-20T22:03:24.500
If you image the drive with a command, you get a VHD which you can mount (attach) via disk management > Action tab. The command is --> wbadmin start backup -backupTarget:X: -include:C: -AllCritical -quiet <-- You have to replace "X" with the volume letter of your backup device. Just copy/paste the command into an elevated command prompt window. Make sure to edit 'X' first. – whs – 2015-04-20T23:42:00.757
@whs Don't quite get what you are talking about. – Smit Johnth – 2015-04-20T23:48:54.647
I could not edit the above. I suggest you leave the -AllCritical parameter off. And if your volume that you want to image is not C:, change that volume letter too. Note: This is a cmd command that will create an image VHD that you mount with Disk Management as described above. No programs needed for that. If you have specific questions, please ask. And if you are really confused but are interested in the solution, I will make you a little video. – whs – 2015-04-21T00:10:03.593