[Trainer-Talk] Accessible / usable cloning software

[Brian Vogel]

There does exist cloning software that will allow larger drives to be
cloned to smaller drives provided that the actual capacity used on that
larger drive does not exceed the capacity on the smaller one.

But I have to ask, why a clone?  Not that there's anything wrong with a
clone, but using any one of a number of backup and restore packages allows
you to take a full system image that, provided there is enough room on the
backup drive, will always work if the space taken on the drive being backed
up is not greater than that available for the full system image backup.

A clone will have the advantage of being "plug and play," though, but if
you are not able to do that plugging yourself, and many users are not, then
it's of virtually no advantage over imaging software.  It could be a
disadvantage, as you cannot use a cloned drive for anything else while
backup drives for imaging software have the images tucked in folders, and
the rest of the drive is yours to use for other things, if you so desire.

Brian