[plug] partition image

[Jim Householder]

Hi

I need to make a backup copy of the hard drive on my lappy.  It's only 
way to talk to the outside world is USB, and Windows ME is the latest 
version of MS that can be installed due to hardware defects.

The copy has to contain the boot sector and partition table.

I have removed the disk and am trying to work with it in a USB connected 
external box on my FC6 machine, and am having little luck. 
Unfortunately, until I get a bit better organised, USB is my only option.

partimage does not see /dev/sda*, either with the original 2.5" drive or 
a test drive connected.

dd has made a copy on my FC6 drive, but cannot restore it.

When I connect a second 2.5" drive to test the copy, I get:

/# tail /var/log/messages
Mar  5 19:20:20 D2400 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg0 type 0
Mar  5 19:20:20 D2400 kernel: SCSI device sda: 19640881 512-byte hdwr 
sectors (10056 MB)
Mar  5 19:20:20 D2400 kernel: sda: Write Protect is off
Mar  5 19:20:20 D2400 kernel: sda: assuming drive cache: write through
Mar  5 19:20:20 D2400 kernel: SCSI device sda: 19640881 512-byte hdwr 
sectors (10056 MB)
Mar  5 19:20:20 D2400 kernel: sda: Write Protect is off
Mar  5 19:20:20 D2400 kernel: sda: assuming drive cache: write through
Mar  5 19:20:20 D2400 kernel:  sda:<7>usb-storage: queuecommand called
Mar  5 19:20:20 D2400 kernel:
Mar  5 19:20:20 D2400 kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi disk sda

data# ls -al
...
-rw-r--r--  1 root  root  2167570944 Mar  5 17:55 winme-fresh.image

data# dd if=winme-fresh.image of=/dev/sda
dd: writing to `/dev/sda': No space left on device
1034609+0 records in
1034608+0 records out
529719296 bytes (530 MB) copied, 10.8999 seconds, 48.6 MB/s

I get the same result using /dev/sda1 as a destination.

The copy speed of the original was 1 MB/s, so 48.6 indicates the 
destination is not right.  Also the 530 MB space limit.  Nothing on the 
system appears to correspond to that space.

I really need a backup image since it takes about 3 hours to install 
from scratch, and the MS update site is stuffed and needs special 
handling to get everything.

TIA
Jim