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Question

My clone backups hit a wall: "broken-pipe error".

Jan 16, 2015 10:28AM PST

For what it's worth, I clone my hard drives so in the event of a catastrophe, large or small, I can extract the data I need or just swap drives.
One computer stalls returning this error, and none of my (many) fixer upper programs has a clue.
Online forums are either WAY over my head, (I'm capable but gimme a break techies) or link me to plumbers with leaky basements.
Do I wipe my C drive clean and start fresh or can this thing be fixed? I imagine any Image I have of the drive will just reintroduce the same error.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Given no name of that backup/clone app.
Jan 16, 2015 10:49AM PST

I'm going to share what I use. CLONEZILLA. With that free bootable CD I can backup to a folder on an external drive and since it's in that folder I can backup as many machines or copies fit on the external drive.

Without details I doubt anyone can diagnose this broken pipe.
Bob

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Broken Pipe Error
Jan 16, 2015 2:19PM PST

I am not looking to backup to a folder on an external drive. I wish to clone my C drive to an external drive so it is just that, a clone, an exact duplicate, which in the event of an emergency can be swapped. I use Macruim Reflect and successfully do this for several computers. I tried EASUS Partition Master which can also deliver clone copies, and the same error appeared.
On more than one occasion this ability to simply swap drives has saved the computer not to mention considerable time. A fix literally takes minutes. This computer is Windows 7 Home and I've successfully done this with work computers running - Windows 7 Pro.
One computer just stopped cooperating in this regard and returns a read error, Broken Pipe at about 45% into the process. The external disk drive itself proves fine as it can be used in any other application.
I can backup data, but not the entire drive's contents. The computer runs everything error free but I just can't clone the drive as I have many times in the past.
Thanks

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(NT) Clonezilla can clone too.
Jan 16, 2015 2:45PM PST
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Wag
Jan 16, 2015 11:18PM PST

The last time I ran across a clone failure it was necessary to run a chkdsk on the source hdd.

This found and fixed a few things and then the clone worked fine.