Clonezilla on KnightLi Blog

Clonezilla Save Disk Image Guide: Back Up a System Drive to Another Disk

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:55:19 +0800

Clonezilla Live can save an entire drive as an image directory, which can later be restored to a disk. The official example saves the first disk sda as an image and stores it on the sdb1 partition of the second disk.

Official document: https://clonezilla.org/fine-print-live-doc.php?path=clonezilla-live/doc/01_Save_disk_image

This is different from disk-to-disk cloning. Disk cloning writes the old disk directly to a new disk. Saving an image first packages the current disk as a backup and stores it on another disk, external drive, or network storage. When needed, you can later use restoredisk to write the image back to a target disk.

Do two things first

First, make sure the system you want to back up is fully shut down.

The official document specifically notes that the original system must not be in hibernation, Fast Startup, or a similar half-shutdown state. Windows users should pay special attention to Fast Startup. If the system is not fully shut down, the file system may not be clean, and the restored image may have problems.

Second, make sure the image storage location has enough space.

Clonezilla does not always save data equal to the raw size of the entire drive. It handles the image according to partitions, file systems, and actual data. Still, the storage disk needs enough free space. In the official example, sda is 20GB and the final image directory is about 1.3GB because the sample system contains little data. Do not use that as a general estimate.

Example scenario

The official example has two disks:

Device	Role
`sda`	Source drive to save as an image
`sdb1`	Target partition that stores the image

sda has Debian Bookworm installed and contains several partitions, such as sda1, sda2, sda3, and sda4. Clonezilla saves disk-level information, including boot information, partition table, partition data, and hardware/system records.

Do not judge by sda and sdb alone. Device order may change on different machines. Before selecting, check capacity, model, connection type, and partition information.

Boot Clonezilla Live

Boot the computer from a Clonezilla Live USB drive, CD, or other boot media.

If the machine does not boot from USB automatically, adjust the BIOS/UEFI boot order, or press the boot menu key during startup, such as Esc, F8, F9, or F12. The exact key depends on the machine.

In the Clonezilla Live boot menu, the default 800x600 mode is usually enough. The official document also describes several common choices:

Default mode: normal Clonezilla Live boot.
VGA 800x600 & To RAM: copy Clonezilla Live files into memory and run from there, allowing the boot media to be removed later.
VGA with large font & To RAM: useful for high-resolution displays or when larger text is needed.
Safe graphic settings: useful when framebuffer graphics cause problems.

Saving an image does not always require ToRAM, but if you want the boot media to be released later, or need to remove the USB drive, choose a mode with To RAM.

Enter device-image

After entering Clonezilla, choose:

Select language.
Select keyboard layout. The default is fine for a US keyboard.
Choose Start Clonezilla.
Choose device-image.

device-image means backup or restore through images. Saving and restoring disk images both use this entry point. Direct disk-to-disk cloning uses device-device.

Some Clonezilla menu items require the space key to select. The official hint says that when multiple choices are available, press Space; selected items show *.

Choose local_dev as the image repository

Next, tell Clonezilla where to store the image.

The official example chooses:

`1`	`local_dev`

local_dev is suitable when the image will be saved to a second local disk, external drive, or USB drive. After selecting it, Clonezilla scans local disks. If you use a USB drive or external drive as the image repository, insert it and wait a few seconds.

When the device appears in the scan results, press:

Ctrl-C

to exit the scan report and continue.

If you do not have a second local disk, you can choose sshfs, samba, nfs, WebDAV, S3, or OpenStack Swift depending on your environment. For a normal personal backup, local_dev is the simplest.

Mount the partition that stores the image

The official example chooses sdb1 as the image repository.

Linux device names roughly mean:

Name	Meaning
`sda`	First disk
`sda1`	First partition on the first disk
`sdb`	Second disk
`sdb1`	First partition on the second disk

If you save the image to an external drive, it may not be sdb1; it could be sdc1. Use capacity and device information to decide, and do not accidentally choose a partition on the source disk as the storage location.

Clonezilla asks whether to check the file system of the image repository partition. The official example skips it. If that disk was previously disconnected unexpectedly or you are unsure whether the file system is clean, checking first is safer.

Then select the directory where the image should be stored. The official example stores the image in the partition root /. Confirm the directory, use Tab to select Done, and press Enter.

Choose savedisk

After mounting the image repository, Clonezilla shows disk usage. Choose:

`1`	`Beginner`

Then choose:

`1`	`savedisk`

savedisk saves an entire drive image. It stores disk-level information and partition data, making it suitable for a full system disk backup.

If you only want to back up one partition, do not choose savedisk; choose the corresponding partition save mode instead.

Enter image name and select source disk

Clonezilla asks for an image name. It suggests a default name based on date and time, but you can rename it to something easier to recognize.

A useful name can include machine name, system, and date, for example:

`1`	`thinkpad-win11-2026-06-23-img`

Then select the source drive to save. In the official example:

sda

Be careful here. sda is the drive to read and save as an image, not the image storage disk. Check capacity, model, and partition count before continuing.

Compression, checking, and encryption

Clonezilla asks for a compression method. The official document mentions two common options:

-z1p

which uses parallel gzip.

-z9p

which uses parallel zstd and is usually faster, with a slightly smaller size than gzip.

Most users can choose the Clonezilla-recommended default. If speed matters more, consider zstd. If you prefer conservative compatibility, gzip is also fine.

Clonezilla then asks whether to check the source file system. The official example skips it, but it also notes that if you are not sure whether the source file system is clean, checking is recommended.

Next it asks whether to check the saved image. The default is to check, and the official document recommends doing so. This takes more time, but it can catch image corruption early, especially for important system disk backups.

Then it asks whether to encrypt the image. The default is no encryption. If you choose encryption, Clonezilla asks for a passphrase.

Be careful: you must remember the passphrase. The official document makes it clear that if you forget it, the image will not be usable later. There is no back door to decrypt it.

Start saving the image

After the options are confirmed, Clonezilla displays the actual command it will run. This command is useful for batch backups, custom Clonezilla Live media, or reproducible workflows.

Before starting, Clonezilla gives one more confirmation. After confirmation, it saves the source drive as an image. The official document says it usually saves:

MBR.
Partition table and disk CHS information.
Data on every partition or logical volume.

Different file systems are handled by different tools, such as partclone, ntfsclone, partimage, or dd. Ordinary users do not need to manage these manually. The important part is confirming the source disk and image storage location.

If you chose to check the saved image, Clonezilla automatically verifies it after creation.

What the image looks like

After completion, the image is not one large file. It is a directory. In the official example, the image directory is:

`1`	`bookworm-2023-10-15-03-img`

The directory contains many files, such as disk lists, partition tables, hardware information, file system images, and boot-related information. The official example includes files like:

blkdev.list
blkid.list
clonezilla-img
disk
efi-nvram.dat
Info-dmi.txt
Info-lshw.txt
sda1.vfat-ptcl-img.zst
sda2.ext4-ptcl-img.zst
sda-gpt-1st
sda-gpt-2nd
sda-mbr
sda-pt.sf

Do not copy only one compressed file. For future restore, keep the whole image directory.

What to do after completion

After saving the image, Clonezilla lets you choose:

Power off.
Reboot.
Enter command line.
Start over.

For a system disk backup, you can usually choose power off and safely remove the image disk.

It is also worth doing two more things:

Give the image directory a readable name, or record which machine, system, and date it belongs to.
Keep at least one extra copy. If the image exists only on one external disk and that disk fails, the backup is gone.

If the image is important, periodically use Clonezilla’s check function to verify that it is still readable.

Short advice

When saving a full disk image, remember this flow:

`1`	`device-image -> local_dev -> choose image repository -> Beginner -> savedisk -> enter image name -> choose source disk`

The points that deserve attention are:

Is the original system fully shut down?
Is the image repository partition correct?
Is the source drive correct?
Should the saved image be checked?
If encryption is enabled, is the passphrase stored safely?

Once these are clear, Clonezilla savedisk is a solid full-disk backup method.

Clonezilla Restore Disk Image Guide: Restore a Backup Image to a Target Drive

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:50:48 +0800

Clonezilla Live can restore a previously saved disk image to a drive. The official example restores the image bookworm-2023-10-15-03-img, stored on the second disk sdb, to the first disk sda.

Official document: https://clonezilla.org/fine-print-live-doc.php?path=clonezilla-live/doc/02_Restore_disk_image

This is useful for system recovery, batch deployment, lab rollback, or restoring a backup image to a new drive. Unlike copying files, restoredisk restores the full disk structure, including partition table, boot-related information, and partition data.

Confirm the risks first

Before restoring an image, confirm these points:

Data on the target disk will be overwritten.
The image files must be complete and readable.
The target disk should have enough capacity for the image.
The source image and target disk must not be confused.
For a system disk, BIOS/UEFI boot order may matter after restoration.

Clonezilla asks for confirmation twice before writing. Do not treat these confirmations as routine, especially when several disks or USB drives are connected.

Example scenario

The official example has two disks:

Device	Role
`sda`	Target disk, the first disk to be restored
`sdb`	Second disk that stores the Clonezilla image

The image directory is:

`1`	`bookworm-2023-10-15-03-img`

A Clonezilla image directory usually contains partition images, partition table data, disk information, hardware information, and metadata required for restore. The official example includes files such as sda-mbr, sda-gpt-1st, sda-gpt-2nd, sda1.vfat-ptcl-img.zst, and sda2.ext4-ptcl-img.zst.

Do not rename, move, or delete these files manually. When restoring, select the whole image directory, not a single compressed file.

Boot Clonezilla Live

Boot the machine with a Clonezilla Live USB drive, CD, or other boot media.

If needed, set USB or optical drive as the first boot device in BIOS/UEFI, or press the boot menu key during startup, such as Esc, F8, F9, or F12. The key varies by machine.

In the Clonezilla Live boot menu, the default 800x600 mode is usually enough. If display problems occur, try safe graphic settings. On a high-resolution display, the large-font mode may be easier to read.

Enter the restore flow

After booting, choose:

Select language.
Select keyboard layout. The default is fine for a US keyboard.
Choose Start Clonezilla.
Choose device-image.

device-image means backup or restore through image files, not direct disk-to-disk cloning. Disk-to-disk cloning uses device-device, so do not choose the wrong mode here.

Some Clonezilla menus require the space key for selection. The official document notes that when multiple choices are available, press Space; a selected item will show *.

Choose the image repository

Next, choose where the image is stored.

The official example chooses:

`1`	`local_dev`

local_dev is suitable when the image is on a second local disk, external drive, or USB drive. Clonezilla scans the local disks and partitions. If you have just inserted a USB drive or external disk, wait a few seconds for it to appear.

When the device appears in the scan list, press Ctrl-C to exit the scan report and continue.

If the image is not on a local device, you can choose other methods such as sshfs, samba, nfs, WebDAV, S3, or OpenStack Swift. For personal recovery work, local_dev is the most straightforward option.

Mount the partition that stores the image

The official example selects sdb1 as the image repository, meaning the first partition on the second disk.

Linux device names can be understood like this:

Name	Meaning
`sda`	First disk
`sda1`	First partition on the first disk
`sdb`	Second disk
`sdb1`	First partition on the second disk

If your image is on a USB drive or external disk, it may not be sdb1; it could be sdc1 or sdd1. Always judge by capacity, file system, and device model.

Clonezilla asks whether to check the file system before mounting the device. The official example skips it, but if you suspect the image disk has issues, checking first is safer.

Then choose the directory that contains the image. If the image is in the root of the partition, choose /, use Tab to select Done, and press Enter.

Choose restoredisk

After mounting the image repository, Clonezilla shows disk usage. Then choose:

`1`	`Beginner`

Then choose:

`1`	`restoredisk`

restoredisk restores a disk image to an entire drive. It is different from restoring a single partition and is suitable for full system disk recovery.

If you only want to restore one partition, do not choose restoredisk; choose the corresponding partition restore mode instead.

Select the image and target disk

First select the source image, such as:

`1`	`bookworm-2023-10-15-03-img`

Then select the target drive, such as:

sda

This is the most dangerous step. The source image is read. The target drive is overwritten.

Before confirming, check three times:

Is this the image you want to restore?
Is the target disk capacity and model correct?
Is there any unbacked-up data on the target disk?

Partition table and image integrity

Clonezilla asks how to create the partition table on the target disk.

The official document mentions two directions:

Use the partition table from the image.
Create the partition table proportionally on the target disk.

If the image was saved from a smaller disk and the target disk is larger, proportional creation may be convenient. But this affects the final partition layout, so do not change it casually if you are unsure.

Clonezilla also asks whether to check image integrity before restoring. The official document recommends checking the image because the directory existing does not prove that the image is intact.

If you are very sure the image is good, you can choose -scr to skip checking. For most recovery scenarios, checking first is better, especially when the image comes from an external drive, network storage, or old backup.

Start restoring

After confirming options, Clonezilla displays the restore command. This command is useful for custom Clonezilla Live media or repeatable deployment workflows.

If you chose to check the image, Clonezilla checks it first. After the check passes, it asks for confirmation twice before writing.

During restore, Clonezilla writes the image back to the target disk, usually including:

MBR and boot loader.
Partition table.
Data for each partition or logical volume.

Different file systems may be restored with different tools, such as partclone, ntfsclone, partimage, or dd. Ordinary users do not need to choose these manually; the important part is selecting the correct image and target disk.

What to do after completion

After restoration, Clonezilla lets you choose:

Power off.
Reboot.
Enter command line.
Start over.

If this is a system disk restore, it is usually safer to power off, remove the Clonezilla boot media and image disk, then boot from the target disk.

After booting, check:

Whether the system starts normally.
Whether partitions match expectations.
Whether important data exists.
Whether BIOS/UEFI boot entries point to the correct disk.

If the restored system does not boot, do not immediately redo everything. Check whether the boot mode is consistent, such as UEFI or Legacy BIOS, whether the target machine’s boot order is correct, and whether the ESP partition exists.

Short advice

When restoring a disk image with Clonezilla, remember this flow:

`1`	`device-image -> local_dev -> choose image repository -> Beginner -> restoredisk -> choose image -> choose target disk`

Spend your attention on:

Did you choose the correct image repository?
Did you choose the correct image directory?
Did you choose the correct target disk?
Should you check image integrity?
Has the target disk data been backed up?

Once these are confirmed, restoredisk becomes much safer.

Clonezilla Disk-to-Disk Clone Guide: Clone a Small Drive to a Larger Drive

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:49:24 +0800

Clonezilla Live can clone one full drive to another. The official example clones a 20GB old drive to a 60GB new drive, which is a common case when upgrading to a larger SSD, migrating a system disk, or replacing an old drive.

Official document: https://clonezilla.org/fine-print-live-doc.php?path=clonezilla-live/doc/03_Disk_to_disk_clone

The most important point comes first: back up important data before doing any disk clone, and check the source and target disks more than once. Clonezilla overwrites the target disk. Choosing the wrong disk can erase data directly.

What to prepare

You need:

A new drive with capacity equal to or larger than the old drive.
Clonezilla Live boot media, such as a USB drive, CD, or the temporary method from the official example where Clonezilla Live is placed on the new disk.
A disk enclosure or adapter cable if the new drive is connected externally.
A computer that can boot from USB or an external device.

The official example puts Clonezilla Live on the new drive and boots from it. The advantage is that no extra USB drive is needed. The downside is that this is a one-time setup: after cloning, the Clonezilla Live files on the new drive will be overwritten by the target system.

If you already have a Clonezilla Live USB drive, you can boot from that instead. The rest of the procedure is almost the same.

Why choose ToRAM

In the Clonezilla Live boot menu, the official example recommends choosing an option with ToRAM, such as:

`1`	`(VGA 800x600 & To RAM)`

or:

`1`	`(VGA with large font & To RAM)`

ToRAM copies Clonezilla Live files into memory and runs from there. This releases the partition used for booting, so it is not kept busy by running programs during the clone.

If you boot from a separate USB drive, ToRAM is not always required, but it is still a safe choice. On very old machines with little RAM, copying to memory may take longer or may not be suitable.

Basic workflow

After entering Clonezilla Live, the flow is roughly:

Choose a language.
Choose the keyboard layout. The default is fine for a US keyboard.
Choose Start Clonezilla.
Choose device-device.
Choose Beginner.
Choose disk_to_local_disk.
Select the source disk.
Select the target disk.
Choose whether to check the source file system.
Choose how to handle the target disk partition table.
Confirm and start cloning.

The key steps are step 7 and step 8. The source disk is the old disk you want to copy from. The target disk is the new disk that will be overwritten. In the official example, the source is sda and the target is sdb, but your machine may be different.

Do not rely only on names like sda and sdb. Check capacity, model, and connection type together. For example, if the old disk is 512GB and the new disk is 1TB, use both capacity and model information to confirm.

Space after cloning a small drive to a larger drive

By default, Clonezilla clones the source disk’s existing data and partition structure. The official document notes that it does not automatically expand all remaining space on the target disk.

For example, if the source disk is 20GB with 8GB used and the target disk is 60GB, Clonezilla will process the data and structure that correspond to the source disk. The remaining space on the target disk may not automatically become an available partition.

If you want the cloned system to use the whole larger disk directly, pay attention to the -k1 option. The official document says that if you want to use the full target disk size, choose -k1, whether you are in Beginner or Expert mode.

If you keep the default -k0, it usually preserves the original partition table structure. This is more conservative, but after cloning you may still need to expand the partition in the operating system or with a partition tool.

In short:

Goal	Suggestion
Copy the original disk structure safely	Keep the default partition table handling
Use the larger target disk space as much as possible	Pay attention to `-k1`
Not sure what to choose	Back up first, then follow the official screenshots step by step

The confirmations matter

Clonezilla asks for confirmation more than once before it starts writing. Do not just press Enter through these prompts.

Check again:

Is the source disk the old disk?
Is the target disk the new disk?
Is there anything on the target disk that still needs to be saved?
Are you ready for the target disk to be overwritten?

After confirmation, Clonezilla prepares a pseudo image of the source disk, creates the target disk partition table, and then writes data to the target disk. Depending on disk size, interface speed, and data volume, this may take minutes or hours.

What to do after cloning

When everything is done, Clonezilla asks whether to reboot, power off, or return to the command line. For system disk migration, powering off first is usually safer.

After shutdown:

Remove the old disk.
Install the new disk in the machine.
Boot from the new disk.
Check that the system starts normally and that partitions and data are present.

The official document also warns against booting with both the source disk and the cloned target disk in the same machine. The two disks may contain identical file system UUIDs, and the operating system can become confused and mount the wrong file system.

If you really need to connect both disks at the same time, first check boot order, then verify disk UUIDs, mount points, and partition state after boot.

Suitable scenarios

Clonezilla disk-to-disk cloning is suitable for:

Upgrading an old drive to a larger SSD.
Migrating a complete system disk.
Copying a system environment between machines of the same type.
Quickly duplicating disks in labs, machine rooms, or repair work.

It is not a good idea to run it blindly when you have no backup, the disk state is unclear, or the partition layout is complex. If BitLocker, LUKS, dynamic disks, RAID, dual boot, or multiple boot partitions are involved, check compatibility and recovery options first.

Short advice

For a normal Windows or Linux single-system disk migration, Clonezilla’s device-device and disk_to_local_disk flow is enough.

The risky parts are not the menus themselves, but these three things:

Back up important data.
Confirm the source and target disks.
Decide whether to use -k1 when cloning from a smaller drive to a larger one.

Once these are clear, following the Clonezilla Live steps becomes much safer.