Backup UEFI HDD

[mjc]

Hi,
Anyone know of a 'free' backup method for a UEFI HDD?

I am using Debian 12.11.0 distro to create a UEFI partitioned HDD.

I tried using Clonezilla 3.1.0 -- apparently no support for >= 4TB HDD, nor does there seem to be any support for UEFI HDDs in general...TBD.

I tried using simeple 'dd' command to backup a UEFI/HDD that I created with the Debian Distro. But the newly created HDD will not boot
(a security thing I think...TBD?).

Anyone, got a simple, easy backup method that works with large disks partitioned/created as a UEFI HDD?

This is on a HP Z620 workstation

 

[Solaris17]

this shouldnt be that difficult, have you tried specifying bit for bit?

 

[mjc]

dd is bit for bit; and yes, that is what I thought...re: it should be easy; but it is not.
As far as I am able to tell, there is no, normal, Linux/Unix type backup for the Z620 ws series using large disks and UEFI.

The UEFI security looks like they are using info unique to a specific workstation, together with info unique to a particular hdd (the install hdd)
to create a unique key that will only work with this pair. That would make it very secure, and also, very unusable IMHO.

 

[Solaris17]

dd is bit for bit; and yes, that is what I thought...re: it should be easy; but it is not.
As far as I am able to tell, there is no, normal, Linux/Unix type backup for the Z620 ws series using large disks and UEFI.

The UEFI security looks like they are using info unique to a specific workstation, together with info unique to a particular hdd (the install hdd)
to create a unique key that will only work with this pair. That would make it very secure, and also, very unusable IMHO.

Hm, im not sure, I have been able to clone UEFI disks without issue with both clonezilla and DD.

 

[Psychoholic]

to create a unique key that will only work with this pair. That would make it very secure, and also, very unusable IMHO.

When you say "UEFI Drive" are you referring to a SED drive encrypted in UEFI? If so, then yes, i believe it will only work in that pair, that is the point of a SED drive.

I believe you could "repurpose" a sed drive without the original key/pair but you'd wipe the data in the process.

Actually, now that i think about it, not sure.. if you used DD While the drive was unlocked, it should have copied, i would think.

 

[claes]

Clonezilla supports UEFI and >4TB afaik, based on my own use. UEFI does not prevent you from booting the disk in another system, and both did and clonezilla will clone the UEFI tables anyway, so they should be the same (and it sounds like you’re using the same system anyway?).

Are you cloning the whole disk, or just the system partition? Maybe you forgot the boot partition/grub?

 

[aerosimit]

There's nothing dd can't handle Do you also run sync after dd?
Is any of folders on / on a seperated drive?

 

[silentbogo]

Clonezilla should be fine (for 2+TB you have to manually create a GPT table on the target disk), but straightforward DD may have issues.
For example, if you have a Windows drive - it'll work just fine. But if you have a Linux drive(or multiboot) - you'll have issues with GUIDs (you'll have to fix it manually in GRUB and fstab).
Found that out the "hard way" a few years back, when a simple drive clone/swap for a customer ended up being a tedious lengthy session in Grub Recovery.
Clonezilla does GUIDs automagically.

 

[Deleted member 232534]

Hi,
Anyone know of a 'free' backup method for a UEFI HDD?

I am using Debian 12.11.0 distro to create a UEFI partitioned HDD.

I tried using Clonezilla 3.1.0 -- apparently no support for >= 4TB HDD, nor does there seem to be any support for UEFI HDDs in general...TBD.

I tried using simeple 'dd' command to backup a UEFI/HDD that I created with the Debian Distro. But the newly created HDD will not boot
(a security thing I think...TBD?).

Anyone, got a simple, easy backup method that works with large disks partitioned/created as a UEFI HDD?

This is on a HP Z620 workstation

what does it mean it does not boot?

have you added it to the bootloader?

if you are cloning a whole drive you also need to edit boot entries to be visible in UEFI BIOS using efibootmgr or corresponding windows utility bcdedit

mm@desktop:~$ lsblk

NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda           8:0    0   2.7T  0 disk
├─sda1        8:1    0 929.3G  0 part
├─sda2        8:2    0 930.4G  0 part
└─sda3        8:3    0 934.8G  0 part
sdb           8:16   1     0B  0 disk
sdc           8:32   1  29.7G  0 disk
nvme0n1     259:0    0   1.8T  0 disk
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0   476M  0 part /boot/efi
├─nvme0n1p2 259:2    0  35.4G  0 part [SWAP]
├─nvme0n1p3 259:3    0 153.7G  0 part
├─nvme0n1p4 259:4    0   1.3T  0 part /mnt/g
├─nvme0n1p5 259:5    0 263.4G  0 part
└─nvme0n1p6 259:6    0 112.2G  0 part /

mm@desktop:~$ efibootmgr
BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0000,0001,0003
Boot0000* arch  HD(1,GPT,9f8e729c-edcf-43cf-87b5-a9da21fb7e68,0x800,0xee000)/File(\EFI\arch\grubx64.efi)
Boot0001* slack HD(1,GPT,9f8e729c-edcf-43cf-87b5-a9da21fb7e68,0x800,0xee000)/File(\EFI\slackware-15.0+\grubx64.efi)
Boot0003* Windows Boot Manager  HD(1,GPT,9f8e729c-edcf-43cf-87b5-a9da21fb7e68,0x800,0xee000)/File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi)57494e444f5753000100000088000000780000004200430044004f0042004a004500430054003d007b00390064006500610038003600320063002d0035006300640064002d0034006500370030002d0061006300630031002d006600330032006200330034003400640034003700390035007d0000006f000100000010000000040000007fff0400
mm@desktop:~$

 

[remixedcat]

Any way you can remove n stick in a dual drive dock n clone that way it's a bit perfect method that I've used for 4 laptops!

 

[R-T-B]

Hm, im not sure, I have been able to clone UEFI disks without issue with both clonezilla and DD.

Me too.

 

[remixedcat]

I just use a dual caddy to clone mine...