Image file backup ?

[mmkw43]

Here's what I'm trying to do --

I have an 8 GB SD card that I did on the PI and no problem at all reading it and creating an IMG file on my Windows 7 computer hard drive, using Win32diskimager.

I'd like to make another image file for backup but on a removable medium like USB preferably (or possibly SD, if need be).

Is there going to be an issue with this? I've tried both an 8gb and a 16gb USB drive and get errors that drive isn't big enough. Never pursued doing this before so must be something simple.

Maybe I should trying avoiding Windows all together and use another PI with a linux program to make images? If so, please inform. I have a lot of PI's so I could setup a dedicated unit just to make image files. (Like I say, on a USB drive if possible).

THANKS much.

[fruitoftheloom]

Here's what I'm trying to do --

I have an 8 GB SD card that I did on the PI and no problem at all reading it and creating an IMG file on my Windows 7 computer hard drive, using Win32diskimager.

I'd like to make another image file for backup but on a removable medium like USB preferably (or possibly SD, if need be).

Is there going to be an issue with this? I've tried both an 8gb and a 16gb USB drive and get errors that drive isn't big enough. Never pursued doing this before so must be something simple.

Maybe I should trying avoiding Windows all together and use another PI with a linux program to make images? If so, please inform. I have a lot of PI's so I could setup a dedicated unit just to make image files. (Like I say, on a USB drive if possible).

THANKS much.

Raspbian comes with PiClone, maybe try that ????

[k-pi]

Use Linux to create an image on a Linux filesystem, (dd will do it).

Most likely your problem was the file system of the pendrives.

[klricks]

The problem is that the image made with win32diskimager will be the entire size of the SD card used or not. 8GB....16GB etc.
So of course the destination media must be equal or smaller than the source.
The problem that many encounter is that 2 SD cards...... even if same brand and advertised size........ are not necessarily the same size.
Even if a tiny bit smaller the write will fail.

As mentioned the SD card copier utility in Raspbian can make working copies.... as it does not copy the unused space.

[mmkw43]

Thanks.
So does SD copier make an exact clone of the PI card? I have an auto executing python script along with Raspian and misc etc on the card. Silly question but I'll ask anyway. I assume it does.

Is SD copier pretty straightforward when you use it through the gui? EZ peasy? It prompts you through the process? It's flawless?

Asking now as I'm too old for headaches. (Been there, done that). -thanks again

(I'll clone an 8gb card in the PI now and use an exact blank duplicate of the Sandisk card I'm using, so both cards I know are the very same. to avoid incompatibility issues).

[davidcoton]

(I'll clone an 8gb card in the PI now and use an exact blank duplicate of the Sandisk card I'm using, so both cards I know are the very same. to avoid incompatibility issues).

The problem that many encounter is that 2 SD cards...... even if same brand and advertised size........ are not necessarily the same size.

SDCards are individually tested to exclude bad blocks. This means that two "identical" cards may have different sizes after bad blocks are excluded. You cannot guarantee that you can copy from one to another using win32diskimager.

AIUI, if you use PiClone, it makes a copy that excludes unused space. Unless your source card is really full, this will fit back on to a card of nominally the same size. So you can copy, directly on the Pi, to another SDCard or to USB. The image it makes can be copied back to another SDCard, even a nominally smaller one, as long as it is bigger than the data actually saved. This process avoids problems with the inevitable differences between nominally identical SDCards.

[mmkw43]

Ok. I'll get started on it using SDcopier. Thank you all very much.