Boot Clonezilla Live, choose device-image, make the image repository available, then select the saved image and use restoredisk to write it to the replacement drive. For a larger target where you want to use the extra space, Clonezilla documents combining -k1 (proportional partition layout) with -r (resize the filesystem to fit its partition). Check the destination disk carefully: restoring an image writes to that disk and can overwrite its existing data.
Before you start
- Make sure you can access the Clonezilla image repository from the computer running Clonezilla Live. The repository might be on a local disk or another storage location available to your setup.
- Identify the replacement drive by its displayed name and capacity. Check the computer’s requirements for interface, physical size and usable capacity; Clonezilla’s documentation does not identify a universally compatible SSD model.
- Back up any files you need from the destination drive. A disk restore writes the selected image to the selected destination, so choosing the wrong disk can destroy data.
Restore the image to the replacement drive
- Boot Clonezilla Live. Start the computer from the Clonezilla Live media.
- Choose device-image. This is the image-based workflow, rather than a direct disk-to-disk clone.
- Make the repository available. Select local_dev if the image is on a local device, then locate the repository containing the saved image. The available choices depend on where your image is stored.
- Select the saved image and restore mode. Choose the image you want to restore and select restoredisk to restore a whole-disk image.
- Select the destination disk. Verify its identity and capacity before proceeding. The destination is the disk that will be overwritten; do not rely on disk order alone if multiple drives are connected.
- Choose the partition-table approach. To retain the partition layout stored in the image, use the default behavior. To distribute partitions proportionally across a larger target, use -k1. For the larger-drive path, also enable -r so Clonezilla resizes the filesystem to fit its partition after restoration.
- Check the image before writing it. Clonezilla recommends checking image integrity before restoring. Run the offered integrity check if available in your workflow, and do not continue if it reports a problem.
- Confirm and start the restore. Review the image and destination selections, then proceed through Clonezilla’s confirmation prompts. The restore writes the image to the destination disk.
- Boot from the replacement drive and verify it. After restoration, start the computer from the new drive. Check that the expected partitions are present and that the filesystem size reflects the chosen layout.
How the larger-drive options affect the result
Clonezilla’s default partition-table behavior uses the layout from the image. That can leave capacity on a larger disk outside the restored partitions. The documented alternative is to use -k1 to create a proportional partition table on the target, together with -r to resize the filesystem to fit the partition after restoration.
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| Approach | Partition layout | Filesystem sizing | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Uses the partition table from the image. | Does not, by itself, request the documented automatic resize. | When you want to preserve the image’s partition layout. |
| -k1 with -r | Creates a proportional partition table on the target. | Resizes the filesystem to fit its partition after restoration. | When restoring to a larger drive and you want the extra capacity used proportionally. |
Filesystem resizing depends on the filesystem and Clonezilla’s support for its resize behavior. Check the result after the first boot rather than assuming that a larger physical disk automatically means every partition and filesystem has expanded as intended.
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Why -icds is not the larger-drive option
Do not enable -icds just because the replacement drive is larger. Clonezilla’s command manual describes it as skipping the destination-size check; by default, Clonezilla checks the destination and quits if it is smaller than the source disk. That safeguard addresses a smaller-target case, not proportional expansion on a larger target.
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If the restored drive does not use the space as expected
- The partition layout matches the image and extra space remains unused: The default layout preserves the image’s partition table. The documented proportional path for a larger target is -k1 with -r.
- The restore stops because the destination is too small: Clonezilla’s default size check is intended to stop when the target is smaller than the source. Recheck the source and destination capacities; -icds disables that check and is not a general fix for a larger-drive restore.
- The computer does not boot from the replacement drive: Confirm that the computer is set to boot from that drive and that the restore targeted the intended disk. If the image check reported an error, do not treat the restore as verified.
What you need depends on your setup
You need access to Clonezilla Live, the saved image repository, and a destination drive the computer can use. The boot media, image storage device, and any enclosure or adapter depend on how your machine and storage are configured; they are not universally required. Verify the machine’s drive requirements before buying a replacement.
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