SOLVED - Need Some Assistance Moving HDD's Around and Copying LM19

[InkingHubris]

Hey guys, I am back with another question I need help with.

I recently got my desktop up and running, some updates to RAM and such. Now I have a problem and I need help.

The basic idea is I want 3 hard drives, 1 with LM19 as primary, 1 as the Windows dual boot, and the 3rd as a sort of storage, preferably that both OSes can use.

Here is the current set up:

SDA - 80g drive with fresh install of LM19 (all my files and settings and general crap have been installed, updated and I am working off of this drive now).
SDB - 200g drive with Win 10 (I am removing this drive completely)
SDC - 1TB drive with Win 7 (I am keeping this drive)
I have a 500g drive formatted with nothing on it
I also have a 320g drive, formatted nothing on it.

What I want to end up with:
SDA - 500g drive with LM19 (and all my settings, programs, cloned version of the current 80g drive, basically).
SDB - 1Tb windows 7 drive.
SDC - 320g storage drive

All drives are Sata and fit in the box, connected etc. Problem is I can't connect all 5 (or even 4) as my 4th Sata power cord from the power supply had the clip broken. So I can only shuffle 3 drives around at a time.

Here is what I know: When I am all done I will need to update Grub. No problem, I've done it before (one of my last questions on this forum, ha!)
What I don't know: everything else.

Do I need to install LM19 from the live CD on the 500g drive first and then clone? Just clone to the formatted drive? etc.

Also, need to know how to clone (dd? pv? clonezilla???)

While doing the clone I plan to only have the 80g LM19 drive and the 500g formatted drive installed in the box. Then remove the 80g, set the 500g as SDA, then install the windows and storage drives, update grub etc etc.

Can you help me get this done? I am kind of clueless. Oh, yes, I do know I can install LM19 and just USB all my shit over and redo every setting and add my launcher panels and get everything set up the way I have it now. But I really don't want too. I only have a 16g USB stick, and I just spent the last week getting this 80g drive all set up. I wasn't planning on having the 500g drive, which, with the 80g already at 94% capacity, is needed.

I have some knowledge of the terminal and command line, but if you could pretend I know nothing more than what I have said here, that would be great. I really don't want to mess this up. HAHAHA

Thank you!

[WharfRat]

Do I need to install LM19 from the live CD on the 500g drive first and then clone? Just clone to the formatted drive? etc.

Also, need to know how to clone (dd? pv? clonezilla???)

While doing the clone I plan to only have the 80g LM19 drive and the 500g formatted drive installed in the box. Then remove the 80g, set the 500g as SDA, then install the windows and storage drives, update grub etc etc.

You have to be extremely careful with the dd utility.

To get you started set the 500G drive for sata 0 which should be /dev/sda and the 80G as sata 1 which should be /dev/sdb.

Boot to the linux mint installation media and verify the disk placement with sudo fdisk -l

When verified, sudo dd if=/dev/sdb of=/dev/sda bs=64M conv=sync,noerror status=progress will clone the 80G to the 500.

Also you should be able to boot right to it after cloning and removing the 80G drive.

[InkingHubris]

Thank you!

I did exactly that. I know all three drives installed and have updated grub. Everything seems to be right on point.

Of course, the Windows drive gave me booting issues, but I resolved those (I was also expecting them, cause... MicroSoft.)

Anyway, seems to be just one last thing... I have 75g partition and a 475g unallocated partition now after the clone. I can use gparted and just grow the drive to use the entire space, yes?

Thanks again, back to below 20% capacity is nice! haha

[WharfRat]

Anyway, seems to be just one last thing... I have 75g partition and a 475g unallocated partition now after the clone. I can use gparted and just grow the drive to use the entire space, yes?

Yes, that's normal when you clone a smaller capacity drive to a larger one.

Just resize the existing partition or create a new one

[InkingHubris]

Awesome.

Thanks so much. I can get back to work now.