Windows
Linux
System & Storage
Disk & Storage
Windows wbadmin / disk image equivalent in Linux
Creates a complete raw copy of an entire disk or partition — useful for backups, imaging, and forensics.
Windows
→
wbadmin / disk image
Linux equivalents
dd
dd
dd
Overview
What this command does
Creates a complete raw copy of an entire disk or partition — useful for backups, imaging, and forensics.
Migration tip:
dd is extremely powerful and equally dangerous — it writes raw bytes with no safety checks. Always double-check if= (input) and of= (output) before pressing Enter.Practical tasks
Common use cases
Create raw byte-for-byte disk images
Creates a complete raw copy of an entire disk or partition — useful for backups, imaging, and forensics.
dd if=/dev/sda of=disk.img
Clone disk to image file
dd if=disk.img of=/dev/sdb
Restore image to disk
dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sdb
Securely wipe disk with random data
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
sudo dd if=/dev/sda of=~/backup.img bs=4M status=progress
sudo dd if=~/backup.img of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress
sudo dd if=ubuntu.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Clone disk to image:
sudo dd if=/dev/sda of=~/backup.img bs=4M status=progress
# Restore image to new disk:
sudo dd if=~/backup.img of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress
# Write bootable ISO to USB:
sudo dd if=ubuntu.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progressReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
dd if=/dev/sda of=disk.img | Clone disk to image file |
dd if=disk.img of=/dev/sdb | Restore image to disk |
dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sdb | Securely wipe disk with random data |
status=progress | Show live progress (add to any dd command) |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
This command is the same on Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch Linux when the relevant tool is installed.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | dd |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | dd |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | dd |
Same command on this distribution. |
Important
What to watch out for
dd is called 'disk destroyer' by some. Swapping if= and of= overwrites your source. Triple-check device paths before running.
Keep learning