I try to copy all files from an NTFS to an external drive and want to preserve all permissions and attributes. The external drive has already an NTFS and contains other files.
I've considered using the following tools:
ntfsclonedoes not work since it operates on sector level and would clone the whole FS, thus destroying the old data. If used to create an image file, I can't access the content from a Windows machine.rsyncdoes not preserve all meta data.
An alternative would be to use robocopy inside a running Windows, but I would prefer to copy the files without. (The source partition is used as the system's C:\.)
How can I copy the files?
Best Answer
There is no way to exactly copy NTFS files, passing through Linux. Even Wine, the Windows-compatibility layer on Linux, works by converting permissions back-and-forth between Linux and Windows, and so is limited to their (rather small) least common denominator.
The only solution I can see is running Windows on Linux inside a virtual machine (or physical).
I believe you have mentioned this possibility in your post and would prefer to avoid it, but I do not see another possibility. Only Windows can exactly copy NTFS files; Linux is only capable of copying NTFS partitions.
This article might help: How to install and run Microsoft Windows for free on Linux, using free virtual machines made available for download by Microsoft.