How to compare two partitions?

[hack3rcon]

Hello,
In Windows OS, a tool like "WinHex" can compare two disks together? How about Linux? Any tools?

Thank you.

[arochester]

Did you find any useful results by searching for: linux how to compare two partitions

[CwF]

I apologize to for putting out this idea!

To cut to the end, if this is related to comparing your 'switch' OS disk to the copy attempts, then I think you will not find a difference in the user space of the disk. You'll be lucky if the difference is in the boot sector. If it's not, then screwed.

I suggested in that post, the difference does not have to be in the user space. It's called proprietary, contact the manufacturer of the 'switch'. If no love there, the manufacturer of the disk may have a utility that will help. Get ready for whatever OS usage, like bios tools, the availability is narrow and short lived.

'dhex' maybe...

[p.H]

I do not know this tool "WinHex".
What do you mean exactly by "compare" .? There are many ways to compare things together.
Disks or partitions ? This is not the same at all.

[CwF]

What do you mean exactly by "compare" .?

I didn't use WinHex either but FindandMount and HxD. With many hex editors you can open a device, I assume dhex can. So open two and page through or search, long process even when you know what you're looking for. PageUp is the first sector, PgDn to the last sector, you see it all. This all happens outside a 'mounted' filesystem and is the 'disk', including all partitions - OR just a partitions - same thing. If you know the markers, like MZ to start and the particular end of file markers - then from the hex editor you copy and paste into an empty file, name it correctly, and it opens! There is the file system stuff and meta data you can look through, but I still think the op's magic isn't to be found there...

[p.H]

You are not seriously suggesting to compare the contents of two disks or partitions with a hexadecimal editor by sight, are you ?

[sunrat]

I have no idea what OP's question even means.

[p.H]

Me neither, this is why I asked for clarifications.

[CwF]

You are not seriously suggesting to compare the contents of two disks or partitions with a hexadecimal editor by sight, are you ?

Done it.
It's forensics.
Lately, data loggers that lose power and don't close a file. Scrambles things, so I know what to search and find a 2k segment that has a multi meg tail of data, I copy the data sector range to a file. The mounted filesystem shows that file, well, as 2k! So don't use the file system...I have recovered from damaged disk doing it 'by sight' yes, but only when I know what we want. I wouldn't just go fishing...But yes, that is how it can be done. You learn to read it after awhile, as good as a mime-type app at least...

[CwF]

I have no idea what OP's question even means.

I may have read right through the question and inferred from hack3rcon's other thread detailing a failure to duplicate some devices OS disk...These would be the two disk to compare!

Bail me out hack3rcon!

So with that in mind, my response, and my comment that hack3rcon will not find it. I don't know what device is in question, but do know industrial like things don't follow pc standards! The magic is elsewhere.

[hack3rcon]

You are not seriously suggesting to compare the contents of two disks or partitions with a hexadecimal editor by sight, are you ?

Yes.

[p.H]

Well then go ahead.
Otherwise I would have suggested to simply use cmp to compare two files or block devices. I use it to verify a USB drive after writing an ISO-hybrid image to it.