Can't boot after cloning

Why don't use the dd utility to clone hard-disk ....

Example cloning disk /dev/hda to /dev/hdb (hdb size > of hda)

Boot from live cd, select to try Ubuntu without install
open a terminal and type

sudo dd if=/dev/hda of=/dev/hdb bs=...

For optimal size of bs value test yourself here a starting point
http://superuser.com/questions/234199/good-block-size-for-disk-cloning-with-diskdump-dd

While re-cloning using a method that supports Linux-based systems like Ubuntu (as marcobra suggests) is probably your best option, you might be able to solve this problem by reinstalling GRUB2 to the Master Boot Record (http://www.webtechquery.com/index.php/2010/04/install-grub2-from-live-cd/).

well dd does not keep the partition information and UUID's as far as I can tell. This means the drive the working date was cloned on, will not be bootable. Or do I haver that wrong.

Have tried re-installing GRUB, but getting error messages, so that's not working either.

Right you must reinstall grub after clone the hard-disk i usually do this:
- unplug the old original disk from internal cable
- put the new cloned disk as primary

boot from live cd...

use the https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#ChRoot method to reinstall grub

shutdown the pc
remove the ubuntu live cd
try if it boot

plug the old disk as secondary (or keep it unplugged as old backup copy if you plan to replace it)
and after a while format it using gparted

Hth

OK, have tried reinstalling Grub before, but this link marccobra sent provides a different method, so I'll try it. Give the partition table I provided in the beginning, and that Win7 was on the laptop, then I loaded ubuntu. Should the GRUB be reinstalled in sda, or sda5?

i think master boot record of disk so try sda

"well dd does not keep the partition information and UUID's as far as I can tell."
You are wrong. dd will copy all sectors of disk, including the 1st one which hold partition table.
You must mount sda5 but install MBR on sda.
sda will hold MBR on its first sector, and 63 following ones
sda5 will hold boot files such boot menu, graphic and file system drivers (in /boot/grub folder).

OK, so I'll try dd to clone the drive. Will using dd mean I have to have the correct partitions and formatting on the destination drive? or will the dump format on the fly? Also if I use the same disk to dump to monthly, will I need to delete data before attempting a dump, or will the dd overwrite the data?

dd will simply copy each sector of first disk on same location on second disk.
So it will erase all data on second disk INCLUDING partition table. You will lost all data on second disk.
You will have the same partition as in first disk.
The format is done inside file system, and will be "done" implicitly.

Are you still experiencing this problem, or did you fix it (e.g., by re-cloning, or by re-configuring GRUB after the "bad" clone)?

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