HDD Copy

Hi all.
I have a 500gb laptop HDD that I want to make a copy of.
I want it on a seperate HDD and I want it to be an exact copy.
I'm not sure what it is called, ghost, image etc?? but you know what I mean (I hope!).
I have Acronis True Image Personal.
Is this the type of software I need?
If so, does the place I copy it to need to be a clean, formatted HDD or can it be put on a part used portable HDD?
There is about 130gb to be copied.
Cheers.

 

I haven't used that particular version of Acronis but its feature list does confirm it can do disk and partition backup. The image file it creates can be stored anywhere that has sufficient free space to accommodate it. Acronis compresses data so the target drive does not need 130 GB free, but it would probably be advisable to have at least 100GB free.

If the program allows you to create a bootable rescue CD then you should do so.

 

Thanks for the replies.
So, if I have this right, I can make a complete image of the laptop HDD on my desktop HDD (one partition has 194gb free).
Then, should the laptop HDD become corrupt I can copy the saved image from my desktop pc back onto a formatted laptop HDD and it will be an exact replica of the original laptop HDD?

Sorry if I seem a bit dim on this, the reason is that I am.

 

You are seriously complicating matters if you want to store the image on a partition on a separate computer. I advise using a removable drive of some sort.

 

Need to say also that you can't just copy an image to a new drive. You have to use Acronis to restore the image and, if the target computer won't boot, or doesn't have Acronis installed, you have to use the rescue CD I referred to earlier to boot the machine to restore your image from an attached drive.

 

Ah, you see, this is why i'm here.
Nothing is as it seems...........
It will only be a temporary store of the original drive.
Not a long term thing.
I have the choice of using a portable drive so will take your advice on that.
Thanks for pointing out that I need to use Acronis to restore the image.

A quick explanation of what I am intending to do.
I want to remove a laptop drive from an old laptop I have and put this drive into it and see if it will work.
If it does, great, if not I will have the back up just in case.

I've tried putting a drive from one laptop to another before and it all went pear shaped.
The new drive worked fine but when I put the original drive back in it wasn't recognised. The other dirve seemed to have taken over.
It was weird.
Hope you understand what I'm on about, if you do well done 'cause I aint got the foggyist!!

 

Ok. So on the portable HDD would I need to make a partition to stop it getting mixed up with other stuff or does Acronis just make one big compressed file that is easily recognised?

 

Acronis creates a single file with a name you assign and the extension .tib. No need to create a partition for it.

It is possible to store the image on your PC providing the two machines are networked. However it is very slow as well as being more difficult to set up, so use the portable.

 

Glorious. This is beginning to sound so easy..........
Now all I have to do is sort out my copy of Acronis.
Put the activation code in and the activate button stays greyed out.
Goddamn!

 

Oh dear :confused Have you registered your copy on the Acronis website? I don't think that's a prerequisite for activation but it will allow you to re-download your version and your product key.

Frustrating! Hope you get it sorted.

N.B. I assume you haven't installed and activated on a different system? For some versions you simply can't use on more than one machine, and on others it's simply a breach of licence.

 

Never used it before. It came with a portable HDD.
You get a part of an activation key which you send to Acronis they then send you an amazing jumble of numbers. I've tried all combinations but no joy.
I'll have to go on the forums or something.

 

There are similar programs available for free if you can't sort it. Have a look at Easeus Todo

 

Greetings, sobeit...

Pardon the intrusion, but a quick interjection: don't let the failure of activating your Acronis software prevent you from cloning your hard drive. There are several good, free imaging program alternatives available (EASEUS, Macrium, etc.) that should suffice until you get the Acronis mess sorted.

***Edit: oops - sorry, Earthling - beat me to it...

 

No worries.
All input appreciated.
If one of these will do it then Acronis can keep their software.
There is a ridiculous amount of numbers to input with no cut and paste facility!

 

Hmmm.
Downloaded EASEUS and plugged the laptop drive into my pc via an adapter.
I choose 'Disc Clone'
I highlight the drive and click next.
I highlight the drive I want to make the copy on but it looks like it is going to put all the files and folders onto the destination drive rather than one compressed file that I can put back on the laptop drive should I need to.
Is it going to overwrite any data that is already on the destination drive?

Going to try Macrium, that say it backs up to one single file.

 

Ok, this one asks me to clone or image, freakin heck, which one??
Bearing in mind I am going to install the laptop HDD into an old laptop I have and see if it will run the programmes on it.
As the hardware is alien to the laptop HDD it may throw a hissy so I want the Clone/Image so I can return the laptop HDD to its original state.

 

The problem is you are selecting Clone and that is most definitely what you don't want. I don't use Easeus so can't be specific but look for something like System Backup. I take it you have physically removed the laptop drive to connect it to your PC?

EDIT - just seen the above - it's image you need

 

Cheers Earthling.
Yes the HDD is in a USB adapter case and plugged into my PC.
Macrium is looking like the simpler interface for me :-o
Do all these imaging progs create just a single file on the destination HDD?

 

On FAT32 they create multiple 4GB files. On NTFS it's a single file but you can change that if you want, or at least you can in Acronis.

These progs are a must have if you want your system to be secure. A monthly image and you are safe from almost every lurking disaster.

 

Nah, a single file will do me.
Lets not complicate things further!!

I have backed stuff up on the portable and am now going to hit the button.........................................

 

Cloning is immediate and overwrites all data on the destination disc.
Imaging makes a file.

In Macrium you highlight the disk that is your Source and underneath it should appear two choices "Clone this Disk" or "Image this Disk". You want to choose to Image.

Then a window opens showing details. Under Destination you choose Folder and browse to the location you want to store the file in. You should be able to browse to the destination HD and then create a new folder like "Macrium Backups" and hit OK. Then read the new updated details and see if everything looks good.

 

Thanks for the input sach.
luckily I did just what you said.
It appears to have done it but why is the image file only 13.6gb when the data I was imaging is 128gb??
I know it compresses but bloomin eck.

 

It can't compress that much (as far as I know). You definitely chose the icon for Clone this Disk rather than selecting to image a single partition from under the Actions drop down?

Take a look at the backup you just created from under the Restore menu along the top of the program, you will find Explore Image. It will give you a file tree view of the files in the backup do you see lots of files missing?

 

Maybe 128GB was the partition size rather than the Used size?

 

One way to check the Used space you copied would be go through the steps again and on the last screen before saying Finish to create the copy the total size of the files to be imaged should show in the top of the window. If it says it is 128gb then I would have to assume it compressed all that information into the final file. What did your summary screen look like in terms of "Total selected"?

 

Hot digady, I thought it was too good to be true.
I'll take a peek on the morrow.
Need me pit now, got to get me beauty sleep.
Thanks for all the help thus far.
Catch ya on the flip. :major

 

Tis morning!

I have plugged the laptop drive in.
In my computer, unlike a 'normal' drive it doesn't show one icon but several.
I have attached a screenshot.
C&D being my two 250gb SATA HDD's on my desktop.
The other 7 are what I see when I plug the laptop drive in.
I have also attached a shot of what Macrium shows me when I go to take an image.
All seven partitions are ticked.
The one thing that I see is different sizes on each partition.
The first partition 'System' says 6.05gb on top and 41.01gb underneath?
To get to my 128gb (ish) I originally quoted I just added all the partitions used spaces together.
However, adding the lower numbers together comes to only 20gb (ish)??

confused:confused

Edit, ahhh, just taken another look, are the bigger numbers the size of the partition and the smaller numbers the used space in each?? I think maybe Doh!

 

Wow, what an unholy mess! Whoever has been using that comp - not you I'm certain - has carved the disk up into seven partitions and without seeing the disk in disk management view it's hard to be sure what is in each. In any case you should leave them all ticked before proceeding to create the image.

 

EDIT - yes, there is about 20GB used across all partitions which has compressed to about 12GB in your image. That's normal

 

Well, thanks all, it appears I must have my image.
I hope so, but hey, if it goes mammaries up that's life.

At least I've learnt a bit about using backup software.
I shall now attempt to set up something to make an auto backup of changes to my pc rather than keep putting a USB pen in and recopying folders.

As Arnie says "I'll be back"!!

 

There's one further thing that you should do. Somewhere in Macrium will be a menu item to check or validate the image. It's worth finding and doing as it will be your guarantee that the image is capable of being restored should you ever need to.

 

Will do, ta.

 

Looks like you have things sorted. Just out of curiosity, this is an XP computer? Because 6.05GB used for your system partition would only be enough for an XP installation rather than Vista/7.

 

Sach, I have no clue. It is my nephews. He is a gas engineer. The laptop drive has hundreds of manuals on it.
He is hoping that when he plugs it into a new laptop he will be able to view them again.
I don't think it will all go smoothly hence the image.

 

That's cool, you can only copy what is on there. My guess is it is XP but there are just some strange things like the PE (which I am assuming is a recovery partition) is awfully small as well at only 2.75gb, but it could be enough for an XP install/recovery.

If you explore the image by going to (in Macrium) Restore and then Explore Image does the System partition have a "Documents and Settings" folder which would mean it is an XP installation? Not really important to check, I'm just curious.

Plugging an old HD into a new laptop and expecting it to boot to any OS is optimistic. Most likely he will have to connect the HD by USB cable as you have. Then install the program used to view the manuals on the new laptop and access the manuals from the old HD or copy them over to the new one.

 

I took a look on the laptop drive.
It surely does have a doucuments and settings folder.
I have attached a pic for your perusal.

I know all about putting an alien drive into another system.
I was given a laptop by my mate who has a bit of a temper.
He decided to throw his laptop to the floor, smashed the screen, it all stopped working so he bought another. He was going to throw it away.
I asked for it, took it to bits, put all the dislodged stuff back in but couldn't see if the comp was working because of the smashed screen.
My daughter had the same model laptop bar a built in web cam.
I decided it would be simple to swap out the drives. (What do you mean I could have plugged a cable from the smashed laptop to my pc monitor and pressed function>F5? that would have been too easy)
It worked perfectly.
I smiled smuggly to myself, patted myself on the back and promised myself a well earned bottle of wine.
I replaced my daughters HDD and booted the laptop.
WHAT!!! The welcome screen user names were the ones on the other drive. I must have put it back in by mistake. I checked, no, it was the right one.
Somehow the info from the second drive had stayed in the laptop. (Perhaps in the RAM?)
It took me 3 or 4 evenings of messing to get my daughters laptop back to normal.

As for the prog that opens the manuals. I have no clue of that either.
I am all but clueless!!