Re: Transfering XP system files into a larger HDD

Anna wrote:

"Alias" <aka@[notme]maskedandanonymous.org> wrote in message news:uNwW2tL$FHA.1032@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



Do you happen to know a web site that gives simple instructions for using Acronis?
Thanks,
Alias



"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@xxxxxxx> wrote in message news:eE2xI4L$FHA.1028@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


The Acronis site! 



Alias again...



I downloaded the manual from that site and it seems pretty complicated is why I asked. I guess I will have to spend the weekend digesting it.
Alias 



Anna wrote:


Alias:
No need to spend an entire weekend. Here are some step-by-step instructions for using the Acronis True Image bootable CD to clone the entire contents of one HD to another HD. When you install the ATI program on your computer you'll be given an option to create a ATI bootable CD. Do so.

These instructions apply to the ATI version 8 program. I haven't worked with the version 9 program but I suspect the process is just about the same...

1. Ensure there are no other storage devices connected to the computer other
than the source and destination drives.

a. If both drives (source & destination) are connected, and the computer
is running, insert the Acronis bootable CD in your CD/DVD drive and restart
your computer. If you're cloning to a USB/Firewire external HD, that device
can be connected before restarting your computer.

b. If *only* your working drive (the source disk) is connected at the time the computer is running, insert the Acronis bootable CD in your CD/DVD device and shutdown your computer. Disconnect the computer's power cord and connect the second (destination) drive you'll be cloning to and boot up with both drives connected.

2. Upon bootup, the Acronis main screen will display. One of the icons will be "Disk Clone". Double-click on this icon.

3. The "Welcome to the Disk Clone Wizard!" screen will display. Click Next.

4. The "Clone Mode" dialog box will display with two options. Select the "Automatic" option (it probably will be the default) and click Next.

5. The "Source Hard Disk" screen will display with your two drives listed. Make *absolutely certain* that your source disk (the drive you'll be cloning *from*) is highlighted, and thus selected. Click Next.

6. The "Destination Hard Disk" screen will display. Again, make *absolutely certain* that your destination disk (the drive you'll be cloning to) is highlighted (selected). Click Next.

7. Assuming your destination disk is not a "virgin" disk, i.e., it contains data, the "Nonempty Destination Hard Disk" screen will display. Select the "Delete partitions on the destination hard disk" option and click Next.

8. The "Hard Disk Drives Structure" screen will display reflecting the "before and after" cloning operation. Again, make absolutely certain that your source and destination drives are correctly indicated. Click Next.

9. The final screen before the cloning operation takes place will display summarizing the impending process. Once again, the important thing to note is that your source and destination drives are correctly reflected. Click the Proceed button to begin the cloning operation.

10. Following the cloning operation, remove the bootable CD and shutdown the computer. DO NOT REBOOT AT THIS TIME!

11. If you're working with internal hard drives, it's a good idea to verify that the cloning operation was successful and that you now have a bootable clone. So after shutting down the computer, disconnect its power cord, open your case and disconnect your source disk. Power up and boot with the destination disk to ensure that it is indeed bootable and that all is well. THE IMPORTANT POINT IS NOT TO MAKE THIS INITIAL BOOT WITH *BOTH* >> DRIVES CONNECTED.

If you're using PATA drives...
Incidentally, I'm assuming in all this that your motherboard's BIOS will allow you to boot to the cloned drive regardless of its position/configuration on the IDE cable. We have come across some motherboards which will not permit a boot from any position other than Primary Master. If so, you'll need to make the necessary reconnects/reconfiguration for your cloned drive in that
situation in order to test that it is bootable. Presuming it is, shutdown, remove the power cord, and reconnect your source disk (assuming that's the drive you plan to continue to use as your day-to-day working drive). It's probably best to disconnect the cloned disk after you've verified that the cloning operation was successful. See the note below.

If, on the other hand, you've cloned to a USB/Firewire external hard drive, no further action is necessary. Remember that the USB/Firewire EHD is *not* bootable. And, of course, the external drive should ordinarily be disconnected from the computer following the cloning operation.

Some notes about disconnecting a cloned internal drive following the cloning operation: Both Symantec (Norton Ghost) and Acronis recommend this. Both of their tech support have stated that with both drives connected there is a strong possibility of file corruption and/or booting problems. Also mentioned is the possibility of virus infestation of both drives when both
are connected as well as the possibility of electrical surges damaging/destroying both drives while both are connected. As a general proposition, the only time both internal drives will be simultaneously connected following the cloning operation is when you want to re:clone the
contents of the cloned HD back to your day-to-day working HD for restoration purposes.

And a final important note reiterating the information in step 10. above. Following the cloning operation, shut (power) down the computer; disconnect the source disk; and make the *initial* boot of the cloned drive while it is the *only* drive connected at that time. If, on that initial boot *both* drives are connected, there's a distinct possibility that the cloned drive will not boot at a subsequent time. This is particularly so when you're working with the WinXP operating system.

You can, of course, carry out this cloning operation using the Acronis Windows GUI interface rather than the bootable CD. The steps are substantially the same as described above. It's just a personal preference of mine to work with either a bootable floppy disk (as I can with Norton Ghost - not available in ATI) or a bootable CD.
Anna



"Alias" <aka@[notme]maskedandanonymous.org> wrote in message news:%23TOiZRN$FHA.3804@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I was planning to download Acronis. I don't have it on a disk. Will I need to burn a disk? Also, you mention once the clone is done, not to reconnect the external HD to where to the image was sent. I have the USB external drive in two partitions, one with nothing and the same size as the partition I am using for XP and programs. I use the other partition for data back up. Do you mean I won't be able to back up data to the second partition once I'm done sending the image?

Thanks again for these instructions. I shall print them.

Alias


And then he adds...
Oops, I didn't see this:
>> When you install the ATI program on your computer you'll be given an option to create
>> an ATI bootable CD. Do so.

OK, now I think I can do it. I have a CDRW on my machine.
Alias




Anna wrote:

Alias:
First of all, if you're cloning the contents of your internal HD to an EXTERNAL USB/Firewire hard drive, there is no problem if you leave the external HD connected following the cloning operation, although normally, for security's sake, one would generally disconnect the external device until it's needed again.

You've hit upon one problem with the Acronis program, at least with the ATI8 program - I don't know if this applies to the ATI9 version. Unlike Symantec's Norton Ghost program, you cannot *directly* clone the contents of one partition to another partition with the ATI program. It's an "all or nothing" situation in that the program is designed to directly create *disk-to-disk* clones. At least I've never been able to find a way to *directly* clone individual partitions from one HD to another HD with the ATI8 program.

For example, (and I assume this applies to your situation if I understand you correctly), let's say your want to directly clone the contents of your source disk to a destination drive (internal or external), but you want to *directly* clone those contents of your source disk to just *one* of the partitions you've created on your destination disk. Insofar as I'm aware, you cannot do this with the ATI8 program. Similarly you can't *directly* clone the contents of one partition on your source disk to another drive. I suppose there's a workaround for all this in that you can create disk images of individual partitions to removable media such as DVDs and then copy the image to the destination partition. But it's not the way I work. My sole interest is to *directly* clone the contents of one HD to another HD using a disk imaging program. Ordinarily I'm not interested in cloning individual partitions, but when the need arises I can use the Ghost 2003 program.
Anna




"Alias" <aka@[notme]maskedandanonymous.org> wrote in message news:%23XUhN$N$FHA.1172@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So, I would have to clone the entire HD to the entire external HD? Hmmm, I have three partitions on my source HD and two on my external HD. Would I have to format the external drive first, then? Can I add to the data back up after cloning? I think I will peruse the manual about cloning a partition, not the entire drive before I proceed. Also, they internal drive is 40 gigs and the external one is 80 gigs. Would that present a problem?
Alias



Alias:
Does it really matter that your external HD (the ultimate "destination" drive) currently has two partitions while your source disk contains three partitions? When you clone the contents of the source disk to the destination disk it will simply overwrite the two partitions on the destination drive and create its three partitions with its data contents within those three partitions. Please understand that the destination disk will be a "clone" of the source disk, for all practical purposes a bit-for-bit copy of your source disk.

But cloning 40 gigs to an 80 gig HD wouldn't leave the 80 gig with some extra space? Would it end up with 4 partitions, three that it cloned and another for the remaining 40 gigs?


If, on the other hand, for some reason you want to retain a separate partition on your destination disk where you do *not* want any of the cloned contents of your source disk to reside, then (AFAIK) the Acronis program would not be suitable for your needs, at least in terms of the *direct* cloning process we've been discussing. The Ghost 2003 program, as I previously mentioned, would be the program to employ in that situation since it has the ability to *directly* clone individual partitions. Frankly, in my opinion, it might be more practical for you to use another external (or even, internal) HD for your purposes if you had need for some separate partition(s).

No need for the separate partitions. If I were to do it again, I would have two partitions, one for XP and programs and the other for data.

You need not partition/format your destination drive prior to the cloning operation as long as you understand that the destination disk will be a clone of your source disk.

You can add data to the destination drive following the cloning operation. But, of course, it will no longer be a "clone" of your source disk. I'm not sure why you would want to do this but it can be done as long as you understand that it's no longer a clone of your source disk if you modify its contents. Presumably that should not be a problem in the event you had to clone the contents of the destination drive back to your source drive should the need arise for restoration purposes.

I just figure that a word file, for example, that I create on the source HD would take less time to back up to the other drive than a complete reclone.


The different capacities of the drives involved is of no import as long as the destination drive has sufficient capacity to hold the contents of the data being cloned from the source disk. Let's say, for example, that your source disk is a 120 GB drive and contains 70 GB of data. There would be no problem cloning the contents of that drive to an 80 GB drive.
Anna 

See my question above. The source drive is half the size of the clone drive.

Alias
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