Problem cloning a PGP encrypted drive - operation error: invalid format

[cvilledave]

I'm trying to clone a drive that is encrypted with PGP 9.5 in my laptop to an externally connected USB drive using True Image Home V10 and am running into problems.

After setting up the operation, the system shuts down and reboots as expected. During the cloning process (operation 1 of 3 ... copying partition) I receive a message on the operation progress screen that says "OPERATION ERROR: INVALID FORMAT" and the system just sits there until I hit the enter key. After hitting enter, I receive the "Congratulations ... you have successfully completed the hard disk cloning procedure" message and the system instructs me to hit enter to shut down.

Unfortunately, nothing gets copied, and operation 2 and 3 of the True Image process never even start much less get completed.

I'm not sure PGP is the problem here but I'll ask anyway... is it possible to clone a PGP encrypted drive, or are there compatibility issues with True Image? If PGP isn't the problem, is there a way to get more information on what is causing the "invalid format" message and the failed cloning operation? And why does True Image say that it successfully completed when it does not?

[Ralphie]

Instead of Cloning, make a Backup Image. And use the bootable Rescue CD to do this. The bootable Rescue CD shouldn't care what kind of encryption is used. It will blindly make an image of anything on the drive.

[cvilledave]

If I understand the backup image concept correctly I probably need a third drive to hold the image (neither the source or target drive is large enough to be partioned to hold the backup image). Right?

Where I am I only have the laptop and an external drive. I was hoping to clone directly from one to another to avoid the process of creating and restoring a backup using another system or a third drive. But if the cloning process is broken that might be my only choice. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give it a try it tonight when I have access to additional hardware ...

Dave

[Ralphie]

Yes, you will need a third drive to hold the image. But you might want to try the Clone with the bootable Rescue CD first, maybe that would work.

[cvilledave]

Cloning with the bootable rescue CD worked fine. Thanks for the pointers!

[Ralphie]

Glad to hear of your success. It looks like something was running in the background that interfered with the Cloning when run from within Windows. I always use the Rescue cd for that very reason to do all Backup/Recover/Clone procedures.
BTW, a workaround for avoiding the need for a third drive is, if your original drive has the space, after putting the backup on the "new" drive, move the backup files on to the original drive then Recover the backup to the "new" drive.