Do I need to Format New Hard Drive First?

I have a new 300 GB hard drive I intend to use exclusively as a backup image drive for a 250 GB drive. Do I need to format the new drive before I install TrueImage, or is the drive formatted as part of the image process? Sorry for the novice question, but I have not found it clearly spelled out.

Thanks

 

As a good idea, always fully format a drive prior to use. Not the quick format option.

 

Hi, BobB

Welcome to Wilders and Acronis Forums.

The restore Image process will do the formatting when it restores the Image. [It will restore what ever format was being used a the time of the Image creation]


Take Care,
TheQuest

 

Hello BobB,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis True Image (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/).

If you want to store image files on your new disk you need to format it first. We recommend that you format it in NTFS file system because FAT32 doesn't support files larger than 4Gb.

If you want to restore the image onto this drive it doesn't matter what partitions you currently have on it. Acronis True Image will replace old partitions with new ones.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

"As a good idea, always fully format a drive prior to use. Not the quick format option."

Why is that? I'm interested because I'm having trouble getting a non-corrupted image onto a second internal HDD that I used the quick format on. Of course, now I'll experiment and get back with results, but I was wondering what the difference is?

 

Hello paniccom,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Could you please let me know what problem you have? You create image to the second hard drive and the image archive is always corrupted, am I correct?

Thank you.
--
Irina Shirokova

 

Yes, I can't get a good image. However, I just found that using the boot disk, I get good images every time. I have gone through quite a bit of trouble to give True Image a pure install to start with (re-did Win XP install several times to make sure) but it doesn't help. Since the idea of using True Image is to avoid re-install time down the road, so far I'm spending more time getting started than I might have saved later. But, once I start installing software, and customizing Windows, I know that True Image should pay off, so I'm sticking with it. The worst case for me is that I have to use the boot disk. By the way, is there any difference between a boot disk made using the retail CD and one made using the latest build (889)? Thanks.