Quick questions before buying...

I have 3 disks in my system. The boot (XP & applications) disk (80GB) is getting more and more sector errors. It's still usable for now though (it has taken out a couple applications though). Before it fails, I want to get a new disk in. Here are a few quick questions before I buy TI 8.0:

o I made an image with the demo version. Will that image work ok with the full version or do I need to buy the full version and make another image?

o Can I purchase a 120GB replacement disk, partition it into an 80 and 40GB then use the 80GB partition to restore my bootable image to? I assume then that if I replace my failing drive with the new drive (with the two partitions) it will boot ok (from the 80BG partition)? I want to get the system up and running ok with a new drive BEFORE I wipe the old drive.

o I assume that the disk clone feature won't work in this case because I can't have the target drive partioned?

o The demo version of TI8.0 did not like my second disk drive (first and third were fine). TI says: "The disk contains an unsupported structure". The only difference I see (using Disk Management) is that the second drive was created as a Dynamic disk (vs a Basic). So I assume that TI won't work with Dynamic disks? So if I ever wanted to use TI for backing up this volume I'd need to convert it to a Basic disk?

 

is your new disk formatted before installing it and test it with acronis?
i would try that if you can, in the original version you have an option to format it, only it wil not work in the demo.

 

Wow jsl,

Is this really you? I was just on another thread where you were going on and on about the software "driving" the user. Not the other way around! It appears that you might be trying to get an "education" (and indirectly, some technical expertise) about the use of this particular piece from the questions you have asked. Seeing is believing!

Now to your questions:
Personally, I would NOT do anything for "keeps" with any demo of any software. Have in your hands the actual product that will be doing the restore as well as the imaging. And, before you "go for it" have a thoroughly tested restore procedure in place that you know for certain will work.

Onward; I am not sure I totally understand your second question so I will wing it as best I can. If you image your original 80GB drive in its entirety and then restore that image to the front 80GB of your new HDD (whatever the size as long as it is >= 80) you will think you are booting from your old drive! TI is wonderful in this respect.

I personally have never used the "Disk Cloning" procedure. I prefer not to let my software do my thinking for me. Your aforementioned method will get you there and you will be "good to go"

I can not see your Disk Mgmnt interface from here so I will answer your last question by saying that until TI can see your partitions or drives there is nothing that it can do with them. Bottom line, do whatever to rectify the situation so that TI can see everything you want it to.

Have a nice evening jsl.

 

I'll probably go ahead and get the TI8.0 full product. It sounds like it will work out for what I want. But I was just curious if the image I made would work ok with the full product since it's a boot disk and the demo says "can't restore system partion". It doesn't say if the image made with the demo product will restore or not with the full product for a system partition. I'd like to use it since it took forever to make the image. It took so long because there are a lot of bad sectors on the disk and it looks like with each one there is a lot of re-trying going on. Making it take a very long time to get an image. I finally did though and exploring it it looks fine.

The only difference I can see is the Dynamic disk setting for disk #2. If TI should handle this than it must be something else. If TI doesn't handle Dynamic disks then that clears it up. Just curious.

As for me trying to get an education Mike, yes... as I said I'm new to this product. In the "other thread" I'm speaking generally about software not so much this product. As far as going on and on? I'm really just responding to your hostile response to my voicing an opinion there. I'll respond there again later when I have time.

 

jsl,

Do not hold me to this but I do believe way, way back I read something about TI not doing Dynamic disks. You might find it in the .pdf user manual which can be downloaded from the Acronis site (if you do not already have it). I am sure (at any rate) that is why TI is not seeing the drive, but, just to be sure, double check your BIOS configuration.

I can appreciate the time and effort you have put into you first image creation with the demo, but again jsl, I would not trust anything in any direction where a demo is concerned. You have already stated you have bad sectors and your retail version may not even produce a viable image that you can restore 100% from. But, that is the only way you can go. Don't add fuel (as in demo) to the fire.

Hope this helps and guess we'll be "seeing" each other on the other side (thread, that is!).