True Image

Using Symantec Ghost I failed to clone a HD with a dual boot of XP and LInspire. Searching I discovered Acronis True Image. To be on the safe side before purchase, I contacted Acronis and after several emails was told that it was possible to clone a dual boot system with Acronis. The only proviso was that in the event of partition sizes being changed, it would be necessary to install a new MBR on the Linspire (Linux) partition. Went ahead and made the purchase. On use, unless I am very much mistaken the information given was wrong. In the cloning process Partition Sizes are changed 'Without a choice in the matter'.Therefore Acronis's email reply is totally untrue as partition sizes are changed. I may as well chuck True Image into the garbage, <snip>
I have no intention of going down the road of installing a new MBR.

edited to remove off-topic remark - Detox

 

Acronis was correct because they were talking about imaging and not cloning. Imaging does not change partition size but cloning does. Since you cloned the hard drive it also adjusted the partition sizes.

 

When you clone from your Primary HD to another HD, you have 3 different options as far as RESIZING your destination. One of them ...I believe...is to NOT Resize anything. I've cloned succesfully now about 3 times just to test. When it's finished, and you reboot the Destination HD. Windows will pick up the new HD, and install drivers. Then will ask you to Reboot to complete the process. Once you do this, there are absolutely no problems at all. At least I didn't experience any... what-so-ever. I tested every program just to make sure. Couldn't tell any difference between the Primary, and the Cloned HD at all. I think it cloned it Perfectly!!

Oh, BTW... I did this whole process from the "Boot-CD"!!

 

Your replies noted, but with respect do not address the MBR problem. I repeat the question raised with Acronis: Could I clone a Dual Boot HD with XP and Linspire.
The answer was QUITE SPECIFIC . "Yes, could clone the HD as indicated 'But'
if the partition sizes were changed, it would be necessary to install a new MBR".
I am repeating my initial post, that one has NO choice, in the forced change of partition sizes.
The logical answer from Acronis should have been: Yes, clone but you must install new MBR.
I know, one can clone (Linspire)Linux with Acronis,(they advertise as such) that is not the issue but the Dual Boot Factor.
If answer given, was as I suggest, a New MBR most be installed. Then the exercise in using Acronis of no value to me. Money thrown away, very annoyed after going to the trouble of contacting them with a PRECISE QUESTION.

 

First of all I'm not sure what your problem is with the MBR because it is a simple matter to reinsall it. The question to you is: How are you dual booting? There are different ways to do this, the best being using GRUB as the boot loader and having a sepearate boot partition just for keeping the kernel and grub.conf intact. After cloning, it is a piece of cake to reinstall grub without hurting a thing. So what is the problem?

 

Thanks for your reply. I do not know how to restore the MBR. The loader is Grub by the way.
If you could tell me how to do it, I would be most grateful.
<snip>
I did not wish, for the partitions to be altered in any way using Acronis, thereby the MBR problem arose.
Any assistance would be appreciated.
Regards kenb

edited to remove off-topic remark - Detox

 

You will need a live CD with linux on it. There are a lot of different options.
I have a Gentoo Live CD and the good old Knoppix 4.0 CD. Both of these work very well. I assume you have booted off of the live CD and you only have the one hard drive in the system (the one you want to re-install grub on).

First you will need to mount the /boot partition if it was setup on a separate partition.

# mount /boot

If I remember correctly you can just do this:

# grub-install /dev/hda

If this doesn't work for you, you may have to do a little research into your particular live CD and how to use it. grub-install is just a script that someone made that makes it easier to install grub for non-gubbies. It is really not that hard though if you google grub and start reading a little bit about it. Here is a link to just get you started. How to Reinstall GRUB

 

Thanks for your time in posting.
Afraid it was to no avail.
Had to wipe the drive and reinstall Linspire. I repeat myself as follows.
Still say the information given to me by Acronis was misleading.
I found the email which I quote "You may need to reactivate the LInux Loader if you resize partitions while cloning the drive".

Whichever way the cloning is done, (I have tried both methods), Manual and Automatic the PARTITIONS ARE RESIZED. There is no choice in the matter.

Acronis "You may need" is totally wrong and misleading.
Once bitten, twice shy- without a shadow of a doubt. I note the 'Censors' removed something from my original post, saying 'Off Topic'. How bizarre.