Would this idea work?

Right now I have a backup image of my C:\Drive. Just one huge partition. 500GB image.

I ordered a 150GB Velociraptor. Should come in a few days. I was wondering if I could install Disk Director Suite and use that to shrink the 500GB partition down to 150GB. Then make a new backup image of that 150GB partition.

Then after I install my Velociraptor, simply restore the 150GB image to the new drive.

Not sure if this would work so that's why I ask.

 

Which version and build of TI do you have?

Just because your partition is 500GB, doesn't mean that your image is going to be that large.

I typed a whole load of stuff and realised I misunderstood your question.

I don't see why this wouldn't work, but I think you may have a problem with the MBR, unless you just image the partition you've made and then manually rewrite the MBR on the new drive.

In fact, you might be able to just use the clone feature with your current drive and accept TI's request to resize.

If you try the clone route make sure you do the clone in manual mode and instruct it NOT to wipe the old drive.

I'm sure I've missed somehting here, so I'll eat and then reconsider.

Colin

 

If I make an image of my C:\Drive and that drive is one large 500GB partition, then the image will represent that whole 500GB drive. The reason I say this is because I just restored a backup image to a 500GB drive. The backup image was made on a 320GB drive.

When I got done and looked at Disk Management, the entire 500GB was not filled. Only 320GB was filled and the remainder of the disk was unallocated space. So the image represented the size of the drive that I made it on.

It wouldn't work to try to take a 500GB backup image and place it on a 150GB drive.

 

Check the manual. You can resize when you restore. so long as the used sectors on the source don't take up more space than the target you should be all right.

 

I have loaded the Recovery Disc in my DVD player and went through the screens kind of as a test run for when I try it for real. There are no options in there for resizing partitions when restoring.

Although in the online manual they say you can. And they say you should be seeing things like:

Yes I would like to resize partitions...

No I do not want to resize partitions...

Where is this screen? I do not see it anywhere.

 

Okay I think I got it going. You have to only check the box next to the partition itself, not the disk.

So I guess I then finish it off with going back and checking the box next to Restore MBR and Track 0? What happens if I don't do this?

Also, I will be restoring an image that was created on a 500GB drive to a 150GB drive. When I'm at the screen in which it lets you type in a size for the restored partition, do I enter in 150GB exactly? Or do I enter in something else close to that?

Reason I ask is because of the way Windows works with reporting space and all that. Like Windows always shows you have less space than what your disk is.

 

When you do the restore, just select one partition and proceed (don't check the Disk # checkbox). You'll then be given the choice of resizing and to restore another partition (if any exist) before you finish the procedure.

 

Correct.

If it's a new drive, go ahead and restore this. If restoring to the original drive, you usually don't need to restore this unless it is corrupted.

I usually just grab the partition ends and resize for the entire drive or whatever size I want and don't bother typing the numbers in.

 

I think in my case it would be better to type in the numbers, because I'm going from larger to smaller not the other way around.

 

If possible remember to make an image of your old disk, before cloning, just in case...


Colin

 

The backup images are already made. How can you restore an image if you didn't even make one?

 

Well yes I thought you had decided to use the clone route rather than image and restore.


Colin

 

Actually I don't really understand what "cloning a drive" is. What is the difference between cloning a drive and simply making an image and restoring that image to a drive?

 

Clone or Restore using Resize comparison
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1299861&postcount=9

 

So I type in 150GB in the box then and then go for it? I know this may seem like a dumb question but you know the way Windows and disk management work. Like you put in a 500GB drive and Windows will tell you it's 468GB or something.

That's why I ask the question. Just wanna make sure I'm entering in the correct figure.

 

Is this windows xp or vista that you are trying to restore?

How much use data is in your 500gb hard drive?

If you have xp, as long as the source windows xp hasn't been exposed to the 150gb raptor. You should be ok.

I do this all the time restoring from a larger partition to a smaller partition (as long as the use data fits in the new partition) it will always work.
Example :
old drive 500gb (100gb in use) will compress down to about 90gb image backup.
this 90gb image backup will easily fit in your new 150gb hard drive.

Just do an image backup of your c: partition (no need to check the MBR box), when you restore it on the 150gb hard drive, just expand (using slider bars)the partition to take up all the available space. No need to type in numbers.

Clone isn't require in this instance.

 

In the case of restoring a larger partition's image to a smaller partition, TI will automatically fill the destination partition (or drive). There isn't normally any need to change the values by typing in any settings. If you do type in 150GB, TI will automatically adjust the value to the actual maximum value.

 

The backup images are already made. And I made them of the entire disk. All I have is one partition per disk. So my system drive is just one huge 500GB partition. There is actually only 10.3GB of used space on this C:\partition.

 

TI won't let you force a value for the partition size that's larger than will fit. You shouldn't need to make any changes to the automatic value as TI will shrink it to fill the new drive. If, for some reason, that doesn't happen, just type in 150GB and TI will change it to 146GB or whatever the maximum value is.