Acronis True Image Newbie

Hello there

Before I start, let me offer my apologies if my question might have been answered earlier..as I believe it is really a noob question.

I am in process of selling my old PC and buy a new one. In my old one I have a 40GB HDD set s master. It has three partitions, one for the OS (Win XP Pro), the second for Application and the third is Linux SWAP. This HDD is 5400 rpm type.

There is another HDD of 80GB size of 7200 rpm type. The partition one of this contains FC6 installation, the other 2 are for general storage and the last one for Windows page file.

I am going to retain the 2nd HDD [80GB] but gonna sell the 1st one. So I need to transfer everything from my 40GB HDD to the new PC's 160GB SATA drive.

I really can't imagine the horror of reinstalling every bit of my softwares including Windows XP and then the customization that I achieved and use so dearly over the years.

So could some one please direct me in a STEP by STEP manner how exactly I can achieve this (provided it is possible with Acronis TI).

Please help.
Thank you.

 

Hello src2206,

Checkout the links to GroverH's Beginner's Guides in this <previous thread>.

Regards

Menorcaman

 

Thank you very much Menorcaman and sorry that I missed it

Though I was also not sure whether the task I want to accomplish is at all possible or not.

After going through the guides I shall post back the feedback here.

 

Acronis True Image Newbie- please help urgently

Hello menorcaman

I have gone through both the pdf file in detail.

As I explained I intend to move a complete disk to a new SATA one I am not really sure whether I need to use the Cloning feature or the Image Backup feature.

If it is a cloning please suggest a guide for it.

Please note that the old PC of mine does not support SATA and the old HDD is of 5400rpm type.

I urgently need help, please advise.

Thank you again.

 

Re: Acronis True Image Newbie- please help urgently

It sounds like the easiest option is to create a full image backup to an external drive and then "Mount" the image file and copy over all of your important files to the new PC. You will have to reinstall your applications unless you want to blow away whatever is on the new PCs 160GB drive by doing a restore from your image. If the new PC also has XPPro then you will have to do a repair install after you re-image the machine because the drivers for your new Sata drive will not be installed in the image.

 

Hi src,

As you intend migrating your existing system to new and different hardware, I agree with thomasjk and believe that creating an image of your 40GB master drive to your existing 80GB HD and then restoring it to your new computer's 160GB SATA drive is the way to go. You will need to resize your original partitions during the restore process in order to fill the larger drive as detailed in Post #5 of this previous thread titled <I thought TI9 did this.......>.

However, migrating your O.S. to new hardware comes with it's own set of problems, namely, your existing motherboard's device drivers contained in the image will, in all probability, not function correctly with your new computer, plus Windows XP Pro will need to be reactivated via Microsoft after the restore.

Again, as stated by thomajk, in order to get around the device driver problem you will need to boot the newly restored system via your original Windows XP Pro installation CD (you may need to slipstream SP2 into it) and carry out a "Repair" reinstallation of Windows as detailed in this Microsoft article titled <How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP>. Unfortunately, carrying out an in-place upgrade means that you will have to download and reinstall the numerous Microsoft patches and security fixes issued since the release of your original XP Pro installation disk.

As for reactivating Window XP, this <article by Que Publishing> provides a suitable insight into Windows product activation.

Hope the above info helps. Good luck.

Regards

Menorcaman

 

Hello Menorcaman

I am really thanking my judgment of choosing acronis over Ghost and you seem to be the best reason that evryone else should make the the same choice as me. I also express my gratefulness for responding to my PM.

I thank thomasjk for his precise input.

After going through all the materials that you have kindly directed me to, I think what ever I do due to extensive change of hardware system I shall need to reinstall all my application.

So do you think that it will be better if I just image the C drive and restore it and later create partition according to my requirement in the new drive? As the second drive contains no installed application, changing of drive letters assigned to the partition will do much of problem.

Regards

 

Hello again src,

Given that you intend to change the partition layout and reinstall all your applications, I see little sense in imaging and restoring your main system (C partition, carrying out a Windows repair reinstall (and subsequently downloading and installing the various Windows patches/security updates). In my view, you might as well take the opportunity to clean out all "rubbish" that has accumulated on your system partition by partitioning the new drive the way you want, formatting it and then installing Windows XP Pro from scratch (although you will still need to subsequently download/install numerous Windows patches/security updates and reactivate your copy of Windows XP).

Before you do anything though, make sure you create backups of your personal data e.g. email address book(s), documents, pictures, videos, etc and the Linux partition. These can then be restored onto your new computer.

Regards

Menorcaman

 

Hello Menorcaman

Thank you for your suggestion.

Basically I would love to be in a situation where I did not have to reinstal all my application. As I mentioned in my first post that the customization that I have achieved over time really speeds up my work and if I go for reinstall not only I'm going to loose all those moreover I am not sure whether I shall be able to replicate the present situation of my PC.
But given the fact of Hardware change I really am not sure which way will be ideal to take. I never did a repair install and so I'm not at all sure whether it will be possible or successful.
Honestly I'm still bit confused.

Regards

 

Hello Menorcaman

In one of the forum I stumbled up a troubled user having similar problem as mine and there one respected member advised as follows:

1. Do you agree with the above?

2. If you do, (if I remeber correctly with ref to one of the threads you pointed above) I think I shall be able to resize the partitions while restoring the image- isn't it?

Regards

 

Cloning your 40GB drive will result in the same partition layout and data on your new drive as if you carried out whole disk image/restore. In either case, the device drivers transferred to the new drive will only be relevant to your old computer rather than the new one. You would therefore still need to carry out the above mentioned Windows in-place upgrade (reinstallation) in order to install the necessary device drivers that came with your new computer (particularly those for the SATA HD controllers).

Regards

Menorcaman

 

Clear Menacroman

Thank you very much.