Booting problem with cloned HD

Hi,

I've been trying to clone my HD for a certain time without success.
I keep trying because I did succeed one time with a laptop and Acronis cloning software.

This time I made a clone of my C bootable HD. The new clone HD doesn't want to boot. I've try with the same result by doing an image and restoring it to the new HD.

Both HD are identical Maxtor 120Gb DiamondMax 9 plus
I plan to used them both on the same computer (but not on the same time) via a switch box. So I can have 2 different computer using the same Hardware.

I've read about SID problem do you think this is why it won't boot?
But I'm not sure. When ever I switch the HD and try to boot with the new one I get "error loading system"

Now since my cloning is done I plan to try the Newsid program to change the SID. Does anyone tried this program? But I'm not even sure that what I should do.

I've read about the sysprep.exe but since I want to keep my original and use it I'm affraid of changing anything on it.

Any helping comments would greatly be appreciated.

Regards

Vertigo007

 

Hello Vertigo007,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

First of all, please note that if you want to clone to the identical drive and plug it to the same hardware as the original drive was plugged, you don't need to use sysprep, change SID or perform any other actions.

As for the problem, could you please describe what was the exact error message when you boot up with the cloned drive? Also please let us know whether you had any service (hidden) partition on the original drive?

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

How can I know if there is a hidden partition.
When I look in the administrative tools and look at my drive I only see one partition.
Also it may be irrelevant but there's no hidden files or directory. Everything was unhidden.

The error show at boot is "error loading operating system"

regards

 

Hello Vertigo007,

Hidden partition can be seen in "Start" -> "Control Panel" -> "Administrative Tools" -> "Computer Management" -> "Disk Management". According to your description you don;t have any hidden partitions.

Could you please do the following:

- Download Acronis Report utility from http://www.acronis.com/files/support/AcronisReport.exe;
- Run Acronis Report utility and select the "Create bootable floppy" option;
- Insert a blank floppy disk in the floppy drive and proceed with creating the bootable diskette;
- Plug your cloned drive (unbootable one) to the computer and boot the computer from the diskette created and wait for report creation process to complete;
- Send the report.txt file from the floppy disk to support@acronis.com along with the link to this thread indicating in the subject of the letter that you want to contact Ilya Toytman.

I will certainly help you with the solution.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

Unfortunatly I dont have a disk drive on that system.

Should I try to repair the system from the window xp system cd?
or use Fixmbr.

What do you think?

REGARDS,

 

That error normally points to an MBR error, but if you used the "Clone" function of TI, that is not likely. Is it possible that you have the second drive jumpered differently from the first? You must have it jumpered the same as the first drive when you try to boot from it

 

Hello Vertigo007,

Could you please send us the report.txt file Ilya requested above? This will allow us to investigate the problem thoroughly.

Thank you.
--
Irina Shirokova

 

I have used the clone option from True image.
Both my HD are in master dip switch selection or did you mean something else?
Both HD are the same model and same size.

As for the True Image report.txt I dont have a disk drive in that system.

So do you think fixmbr is the way to go then?

regards,

 

Vertigo - as long as you still have the original disk there is no risk in trying both a FIXMBR and a Repair Windows. At worst you will need to clone the disk again.

Have you tried (as a test) to install Windows on the 2nd drive? Would be nice to see that it can boot.

 

I have read to delete the partition of clone HD from another computer.
Doing so I was able to install a new XP system on it. Now I'm trying to restore an image I had made from my 1st bootable HD.
If it work I'll be very happy.

I've read a lot of information on this forum.

I was surprise to see how much people had the same problems, same error "error loading operating system". It seems to happened when people try to clone a bootable system HD. Maybe someting with the bootini (I dont really) But I could<nt even install a new XP OS without deleting the partition from another computer. If I did it with the same computer it didn't work, I could't install XP properly and this only happened after TI was used. So I guess it does or doesn't do something it should to the bootini or boot files.
I also was dissapointed to see how little help people seems to get from TI support. They all seems to received the same allready made email. Yet, not much suggestion and the problem exist for quite some time now.

regards,

 

Hello Vertigo007,

The problem you described may result from different reasons and that is why we ask to send us Acronis Report. Is it possible to plug the cloned drive to any computer that can be booted and create Acronis Report after that? This will allow us to find out whether the problem is with boot.ini, MBR or something else.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

SID problems have nothing to do with booting. It's only in a domain environment that 2 machines should *not* share the same SID.

 

Vertigo007

If you cloned your drive while under WINDOW XP, The results that your reporting are accurate. I have only been able to successfully clone a drive while under Acronis standalone boot system (LINUX). I don't know what windows does, but it invalidates the cloned drive as soon as it sees it. What I recomend, is only clone from the standalone system, and remove the cloned drive before you boot windows XP. If your replacing the orginal drive, R&R it, but don't let anyone of them (Drives) to see the other.

Storage_man

 

When you clone under Windows XP and reboot after cloning, if XP sees both drives, the original and the clone, then XP Part Manager changes the disk signature of the clone so it doesn't match and conflict with the original disk. To see that, open the event viewer after your reboot and look under System.