Cloning vs Imaging...beyond the FAQ

I'm still not real clear on this after reading the FAQ. It seems like both options do the same thing.
What does cloning do that imaging doesn't?

Let's say my main HDD fails or becomes corrupt. If it's cloned onto a USB external HD, I could just boot up right from that external drive, as if everything is normal, correct?
Whereas if use imaging, I need a boot disc, and would restore the images to a new HDD.

Both options restore everything, including the OS, applications & files without having to reinstall anything, right?

I just want to make sure my understanding of this is correct: Imaging is more of a "system restore" type of function, whereas cloning the drive is basically a hardcore "copy & paste", and it would need to be "re-cloned" back onto a new HDD should I need to install one.

 

http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/notes.htm#14

 

Making an image is like squeezing all the used bytes of a source drive into a file on a target drive. You can, in principle, store many such files on a disk. to see or use the files you need to mount the image or restore from the image.

Cloning makes a target disk look just like the source disk, whatever is on one is on the other. A clone doesn't have to be restored, just plug it in and go; all the files are right there jsut as they were on the source drive. If you have a recent clone and your sys drive crashes, you can be up and running again in 5 minutes.

sh

 

Well, no, not really. No current version of Windows will boot natively from an external USB hard drive. Therefore, provided you carried out the the cloning operation correctly (e.g. you didn't allow Windows to "see" both the cloned drive and the original source drive immediately after cloning had finished), you would need to remove the cloned drive from its USB enclosure and install it in leu of the source drive.

Regards

 

Ok...I guess the bottom line is I want to back up my machine correctly...in other words, when I restore it onto a new HDD after my current one fails, it goes back to the way it was, and I don't have to reinstall Windows, or my programs, or whatever..my computer just goes back to the way it was.

And to do that, I need to create a boot disc, and then I would boot from the disc, and restore the image onto the new HDD from the USB drive, right?

 

Right.

Of course, you should create the boot disc (the Rescue CD) while your current system drive is still going strong. When the system drive has failed it's too late.

And you should create a new Rescue CD from any new TI build you install.

 

My system is now completely backed up the way it should be. Thanks to everyone who replied. Your help is appreciated.

 

If you wish to restore from the image file, does the software make the restored disk bootable? Does it restore the boot sector?

 

Yes, it does.
Yes, if you choose so.

 

To be double sure that it is all going to work, when you have a hard drive crashes, take out your drive that is working, put in another drive and boot up with the Acronis boot cd and do a restore, when its all up and running, just leave the drive in the pc and have the original drive as a running spare if needed.