DiscWizard or Acronis ???

Well I got my Seagate HD Ultra ATA/100 ready to install...its just that I need to know what kind options are availble beforehand. The DiscWizard program utility comes with it and instructions to copy system files in order to make the new drive the boot master. However, I don't know if this will copy the complete operating system including the updated service packs...or if it will also make an exact clone image of the older drive including all files and programs. So....is it better to SKIP DiscWizard alltogether and let Acronis do all the work ? I'm also assuming that during the cloning process, the older drive should still be the master, and afterwards it can be switched.

 

Diggler,
I have a situation that has resulted in me asking the same question as you. I posted my question on this board but no response as yet (maybe I have to rephrase it).
I have Seagate drives and discwizard. I want to create a new boot drive and keep my original as a "backup" that I can hook up at anytime should my new boot drive fail. I tried TI9 - Disk Clone - and had no success with it.
So last night I tried discwizard to copy all files (mbr, applications, any data, etc) to create my intended new drive.
It worked. My original still boots. Unplug it and hook up new boot drive and it works also (appears that only one application did not get all the files and I have to reinstall it). Not bad considering all that I have loaded.
Importantly I wanted a new boot drive and to keep my original intact.

Hope that this helps.

 

WOW....I had no idea that TI9 would have such cloning problems. Its also interesting to see that you were able to copy all your applications using discwizard...since seagate tech support informed me that discwizard is NOT an imaging software....and that it is a 'file based' program unlike TI9 which is bit for bit based. Gee, I wonder if that has something to do with it

 

I have used both. I would recommend cloning with TI rather than DW if you really want an exact copy, but only after running checkdisk or fdisk or whatever is the equivalent on your system.

 

Thanks bobdat,
I was having no luck with disk clone.
Followed prompts and everything OK till reboot then either boots to my original boot drive or can not boot at all (no OS, insert boot media?, etc). Any suggestionson what I need to do to be able to clone my boot drive in TI9.
Thanks

 

It would help to know more about your setup. Assuming you have both drives installed in a desktop machine with the original as the master and the new drive as the slave you should be able to clone by selecting the ENTIRE DISK and using auto settings. When the cloning is complete be sure to shut down and not reboot with both drives active or they will get corrupted. You can't have two clones booting at the same time. Remove the master and reset the clone to be the master and reboot. It should work.

 

Since this is a compare/contrast thread as opposed to an Acronis support issue it has been moved tot he appropriate forum subsection.

 

So far the imaging seems to have gone without a hitch...except for one app that somehow lost its registration key. Its not a bad idea to make sure the newer boot drive is the ONLY drive. System conflicts can be such a hassle.

 

Diggler,
Since my last post I have been able to clone using TI9.
I made a bootable cd from my original drive. Powered off and disconnected all but my target drive and the original. Booted up and was able to do so from the cd (it worked) Acronis opened and I cloned the image. Shut down disconnected all but my new drive and rebooted and it came up. No apparent issues.
I checked my original and it boots also. So I have what I wanted thus far.
Pain for these extra steps to make things work however I am happy that they have. I did not get the issues of having to reinstall apps that Discwizard caused me to do (Studio 9 and NAV).