Dual Boot?

Is it possible to clone the boot disk of one PC and to set it up as an alternate boot option on another PC? That is, I want the option to go into one or the other. OR do I have to actually install the second OS rather than use a clone?

Thanks

 

It can be very hard to get a clone of one machine to boot and run properly on another as the hardware is usually different. An XP repair is usually needed to fix drivers, etc.

For stability, a clean install will usually work much better.

 

Hello deadlegs,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Please notice that Mudcrab is correct. However, you can transfer the system to a different hardware using Acronis Universal Restore (an add-on for corporate versions of Acronis True Image). Please also see this article regarding some multiboot principles. With a system transferred from another computer it's possible to set multiboot "the Third-Party Way". Please notice that Acronis Disk Director includes a boot manager (Acronis OS Selector).

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov

 

Many thanks for your advices. I have a single user licence for Acronis True Image Home so not in the league of the Enterprise solutions. I will however read the articles you posted thank you.

I have received separate advice (Acronis Tech Support) that I can clone an image to the other PC and to use Bootcfg to detect the two installations and hence create the dual boot situation. I have another question about this, can the second boot partition be on a USB Ext HDD?

Thanks again to those who have responded.
Deadlegs

 

If it's a version of Windows, then you can't run it off an external drive. If it's a version of linux or something similiar, then maybe. You'd have to check out support for the particular OS.

 

It will be Windows.....thanks.