Hdd cloning problem

The following occurs when I clone my hdd.

If the source drive is smaller (eg. a 10gb hdd), and the destination drive is larger (eg. a 40gb hdd), then the cloning process is flawless, I will have no errors.

However, if the source drive is larger (eg. a 40gb hdd) but has less data on it then the destination drive (eg. 7gb of data on the 40gb source drive), and the destination drive is smaller (eg. a 10gb hdd), then the cloning process has problems and I will always get a major win 32 system error which renders the drive useless. The hdd will appear to clone correctly, but when you use it you will start getting the win 32 system error. This will occur when you try to open windows explorer.

I had to reinstall my entire OS system quite a few times before I finally figured out why I was getting this system error sometimes but not other times. It only occurs when cloning a large hdd onto a small hdd.

How can I fix this?, or is this a limitation in the Acronis True Image software?
If so, it seems like a major software limitation. I tried to submit this question to Acronis tech support, but their web site doesn't seem to be working right now.

 

kymystic,

That's normal. You can't clone to a HD smaller than the data spread on the source drive.

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

See "Why won't 5GB of data clone to a 10GB partition?"

You should consider using images, not clones. Although the same reasoning applies.

 

I sort of understand what you're saying. Let's say the 40gb source drive has only 7gb's of data on it. I want to clone that 7gb's of data to a 10 gb hdd destination drive. However, it will not clone without error becuse that 7gb's of data is spead out over the entire 40gb source drive, and that causes the errors.

Could I partition the drive so that 7gb is within a 10 gb or less partion. And then after the cloning was completed, enlarge that partition to 40gb's?
or would I still get errors? I tried imaging before, but I prefer to clone because it's flawless. Well at least it's been flawless when cloning from a smaller hdd to a larger hdd.

 

Yes, that should work. But I thought you were cloning to a 10 GB HD.

 

Right, I'm cloning a 40gb hdd that has only 7gb's of data on it, to a 10gb hdd destination drive.

 

OK. I'm confused. How can you enlarge the 10 GB HD to 40 GB?

 

I believe with acronis disk director you can take a partition and make it larger or smaller. Anyway I'll try it at a later date later, and see if it I still get the system error.

 

I think I know what you plan. Resize the source HD partition to 10 GB, perform the clone, resize the source HD partition to 40 GB. Yes, that's OK.

 

You're right, that is exacly what I planned. Hopefully it will work. Thanks for the help.

 

We're both clear now.

 

I just realized there could be a problem. TI doesn't do partition clones. It does whole HD clones. I'm not sure if you can successfully use the resize option in TI. If it doesn't work, image the 10 GB source partition and restore the image to the 10 GB HD. That will definitely work.