How to clone just one partition from source disk

I'd like to clone my current main drive to an external drive. However, I just want to clone the main C drive, and not the small D drive that I don't use. I don't see an option to select just one partition from the source disk. Can it be done?
Thanks!

 

It can be done using the image/restore process.
A clone of a hard drive is only applicable if one wants to make an identical bootable copy of a hard drive.

If you want to make a bootable clone as opposed to an image followed by a restore I suggest that you delete the unwanted partition and allocate the space to you C drive as the first step before making a clone.

Xpilot

 

In this case I want a clone (although I do also have regular incremental images.) Thanks!

 

clone = hard drive to hard drive copy (copys everything on the drive)
image backup = partition backup of a single partition

You need to do a full image backup of you c: drive partition. Remember to backup "my computer" when it asks you what you want backup. "My computer" is a complete backup of everything that is in that partition.

An "image backup" is an exact duplicate of the partition you copy and when restored it will be bootable.

true image does this quite easily.

But the image backup is saved in a compressed TIB file. You can save this file on the external drive, but it won't make the external drive bootable. You can save this TIB on you other partition(if you have the space), then restore the TIB onto the external drive (if you want the external drive to replace your original drive) . Once the TIB is restored it will be bootable.

Your incrementals will only work on image backups, it won't update clones.

 

Huh? We obviously do not exist in the same Space/Time continuum.

Xpilot

 

LOL I guess not! What I'm saying, is that for regular back ups, I make a baseline and add incremental back ups. But I want to make a clone for different purposes. (I may need to get at the information via a loaner computer that does not have Acronis TI, for example, or I may eventually be moving the data to a mac. I'm returning this lemon of an hp and just want to have all my options open.)


Anyway, Regarding the clones - am I correct in that they are bootable, but only as an internal drive? I couldn't boot from it as an external drive, could I (now THAT would be nice)? I have to physically swap out the drives before I can boot from it, correct?

Thanks!

 

The simplest way to copy information from one computer to another using Acronis Home is to make an image of the required partition.

TI does not have to be installed on the source computer. Boot it from the TI recovery CD with an external drive attached as the image target.

This image can then be explored or mounted on your Acronis computer. From this virtual drive selected information can be extracted.

Transferring from a PC to a Mac is a completely different kettle of fish.
The file systems are totally different and TI is not Mac compatable. See here for more information.
http://www.asy.com/files.htm

Regarding clones you are correct in your assumptions. However putting a cloned drive into a different computer is not advised and the same goes for a full drive image being restored to a different computer.
Sure it can be done but there are several hoops to go through to ensure success.
However I am not sure that this is one of your requirements.

Xpilot

 

Do I understand this correctly:
I can take the loaner computer, boot it with Acronis CD, and then mount my image to her computer? So "mounting" the image - what does that mean, exactly? Can I work as if it was my computer? Access not just my data, but use my software also? Save changes?

 

Mounting an image makes the image look like another drive on the PC. You can access files but you cannot run applications because most Windows applications must be installed on the system which writes entries into the registry and may setup configuration files etc in various folders on the HD.

Note:
I don't believe you can Mount an image using the TI rescue CD though.

 

Ah OK. I thought that was too good to be true!
Basically I want the clone to access my data (and work with it) without changing the loaner computer (it has much of the necessary software already). I'll use an image to move it all to my new computer, when I get it. I have both a clone and an image.

 

Why don't you just do a Windows copy of your data files to a USB drive or whatever?

I only use TI to make images of my C which is OS and applications only. I use SyncBackSE (there are others) for my data files which leaves them in their native file and folder format without stuffing them into a proprietary container file.

 

The clone is on a USB drive. I figure the clone is the best way to not find I've forgotten something when it's too late. I had the space - why not?

 

I forgot you said you also had a clone which covers it.