How to clone primary drive?

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by popflier, Jan 11, 2008.

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  1. popflier

    popflier Registered Member

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    My primary drive is a 150G WD Raptor Drive running windows XP. I wanted to be on the safe side and clone this drive so I could have a backup of it should anything happen to it.

    I bought an identical 150G WD Raptor drive in order to have a seamless copy. I have this housed in an external sata case that is connected via USB 2.0. When I tried to clone this drive using Acronis it would never complete the task. I read the help menu and it seems that it cannot clone an active drive?

    How can I clone my primary drive so that I can have an identical backup of it?

    Thanks in advance for any assistance.
     
  2. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    Did you try the clone while running XP or when booted to the TI CD?

    It's best to do the procedure from the CD and then disconnect the external drive before you boot back to the internal. If you leave both connected, Windows will modify the clone so it's not identical.
     
  3. popflier

    popflier Registered Member

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    Sorry, TI cd?

    I tried cloning the drive with XP running, but knew that would probably not work since I was actively using the drive. That's why I am not sure of the work around.
     
  4. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    Use the Acronis Media Builder program to create a Rescue CD (bootable TI CD). Then boot from that CD and try the clone.
     
  5. johnnymg

    johnnymg Registered Member

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    MC

    THANKS for this info. I have been in Clone Hell for the last few days. i.e. the clone process has killed my primary drive. After rebuilding a boot drive I still couldn't get Acronis to clone it when started from XP. o_O

    Anyway, I made a "TI CD" and all is goodness now. The clone process worked great! Go figure!

    Can this "TI CD" be used to fix my Acronis gortched boot drive............ the drive that was made unreadable by the clone process?

    Regards
    JohnG
     
  6. jonyjoe81

    jonyjoe81 Registered Member

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    the only way the source drive can be made unreadable during the clone, is if you checked the box to delete the source drive after cloning.

    If you didn't check that box, my recommendation is to verify your drive letters on that drive. You need to read the drive letters off the windows xp registry.
     
  7. GroverH

    GroverH Registered Member

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    Yes, use the TI Rescue CD and do a reverse Clone.

    Install the workable drive in the usb enclosure.
    Install the bad original drive back in its original position inside the computer.
    Use True Image and perform the clone from usb to original.
    Shutdown and disconnect the usb cable.
    Reboot with the original disk in its original position.

    Everything should be back to normal and the disk in the usb enclosure is your matching duplicate.
    Drives in USB connectors not normally bootable. You will have to switch the drives if your want to use the the newer drive.
     
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