Partition Image precautions

Partition Image (NOT Backup)

I can understand that if an entire disk is "cloned" that both the original and cloned disks should not be simultaneously active within the same system.

Does this precaution also apply to an "imaged" system partition?

Assume a system with 2 identical internal disks. (for clarity I am using TI's method of numbering disks which is different to Windows)

Partition_1 on Disk_1 is the system partition (assume C: drive) and contains a Windows XP Pro OS. This partition is "imaged" to Partition_1 on Disk_2 (assume D: drive). So the system as a whole should now contain 2 identical partitions on 2 physically separate internal disks.

Questions:

1. Is it necessary to disconnect Disk_2 for normal operation?

2. If the data cables are swapped between Disk_1 and Disk_2 will the system boot from physical Disk_2? (which the system should now see as Disk_1) (I am assuming that niether the MBR nor boot.ini file needs to be changed - yes or no?)

3. If the data cables are left in their normal places (data cable_1 to disk_1; data cable_2 to disk_2) and the boot process is interrupted (Del key) and Disk_2 is selected as the 1st boot device will the system boot from Disk_2? Or does the MBR and boot.ini file have to be changed to use Disk_2 as the 1st boot device if the data cables are in their normal postions?

 

Well I am sure that if I am wrong an expert will jump in so here goes.
1. No.
2.No.
3. No.

A backup, regardless of what it contains, is a .tib file and it is recognised as such and without going through a restore process it will not be bootable.
In other words the booting precautions that apply to "clones" do not apply to images.

Xpilot

 

Are you saying that if a user "images" a partition that it will create a .tib file?

I thought .tib files were only created with Backups - in much the same way that Microsoft Backup appends the .bkf extension to files.

Surely if you create an "image" of a partition it will be exactly that - a sector by sector copy of the source. This surely cannot result in a .tib file?

 

If a user wants to make a backup, be it a partition or a whole disk, the result is an image file which has a .tib extension. It is only when the restore process is run that it becomes an exact replica of the source.
There are however various operations that can be done with a .tib backup file without actually doing a restore. To my mind the most useful is to be able to mount the .tib as a virtual drive which one can then explore or copy from to retrieve data which for instance has been lost or inadvertantly been deleted.

 

Re: Partition Image (NOT Backup)

Agree. What you say is absolutely correct for a Backup.

I am talking about an "Image". This is not a "Clone". A "Clone" is a sector by sector copy of an entire disk, but an "Image" of a partition, which - as far as I can understand - is a sector by sector copy, which if the partition contains a system then the disk with the "image" should be bootable.

 

I am afraid that you have misunderstood the Acronis terminology. An image of a partition or a whole disk remains an image as a .tib file until it is restored to a drive. It then becomes a perfect replica of the source or if you prefer it is now a clone. I have not had the occasion to restore a whole drive image to a second HDD and then tried rebooting without removing the source drive. I am sure if one were to do so there would be subsequent boot problems.

Xpilot

 

There is lot of discussion about this in the context of using the clone command but as you say in your last couple of sentences the problem should also arise if you do a whole disk restore to a second drive in a system because one would expect the partition signature problem to be created as well. If so, I guess it is less of an issue because people tend to restore a whole disk back to the original drive only.

 

So let me see if I understand this....

1. Clone

If I want to create a bootable internal HDD then I must create a "Clone" of the system disk. A clone does not create a .tib file but creates an exact sector by sector copy of the source to the destination.

For all practical purposes therefore the two disks are interchangeable without upsetting Windows.

The precaution here is that both disks should not be actively connected to the system at the same time.

Should the default system disk fail the "clone" disk can be used to boot the system by simply moving the data cable from the default system disk to the cloned disk.

2. Image

If I create an "image" of a partition, I in effect create a sector by sector copy of the source and the resultant output is stored in a .tib file which must be restored to the original disk (or a similar disk if the original is deceased) before it can be used.

To do this one must boot the system using the TI9 Rescue Disk and then restore the image to the old (or new) disk.

The advantage of this method is that as far as the sytem is concerned, if the image restores correctly, the OS will treat the restored (or new) disk as the system boot disk.

3. Backup

Same as Microsoft Backup except that the data is stored in a .tib file rather than a .bkf file.

Is the above the correct understanding of how the terminology is applied to the technology?

(Now I am going the the gym to work on my muscles - perhaps I can get a job as a beach lifesaver instead

 

The normal way of backing up a complete HDD using Acronis true image is to use its imaging features. Unless you have several HDDs using cloning to backup is very restrictive.
I do not understand your point 3. Microsoft backup is in no way equivalent to True Image.

 

I think Tabvla is confused by the Acronis term Backup (the first item under Pick a Task on the first TI window) I think that before version 9 it was called something else.

When you click on this you can "backup" a disk, a partition or a collection of files or folders, you have to select the files and folders or disk options on a later window. In every case, this will produce an image, which is a file with a .tib extension, this in theory can be treated like any other windows file in that you can copy it to another disk including CD DVD and ZIP

A clone is just that a copy of the original disk

Help this helps

 

Hello Tabvla,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Yes, you are almost right. Just would like to clarify that "image" and "backup" are the same in Acronis True Image. Please take a look at this FAQ article explaining the difference between Clone Disk and creating an image in more detail.

Yes, after cloning you should unplug one of the hard drives right after the disk cloning process has been finished, since keeping both original and cloned hard drives connected might cause different boot or drive letter assignment problems. After you boot from the clonned drive you are able to plug the original hard drive, it will not affect the neither old system nor new one.

If you restore the image of the system partition only then Acronis True Image asked you to aassign a drive letter to it on the new location. Therefore, in this case you do not need to unplug the new hard drive. Please make sure the you prepare you Windows system using Microsoft System Preparation Tool (Sysprep)

I may assume that you would like to create a multi-boot system on your computer. Therefore, I would recommend you to read the following thread:

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=124825

If you have any further questions concerning Acronis software, please feel free to submit a request for technical support or post any of them on this forum. We will certainly try to help you in resolving any issues.

Thank you.
--
Aleksandr Isakov

 

Re: Partition Image (NOT Backup)

TI does not do sector by sector copies.
They should have an option to do so, but I've not seen it.