Please help - need to restore to a new PC - haven't got boot disk

Hello
I hope you can help, I've tried searching the forums but couldn't find a related thread.
My dell inspiron laptop has a lot of problems and won't boot up. I have lots of full/other Acronis backups on an external disk.
I would like to restore the backup to a brand new laptop, I will then figure out how to fix the dell at my leisure. The new laptop is a different make - Toshiba, different opsys (Windows 2000 and not XP like the Dell).
Firstly is this possible? Would the Toshiba laptop have all the data, software and opsys of the old Dell? (which would be great, if it did!)

I have read that I need a bootable CD from Acronis, I did not create one of these (didn't realise). I have no op sys disks or bootable disks. I also think I downloaded the acronis software/licence from the net, so can't reinstall it to create a boot disk?

Sorry to ramble - I would be extremely grateful for any help. I am pulling my hair out!

Thank you

Loopy

 

If you contact Acronis via LiveChat they will probably be able to provide you a download link to an ISO of a bootable rescue medium.

 

The Images you made on the old laptop will not restore correctly on the new laptop (because of different hardware drivers) unless you use the Universal Restore feature which is an added cost option and which works only with the Workstation version of True Image - not the Home version.

In your situation I would reinstall all the applications on the Toshiba, then remove the hard drive from the Dell, put it in a suitable usb enclosure, connect it to the Toshiba and copy all your data files on to the Toshiba.

You will have a cleaner registry by starting afresh on the Toshiba.

 

Thanks for your replies - much appreciated.

I have checked the external back up drive and there is an .iso file. Apologies for being thick but is that the bootup thing?

The problem I have with the Toshiba is it is a bit flaky, so what I think I am going to do is get my XP disks from Dell (they didn't ship them with the laptop but apparently they can send me a set), rebuild the Toshiba from scratch and then do as you suggest re loading the applications and data across from either the acronis backup or a USB enclosure on the dell drive.

Do you think this is a good approach? Are there any shortcuts that can be done? It seems a bit strange going to the expense and effort of backing everything up and then having to load it all up step by step. If 'upgrading' to a different version of Acronis would avoid any of this work I would be interested. But would the lack of a boot thing still be an issue?

Sorry for more questions!

 

The name of the .iso file might give a clue as to what it is. Don't you remember downloading it?

I thought you said the Toshiba was new ... why now you say it is a bit flaky?

 

I think DwnNdrty, he meant new as in a different, not new as in brand spanking new! Along the lines of 'I've got a new car' when it's 54th hand.

If you have registered your copy of TI on the Acronis website you will have access to your licence number and you will also be able to redownload your licenced version of TI.

If you have access to or can make an XP install CD (the Dell Cd's may or may not include this, HP used to include a 6 set HP image plus an actual XP install CD), then you may get lucky by restoring the Dell image to the Toshiba, and then running a Repair using the XP install CD.

You would need to have access to your product ID for XP for this to work. Your Toshiba would then boot. You might then have to download Toshiba drivers for the laptop to run smoothly.

So long as your Dell machine is cactus, and you peel your product ID off the Dell and plonk it on the Toshiba, I don't think you'll have a Micorsoft legal problem - but then i'm not a lawyer. Of course one other option, would be to whip out the Dell drive (if working) and whop it in the Toshiba and then perform a Repair as above.

Colin

 

Hello all,

Thank you for using Acronis True Image

Colin, loopy has chances to boot the system in the manner you described, we shouldn't be so categorical. I suppose he has more chances with Acronis True Image Echo Workstation with Acronis Universal Restore

Thank you.

--
Oleg Lee

 

Thanks for trying to help me, it is much appreciated.

Here is where I am at

- Toshiba (sorry for the confusion, but it was flaky as it is a few years old!)
have re-formatted and installed windows xp. I would like to move the data from either the Dell HDD or my external drive (backed up via Acronis) onto here.

- Dell HDD - bought USB enclosure, when I connect to any computer, I can hear the drive spinning, it is recognised on the task bar as a USB device - but not in My Computer, so I can't see it and get to the data. I've done some googling on this issue and I can't assign a drive letter to it as I can't see it in computer management/disk management (it only appears in device manager/disk drives and device manager/USB/USB mass storage device). I even downloaded Tweak (but this didn't offer any more options). So, I don't know how I can access the data on the dell drive.

-Acronis backup. I got the iso file as suggested from support. I also used the iso file I found amongst the backup files. I burnt the file onto a CD and booted from CD. On the Toshiba this takes me to Acronis but doesn't want to work.

I then downloaded a trial version of Acronis and installed it on the Toshiba. When going into Acronis and looking at the external hdd I can see my files. I used to do a full backup and then incremental ones on the Dell. Ideally I just want to see my data and move the data across onto the Toshiba - rather than wipe out the Toshiba, as I like the fact that I can control what is going onto the Toshiba - it will be cleaner as you have suggested. But, when I go to recovery, select my file (it goes to a window saying 'TrueImage has encountered a problem and needs to close....') I have tried this several times but doesn't work.

Unfortunately, I don't think I registered with Acronis. I bought the product with them and downloaded it. Would they have a record of this so I can register now or is that a longshot? It would be good to get a 'proper' install of the product, I'm sure I have the 'receipt' on my email - which is on the dell! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I would be very grateful for ANY help or suggestions, I am desperate to get my data back. I am spending hours and hours going round in circles and slowly loosing the will to do anything.

Thank you

 

If you can give Acronis Sales as much infor about your purchase - name, address, method of payment used, where you purchased/downloaded from, approx date of purchase etc, they may be able to help.

If Windows can't see the external drive, then TI from within Windows never will. Sounds like a driver is required for the external drive as far as Windows is concerned.

Colin

 

Hi everyone
Thanks for your suggestions. I think I have sorted it.

I decided to try one approach first - getting data off the Dell drive - rather than lots of things, as I was getting very confused!

After loads of searching on the net on why I couldn't see the Dell drive, I found a post about MBR problems that seemed to ring very true with the symptoms I was getting. I downloaded a trial version of Acronis Recovery Manager and ran it, sure enough it recognised the I had a problem with the MBR, recovered the partitions - and hey presto, they appeared in My computer.

I am now copying everything from the dell drive to my new(ish) Toshiba.
I am thinking once I have done this, if I put the HDD back in the Dell, it will probably boot up! But I will have my data then so the world is a better place.

Once I have everything up again I will make sure I get the licenses etc from Acronis, run whatever bootup/recovery problems I need - on both the Dell and the Toshiba. Is there an idiot's guide on how to do this? As for the life of me I find the Acronis software quite complex to use.

Thanks for all your help. Much appreciated.

 

Glad to hear of your progress. As for the "idiot's guide" .. check any message by GroverH (you shouldn't have to look too far, he posts often) and in his signature are links to guides he wrote - very easy to understand.