Complete drive copy?

I often experiment with different programs (as many do) and most are related to vehicle diagnostics. I find a lot of the programmes are buggy and mess my machine up, As rebuilding a TB 19 MKII meant for Vista with WIN 7 does take up some of my time, and I also have a new SONY VAIO 64 bit which started life as WIN H8 as a Xmas present and I now have it running sweet on WIN 7.

So when I want to rebuild either machine I simply plug in the Acronis Drive copy USB and all is well right....well er no. I am unsure if it is something I am doing wrong or the software simply cannot copy a HD bit for bit. Drivers are often missing, or the programmes are corrupted. On the TB I am assuming I could rebuild two drives and when I am experimenting just unplug one and slot in the other right? Keep in mind I lost my BIOS password about three years ago and no one has come up with the master password to get in.

So I either need schooling or an easier to use program, recommendations?

Many thanks in advance

regards

Dave

 

Clonezilla works for me,just remember that the drive you are copying must be the same size or less then the drive you are going to. How much is used on the drive is moot,it looks at overall size. But some of the guys do this a lot so hang around and they will chime in.

 

Acronis True Image 2015 works great...
I never bothered with Drive Copy.
You can set it up to even restore on different hardware.
I used a backup of a CF30 to restore a Motion Tablet C5v.
used the same backup set on a CF19 and a CF52.

https://kb.acronis.com/content/47606

http://www.acronis.com/en-us/personal/pc-backup/

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832200073

 

To expand on Shawn's post, I think he is cloning his drive not copying it. There is a difference.
CAP

 

CAP may have picked up on my incorrect use of terminology copy or clone, thanks for that.

To make my self clear I will offer an example, TB formatted (80gb), load WIN 7 ultimate, load the relevant drivers, connect to MS and pick up the updates, download a couple of my favourite programs and then load my favourite OBD software and perhaps 'Office and call it done.

Now in the event I delete a driver by mistake/get a virus/have a corrupted file/any reason you can think of have a need to reinstate this drive. I want to plug in a USB drive or external drive and metaphorically speaking 'one click' my TB back to the original install, i.e. a clone of the above. This will save me hours when I have a problem, also the SONY I have at the moment was a PITA to get right, to be able to have a clean copy/clone tucked safely away as opposed to the threat of about 5 plus hours repeating the install would be a godsend. Noted the Clonezilla offering, thanks for that.

I will let the forum massive hash out the 'pros and cons' of any ideas that come up.

I seem to remember years ago someone have a 'ghost' image that got shoved into stand alone machine restoring them with the OS and drivers, am I mistaken about this?

MTIA

regards

Dave

 

Hi Dave
I have used Ghost 2003 for years but it was not Win 7 compatible. I did try acronis but never used it enough to be good at it.

Today I use Ghost 11.51 which is capable of Win 7 and is dos. Just make a dos bootable flash drive and run ghost like this....

 

Hi Dave

Once you have a good image file you can create a recovery flash drive to do even more like this....

 

Acronis runs off a boot disk as well. You burn your own or just pop in the disc that come with the hard copy. I store the images on old hard drives which are "no click" installs. You just stick the drive in the computer and turn it on.
CAP

 

I have used Acronis True Image for years and never a problem. If you check out Newegg they have it on sale all the time for $10..00 - $15.00 .

 

Many thanks at least I now have some options, head a bit messed up at moment, off to UK for a funeral and will have a go when I return and have fitted the replacement touchpad.

@toughasnails, I do have Acronis True Image I purchased last year and this just does not seem to work right for me? I would not doubt your credentials as you have helped me in the past so, I am going with it being me and just thick. I will have another fresh go next month.

Thanks all again

Tranquillo

 

I used to use a program that would let me clone back and forth, change partition sizes, and clone to SMALLER drives. I want to say it was Partition Magic 8.... Is it something in W7 that breaks this???

 

I'm following this as I would like to copy and shrink my Win7 partition so as to copy it and the Mint w/ Mate partitions to a new SSD.

 

Check Acronis True Image 2015....Cloning must be same size drive, but create a partition image and restore that image to a different size partition will work.

https://forum.acronis.com/forum/74438

 

Not forgotten about the backup issue, I have fitted the new touchpad, got forced to do it as my 5 month old SONY VAIO just packed up, needed a machine on the quick so no on my refurbished touchpad TB!

Doddle of a job TBH, so am pleased to get it back up and running, thanks to those that helped with that.

I will get the SONY sorted and then when I know I have one good spare machine I will have a go at backing up the drive. So we are clear on this and what I actually plan is:

Fresh rebuild:

Add my most used and important programs, machine working perfect and then, copy or clone the drive. Unplug and fit a new drive, then copy the first drive to the spare. Now assuming I am using the machine and pick up a virus that messes up the drive. I want to be able to pull the drive and plug in my 'spare' and go back to work. There will be no need to recover the saved work, I have a different machine for personal use. I suppose I could simply rebuild two drives and keep one as a spare but it is so time consuming.

Tranquillo

 

I use Acronis and make a recovery image on a usb stick.
I use an Acronis CD to boot then it reads the image from the usb stick. Complete restore in less than 20 minutes.
The bonus of my way is I always have a backup available...With a 2nd cloned drive,,when drive one goes down, you won't have a backup anymore.
Unless you make an Acronis image and use it to create the second drive...That way you can always use Acronis to create a backup drive...

 

Sorry Shawn that has just lost me completely.

 

I'm out....Hopefully someone else can come up with something that works for you....

 

Don't give up on me Shawn, I spent many years in IT and then dropped it way back for probably just as many. I think I am getting confused with the terminology? Copy/clone/2nd clone/image/backup/partition image/recovery image, see it from that point of view Shawn.

Tranquillo

 

Real weird this, see the reply from Shawn about jump being 'out', I check my email and I reply linking to this thread and yet it is not here?

You have nailed it Shawn, well on the email you have, perhaps there is a time delay going on here? So if I understand you and keeping in mind my TB does not have a CD drive I can:

From scratch:
Format
Load windows
Drivers
Updates
Load important program (inc Acronis)

Confirm all is good and then make a copy perhaps on a USB pen drive of ('X' size?).

This will be my perfect copy, then I then experience one of the following, hard drive failure, switch off, pull hard drive, put in new blank drive, put in USB stick and press start? Is it really that simple that in perhaps 30 minutes my machine will be as good as pre drive failure?

Tranquillo signs off with some difficulty as fingers are crossed.

 

yes...Acronis will do that.
I suggest True Image 2015...

 

Here's what I did.

1. Bought a 500GB USB drive. Rock Mobile.
2. Used Paragon 8 and 11 to copy XP and W7 disk images after updates. 20+
3. Loaned the drive to my friend.
4. He dropped it and I lost all my images....he replaced the drive in the Rock Mobile Unit returned it and I named it after him S_ _ _ _'s Mistake. (his name) and I started over.

What I learned.
1. 11 is better than 8.
2. For multiple units figure out a way to name the images so you can find them again.
3. Either glue the foot on the Rock Mobile unit or don't loan it out.

Supposed to be funny.
What happens.
1. Boot your machine from the (Paragon/Acronis/Whatever) boot disk or USB Stick. It (Paragon)looks like Windows is loading.
2. Chose your option. (like write to USB HDD)
3. Name it as above.
4. When you need it boot again from boot disk/stick.
5. Find your package......what was it called again?
6. Write the image to hdd.

If I was starting today I would use Acronis because of the support here. This thread just reminded me of the story.
The important part of this is naming conventions for multiple images.
This would be difficult for a CF-29E etc. with only one USB port. (just noticed) I use a BootCD.

Hmmmm? I wonder if you could run a boot USB, pull the stick and hotplug (pnp) the USBHDD? Someone knows.

J'd

 

The images can be on the boot rescue drive....
You need to add the images manually after you create the boot rescue drive...
After Acronis (linux based) is done booting you can point it to whatever image you want.
OR there is an option to create a one click restore..I never used that option though...

In linux you could do the hotswap trick because a live linux cd creates a ram drive that it runs from.

 

Makes sense.
I admit I have never used Acronis. More compact by far.

 

@Sadlmkr Thanks for that, looks a little complicated, FYI my TB19 has two USB ports,that is how I use an external CD drive. @'all', thanks for your contribution's they have been very helpful. I will be going with Acronis True image 2015. As is typical the HD on my new VAIO has had a heart attack, that forced me to get the TB back up and running, so now to rebuild the WIN 8 VAIO with WIN 7 64bit.....THEN make a clone/copy/back up................... Tranquillo

 

"he replaced the drive in the Rock Mobile Unit returned it and I named it after him S_ _ _ _'s Mistake."

this reminded me of a sign i seen in an area that went underneath a multiple section bull-chain driven end ... on this sign was "gillian's demise" .
i queried one of the older workers there ...
he told me that a guy with the last name of gillian had worked there during WW2 and was ducking underneath the chain and going through the pit all the time using it as a shortcut to the break/lunch/smoking area .
one day a guy that was "pulling lumber" from the top side of the chain seen a bloody glove with the remnants of a wrist go by him stuck in the chain .
yep , gillian had made his last trip through that shortcut .

 

I've done that on several units including CF-M34, but not sure I've actually tried it on a 19. It worked fine as long as I let the program on the USB stick/external DVD drive finish booting up completely (I use HD Clone).

 

I was thinking of the 29E and before. I have a faint recollection of letting the smoke out one time by pulling a running hard drive from a 29. As you say, not necessary with a CF-19.

Don't read below during dinner. :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One up......fellow at the lumber mill cut a finger off. Folks gathered around to help. The foreman asked "how did it happen"? "Well, I did it something like THISSSSS!" Yessss... he did ....whacked another one off. Covelo, California lumber mill carpenter shop. Told to me by someone that saw it happen.

 

to add to the mix ...
in the same mill i mentioned above , there was an area that involved a small belt , "stickers" to be trimmed to length with an optically triggered live saw on an arm .
place sticker bundle into position and after a short delay the saw arm triggers to cut off the sticker ends .
the guy running it dropped his handkerchief on the stickers that were in position the guy and he reached for the handkerchief as the arm triggered .
it cut off his hand at the wrist .
the guy was dumbfounded and when the stickers and his hand went traveling down the belt ...
he "reached" for his hand with the (now) stump .
yeppers ... it cut off his arm at the elbow .

we now return you to the regularly scheduled thread .

 

Not so....well 'nasty' but I had a friend who was 'fiddling' in the back of his plugged in TV, I watched in horror as he was thrown away from the TV by at least 6 feet and left shaking on the floor, helping him up it was obvious he had just got a serious electric shock, as he steadied himself he pointed to the back of the TV and in one action he started reaching back into the TV and saying I only touched this!

Yep you got it! I was amazed at how consistent was the distance he was thrown to the first time!

Tranquillo

 

as bugs bunny says : "what a maroon ..." .
dealing with televisions/repair for many years , getting bit by the 20-25 KV at the second anode (that red wire that has a rubber cap and connects to the side of the picture tub "bell" ... it became an "irritation" .
no jumping around and all that ... just a couple expletives .

 

Looks like this turned into a "that guy" thread. Used to test micro wave oven transformers. We ALL know how fun it is to charge small caps and toss them at people. We did warn the new kid to NOT use the large ones that ship with out transformers to Sweden but you know who kids are. It actually blew a chunk out of his finger when he played with it.