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How to clone a hard disk ?

Guest RJK

By Guest RJK
in Windows XP

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Guest RJK

Guest RJK

Posted
Posted

I thought I'd try a route different to ghosting C:\ out to a USB hd, and

then restoring that image onto a new hd,

i.e. booting from Norton 9.0 Ghost bootable cd 'cause is slowish.

 

So I tried the "Copy drive" on the Norton Ghost 9.0 windows interface, to

"copy drive" C:\ on hd0

to hd1's unallocated space (both SATA hd's).

 

On the options screen I ticked "Set drive Active" (for booting OS)

....there's a radio button in Primary Partition.

Drive Letter is set to None, 'cause C:\ is unavailable ?

....and I put a tick in "Copy MBR"

 

....now I left it "copying", and when I returned, the XP screensaver was on

but, I don't think it had rebooted, and I dutifully shut it down, and

unplugged hd0, rebooted from the "new" hd if you like, and got "NTLDR

Missing"

 

....anyone know how to use Ghost's Windows "Copy Drive" ?

 

regards, Richard

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Guest tuuf

Guest tuuf

Posted
Posted

RE: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

I know this doesn't answer your question but I've cloned a lot of HD's

because it works great. I've tried a lot of programs and by far the easiest

idiot proof software out there is acronis true image.

 

"RJK" wrote:

> I thought I'd try a route different to ghosting C:\ out to a USB hd, and

> then restoring that image onto a new hd,

> i.e. booting from Norton 9.0 Ghost bootable cd 'cause is slowish.

>

> So I tried the "Copy drive" on the Norton Ghost 9.0 windows interface, to

> "copy drive" C:\ on hd0

> to hd1's unallocated space (both SATA hd's).

>

> On the options screen I ticked "Set drive Active" (for booting OS)

> ....there's a radio button in Primary Partition.

> Drive Letter is set to None, 'cause C:\ is unavailable ?

> ....and I put a tick in "Copy MBR"

>

> ....now I left it "copying", and when I returned, the XP screensaver was on

> but, I don't think it had rebooted, and I dutifully shut it down, and

> unplugged hd0, rebooted from the "new" hd if you like, and got "NTLDR

> Missing"

>

> ....anyone know how to use Ghost's Windows "Copy Drive" ?

>

> regards, Richard

>

>

>

Guest RJK

Guest RJK

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

 

"tuuf" <tuuf@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:12665B34-4DED-449F-B08B-9F592EE2A7A5@microsoft.com...

>I know this doesn't answer your question but I've cloned a lot of HD's

> because it works great. I've tried a lot of programs and by far the

> easiest

> idiot proof software out there is acronis true image.

<snip>

 

 

Thanks !

I've got Acronis, it was free on a magazine disk but, I've used Norton for

years, and succumbed to the Windows GUI / Norton Ghost "copy disk" because

it looked like it might be a little quicker !

 

I can quite successfully clone a hd using my tried and tested method but,

now that I've hit a problem, I wanna know what it is !!!

 

regards, Richard

Guest Mick Murphy

Guest Mick Murphy

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

You have formatt the partitiion that you have chosen to send the "clone" to?

--

Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

 

 

"RJK" wrote:

>

> "tuuf" <tuuf@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:12665B34-4DED-449F-B08B-9F592EE2A7A5@microsoft.com...

> >I know this doesn't answer your question but I've cloned a lot of HD's

> > because it works great. I've tried a lot of programs and by far the

> > easiest

> > idiot proof software out there is acronis true image.

> <snip>

>

>

> Thanks !

> I've got Acronis, it was free on a magazine disk but, I've used Norton for

> years, and succumbed to the Windows GUI / Norton Ghost "copy disk" because

> it looked like it might be a little quicker !

>

> I can quite successfully clone a hd using my tried and tested method but,

> now that I've hit a problem, I wanna know what it is !!!

>

> regards, Richard

>

>

>

Guest Mick Murphy

Guest Mick Murphy

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

In other words, make a partition on your second Hard Drive, and format it.

At the present time, it is all unalloceted space!

--

Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

 

 

"Mick Murphy" wrote:

> You have formatt the partitiion that you have chosen to send the "clone" to?

> --

> Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

>

>

> "RJK" wrote:

>

> >

> > "tuuf" <tuuf@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> > news:12665B34-4DED-449F-B08B-9F592EE2A7A5@microsoft.com...

> > >I know this doesn't answer your question but I've cloned a lot of HD's

> > > because it works great. I've tried a lot of programs and by far the

> > > easiest

> > > idiot proof software out there is acronis true image.

> > <snip>

> >

> >

> > Thanks !

> > I've got Acronis, it was free on a magazine disk but, I've used Norton for

> > years, and succumbed to the Windows GUI / Norton Ghost "copy disk" because

> > it looked like it might be a little quicker !

> >

> > I can quite successfully clone a hd using my tried and tested method but,

> > now that I've hit a problem, I wanna know what it is !!!

> >

> > regards, Richard

> >

> >

> >

Guest RJK

Guest RJK

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

I think you're on the right track, ...gosh, ...it's years and years since I

used to be able to tweak hd hex. settings with something like pqedit.exe !!

I'm getting rustier as the years go by !

Anyhoo, some of it is coming back to me now !

....am just in the middle of creating a Ghost 9.0 image of C:\ on that

machine, out to USB hd, then gonna switch hard disks, boot from Ghost boot

cd, and restore it like that.

i.e like I always do - just to make sure i haven't hit some "new" problem.

 

regards, Richard

 

 

 

"Mick Murphy" <MickMurphy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:CF08F247-58DE-435B-B151-207C07278512@microsoft.com...

> You have formatt the partitiion that you have chosen to send the "clone"

> to?

> --

> Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

>

>

> "RJK" wrote:

>

>>

>> "tuuf" <tuuf@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

>> news:12665B34-4DED-449F-B08B-9F592EE2A7A5@microsoft.com...

>> >I know this doesn't answer your question but I've cloned a lot of HD's

>> > because it works great. I've tried a lot of programs and by far the

>> > easiest

>> > idiot proof software out there is acronis true image.

>> <snip>

>>

>>

>> Thanks !

>> I've got Acronis, it was free on a magazine disk but, I've used Norton

>> for

>> years, and succumbed to the Windows GUI / Norton Ghost "copy disk"

>> because

>> it looked like it might be a little quicker !

>>

>> I can quite successfully clone a hd using my tried and tested method

>> but,

>> now that I've hit a problem, I wanna know what it is !!!

>>

>> regards, Richard

>>

>>

>>

Guest Mick Murphy

Guest Mick Murphy

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

If you can see the destination Drive in My computer>right-click on it>Format

Then, you can send your ghost to it!

--

Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

 

 

"Mick Murphy" wrote:

> In other words, make a partition on your second Hard Drive, and format it.

> At the present time, it is all unalloceted space!

> --

> Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

>

>

> "Mick Murphy" wrote:

>

> > You have formatt the partitiion that you have chosen to send the "clone" to?

> > --

> > Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

> >

> >

> > "RJK" wrote:

> >

> > >

> > > "tuuf" <tuuf@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> > > news:12665B34-4DED-449F-B08B-9F592EE2A7A5@microsoft.com...

> > > >I know this doesn't answer your question but I've cloned a lot of HD's

> > > > because it works great. I've tried a lot of programs and by far the

> > > > easiest

> > > > idiot proof software out there is acronis true image.

> > > <snip>

> > >

> > >

> > > Thanks !

> > > I've got Acronis, it was free on a magazine disk but, I've used Norton for

> > > years, and succumbed to the Windows GUI / Norton Ghost "copy disk" because

> > > it looked like it might be a little quicker !

> > >

> > > I can quite successfully clone a hd using my tried and tested method but,

> > > now that I've hit a problem, I wanna know what it is !!!

> > >

> > > regards, Richard

> > >

> > >

> > >

Guest Mick Murphy

Guest Mick Murphy

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

If you can see your destination drive in My Computer>right-click on it>Format

Then you can send your Ghost to it.

--

Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

 

 

"RJK" wrote:

> I think you're on the right track, ...gosh, ...it's years and years since I

> used to be able to tweak hd hex. settings with something like pqedit.exe !!

> I'm getting rustier as the years go by !

> Anyhoo, some of it is coming back to me now !

> ....am just in the middle of creating a Ghost 9.0 image of C:\ on that

> machine, out to USB hd, then gonna switch hard disks, boot from Ghost boot

> cd, and restore it like that.

> i.e like I always do - just to make sure i haven't hit some "new" problem.

>

> regards, Richard

>

>

>

> "Mick Murphy" <MickMurphy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:CF08F247-58DE-435B-B151-207C07278512@microsoft.com...

> > You have formatt the partitiion that you have chosen to send the "clone"

> > to?

> > --

> > Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

> >

> >

> > "RJK" wrote:

> >

> >>

> >> "tuuf" <tuuf@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> >> news:12665B34-4DED-449F-B08B-9F592EE2A7A5@microsoft.com...

> >> >I know this doesn't answer your question but I've cloned a lot of HD's

> >> > because it works great. I've tried a lot of programs and by far the

> >> > easiest

> >> > idiot proof software out there is acronis true image.

> >> <snip>

> >>

> >>

> >> Thanks !

> >> I've got Acronis, it was free on a magazine disk but, I've used Norton

> >> for

> >> years, and succumbed to the Windows GUI / Norton Ghost "copy disk"

> >> because

> >> it looked like it might be a little quicker !

> >>

> >> I can quite successfully clone a hd using my tried and tested method

> >> but,

> >> now that I've hit a problem, I wanna know what it is !!!

> >>

> >> regards, Richard

> >>

> >>

> >>

>

>

>

Guest RJK

Guest RJK

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

Thanks for your input.

....I'm now trying to pin down exactly what "Restore the original disk

signature" actually" does.

i.e. I'm cloning my 80gb Seagate (XP Home) onto a slightly different model

no. 80gb Seagate. (using the Ghost boot-cd and Ghost image, (just taken),

from external USB hd.

The nearest thing I found to an explanation was:

http://radified.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1202587014/12

I know from experience that I need "copy mbr" ticked, and I don't need

"Restore the original disk signature" ticked, but I'd still like a more

sensible explanation of what "Restore the original disk signature" actually

does.

 

.......

http://www.compatdb.org/support/topics/164590_hard_disk_cloning_question.html

looks like it's to do with converting a basic disk into a dynamic disk,

....whatever a dynamic disk is !! :-)

 

I'll have a look at the disk with Partition Magic after it's finished, ...if

it'll boot up :-)

 

regards, Richard

 

 

 

 

"Mick Murphy" <MickMurphy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:85DA7AB5-D110-436C-9B71-6DE3D18C1DE2@microsoft.com...

> If you can see your destination drive in My Computer>right-click on

> it>Format

> Then you can send your Ghost to it.

> --

> Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

>

>

> "RJK" wrote:

>

>> I think you're on the right track, ...gosh, ...it's years and years since

>> I

>> used to be able to tweak hd hex. settings with something like pqedit.exe

>> !!

>> I'm getting rustier as the years go by !

>> Anyhoo, some of it is coming back to me now !

>> ....am just in the middle of creating a Ghost 9.0 image of C:\ on that

>> machine, out to USB hd, then gonna switch hard disks, boot from Ghost

>> boot

>> cd, and restore it like that.

>> i.e like I always do - just to make sure i haven't hit some "new"

>> problem.

>>

>> regards, Richard

>>

>>

>>

>> "Mick Murphy" <MickMurphy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

>> news:CF08F247-58DE-435B-B151-207C07278512@microsoft.com...

>> > You have formatt the partitiion that you have chosen to send the

>> > "clone"

>> > to?

>> > --

>> > Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia

>> >

>> >

>> > "RJK" wrote:

>> >

>> >>

>> >> "tuuf" <tuuf@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

>> >> news:12665B34-4DED-449F-B08B-9F592EE2A7A5@microsoft.com...

>> >> >I know this doesn't answer your question but I've cloned a lot of

>> >> >HD's

>> >> > because it works great. I've tried a lot of programs and by far the

>> >> > easiest

>> >> > idiot proof software out there is acronis true image.

>> >> <snip>

>> >>

>> >>

>> >> Thanks !

>> >> I've got Acronis, it was free on a magazine disk but, I've used Norton

>> >> for

>> >> years, and succumbed to the Windows GUI / Norton Ghost "copy disk"

>> >> because

>> >> it looked like it might be a little quicker !

>> >>

>> >> I can quite successfully clone a hd using my tried and tested method

>> >> but,

>> >> now that I've hit a problem, I wanna know what it is !!!

>> >>

>> >> regards, Richard

>> >>

>> >>

>> >>

>>

>>

>>

Guest RJK

Guest RJK

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314343

 

....seems to be what "Restore original Disk Signature" is all about, and

seeing as I have XP Home, ...doesn't apply to me :-)

 

...OOH! just got "NTLDR missing" after restoring that external USB hd Ghost

image :-(

 

regards, Richard

Guest Timothy Daniels

Guest Timothy Daniels

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

"RJK" wrote:

>I thought I'd try a route different to ghosting C:\ out to a USB hd,

> and then restoring that image onto a new hd,

> i.e. booting from Norton 9.0 Ghost bootable cd 'cause is slowish.

>

> So I tried the "Copy drive" on the Norton Ghost 9.0 windows

> interface, to "copy drive" C:\ on hd0 to hd1's unallocated space

> (both SATA hd's).

>

> On the options screen I ticked "Set drive Active" (for booting OS)

> ...there's a radio button in Primary Partition.

> Drive Letter is set to None, 'cause C:\ is unavailable ?

> ...and I put a tick in "Copy MBR"

>

> ...now I left it "copying", and when I returned, the XP screensaver

> was on but, I don't think it had rebooted, and I dutifully shut it

> down, and unplugged hd0, rebooted from the "new" hd if you like,

> and got "NTLDR Missing"

>

> ...anyone know how to use Ghost's Windows "Copy Drive" ?

>

> regards, Richard

 

 

My guess is that you put the clone into a partition that has

a no. that is different from that of the source partition. IOW,

the "partition()" parameter in the /boot.ini file doesn't point to

the correct partition on the new disk. The "fix" is to edit the

/boot.ini file so that "x" in "partition(x)" corresponds to the

correct partition. As long as the partition is marked "active"

on the new disk, and the old disk has been disconnected,

the new XP should boot right up without any fiddling with

SATA ports. Disconnecting the source disk also performs

the function of isolating the clone ON THE CLONE'S FIRST

STARTUP FROM SEEING ITS "PARENT" OS. That keeps

the clone from confusing its own files with those of its "parent"

OS during that very first startup.

 

BTW, I haven't used Ghost in several years, but since I tried

Casper, I've stuck with Casper. It can clone single partitions

like Ghost - something that True Image cannot do directly -

and it can make incremental backups to its clones as well.

 

*TimDaniels*

Guest Timothy Daniels

Guest Timothy Daniels

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

BTW, it's not necessary to format a partition in which you

make a clone. The cloning process copies the formatting

information right along with the data since the formatting

information is just seen as more data by the cloning utility,

and it doesn't even distinguish between the two levels of

information.

 

*TimDaniels*

Guest RJK

Guest RJK

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

Many thanks for your response.

 

I'm having another go !

 

This time I'm trying the "Restore multiple drives using system index file

*.sv2i" {using the Ghost 9.0 boot cd restore wizard}.

and I have pointed Ghost boot cd restore wizard to the source directory on

USB hd, containing the *.sv2i file and 6 or 7 1gb *.v2i files. (old habits

die hard, I can't seem to break the habit of choosing 1gb chunks!).

After selecting this option there was no screen where I could choose to

restore 'MBR' or 'disk signature' as in previous attempts using the "Restore

a single drive," and it's currently being restored to my new 80gb

Seagate --- "Disk 6, unallocated," so I hope it's going to do a proper job,

and leave me with a bootable drive ! i.e. I've never had to fiddle around

with partitioning a new drive and formatting it etc. with Ghost.

I have often, in the distant past, used Partition Magic to check what sort

of a job Ghost did in expanding the partition out fully - on a new bigger

drive. :-)

 

anyhooo, looks like it's going to take a while !

 

regards, Richard

 

ps I assume that Ghost is calling the new 80gb hd drive 6 because USB hd is

obviously plugged in, 4 Card slots seem to have been enumerated, & 1 dvd

rewriter !

 

 

"Timothy Daniels" <NoSpam@SpamMeNot.com> wrote in message

news:eANSNxC$IHA.2232@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> BTW, it's not necessary to format a partition in which you

> make a clone. The cloning process copies the formatting

> information right along with the data since the formatting

> information is just seen as more data by the cloning utility,

> and it doesn't even distinguish between the two levels of

> information.

>

> *TimDaniels*

>

Guest Timothy Daniels

Guest Timothy Daniels

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

"RJK" wrote:

> Many thanks for your response.

>

> I'm having another go !

>

> This time I'm trying the "Restore multiple drives using system

> index file *.sv2i" {using the Ghost 9.0 boot cd restore wizard}.

> and I have pointed Ghost boot cd restore wizard to the source

> directory on USB hd, containing the *.sv2i file and 6 or 7 1gb

> *.v2i files. (old habits die hard, I can't seem to break the habit

> of choosing 1gb chunks!). After selecting this option there was

> no screen where I could choose to restore 'MBR' or

> 'disk signature' as in previous attempts using the "Restore a

> single drive," and it's currently being restored to my new 80gb Seagate...

 

Words like "restore" and "system index file" and "cd" and

"USB hd" suggest that you've been making and restoring image

files, not clones. (A clone, being a byte-for-byte copy of the

original partition, could not be stored on anything but a bootable

hard drive.) If the MBR isn't restored in image restoration, you

may have to run "fixmbr" from the Recovery (Repair?) Console

of the XP installation CD.

 

*TimDaniels*

Guest RJK

Guest RJK

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

Hi thanks for all your help, and that was a careless and innaccurate word I

used in my OP subject, sorry about that.

 

Anyhow, Ghost "Restore" just completed, and when I returned from having my

tea, the XP screensaver was there to greet me :-)

 

So to summarize:-

Using Ghost 9.0 in Windows to "Backup a drive" (which is saved as a *.sv2i

and *.v2i file/s on USB hd), will perhaps only restore properly back to the

same drive ? ..'cause I've done that lots of times, and never had a

problem.

 

The difference, perhaps, (and which started my ramblings here), was that I

had "backed up" from a noisy Seagate ST380813AS 80gb hd,

and had restored to a quieter 80gb Seagate ST380815AS ...which perhaps

made Ghosts' "Restore a single drive" fall over ? It's so long ago that I

replaced hard disks in my own machines ! Even with "Overwrite MBR" switched

on, the aforementioned would not work, resulting in "NTLDR missing".

 

Whereas Ghost 'restoring' those same "Ghost backup," *.sv2i and *.v2i

file/s from USB hd, via the Ghost wizard, to the quieter ST380815AS 80gb hd,

using the option "Restore multiple drives using system index file *.sv2i"

has obviously done the job.

 

....when the new "restored" drive wouldn't boot yesterday, I booted from

Ghost boot cd and looked at the partition table with PTEDIT32.exe and all

looked fine,

Type Boot Cyl Head Sector Cyl Head Sector Sector Before Sectors

07 80 0 1 1 1023 254 63

63 156280257

 

and Boot.ini looked okay ...but, ...NTLDR is missing was all I got.

 

Call it me getting old and rustier by the year !!!

 

regards, Richard

 

 

"Timothy Daniels" <NoSpam@SpamMeNot.com> wrote in message

news:eJ3C9wJ$IHA.4380@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> "RJK" wrote:

>> Many thanks for your response.

>>

>> I'm having another go !

>>

>> This time I'm trying the "Restore multiple drives using system

>> index file *.sv2i" {using the Ghost 9.0 boot cd restore wizard}.

>> and I have pointed Ghost boot cd restore wizard to the source

>> directory on USB hd, containing the *.sv2i file and 6 or 7 1gb

>> *.v2i files. (old habits die hard, I can't seem to break the habit

>> of choosing 1gb chunks!). After selecting this option there was

>> no screen where I could choose to restore 'MBR' or

>> 'disk signature' as in previous attempts using the "Restore a

>> single drive," and it's currently being restored to my new 80gb

>> Seagate...

>

> Words like "restore" and "system index file" and "cd" and

> "USB hd" suggest that you've been making and restoring image

> files, not clones. (A clone, being a byte-for-byte copy of the

> original partition, could not be stored on anything but a bootable

> hard drive.) If the MBR isn't restored in image restoration, you

> may have to run "fixmbr" from the Recovery (Repair?) Console

> of the XP installation CD.

>

> *TimDaniels*

>

Guest Timothy Daniels

Guest Timothy Daniels

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

"RJK" wrote:

> ...when the new "restored" drive wouldn't boot yesterday,

> I booted from Ghost boot cd and looked at the partition table

> with PTEDIT32.exe and all looked fine,

> Type Boot Cyl Head Sector Cyl Head Sector Sector Before Sectors

> 07 80 0 1 1 1023 254 63 63

> 156280257

>

> and Boot.ini looked okay ...but, ...NTLDR is missing was

> all I got.

 

 

Was the partition that contained /boot.ini (and ntldr and

ntdetect.com) marked "active"?

 

*TimDaniels*

Guest RJK

Guest RJK

Posted
Posted

Re: How to clone a hard disk ?

 

Hi,

 

As an aside, in previous posts, "new" hd is model ST380015AS, not a 380'8'

as I was repeatedly mis-labelling it.

 

Was the restored backups' partition marked Active?, ...that's a good

question. I had been assuming it was, obviously choosing the "Restore

multiple drives using a *.sv2i file" option to restore that single boot

drive marked it as active, perhaps the "Restore a single drive" didn't.

 

....anyway, I will experimnet further on that 2nd machine.

 

thanks again.

 

regards, Richard

 

 

"Timothy Daniels" <NoSpam@SpamMeNot.com> wrote in message

news:eRfznMQ$IHA.1016@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> "RJK" wrote:

>> ...when the new "restored" drive wouldn't boot yesterday,

>> I booted from Ghost boot cd and looked at the partition table

>> with PTEDIT32.exe and all looked fine,

>> Type Boot Cyl Head Sector Cyl Head Sector Sector Before

>> Sectors

>> 07 80 0 1 1 1023 254 63 63

>> 156280257

>>

>> and Boot.ini looked okay ...but, ...NTLDR is missing was

>> all I got.

>

>

> Was the partition that contained /boot.ini (and ntldr and

> ntdetect.com) marked "active"?

>

> *TimDaniels*

>

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