clone hard drive

[SHORTY]

Once upon a time some idiot restored his computer back to a toaster. What i would like to know is how can i make an exact copy of my hard drive so that if i do it again i can restore everything files,pictures setting applications etc.I am thinking of a second hard drive internal or external (usb firewire) as having lost everthing and now having to reload all my programs is a monstrous pain in the ar*e.Any helpfull experience or ideas welcome.

 

[Fanum]

Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost (the only bit of Norton software worth owning, even maybe buying ) will both do the job well....you can schedule incremental backups as well so that it'll add to the backup copy as and when you tell it to.

It takes 20-30 mins max to restore a perfect working copy of a corrupted windoze c drive from an image.

 

[SHORTY]

Thanks fanum but will an external hard drive stop me having to reload all my applications and how would i get it all back.

 

[Fanum]

Thanks fanum but will an external hard drive stop me having to reload all my applications and how would i get it all back.

Nope, because the image is literally a direct copy, including the registry and file directory system and everything....

To use it, if your original 'c' drivegoes pop, you start the backup manager at boot up, just like going into the BIOS...can't remember offhand what key it is, but it displays as part of the boot up sequence so you can select it (f11 iirc)

I think it does some checks on disc integrity before loading the image back on in place of the duff one, then it churns away and half an hour later, you have your original OS back, complete with all desktop shortcuts, files, installed progs, pron, email settings etc.....in theory (as long as the backup increments are recent) you shouldn't notice any difference from before it went pop.

 

[SHORTY]

Thanks fanum it sound like just what i am looking for.It just leaves me to get my short arms into my deep pockets

 

[cookie]

personally, i'd steer clear of norton ghost after v 2003 (i think) ie. the non DOS ones.

early DOS version works fine, if a little clumsy. later windows version is based on a prog called Drive Image which i have had a lot of grief with.

never heard a bad word about acronis anywhere, and it's got me out of the crap several times

 

[SHORTY]

Well cookie acronis it is than thanks

 

[(RIP) Proff]

Acronis

Cheapest I've found is on Ebay £21.50 delivered with VAT receipt
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=300091795583&rd=1&rd=1
I've bought from him before
Anyone cheaper please ???????

I'm a tight old git

 

[judge]

Cheapest I've found is on Ebay £21.50 delivered with VAT receipt
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=300091795583&rd=1&rd=1
I've bought from him before
Anyone cheaper please ???????

I'm a tight old git

No point asking Cookie or Fanny about the cost of these things

 

[Fanum]

No point asking Cookie or Fanny about the cost of these things

None at all

addies needed for postage though

 

[BigAlMacMac]

Acronis knackered my hard drive

Well if you want a bad word about Acronis here it is...

It destroyed the entire content of one of my drives...

I was attempting to merge partitions... which is one of its features...

After I ran it... my data was gone completely... almost as if formatted.

Acronis support could hardly have been less helpful.

I had paid for a full copy as well.

So whatever you do... don't trust the software to do what it says... backup your data

But I guess you have learned that.

 

[cookie]

Well if you want a bad word about Acronis here it is...

It destroyed the entire content of one of my drives...

I was attempting to merge partitions... which is one of its features...

After I ran it... my data was gone completely... almost as if formatted.

Acronis support could hardly have been less helpful.

I had paid for a full copy as well.

So whatever you do... don't trust the software to do what it says... backup your data

But I guess you have learned that.

i feel like i'm setting myself up here to be corrected, but acronis true image does not merge partitions AFAIK. in fact, up until the very latest version acronis disc director didn't either, so i'm baffled

wouldn't you have a backup to restore from, made with true image anyway?

i've had a quick look and i can't see how to do much at all with partitions

ps. i use partition magic 8 to merge partitions or anything else to do with creating, resizing etc.