How To Clone A HDD w/ Acronis

[harleyman]

Please read this post first then look at the image and start clone.

In acronis make a rescure cd(it give you that option).

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/4037/bootablecd.th.png (http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/4037/bootablecd.png)

Once you have made that rescue CD, boot off it, it will give you the same options after booting off that CD.

You don't need to do this with the rescue CD you can just do this in windows, but the rescue CD is the preferred method http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/smileys/smiley29.gif

We are not deleting anything, the only thing to delete is gonna be destination HDD, and thats basically to format it and get it ready to copy stuff to. make sure you are not set to erase the source HDD.

In the last screen before you proceed, make sure there is nothing set to delete, clear or anything like that with drive 1 (source drive)

http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/6200/acroniseu5.th.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3449/acroniseu5yt1.jpg)
Click image to enlarge

When its done, it will say job is complete or something, when it is done, turn off the destination drive, you don't want both drives connected to the PC when it restarts or you Will have 2 OS-s trying to start and that will mess up the clone.


so when cloning is done, turn off the external drive before you reboot PC **** DO NOT MISS THIS STEP********

Now you don't need to have external to do this, you can use an internal, the thing to remember is that once the cloning is complete, you can't boot to window with both drives on-line, the clone needs to be removed or taken offline by disconnecting the data cable from the back of clone HDD.

if you do choose to go with an external please make your own external by getting an external enclosure and your own HDD, this way you can use multiple HDDs with one enclosure, and they are much easier for cloning, since all you do after the clone is complete is to just turn the external off.


here are a few recommendations for HDD and external enclosure:


choose your HDD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150014%201035915133&name=SATA%203.0Gb%2fs)

choose your external enclosure (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010090092%2050001379%201053807123&name=Thermaltake)

more external enclosure (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010090092%201053807123)

[txnetcop]

Hey don't know why I never thought of doing this myself...nice work Harleyman. Acronis is really nice. It is used all the time by the guys at TechCorp. It allows you to back up your OS and ya gotta love that!
This ought to be a separate sticky for guys and gals needing to mirror their HDs
Ted

BTW Acronis also has an online storage capability, which is very easy to use and secure.
Ted

[pied]

Aloha Harley,

Do you have any idea if this method is different from making a backup using Acronis?

Ever since my HDD setup crashed (2 HDD in raid0) I use Acronis religiously to backup, is making a clone more secure?

I have the original backup, OS and Windows drivers only. I also have incremental backups made after adding Sims and everything else. I update them often!

pied

[harleyman]

Hey Pied,

This tutorial is just for cloning a HDD to another HDD..

Lets say your OS and FSX are one 150 gig HDD and you are running out of room and need to move it all(everything) to a new and bigger HDD..

This guide is how you do it.....

[pied]

Got it, don't need to do that yet....

Thanks!

pied