Question re Acronis Mirror Image

[George Tyndall]

Theoretically, the end result would be the same regardless of which way you do it. However, Acronis has had a history of problems with cloning. I don't know whether or not current versions have resolved all the issues, but some of the past versions had lots of problems.

Backup and restore to create the cloned drive takes much longer than a direct clone operation. But, you have the distinct advantage that at the end of the process you also have a backup that's been proven to be restorable.

If you one of the many for which cloning is not a problem, it comes down to personal preference. I've done it both ways.

The plot thickens: I've just noted the following: Windows informs me that drive C has increased from 269GB to 273GB, and drive E has increased from 247 to 251 -- both by 4GB

But the only change I have made to my machine since I last checked was to download the latest Windows updates, which if memory serves numbered 21. This would suggest that the updates went to both drives.

However, when I boot with the Acronis rescue media, I am informed that only Acronis Drive E has increased by 4GB to 273, while Acronis Drive C continues to be 214GB.

BTW, my two internal drives are completely identical 1TB drives from the same manufacturer, therefore, the one and only way to know which is the source drive to clone is by the drive letters that Acronis has assigned, which in my case are reversed. In the clone window, all that is stated is that both are 913.8GB drives Western Digital drives. I wonder how many of Acronis' customers have been severely burned by choosing to clone Acronis drive C -- which might be a newly purchased empty disk -- to what should have been their source drive, thereby ending up with two empty disks and wanting to commit suicide as a result.

[Peru]

Connect one of the drives externally to another computer via a dock (or connect it internally) and add save a notepad file to it that says, "Disk1" or some other identifier. Do something similar to the other disk.

Alternatively, there may be a way to go into the boot settings or Setup to find out more information about the drives.

[TreeTopsRanch]

All I can say is "What a hellofaway to do a backup" No wonder most people don't do backups. And this thread has sure told me to stay away from Acronis if you want a easy and simply way to back up your stuff. That program can't even keep the drive letters straight.

[Peru]

And this thread has sure told me to stay away from Acronis if you want a easy and simply way to back up your stuff.

I used to use Acronis. I now use the free versions of Macrium Reflect and EaseUS Todo:

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

http://www.todo-backup.com/products/hom ... ftware.htm

[Bob]

That's really bizarre.

[TreeTopsRanch]

What's bizarre?

[Bob]

Something is odd about how Windows is reporting the disk utilization. In this instance, Windows reports both C and E increased by 4GB after applying updates. Updates to the OS on C shouldn't affect the other drive in a standard installation. What Acronis reported, that only the one increased, is what I would have expected. Also, in a previous post, space added to E was not reported by Windows. I don't know whether this is a side effect of Rollback Rx or something else.

[TreeTopsRanch]

Yes, that sure sounds bizarre. Was there a check to see if there was actually 4GB of files added for both C and E?
I mean were the same files added to both?

[George Tyndall]

All I can say is "What a hellofaway to do a backup" No wonder most people don't do backups. And this thread has sure told me to stay away from Acronis if you want a easy and simply way to back up your stuff. That program can't even keep the drive letters straight.

For backing up data/files, I've been using SmartSyncPro for years, and it works flawlessly. But it does not create a backup -- a mirror image -- of the entire drive, including the OS and updates, plus all the installed software and their settings. Acronis worked well with the Win7 machine in my signature, which is my offline editing machine, but with this Win7 machine that I use online, the disks are GPT, so I had to request an updated version of Acronis that could handle this type of disk.

Problem is, Acronis states in a prominent location of the main dialog window, "Drive letters may differ from those assigned by Windows."

[George Tyndall]

That's really bizarre.

It's getting more bizarre: I was advised by Adobe to update Flash Player, so as always I first created a System Restore point.

I've just checked the Properties of Windows drive letters C and E -- and both have increased in size by 3GB!

Does the following plan make sense?

--As I still don't yet know which of the two internal drives is bootable, I'll simply attempt to boot from one of them at a time, with the other unplugged
--Once I know which of the two will not boot, that will be the one to restore from the backup on the external drive using the Acronis rescue media
--If that does not work, then it's time to investigate the software recommended by Peru

Peru, of the two do you have a preference? Isn't EaseUS ToDo made in China, the land of expert hackers? When I read that it is made in China but free, the first thought that comes to mind is Proceed with Extreme Caution

[Bob]

Acronis is made in Russia. Also a land of expert hackers.

Isn't your current drive E your old drive C that crashed? How did your recover that drive? Is there still an OS on it and is it still bootable?

If you can identify which of the two identical drives is E, unplug that first and see if the other boots cleanly. Try it the other way too.

[Peru]

Peru, of the two do you have a preference? Isn't EaseUS ToDo made in China, the land of expert hackers? When I read that it is made in China but free, the first thought that comes to mind is Proceed with Extreme Caution

I have both installed on different computers. They seem to work equally well. I have a personal preference for the user interface of Todo.
The only disadvantage of EaseUS is that they will occasionally send you emails with offers to upgrade to the paid verson.

See here:
http://forum.webuser.co.uk/showthread.p ... S+tutorial

and here:
http://www.todo-backup.com/backup-resou ... -drive.htm

and here:
http://www.devhardware.com/c/a/Hardware ... m-Reflect/

[George Tyndall]

Acronis is made in Russia. Also a land of expert hackers.

Interesting!

Isn't your current drive E your old drive C that crashed?

Yes.

How did your recover that drive?

I may have proceeded despite the below warning.

Is there still an OS on it and is it still bootable?

It is running as I type this.

If you can identify which of the two identical drives is E, unplug that first and see if the other boots cleanly. Try it the other way too.

Both drives boot -- the one I am using now is the one that Windows was labeling as drive E when both drives were plugged in.

Here is what I get while attempting Recovery: "Warning! After operation completion, operating systems will not boot from the destination disk in BIOS. Check Help for details."

However, when I click the Help icon there is nothing stated about what this means or how to proceed. Am I getting this message because my disks are GPT?.

[George Tyndall]

I have both installed on different computers. They seem to work equally well. I have a personal preference for the user interface of Todo.
The only disadvantage of EaseUS is that they will occasionally send you emails with offers to upgrade to the paid verson.

Thanks for the links.

Are they equally useful for cloning?

For me, it would be a dream come true if, each time I made changes to my C drive and all software continued to work well, I could follow with a clone to a second internal drive.

In addition, I would create a backup to an external drive that I would use to keep the second identical machine that I keep at a different location up to date.

[Peru]

Are they equally useful for cloning?

Yes. Todo has the advantage of being able to clone to a smaller drive, which other applications can't do.