Jump to content

Cloning software


mesa

Recommended Posts

Hard drive is failing so I ordered a new one but just wondering if anyone would recomend a good free cloning program. Want to be able to get OS and files on new drive. Or if you know a easy way to do this. I have an external hard drive which I have back up on but will need to get windows on new drive also. THANKS

 

Mike Foster

2020 Transcend 221RB

2017 Chevrolet 2500 HD

 

 

20190920_161514.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mike,

Windows or Apple or Linux? How old is the hardware? Which version of the operating system is on the old drive? If Windows is it 7, 8.1, 10, and if 10 is it updated to Creator's update of a month or so ago? Are you replacing it with An SSD? If you already have an external drive you would be really happy with the speed increase an SSD gives. Today they have the 500GB Samsung on sale from today and until 7days from now for $165,

Level up to the 850 EVO simply
without any hassle:
WARRANTY
5 Years/150TB
In three simple steps the Samsung’s One-stop
Install Navigator software easily allows you to migrate
all the data and applications from your existing drive
to the 850 EVO. The included Samsung Magician
software also allows you to set up, optimize and
manage your system for peak SSD performance

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAB3U5P13660&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=MP060417&cm_mmc=EMC-MP060417-_-EMC-060417-Index-_-index-_-9SIAB3U5P13660

And the Crucial 525GB SSD for $157.00

I can recommend several cloning programs I use if Windows I use this: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/apricorn-data-transfer-cable-gray/3459621.p?skuId=3459621&ref=06&loc=01&ksid=d893ab82-216c-41cb-83fa-e84e5c34858a&ksprof_id=3&ksaffcode=pg196568&ksdevice=c

See you have to have a wire to connect your computer to the new SSD or HD to clone to, and the Apricorn package includes the software and the wire to connect and clone from your computer's USB drive. If you biuy the Crucial SSD it includes:

" Includes free Acronis® True Image HD software for easy data migration"

But how do you connect it? That's why the Apricorn drive wire which I've had for ten years and is very durable. I've also used it in a pinch to read drives like a dock when traveling. I have a 50 dollar Thermaltake USB 3.0 BlacX external drive dock.

If anything other than Windows disregard the above.

 

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oops, window 10,not sure if it is creator update on it. Replacing it with a 7200 RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive - 500 GB. Only use the desktop in morning and taxes. Other than that on my tablet. So I cant make a boot drive and boot from that then restore from my external HD? 

thanks for your help.

 

Mike Foster

2020 Transcend 221RB

2017 Chevrolet 2500 HD

 

 

20190920_161514.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That would work too if you have a complete restorable image, not just a backup of files. Backups will have the data but not restore the OS and programs you loaded. For example, let's say you have Microsoft Office 2010 like I do and you have done windows backups not images. Then you try to restore but there is no OS or any of your programs just your settings and your data like word docs but no word. Only a clone creates an exact image of the system or a cloning program.

If a desktop and you have the connectors for a second drive then you will not need the Drive Wire just install the new drive and clone internally then shut down and remove the original drive and when you boot it will probably ask to do a restart or not, to make the remaining drive the master drive.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use the clone (system image) app in Win 10. They call it "System Image". I have had to restore an image with it twice. Once on my desktop and once on my wife's laptop. It worked fine. I clone once a month and also do backups once a week using Microsoft's SyncToy - available free from Microsoft.

System Image can be found at control panel/ file history - lower left corner as "system image backup". You need to make a system repair disk after the system image is made and you are asked if you want to make one.

Clay(WA5NMR), Lee(Wife), Katie & Kelli (cats)
Full timed for eleven years in our 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N Workhorse chassis. Snowbirds for 1 year. Now settled down in western CO.
Honda Accord toad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Clay are you doing your system image on an external hard drive or drive dock attached via USB? Did you have to change the boot security settings? I had no issues doing Drive images and restoring them using that Windows 7 era program but my first images in 8.1 were unsuccessful due to secure boot changes. I'm about to do some practicing with my newest hybrid tablet. It needs a fresh install from media to overcome some lagging that was caused by setting in the original image they used for them. If it fails I will have an image standing by on my external USB3 drive dock. IN Windows 7 I would image my Win & then exp[eriemnet woitjh Windows 8.0 developer's version, then every month swap drives and update each. Never had a dropped bit even.

Monthly was my old increment but I have gotten out of the habit. Thanks for the info.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dick,

I use the Apricorn wire connected to my computer via the USB 3 end, and plug the SATA end into my 2.5" drive. To do it on a 3.5" desktop size drive I use my external Thermaltake USB3 drive dock. (Single slot not the dual model.)

Using the external dock I can use any cloning program I want and have used several over the years. I stopped buying Acronis when I found Macrium reflect free to do it faster and better with fewer fails on restore. But EaseUS free is also very good. I despised Clonezilla.

Go here but for EaseUS feedback scroll down and read the comments section, fourth comments down: http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-drive-cloning-software.htm

My first choice once Windows 7 gave us the System image creation and repair disk tools was Windows System image tool.

The problem with testing images is that if it fails you may have to start from scratch, so always save your pics, docs, Excel and access files and others from whatever programs you have installed before you do your first System image restore. I'm about to take the time to catch up again.

If you never try a restore with backups in case, you are relying on an unknown, Clay and myself have no issues with restoring images. So we can be confident we can restore after any issue we cannot fix.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RV

I do the Win 10 system image once a month on each laptop each on there own 3TB external.  Do I need to be making a repair disk/USB thumb drive each time?  I have a repair disk/USB thumb drive made for each laptop but it was back when I made the first system image for each unit.  Should I be remaking this once a month as well?

Thanks

Dennis

 

 

USA Master Sergeant Ret.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Derek but I am still lost. Also, is clone better than backup? Clone is for restoring your computer right? Been awhile since I did a backup. I backed up to an external HD.

Thanks

DICK

2010 Phaeton QTH
2013 GMC Sierra 4X4
Vietnam Vet--1st Cav '65, Recon,2/7
Ia Drang Valley survivor
Elks<br http://www.4ezdaz.com
Same site--new URL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK Dick,

No problem. An image is what your entire hard drive contains -

The Operating System (OS) whether that is Windows, MacOS, LInux, or the newest alternative OS' like React OS

All your programs that you installed in the OS environment like MIcrosoft Office, Malwarebytes, Firefox, Sling TV, CCleaner, Win TV, etc.

All your applications from Windows and the Windows store like the great Windows Weather App, Kodi, Cortana.

All your data stored from all those programs that are usually stored in the Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Videos folders. There is also data under the user folder containing your emails/email settings, favorites, and in program folders.

With a current image from your computer saved to an external drive dock or spare HD, you can remove a bad drive and then put in a new drive and restore the image you just made and saved to your external storage drive, and restore it from there to your new blank drive. In a few minutes your computer is again exactly as it was. All your programs, Apps, docs etc as well as windows are all there as they were on your old drive.

Why replace a Hard drive? When your drive is failing, or you want improved performance by switching to a Solid State Drive or SSD. People don't need large hard drives installed in their computers, laptops, and tablets anymore. In an old style desktop (Box and separate Monitor/keyboard. mouse) you generally have at least two drive bays except in small form factor computers the size of a paperback book. If your desktop has two drive bays you can clone the main drive to a new SSD in the second drive bay, and then shut down, remove the original drive, put the new drive in the drive bay the original one was in, and with only the one new drive in boot and follow instructions if any. Then if your old drive is good and only replaced for a much faster SSD, you can buy a drive enclosure or external drive dock like these: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=external drive dock&qs=n&form=QBIR&sp=-1&pq=external drive dock&sc=8-19&sk=&cvid=7E6D5D34390C487888C1154FCEDF6119  and use your old drive/s for storage. Drive docks have power supplies built in and must be plugged in to work. I leave mine connected to my desktop all the time by USB 3, but have it turned off so the drive in it is not in constant use. When I need to use it I select the hard drive (HD) I want to access, put it in, and then power it up and the contents are accessible in just a few seconds. All SATA drive docks can handle the 2.5" small notebook HDs, as well as the larger 3.5" HDs. If you are replacing a laptop HD to make it much faster with a SSD, then you can put it in a dock, or an external drive enclosure like these: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=external+drives&qpvt=External+drives&qpvt=External+drives&qpvt=External+drives&FORM=IGRE The smaller drives are powered by the USB port on your computer and do not need to be plugged into a wall plug.

I have several drive docks and seven or eight 2.5" external USB powered 2.5" drive enclosures, but since really stopping my side biz of repairing computers, I don't need portable storage and since I still have about 20TB of spare drives, I just use the drive Docks next to each computer.

OK so whichever type of external drive you have, you can save both images and backups to it.

Backups (not system images) save all your data but not the programs, Apps, or the Operating System itself (OS). Backups can be configured to save all of the data, or you can preconfigure what data you want backed up.

If you take a new bare drive and restore a backup to it, it would not run because it has none of the hardware drivers or the OS itself.

If you take a new drive and restore an image to it it will run and be exactly the same as the day and moment tht you made the System Image.

Both System Images and Backups have distinct uses, advantages, and disadvantages.

If you take an image when your computer is infected with malware, when you restore that image it will be infected too.

If you do a backup from an infected computer it may contain the infection and infect your system when restored.

The reason for intervals for images is to avoid the infection if one occurs. For example I used to do my images every month. If I got an infection (Never did save for a minor one several times over the last 17 years or so) then I could restore the last image. The downside to that is that anything I did since that last image is lost. Restoring an image wipes everything off the main drive and replaces it with the image. If the image was made on last week on June 1st, and on June 2nd I downloaded two movies and wrote a new chapter for my book, and my hard drive failed today, I could restore the image but those movies and new chapter are gone forever.

Backups take less room and many people have them set to backup automatically daily or weekly. If my hard drive failed and I only had backups, I would put in the new drive and first would have to install the OS, in my case Windows 10. Once Windows 10 was installed I would then have to reinstall Microsoft Office 2010, and another 20 or 30 programs. Once they were up and running then I restore the data manually or automatically. Manually, meaning I drag and drop the files from the backup to the folders I made on my new hard drive.

Cloning and imaging are different. A clone is done on the same size drive as is in the computer now. In the case of desktops with the larger 3.5" drives you can put the smaller 2.5" drive in it too. Then, when you need to replace the image or drive, with a clone you made to a second drive, you can just remove the bad or infected drive and pop in the ready and waiting cloned drive.

A system image is a kind of backup. A plain backup usually just
backs up data files, while a system image backs up everything on your
drive.

Which is better? It depends on you and how you work. If you lose the
entire drive and have a system image, you can restore everything.But
if only your data is backed up, you have to reinstall Windows. With a
simple Windows installation, having to reinstall it may not be a
hardship, but if it is complex, with lots of programs installed and
lots of customization, an image would save you a lot of time.

Here is a second writer explaining this: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2029832/backing-up-your-entire-drive-cloning-vs-imaging.html

 

 

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

YW Dick, let me know if you have any other questions.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RV  , every time I try to make an image of disk ,it always come up with a fault which I'm thinking might be due to the bad sector on hd I'm trying to image. Does that sound right to you?

Mike Foster

2020 Transcend 221RB

2017 Chevrolet 2500 HD

 

 

20190920_161514.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Using what imaging program, and at the start or after it has run a bit? If you are using Acronis try Macrium reflect free or EaseUS free.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Use just Windows system image or AOMIE, not both. If you have issues with your disk and bad sectors you need to fix those first anyway. The really bad time to have it fail would be when you are trying to restore it after a crash or infection. What are you saving the image to? An external USB drive or disks?

If you have some bad sectors, as all hard drives do, you need to scan and fix them with chkdsk, a tool included with windows for just that. Be aware that a failing drive will not stand many long scans and runs of chkdsk so run it with the /r to have it repair while scanning for errors as it finds them. Go to this webpage and print it out and follow the directions to run chkdsk:

http://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/find-and-repair-hard-drive-errors-with-windows-chkdsk/

Then just run the system image tool. When you go to restore the image to it or another drive, make sure you know to select the bottom option on the second screen not the top one to repair it.

 

If those instructions are unclear try some of these: https://www.bing.com/search?q=chkdsk&pc=MOZI&form=MOZLBR

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rv. I ran chkdsk before and not using both image programs at once just tried Amoie after windows imaging failed. Saving the image to external hard drive which I ran chkdsk and formatted first. Keep getting this message from the windos imaging. 

Incorrect function (0x80070001)

Been looking online for a solution to this error code but so far none working. Although on my external hard drive it looks like the windows back up file is there .

Mike Foster

2020 Transcend 221RB

2017 Chevrolet 2500 HD

 

 

20190920_161514.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/5/2017 at 2:48 PM, RV_ said:

Clay are you doing your system image on an external hard drive or drive dock attached via USB? Did you have to change the boot security settings? I had no issues doing Drive images and restoring them using that Windows 7 era program but my first images in 8.1 were unsuccessful due to secure boot changes. I'm about to do some practicing with my newest hybrid tablet. It needs a fresh install from media to overcome some lagging that was caused by setting in the original image they used for them. If it fails I will have an image standing by on my external USB3 drive dock. IN Windows 7 I would image my Win & then exp[eriemnet woitjh Windows 8.0 developer's version, then every month swap drives and update each. Never had a dropped bit even.

Monthly was my old increment but I have gotten out of the habit. Thanks for the info.

I am using a dedicated external hard drive and the system repair drive disk saved to a USB flash drive to get the image restore function. 

Clay(WA5NMR), Lee(Wife), Katie & Kelli (cats)
Full timed for eleven years in our 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N Workhorse chassis. Snowbirds for 1 year. Now settled down in western CO.
Honda Accord toad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RV

What about making that repair disk/thumb drive every time you make a system image in Win 10 question?  Do you need to make a new repair disk every time?

Dennis

 

USA Master Sergeant Ret.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dennis,

No, just once.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

RVers Online University

campgroundviews.com

RV Destinations

Find out more or sign up for Escapees RV'ers Bootcamp.

Advertise your product or service here.

The Rvers- Now Streaming

RVTravel.com Logo



×
×
  • Create New...