Rescue Laptop OS from HD image?

gregrocker · 01 Jan 2012

Laptop mobo fried, need to extract image from the HD to reimage to PC's HD then adapt it using Paragon Adaptive Restore so it will start on different hardware.

Have ordered this cable converter set: Amazon.com: SATA/PATA/IDE Drive to USB 2.0 Adapter Converter Cable for 2.5 / 3.5 Inch Hard Drive / Optical Drive with External AC Power Adapter: Electronics

What I am not sure of is if I will be able to capture an image using Acronis when laptop HD is plugged in via USB using converter above. Wonder if I should have ordered converter to IDE although I will be doing this via remote with a user who's nervous about opening case.

If I can capture the image and it will reimage onto PC HD, then I have the PAR disk to adapt it to new hardware.

Suggestions?

whs · 01 Jan 2012

Greg, I have never used a converter cable like that. But it appears to work like an external enclosure. Is only less money. Once you attach to it, you should be able to image the disk like any old disk - if Acronis does not do it, you can always use Wbadmin which creates a VHD.

Question is what are you gong to do with that image.It is good for recovering the data, but I do not think that that OS will run on another system.

gregrocker · 01 Jan 2012

Wolfgang, I use Paragon Adaptive Restore CD to Adapt OS to start on new hardware. Works every time with a lot less trouble than SysPrep - just boot CD and point it at 7 partition.

Thanks, I often see external in Acronis when I save an image to it but have never tried imaging an external HD via USB.

whs · 01 Jan 2012

Hmm, that is good to know. Never used that function because I had no need. But if the guy gets a new system (short of repairing the mobo), would he not have another OS anyhow.

gregrocker · 01 Jan 2012

The HP laptop mobo is shutting down due to heat. Geek Squad wants a fortune to send it in to be repaired, but I will be there in June so can repaste the CPU heat sink as I've done on desktops and want to try on a laptop. Do you think this is doable without microscopic tools? He would junk it otherwise.

In the meanwhile the user on that laptop needs access to his video editing suite and has no installer, so I hope to get the laptop HD image booting on a spare eMachine PC they have until I get back to Boston in June to try to recoup the laptop.

Using Acronis we' likely not even need the PAR disk since it should offer Universal Restore during reimaging which does the same thing adapting OS to boot on new hardware.

whs · 01 Jan 2012

For the heatsink on a laptop you should use a Thermal Compound Pad that looks like an alcohol prep. That would be a lot easier than Arctic Silver which could be rather messy in the confined space. But if you have to use the Arctic Silver, use very little - size of a grain of rice. The rest is easy unless you have parts left over when you are done - LOL.

Your imaging project sounds adventurous but would be nice if it worked. If you are successful, you should document the steps.