Windows 7: Can I use Macrium Reflect free to clone my laptop?

Not sure if I can do this or not but hopefully someone will know.

At the moment I have two Sony Vaio laptops. My old one has an 80 GB hard drive partitioned as a C and D drive and has Windows XP. My new one has a 320 GB hard drive in one partition C running Windows 7 64 bit. I have several backups on a Freecom 320 GB external hard drive created with Macrium Reflect free edition.

The latest back-up I have on the Freecom is the complete contents of my new computer ammounting to about 72 GB.



Would it be possible for me to copy what is on the Freecom to my old computer in order to create a clone of my new computer? I basically want to have this as a backup in case the new laptop croaks. If this is possible would I have to prepare the old drive in any way such as wiping it clean or re-partitioning it or would the stuff on the Freecom do that as it copied? Thanks for any advice.

Even if the image of the new PC could be restored to the old PC despite the differing hardware, I think you would have a license problem. I assume you only have one license?

If the hard drive on the new PC fails, you could restore to a new hard drive in the new PC in less than an hour. That's not fast enough?

Apart from the problem that Ignatz mentioned you would also have serious driver problems. You also have a size problem because it is not only the size of the data that counts but also the size of the partition. The receiving partition must be equal or larger in size than the partition from where the image came.

Bottom line: It is not possible. If your new Vaio dies, you'll just have to get another one.

The images you have right now are only good for the PC from where you took them. Should the HDD fail, you can install a replacement HDD and dump the images on that - this is possible provided the new HDD has the same or a larger size.

Fair point. I just thought I could make use of something which at present is nothing more than an expensive paperweight. Are you saying that the image transfer wouldn't work anyway due to the hardware differences?

Thanks WHS. I was just wondering if it was possible and you have convinced me that it isn't so I don't have to waste time trying it.

Why don't you put the Windows 8 Consumer Preview on the paperweight. It will be available Febr. 29 - I guess March 1 for you. That would give you something new to explore.

Interesting idea, thanks.

WHS. ignatzatsonic - I am using macrium after you guys have suggested. there is something called Redeployment to different hardware in new reflect restore tab and I went through their help index and they are declaring that this would be possible to do with reflect. I was just about to ask from WHS about this matter about how reliable would it be...and it is only available with the paid version. I am asking that if somehow we can get exact partition sizes on the other disk same as the one we have imaged, as to macrium help index would it be possible? and they have mentioned a way of resolving driver issues too. but I am left with a feeling that there would be whole lot of junk files on the new computer when we done this method. So if you could check and post your suggestions, much appreciated

not actually true. sysprep the system, shutdown, boot with your imaging media, make your image to an external. Boot with your imaging software and external HDD, deploy image to new hardware.

Boots up, you have all your software, profiles, and settings still in there. Just install any missing drivers and you are done.

I just did my dual boot system (not as simple as listed above but same concept). Transferred from a C2D E8400 with a Gigabyte mother board to a I5-2500K with Asus mother board and it worked flawlessly. Condensed 12hours worth of install and updating into 1.5 hours worth of work.

Any chance you could expand on the instructions assuming that the person with the problem is a silver surfer, which I am? You lost me at sysprep the system.....