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Simply trying to clone a Win7 disk - Need help
Hi, first time posting.
In the last few years I've been using Vista, with
-500GB WD main drive
-500GB identical WD backup drive (for automated file backups)
-500GB external drive ( for automated staggered file backups and rotating weekly image archives using Acronis)
Its been working quite well.
Recently, I decided to migrate to Windows 7 Home Premium. It was going very well...until I decided to "improve" my backup strategy by cloning the main drive onto the back up drive. In that way, it would be everything I do now, plus. if the C drive crashed, I'd simply swap it with the clone, and buy a new back drive and I'd be back to normal ( whereas now, for that same sceneario, I'd have to play around with restroing the image archive files)..
Cloning is dead simple - I've done it many time before when installing a second drive.
But the last few days have been a nightmare, and each time I attempt to clone, it messes up my source boot drive, and I need to reinstall Win 7 all over again. See sequence appended below.
Hoping another set of eyes might steer me to a solution.
I'm getting to the point where I should forget about cloning to the backup drive altogether and just use my tried-and-true backup file/image based strategy.
My status quo is this:
Ideas and next steps...
- a working bootable Win 7 C drive ( installed with custom/format option)
- a working D backup drive, with a quasi-clone copy of the Win7 setup (but unsure if it would boot to Vista or Win 7
- there are still Vista remnants on the machine ( ie boot loader options show Vista as an option)
- still cant get an image program to work wihout clobbering my boot sequence
I am not familiar with Master Boot records, Boot.INI, etc, but I suspect my issue lies there, or perhaps in the default partitions on the drive.. See pic attached of the Startup and Recovery window ( the drop down option there are the ones I see when Win 7 boots up).
Questions:
1) If I format the Backup D drive ( from Windows) - on the assmption that might help - does that affect the list of operating systems I see on boot up ( WIndows Vista, Windows Longhorn)
2) What happens if I delete those drop down entires from Startup and Recovery - does it render the Backup Drive useless or will it still be there? Perhaps deleting those drop down entires PLUS formating the D drive will irradicate Vista, and allow cloing to work??
3) Will the above steps affect my C Drive ??? - famous last words !
4) Are there other diagnostics or tools I can uese to ensure the boot area is proper and fixable?
Thanks
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Ref:
Sequence of events to date are as follows:Startup And Recovery pic : https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RryNhh0274A/TmaJCiC1XmI/AAAAAAAAD44/aXpMOM1y_cQ/advanced_system_setting_StartupandRecovery.jpg
- Backed up user files to an external drive
- Started with a bootable C and bootable D drive, both on Vista - both drives are identical WD drives. The drives used to be RAID configured are have not been for some time
- I installed Win 7 on the C drive. On this first install , I did the Custom install, - but the one with fresh Windows and Program files but non-formatting so that it keeps user files
- Installed the 100 or so Windows updates plus apps
- With C and D working I then wanted to Clone C to D
- I tried Acronis Ver 11, but did not properly recognize the exisitng drive names and letters
- I tried EASEUS - looked good so I ran it, but it trashed the boot up ( showing no Win 7 option on the boot up only Vista.
- I had to reisntall Win 7. - On this second install , I again did the Custom install,with fresh Windows and Program file but
non-formatting so that it keeps user files. Again I installed the 100 or so WIndows updates plus app- With C and D working I then wanted to try again Clone C to D
- This time I tired Acronis Ver 2009 (free from Western Digitial)
- It did not complete the clone , and it screwed up my my boot up. Had to run system repair, and that got me going
- With C and D working I then wanted to try again Clone C to D
- This time I tried EASEUS again- It took 3 hours to complete !!!! - it compelted the cloining, but again messed up the bootup, This time I saw choices as Vista, Windwows Longhorn, and Win 7 recovered. I chose WIn 7 recovered and got back to normall bootup
- Did a cold boot timing test - 2 and half minutes from power on to Google screen.
- Given the lng boot time, the lingering rements of Vista, and a full copy of my Win 7 files on the the D drive (recall the cloning
itself wored), I attempted another Win 7 install- On this THIRD install , I chose the custom/format option- C was indeed formated (user files and other folder not longer there).
- C and D now working and I am at the status quo .. still Vista remants.
Last edited by mediaman09; 06 Sep 2011 at 20:34.