Can I use Macrium Reflect free to clone my laptop?

[Gozoman]

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.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

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?

 

[whs]

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.

 

[Gozoman]

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?

 

[Gozoman]

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.

 

[whs]

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.

 

[Gozoman]

Interesting idea, thanks.

 

[suspect008]

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

 

[haxcid]

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.

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.

 

[Gozoman]

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.....

 

[whs]

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

I understand what you are trying to do but I am not sure of the answer since I have never tried that.

I think it is best if you "sysprep" the new disk - that means you define a partition of the same or bigger size than the partition from where the image came. You can do that e.g.with an elevated Command Prompt (run as admin). The commands would be:

Diskpart
List disk
Select disk n (where n is the number that was given for your new disk in List Disk)
Create partition primary size=XXXX (This number must be in the amount of MB - NOT GB - that you want the partition to be)
Active
Exit

If you do that on a PC where you have have no opersting system running, you can do it from the installation or repair disk (you find it in System Repair) or from the Hirens DVD.

 

[sreedhav]

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.

Dear Gozoman,
The latest clone of your new Laptop cannot/need not be copied onto the old one for two reasons.

1) The Internal HD of the old laptop is 80 GB( is it the real size?) and as such partitioned into 2 drives.You will need to recreate a partition big enough to fit the 72 GB clone of the new one. That will leave you with theoretically 8 GB free space. Your idea of converting the old laptop into another storage disk is hazardous as the chances of an old HD failing are more!

2) The new laptop is a 64-bit system and thus has a 64-bit OS and i assume (as you have not mentioned whether the old laptop is a 32-bit or 64-bit system) and the 72 GB clone is 64-bit and will not be accepted by the old one.Period!


3) As you have a clone of the new OS +all the added media on your External Drive, why are you thinking of copying the clone onto the old laptop with probably insufficient space on the HD? I hope i made it clear.

Best wishes,
sreedhav

 

[Gozoman]

I understand that as the old laptop stands at present it wouldn't work from the point of view that it would first have to be partitioned into a single 80 GB C drive rather than the split C and D drives it has at present.

As you say the new laptop is a 64-bit system and the old one is a 32-bit system but surely as the copied clone contains the 64-bit operating system wouldn't that transfer over to the old drive? I know there would be driver issues but couldn't they be sorted out after the data transfer?

I understand what you are saying in point 3 and agree totally. However the old laptop is pretty ropey to say the least whereas the new one was custom built by Sony. The old one would be a good machine to carry when I was out and about, travelling etc simply because if it got nicked so what. The new one on the other hand I prefer to keep safely indoors as at the moment I just couldn't afford to replace it. Okay I can use it in it's XP mode at the moment but I was hoping for something along the lines of a complete clone which I could keep in sync with the new one so that I could pick it up head off and carry on where I was on the new machine. I'm getting the idea however that this is not possible.

 

[haxcid]

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.....

The site here has instructions which are probably far better than what I could write. Their instructions work great for single OS but you have to do some other stuff to transfer a dual boot system.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...lation-transfer-new-computer.html#post1161038

 

[Gozoman]

Thanks for that. Unfortunately my version is an OEM version so it wouldn't work. Having said that I have just fallen in with a copy of Windows 7 complete with licence which has never been used. I might just end up installing that on the old laptop and then installing everything I want over time.

 

[whs]

Alternatively you can transfer the image and activate it with your new license key.

 

[Gozoman]

Would that work?

 

[whs]

Would that work?

Sure, when you get the message about the illegal windows copy, just use that new legal key. If that does not work, call MS and have them fix it. Activation and registration of a Microsoft product

 

[Gozoman]

Okay cheers.