Solved Restore image after replacing HD

[OlderBloke]

My Win 7 64 box has a failing Seagate 1.5TB C: boot drive (Seagate utility confirms). I want to image this drive, remove it and replace with a new Samsung 2TB drive I already own (PCSpecialist.co.uk aren't so helpful after you've paid them it seems...)
I actually bought Acronis True Image Home 2010 but despite 30 years of daily computer use I am completely unable to get to grips with it. Their tech support situation is abominable BTW. AVOID!

I see that Win 7 has a capacity to perform an image/restore function. There doesn't seem to be much in the help file about this however.

a) Can someone confirm that I can do this with a different size/manufacturer drive?
b) can someone direct me to a place where the procedure is intelligibly described?

Go easy on me, I'm almost a pensioner and I have a heart condition! Assistance gratefully received.

Roy

 

[Petey7]

A) yes
B) http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/675-system-image-recovery.html

 

[OlderBloke]

Thanks. Quick!!
I omitted to say that I am trying to avoid reinstalling a horribly complicated set of applications and utilities - so they need to be included. I'm pretty sure this is part of the process, but just to be sure.
BTW I looked t several threads on similar topics but didn't see anything exactyly the same.
Roy

 

[madtownidiot]

You can restore from a system image to any HDD with sufficient free space.

 

[Lemur]

I'm assuming you've seen this:
http://us1.download.acronis.com/pdf/trueimage7.0_ug.en.pdf

You can restore to a drive the same size or larger (but obviously not smaller).

 

[whs]

If you want to make your life easy, use this: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I It is all explained - the easy way.

 

[Petey7]

Yes, all programs and files are included

 

[OlderBloke]

Hi again
I have marked the tutorial thread for use tomorrow.
re: Acronis. I have found the manual user hostile. Why I should have to read every detail when a simple decision tree would enable most users to navigate to a subset of the information... well, I don't know. The online tech support is poor and they delete any post that seems critical of their documentation or UI. Not just mine either.

OK one more general question. If backing up to an external drive (in this case my eSata box with the 2TB Samsung drive in it) I assume it's impossible to make this target drive just a replica of the boot drive and then swap? Too easy I suspect.

Very tired now. Back tomorrow. Thank you all for quick and helpful comments so far.
Roy

 

[Petey7]

For what you describe in your last post, you will need something along the lines of HDClone: Miray Software - HDClone - Hard disk copy, hard disk backup, hard disk rescue!

 

[Lemur]

It's better to keep a couple of images - and here's why. Let's say someone is in the middle of cloning their drive to another drive, and the host drive fails. The target drive could be useless as well.

A long time ago on another planet ...

This woman knew nothing about servers, but she was hot. The VP (who - let's say was very fond of her) made her the network administrator. She dutifully made backups on her server every day - but to the same dang media. Never changed it. And, as luck would have it, in the middle of a backup that sucker failed.

Wait, there's a happy ending.

So the drive and backup (singular) were useless. I installed their network for them and provided consulting when requested. They had lost critical data and called me. I just shook my head in wonder. I purchased an identical drive, swapped the controllers on the drives, and the stupid drive booted up just fine. I explained to the "adminstrator" why it's important to do incremental and full backups, and archive the data off-site.

The happy ending? It was a sweet invoice.

 

[karlsnooks]

Old Bloke,
Although I'm retired, I've no heart condition.

There are several clone alternatives.

With your new drive, did you perhaps receive a cd? If yes, there is probably clone software there. If not go to the manufacturer's website and see if he has a software for cloning.

You can clone with Microsoft Backup and Restore by making a System Repair Disc, making a System Image backup, swapping out drives, booting from the System Repair Disc and restoring to the new disk.

I'm going to list some links for you and also give the procedure I have used successfully.

________________________________________
CREATE A SYSTEM REPAIR DISC
START | type System Repair | Enter key | Create Disc button
________________________________________
________________________________________
CREATE AND RESTORE A SYSTEM IMAGE
CREATE A SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP
• START | type Backup your computer | Enter key
• In left-hand pane, select Create a System Image
• select where you want to save the backup | Next
• Select the drives you want to backup | Next
• Start Backup button
• Finish button after completion


RESTORE A SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP
• Boot from the System Repair CD you created.
• Connect the external drive with the backup image
• NEXT button (change language if desired)
• Restore your computer using a system image
that you created earlier radio button
• NEXT button
• Use the latest available system image radio button
• NEXT button
• Format and repartition discs checkbox
• NEXT button
• FINISH button
• YES button
________________________________________
________________________________________
CLONE A DISK
Yes, you can use the Create & Restore steps listed above when you want to replace your hard disk with one of same or larger size.
________________________________________


Now the majority of that info was well-covered by Brink in his tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

________________________________________
DISK COPY/CLONE/PARTITION/BACKUP/RESTORE SOFTWARE

PARTITION WIZARD (a favorite of many SevenForum contributors)
Free download. Move/resize/delete/etc partitions.

Go down there web page and download the “bootable CD” version.
Free Download Magic Partition Manager Software – Partition Wizard Online


MACRIUM REFLECT
Macrium Reflect Backup and Hard Disk Imaging for Windows 7, Vista, XP and Server 2003/2008

Macrium Reflect. A complete hard disk image and backup software solution for your PC. Protect your personal documents, photos, music and emails. Upgrade your hard disk or try new operating systems in the safe knowledge that everything is securely saved in an easily recovered backup file

PARAGON BACKUP AND RECOVERY SOFTWARE
Free Backup Software: Paragon Backup & Recovery Free Edition - Overview
Backup & Recovery Free Edition
Total PC Protection for Serious Users! Take complete control of your PC’s safety. Based on solid commercial backup and recovery software from Paragon, the new Backup & Recovery Free Edition will give you a rich set of features that you can trust. Smart people backup; Backup & Recovery is smart backup.

EASEUS
EASEUS Disk Copy is a FREE reliable disaster recovery, hard disk copy, disk clone, partition copy, backup freeware. Support for all Hard Drive and removable drive.
EASEUS Disk Copy: Free Disk Copy, Disk Clone, Partition Copy Software. Sector by Sector for hard drive backup freeware.

 

[OlderBloke]

Hi everyone who has replied so far.
I think this is the most responsive and helpful forum I have ever visited, irrespective of context. I am extremely grateful for the lucid and detailed information.
Today I am taking off and going for a walk. Having a minor heart attack is a great way to get fit; concentrates what's left of the mind. So I'll leave the sick PC switched off until monday and respond (positively I trust) whwn I've done the backup/restore by one of the suggested methods.
Like one of the respondents I too have seen more than one "routinised" backup - with offsite tape storage etc - prove to be useless when called upon. In one case the backup data retrieved was a few MONTHS short of the current date. Not my department fortunately!
Thanks gain to you all. This old geezer is impressed.
Roy

 

[karlsnooks]

Enjoy your walk. I'm a great believer in daily walks.

As one who has gone on the 100km walks, my advice is only walk for yourself and at your pace. You will walk longer and always enjoy your walks.

 

[OlderBloke]

Thanks Karl
a couple of days (several walks) later than planned I'm back on this. The drive hasn't failed completely however I'm waiting for the PCs suppliers (pcspecialist.co.uk) to confirm that I can replace the boot drive myself without violating the warranty. Not shipping it back would save us both time, inconvenience and money: or so you'd think. I just sent the 6th email asking for a response to this suggestion without getting a reply. The internet has built a wonderful barrier to protect suppliers from their obligations to their customers. I should have built it myself as I did last time.
As soon as this is resolved, one way or the other, I'll be following instructions posted here and reporting back.
Roy

 

[whs]

Given that they do not respond, the warrenty may not be worth a lot.

 

[OlderBloke]

Pcspecialist have responded. They haven't bothered to read my previous mails though - either about the warranty issue or about waiting until the dying drive is free before they send the replacement.. Still, that's internet shopping.

 

[OlderBloke]

Sound of loud groaning.
Of course, predictably, this doesn't work.
I have created the system image on an external eSata drive and a boot CD, as instructed by the OS and Karl's instructions. it's hard to see what one could get wrong: I've used the default selections for the image (ie C: including system reserved). When I boot from the startup CD (and how my heart sinks whenever I see that early windows UI design) at the "chose additional restore options" dialog, the "exclude discs" option checkbox is grayed out. The saved system image is correctly identified as id the name of the external eSata drive it resides on. But what's all this nonsense about it requiring additional drivers to be installed? I thought we'd long ago moved on beyond that idiocy. FYI the outgoing disc is a Seagate 1.5TB and the newly installed (already formatted with the default allocation size) is a 2TB Samsung Spinpoint.
It's hard to overstate just how depressing I find this. it's EXACTLY what I expected.
Any help gratefully received.
Roy

 

[OlderBloke]

Currently reformatting this drive using dos command again on another box. NTFS. The problem seems certainly to be that this drive simply isn't recognised, which is pretty baffling. I tried refitting the data and power connectors in case of bad contacts - same old. There is a second drive in the pc, identical to the original boot drive too (contains data I'd like to retain) but this is not being offered as one of the installation options. CMD prompt on this box also recognises the external eSta drive and its files, the boot CD and the other drive but a DIR on the data drive reveals no data files, just os stuff(?).
EDIT. Is it possible that I'd have to download drivers for the Samsung drive? A sata HD? ??
EDIT 2. Leaving the original data disc in (same model as the original boot disc) and removing the Samsung drive doesn't help. Still fails to see any drives to restore to.
I have an Acronis boot disc and image that I created before I gave up on Acronis this at least sees both drives/image. Currently restoring this despite warnings at some point about missing .lib files when loading the application. My guess is that the computer won't boot from this restore. A surprise would be nice though.
Why has this stuff got to be so hard?
Roy

 

[pacinitaly]

Old Bloke,
Although I'm retired, I've no heart condition.

There are several clone alternatives.

With your new drive, did you perhaps receive a cd? If yes, there is probably clone software there. If not go to the manufacturer's website and see if he has a software for cloning.

You can clone with Microsoft Backup and Restore by making a System Repair Disc, making a System Image backup, swapping out drives, booting from the System Repair Disc and restoring to the new disk.

I'm going to list some links for you and also give the procedure I have used successfully.

________________________________________
CREATE A SYSTEM REPAIR DISC
START | type System Repair | Enter key | Create Disc button
________________________________________
________________________________________
CREATE AND RESTORE A SYSTEM IMAGE
CREATE A SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP
• START | type Backup your computer | Enter key
• In left-hand pane, select Create a System Image
• select where you want to save the backup | Next
• Select the drives you want to backup | Next
• Start Backup button
• Finish button after completion


RESTORE A SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP
• Boot from the System Repair CD you created.
• Connect the external drive with the backup image
• NEXT button (change language if desired)
• Restore your computer using a system image
that you created earlier radio button
• NEXT button
• Use the latest available system image radio button
• NEXT button
• Format and repartition discs checkbox
• NEXT button
• FINISH button
• YES button
________________________________________
________________________________________
CLONE A DISK
Yes, you can use the Create & Restore steps listed above when you want to replace your hard disk with one of same or larger size.
________________________________________


Now the majority of that info was well-covered by Brink in his tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

________________________________________
DISK COPY/CLONE/PARTITION/BACKUP/RESTORE SOFTWARE

PARTITION WIZARD (a favorite of many SevenForum contributors)
Free download. Move/resize/delete/etc partitions.

Go down there web page and download the “bootable CD” version.
Free Download Magic Partition Manager Software – Partition Wizard Online


MACRIUM REFLECT
Macrium Reflect Backup and Hard Disk Imaging for Windows 7, Vista, XP and Server 2003/2008

Macrium Reflect. A complete hard disk image and backup software solution for your PC. Protect your personal documents, photos, music and emails. Upgrade your hard disk or try new operating systems in the safe knowledge that everything is securely saved in an easily recovered backup file

PARAGON BACKUP AND RECOVERY SOFTWARE
Free Backup Software: Paragon Backup & Recovery Free Edition - Overview
Backup & Recovery Free Edition
Total PC Protection for Serious Users! Take complete control of your PC’s safety. Based on solid commercial backup and recovery software from Paragon, the new Backup & Recovery Free Edition will give you a rich set of features that you can trust. Smart people backup; Backup & Recovery is smart backup.

EASEUS
EASEUS Disk Copy is a FREE reliable disaster recovery, hard disk copy, disk clone, partition copy, backup freeware. Support for all Hard Drive and removable drive.
EASEUS Disk Copy: Free Disk Copy, Disk Clone, Partition Copy Software. Sector by Sector for hard drive backup freeware.

very good !!!

 

[OlderBloke]

Yes, very good. Done it. Doesn't work for the reasons I took the time to write up carefully. Try reading it before posting something pointless mr wannabe guru.