hd disk cloning

[queth]

which software is the best to completly clone a HD to a set of files that can be copied somewhere like an external HD, and then boot the system with nothing on the old harddrive and copy the images using a dvd boot program and boot right into windows like it was in the clone?


sick of formatting and messing with these new tight key activations that run out even though its the same computer just a format so you have to call MS to activate. Office 2007 and FSX both make me call to activate becuse i installed them several times so far.

[Banko]

Acronis TrueImage is the best.

[Bearclaw]

When you clone though does it erase the olf drive? I used axronis twice and both times it erased the old drove and the new drive wasn't even bootable....

[lightman]

When you clone though does it erase the olf drive? I used axronis twice and both times it erased the old drove and the new drive wasn't even bootable....

Acronis gives you the choice between keeping the old drive as is, or to format or repartition it. You probably choose the wrong setting. As for the new drive not being bootable, that's strange, unless you had a bootloader like grub (which is not supported, or better, you have to boot from a linux rescue cd/dvd and reintall grub on the mbr)...

[einstein_314]

Acronis TrueImage is the best.
QFT. Acronis TrueImage is the best program I've used for drive cloning/imaging

[queth]

ok i'm running true image and it fired up an error about a bad sector read which i wasn't expecting tbh but ok. So i ignored after a few retries.

now i'm wondering if theres some software to list files on that sector that is and so i can see whats up. something free of course.