Cloning without cd

  • Thread starter Thread starter WildBil
  • Start date Start date
W

WildBil

I I am looking for a backup application for PCs that uses a bootable
cloned disk that does not depend on a cdrom.

Mike Bombach's Carbon Copy Cloner for Apple systems is a perfect
example of the application I seek. His sytem allows one to make a
bootable cloned disk on an external hard drive. Then upon boot time,
OSX detects multiple bootable disks and gives the user a choice
as to which bootable disk to select. I can then erase the internal
drive and clone the clone back to the original drive. This approach is
fast
and effortless and predictable.

I can't believe that such a product is not available for PCs. One
needs to find a program that truly clones a disk (MBR, MFT, etc), sets
the boot.ini with another o/s choice(the cloned disk).....voila!

But I can't find anyone who has done this! Why?

I keep hearing people mutter "cdrom", or third party bootloader (when
there is already a bootloader in XP that permits loading multiple o/s)
or claim to permit cd-less booting of clones but they do so by
messing with the MBR of the system disk that I am cloning.

From my naive viewpoint, the two operating systems should be
totally independent with the boot.ini file offering choices (and by
its
content) informing the bios where to find the o/s.

Maybe the part that detects multiple o/s in Apple's system is the bios
which would protect that boot loading code from damage. If the
PC drive is dead, there is no way that even the boot.ini file would
load.
Perhaps that is the reason for people wanting to use the cdrom.

Any comments?

Bil
 
WildBil said:
I I am looking for a backup application for PCs that uses a bootable
cloned disk that does not depend on a cdrom.

Mike Bombach's Carbon Copy Cloner for Apple systems is a perfect
example of the application I seek. His sytem allows one to make a
bootable cloned disk on an external hard drive. Then upon boot time,
OSX detects multiple bootable disks and gives the user a choice
as to which bootable disk to select. I can then erase the internal
drive and clone the clone back to the original drive. This approach is
fast
and effortless and predictable.

I can't believe that such a product is not available for PCs. One
needs to find a program that truly clones a disk (MBR, MFT, etc), sets
the boot.ini with another o/s choice(the cloned disk).....voila!

But I can't find anyone who has done this! Why?

I keep hearing people mutter "cdrom", or third party bootloader (when
there is already a bootloader in XP that permits loading multiple o/s)
or claim to permit cd-less booting of clones but they do so by
messing with the MBR of the system disk that I am cloning.

From my naive viewpoint, the two operating systems should be
totally independent with the boot.ini file offering choices (and by
its
content) informing the bios where to find the o/s.

Maybe the part that detects multiple o/s in Apple's system is the bios
which would protect that boot loading code from damage. If the
PC drive is dead, there is no way that even the boot.ini file would
load.
Perhaps that is the reason for people wanting to use the cdrom.

Any comments?

Bil
Click to expand...
It should be easy enough to edit the boot.ini file to point to the drive
and partition with the cloned copy. Then every time you boot you will
have the option of which one to use. A lot of people use something like
this for testing different configurations, etc.
 
Hi,

......just do not boot the system with the clone attached!

That doesn't matter. The clone will have a temp drive letter and won't
be an issue during booting. I don't know if every cloning software works
this way, but Ghost does.

---==X={}=X==---

Jim Self

AVIATION ANIMATION, the internet's largest depository.
http://avanimation.avsupport.com

Your only internet source for spiral staircase plans.
http://jself.com/stair/Stair.htm

Experimental Aircraft Association #140897
EAA Technical Counselor #4562
 
Hi,
when I try to clone with ghost I get an error message which says ( an
application is preventing cloning ) to the destination drive,yet when I chech
in the task manager I cannot see any thing running bar the Ghost applucation.
Any ideas please.
 
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