disk imaging software and boot ready cloned disk

  • Thread starter Thread starter Aamir Ghanchi
  • Start date Start date
A

Aamir Ghanchi

Hi,

Just wanted to know of any disk imaging software outh there that you
have use and would recommend. Specially, I need to know that what
extra do I need to do to make the cloned disk to work both as
secondary (slave) disk while in operation, but in the event of primary
(Master) disk disaster, could also act as master disk (after changing
jumper/cables settings of course). I have a vague understanding that I
need to do some sort of partitioning, but wanted to know if there is
an imaging software that will take care of all of it and make the
cloned disk as boot ready with everything on it as original disk.

thanks in advance.
 
Aamir said:
Hi,

Just wanted to know of any disk imaging software outh there that you
have use and would recommend. Specially, I need to know that what
extra do I need to do to make the cloned disk to work both as
secondary (slave) disk while in operation, but in the event of primary
(Master) disk disaster, could also act as master disk (after changing
jumper/cables settings of course). I have a vague understanding that I
need to do some sort of partitioning, but wanted to know if there is
an imaging software that will take care of all of it and make the
cloned disk as boot ready with everything on it as original disk.

thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Acronis True Image and Casper 4.0 Seem to be the leading votes.
Ghost is close 3rd.

I use Acronis. You can either clone to the drive, and it will allow you
to clone between different drive sizes, or you can just write out an
image file that then can be restored to any disk later. Usually the
clone disk is used when you change the drive. The image is used for
backup. If you follow all this you're 90% there.
 
Big Al said:
Acronis True Image and Casper 4.0 Seem to be the leading votes.
Ghost is close 3rd.

I use Acronis. You can either clone to the drive, and it will allow you to
clone between different drive sizes, or you can just write out an image
file that then can be restored to any disk later. Usually the clone disk
is used when you change the drive. The image is used for backup. If you
follow all this you're 90% there.
Click to expand...


Aamir Ghanchi:
Based upon your objective (as I interpret it from your post) I think you
might be more interested in using a disk-to-disk cloning type of program
rather than a disk imaging type of program.

You indicate that you want to "make the cloned disk as boot ready with
everything on it as original disk." So that in effect the cloned HDD would
be a precise copy of your "source" HDD and as such be immediately bootable
with all data immediately accessible. That's what you want, right?

If that *is* the case a disk-cloning program might better serve your needs
than a disk-imaging type of program. The programs that "Big Al" mentions can
do the job for you. The Acronis & Ghost programs also have disk-imaging
capability while the Casper 4 program has only disk-cloning capability. You
can use disk imaging to create a comprehensive backup copy of your system to
your secondary HDD, however, a restoration process is basically necessary to
achieve a bootable state for that HDD. It's not particularly difficult but
it's another step.

(You might want to do a Google search on "disk cloning disk imaging" to
learn more about these processes).

Our preference is for the Casper 4 disk-cloning program. It's simple to use,
reasonably quick in operation, and quite effective. It's particularly useful
where the recipient of the clone - the "destination" drive - is another
internal HDD as apparently you're contemplating.

Trial versions of the Acronis True Image & Casper 4 programs are available.
Use a Google search to their websites.

BTW, you mention " what extra do I need to do to make the cloned disk to
work both as secondary (slave) disk while in operation," I'm not sure I
understand what you mean by that. I'm assuming you want to use that
secondary HDD to receive the cloned contents of your source HDD. Are you
planning to use that secondary HDD for other purposes as well? If that is
so, depending upon what other use(s) you're contemplating, a disk-imaging
program might be
more appropriate for your needs.

Normally you need not undertake any partitioning/formatting processes re the
secondary HDD (the recipient of the clone) when using a disk-cloning
program.

Presumably the secondary HDD will remain connected as such following the
disk-cloning operation. Obviously you'll be booting to your primary HDD. And
if & when the time comes that you need that cloned HDD to serve as your boot
drive, you'll simply connect it as your primary HDD.

And you are planning to use whatever type of program you choose as a routine
backup system, right?
Anna
 
Hello Anna (and others) for the in detail suggestions.

Anna you got it right. I need to make the secondary disk the exact
copy of the primary disk I am working on and be a boot ready at the
same time. Casper sounds like a good choice. What I meant by "using
the cloned disk as a secondary disk" is exactly what it says. While
the backups are being made to the clone disk, I was wondering if I can
use it as an extra virtual drive (say F:) on the extra space available
on it. I am hoping there should be a way for doing that so that a
partition of the secondary disk is an exact clone of the primary disk
and additionally the secondary disk also has a partition that can
serve as a virtual drive. I hope I was able to make sense this time.

thanks again for all your help!

aamir.
 
Aamir Ghanchi:
Based upon your objective (as I interpret it from your post) I think you
might be more interested in using a disk-to-disk cloning type of program
rather than a disk imaging type of program.

You indicate that you want to "make the cloned disk as boot ready with
everything on it as original disk." So that in effect the cloned HDD would
be a precise copy of your "source" HDD and as such be immediately bootable
with all data immediately accessible. That's what you want, right?

If that *is* the case a disk-cloning program might better serve your needs
than a disk-imaging type of program. The programs that "Big Al" mentions
can
do the job for you. The Acronis & Ghost programs also have disk-imaging
capability while the Casper 4 program has only disk-cloning capability.
You
can use disk imaging to create a comprehensive backup copy of your system
to
your secondary HDD, however, a restoration process is basically necessary
to
achieve a bootable state for that HDD. It's not particularly difficult but
it's another step.

(You might want to do a Google search on "disk cloning disk imaging" to
learn more about these processes).

Our preference is for the Casper 4 disk-cloning program. It's simple to
use,
reasonably quick in operation, and quite effective. It's particularly
useful
where the recipient of the clone - the "destination" drive - is another
internal HDD as apparently you're contemplating.

Trial versions of the Acronis True Image & Casper 4 programs are
available.
Use a Google search to their websites.

BTW, you mention " what extra do I need to do to make the cloned disk to
work both as secondary (slave) disk while in operation," I'm not sure I
understand what you mean by that. I'm assuming you want to use that
secondary HDD to receive the cloned contents of your source HDD. Are you
planning to use that secondary HDD for other purposes as well? If that is
so, depending upon what other use(s) you're contemplating, a disk-imaging
program might be
more appropriate for your needs.

Normally you need not undertake any partitioning/formatting processes re
the
secondary HDD (the recipient of the clone) when using a disk-cloning
program.

Presumably the secondary HDD will remain connected as such following the
disk-cloning operation. Obviously you'll be booting to your primary HDD.
And
if & when the time comes that you need that cloned HDD to serve as your
boot
drive, you'll simply connect it as your primary HDD.

And you are planning to use whatever type of program you choose as a
routine
backup system, right?
Anna
Click to expand...


Hello Anna (and others) for the in detail suggestions.

Anna you got it right. I need to make the secondary disk the exact
copy of the primary disk I am working on and be a boot ready at the
same time. Casper sounds like a good choice. What I meant by "using
the cloned disk as a secondary disk" is exactly what it says. While
the backups are being made to the clone disk, I was wondering if I can
use it as an extra virtual drive (say F:) on the extra space available
on it. I am hoping there should be a way for doing that so that a
partition of the secondary disk is an exact clone of the primary disk
and additionally the secondary disk also has a partition that can
serve as a virtual drive. I hope I was able to make sense this time.

thanks again for all your help!

aamir.


aamir:
Yes, this is easily done with Casper 4. When you clone the contents of your
source HDD to your secondary HDD you can simultaneously create one or more
additional partitions on that secondary HDD. (They're not "virtual drives" -
they're actual partitions just like you would create on any HDD).

All that is necessary, of course, is that the first partition of the
recipient HDD is large enough in allotted disk space to contain the contents
of the drive you are cloning.

So you could use the additional partition(s) on your secondary HDD just like
you would use any HDD partition(s) to store data, programs, etc.
Anna
 
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