Transferring Dell Recovery Partition et al to a new HD? - Do-able

[Sam]

The wife's laptop's drive is failing. I am in the process of using
Acronis and Vista to back it up.

I recall when I installed a new IDE HD into my old Dell laptop Acronis
would not allow me to transfer (recover) the Backup drive/partition on
to my new HD that I just installed on the same lap top.

Am I going to run into the same situation with Vista and Acronis 13?

 

[Rod Speed]

The wife's laptop's drive is failing. I am in the process
of using Acronis and Vista to back it up.

I recall when I installed a new IDE HD into my old Dell laptop Acronis
would not allow me to transfer (recover) the Backup drive/partition on
to my new HD that I just installed on the same lap top.

Am I going to run into the same situation with Vista and Acronis 13?

Nope, works fine.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

The wife's laptop's drive is failing. I am in the process of using
Acronis and Vista to back it up.

I recall when I installed a new IDE HD into my old Dell laptop Acronis
would not allow me to transfer (recover) the Backup drive/partition on
to my new HD that I just installed on the same lap top.

Am I going to run into the same situation with Vista and Acronis 13?

AIUI, you can run Acronis in manual or automatic mode. In automatic
mode it attempts to proportionally expand existing partitions to fill
the bigger clone drive. However, in order to do this, it would need to
understand the partition type and its file system.

Dell's recovery partition usually has a 0xDE partition type byte which
Acronis may not understand (???). In any case, there would be point in
expanding this partition.

- Franc Zabkar

 

[Sam]

Nope, works fine.

have you done this on a dell machine?

i would imagine most people remove the recovery and hidden partition.
since proportional sizing is usually done during the recovery process
, this seems to play havoc with the recovery and hidden partition
where it no longer works. so the workaround seems to be to keep the
partiton the same size even if the new drive is 2 to 3x as big. this
is a huge waste of space?

i havent come across many posts where people were able to extend their
partition using vista or windows 7's disk management tools. it's
typically greyed out for everyone...even when using easus partition
manager. is this a limitation with vista and windows 7?

 

[Sam]

AIUI, you can run Acronis in manual or automatic mode. In automatic
mode it attempts to proportionally expand existing partitions to fill
the bigger clone drive. However, in order to do this, it would need to
understand the partition type and its file system.

Dell's recovery partition usually has a 0xDE partition type byte which
Acronis may not understand (???). In any case, there would be point in
expanding this partition.

- Franc Zabkar

In my experience with XP and my previous older Dell laptop, Acronis
wouldn't recognize the hidden and recovery partition when I went to
recover it, even though I selected it in during the backup process.
Now, with Acronis 2010, it gives me the option of also backing up the
MBR. I selected yes. Dont know how that would impact the recovery
process on a brand new larger capacity drive from the original factory
Dell supplied HD.

I would suspect the recovery process would be similar this time. if
Acronis could successfully recover the recovery and hidden partitions
onto the new drive, it or Dell would likely render it useless since it
probably would not allow me to restore the Dell image. This is why I
want to preserve the Dell factory image and hidden/recovery
partitions.

Perhaps it's just better to scrap the idea of using the Dell recovery
image altogether? But I tend to worry that my Acronis backup CDs will
be bad when the time comes to restore the image. I think it would be
more convenient to have the recovery image on the same drive and not
worry about future version of acronis not being backward compatible as
is the case now. Of course, that's assuming you only need to do a new
install and the HD the image is on isn't bad or going bad.

 

[Rod Speed]

Sam wrote

have you done this on a dell machine?

There is nothing special about dells. For a while, the backup apps did have
a problem with some of the mechanisms used to implement the maintenance
partition on laptops, but that problem has been fixed for a long time now.

i would imagine most people remove the recovery and hidden partition.

Most people dont do that.

since proportional sizing is usually done during the recovery process,

Not when the replacement drive is the same size as the original.

And even when the replacement is bigger, there is no point in resizing the
maintenance partition, it only makes any sense to do that with the rest of the drive.

this seems to play havoc with the recovery and hidden partition
where it no longer works. so the workaround seems to be to
keep the partiton the same size even if the new drive is 2 to 3x as big.

Nope, not with the maintenance partition.

this is a huge waste of space?

Which is why the maintenance partition is not changed in size.

That and the way the maintenance partition is hidden and protected is why
restoring to a replacement laptop drive was initially a problem but now isnt.

i havent come across many posts where people were able to extend
their partition using vista or windows 7's disk management tools.

Hordes have done that successfully. You're presumably only seeing those that cant do it.

it's typically greyed out for everyone...

No it isnt.

even when using easus partition manager.
is this a limitation with vista and windows 7?

Nope. There are just some restrictions on the types of drive configs that those OSs can expand.

But that isnt necessary when the backup is restored to a larger new drive with a later
version of TI anyway, its done as part of the restore or the clone of the original drive.

 

[Rod Speed]

In my experience with XP and my previous older Dell laptop, Acronis
wouldn't recognize the hidden and recovery partition when I went to
recover it, even though I selected it in during the backup process.
Now, with Acronis 2010, it gives me the option of also backing up the
MBR. I selected yes. Dont know how that would impact the recovery
process on a brand new larger capacity drive from the original factory
Dell supplied HD.

I would suspect the recovery process would be similar this time. if
Acronis could successfully recover the recovery and hidden partitions
onto the new drive, it or Dell would likely render it useless since it
probably would not allow me to restore the Dell image. This is why I
want to preserve the Dell factory image and hidden/recovery
partitions.

Perhaps it's just better to scrap the idea of using the Dell recovery
image altogether? But I tend to worry that my Acronis backup CDs will
be bad when the time comes to restore the image. I think it would be
more convenient to have the recovery image on the same drive and not
worry about future version of acronis not being backward compatible as
is the case now. Of course, that's assuming you only need to do a new
install and the HD the image is on isn't bad or going bad.

Whatever recovery you use has to allow for the original drive just dying stone dead.

Dell can supply what you need to make the replacement drive the same as the original was from the factory.

The way to ensure that the CDs wont be bad when you need them is to do the backup to an external drive instead.
That much faster and easier anyway because you dont have to keep farting around changing CDs or DVDs.

 

[Sam]

Whatever recovery you use has to allow for the original drive just dying stone dead.

Dell can supply what you need to make the replacement drive the same as the original was from the factory.

The way to ensure that the CDs wont be bad when you need them is to do the backup to an external drive instead.
That much faster and easier anyway because you dont have to keep farting around changing CDs or DVDs.

I have used an external drive and I do not want to reinstall Vista,
rather create an image of the entire drive including the recovery and
utilities partition that Dell created from the Factory. The fact is we
don't know where the original Vista CD is.

Nonetheless, I used Acronis and the process went ALMOST flawlessly.
Upon restarting there was audio driver issues which were not present
presently.

More importantly, the new 250 GB WD drive is now the [same old] 120 GB
with unallocated disk space which is a waster. Acronis did not resize
C drive to take into account the new drive size.

I used Easus Partition Manager and all it was able to do along with
Vista is to activate the partition (not what I want). I want the
entire C drive to be adjusted while keeping Recovery and Utility
Partition the same size.

Perhaps I wasnt clear in my original post, but is this do-able?? If
so, what application can do this? I know the old Partition magic
could.

 

[Rod Speed]

Sam wrote

I have used an external drive and I do not want to reinstall Vista,
rather create an image of the entire drive including the recovery
and utilities partition that Dell created from the Factory.
Fine.

The fact is we don't know where the original Vista CD is.

You can get a replacement from Dell, but Acronis can do what you want to do.

Nonetheless, I used Acronis and the process went ALMOST flawlessly.
Upon restarting there was audio driver issues which were not present presently.

Likely that was due to the original drive dying when you did
the backup and so a file or two didnt get copied properly.

More importantly, the new 250 GB WD drive is now the [same old]
120 GB with unallocated disk space which is a waster. Acronis did
not resize C drive to take into account the new drive size.

You get to control that behaviour when you do the restore.

I used Easus Partition Manager and all it was able to do along with
Vista is to activate the partition (not what I want). I want the
entire C drive to be adjusted while keeping Recovery and Utility
Partition the same size.

Yes, that is what you should do when replacing the original with a larger drive.

Perhaps I wasnt clear in my original post,

Yes it was.

but is this do-able??
Yes.

If so, what application can do this?

Acronis True Image. You can also resize the C drive after the restore using Acronis and using Vista itself too.

I know the old Partition magic could.

Acronis True Image can do that too. Its not necessarily the default restore.

 

[mm]

AIUI, you can run Acronis in manual or automatic mode. In automatic
mode it attempts to proportionally expand existing partitions to fill
the bigger clone drive.

Does the free version of Acronis do all that?

Or only the paid version?

However, in order to do this, it would need to
understand the partition type and its file system.

Dell's recovery partition usually has a 0xDE partition type byte which
Acronis may not understand (???). In any case, there would be point in
expanding this partition.

What about letting it do what it wants and using Partition Magic
afterwards to enlarge the partitions and move them if necessary.

 

[Rod Speed]

mm wrote

Does the free version of Acronis do all that?
Yes.

Or only the paid version?
Nope.

What about letting it do what it wants and using Partition Magic
afterwards to enlarge the partitions and move them if necessary.

You dont need to use PM, Vista itself can do that too.

 

[Sam]

More importantly, the new 250 GB WD drive is now the [same old]
120 GB with unallocated disk space which is a waster. Acronis did
not resize C drive to take into account the new drive size.

You get to control that behaviour when you do the restore.

I did not see an option to do this. What am I looking for to have
Acronis rezie the drive?

Yes, that is what you should do when replacing the original with a larger drive.

I re-installed the image but only C. The recovery console would crap
out when trying to restore the image from the Dell recovery partition
that I moved onto the new drive.

Acronis True Image. You can also resize the C drive after the restore using Acronis and using Vista itself too.


Acronis True Image can do that too. Its not necessarily the default restore.

I did not see this option. I installed only C drive's image. I then
used Easus to alllocate the remaining part of the drive then I resized
the drive. That went well, but....

I could see this reszing being a problem on my desktop. I have
multiple partitions on my desktop hard drive. When I upgrade, it's
always to a larger drive.

Where is this setting to proportionately resize the imaged partition
to the new drive without Acronis creating the exact same partition
size so you wont have to try to resize the partition with Vista or
Easus?

 

[Rod Speed]

Sam wrote

More importantly, the new 250 GB WD drive is now the [same old]
120 GB with unallocated disk space which is a waster. Acronis did
not resize C drive to take into account the new drive size.

You get to control that behaviour when you do the restore.

I did not see an option to do this.

Its more obvious with cloning the drive.

What am I looking for to have Acronis rezie the drive?

That varys with the version. Vista can resize the drive without losing the data too.

I re-installed the image but only C. The recovery console would crap
out when trying to restore the image from the Dell recovery partition
that I moved onto the new drive.

You need to image the entire physical drive not just a partition to be able to restore the recovery partition.

I did not see this option.

Its more obvious with cloning the original drive.

I installed only C drive's image. I then used Easus to alllocate the
remaining part of the drive then I resized the drive. That went well, but....

I could see this reszing being a problem on my desktop. I have multiple partitions
on my desktop hard drive. When I upgrade, it's always to a larger drive.

Yes, thats what most do when upgrading a desktop drive.

Where is this setting to proportionately resize the imaged partition
to the new drive without Acronis creating the exact same partition
size so you wont have to try to resize the partition with Vista or Easus?

Its pretty obvious when cloning the drive. Exactly where it is varys with the version of True Image.

 

[Sam]

You need to image the entire physical drive not just a partition to be able to restore the recovery partition.

I did that. I selected all the partitions. I did not use the clone
feature as it wasnt available.I dont believe I have that in my 2010
version Acronis Startup True Home Image 2010 CD. Options are: (1)
Disk Backup which includes Partition backup. (2) My Data Backup
No "clone drive" in this version

 

[Rod Speed]

Sam wrote

I did that.

I doubt it.

I selected all the partitions.

Did you see the recovery partition ?

I did not use the clone feature as it wasnt available.

Yes it is, its in the Tools and Utilitys tab.

I dont believe I have that in my 2010 version
Acronis Startup True Home Image 2010 CD.

Yes it is, its in the Tools and Utilitys tab.

Options are: (1) Disk Backup which includes Partition backup. (2) My Data Backup
No "clone drive" in this version

Yes it is, its in the Tools and Utilitys tab.

 

[Sam]

Sam wrote



I doubt it.

I sense some doubt there ;-)

Did you see the recovery partition ?


Yes it is, its in the Tools and Utilitys tab.
Nope.


Yes it is, its in the Tools and Utilitys tab.

LOL, Ron. You are ABSOLUTELY certain of that??? Ok. Here's what I am
going to do. Over the next few days when I have some time, I am going
to take a pic of the screen and post it via imageshack (link to the
images will be posted here). . I hope you will look at it. I'll take
two pics, one showing the menu screen of Acronis options and the
Tools/Utility Tab. Are you cool with that?

 

[Sam]

Sam wrote


I doubt it.


Did you see the recovery partition ?


Yes it is, its in the Tools and Utilitys tab.


Yes it is, its in the Tools and Utilitys tab.


Yes it is, its in the Tools and Utilitys tab.

I must be suffering from premature dementia. I see the CLONE option
now. As usual, Ron is right.

 

[Rod Speed]

Sam wrote

I must be suffering from premature dementia.
I see the CLONE option now. As usual, Ron is right.

A Japanese would at least have the decency to disembowel himself |-)

Get one of the relos to post a video of you doing that. Dont make a mess of the carpet either |-)