Windows XP Professional won't boot after Clone

[radams249]

Hello All, Please help...


I am trying to Clone my HDD on my Compaq 7120US (Please don't laugh
it was a service plan replacement) My OS is Windows XP Professional
NTFS & SP1. I have the original CD for XP Professional, with serial
number(s) and keys. When I install XP pro as a new instalation on the
180 GB drive it will boot, but then I dont get my Folders, or programs.
(so I know the drive works, and the Copmaq sees the entire drive)

I have 120 GB Primary drive and bought 180 GB drive to create the
clone. I used
Acronis True Image Home 10.0, Trial 15 day version. I figured Try
before you Buy.

The clone appears to copy in about 10 hours, making a backup of my
original drive.

I followed the Acronis directions to the letter. And when I install the
cloned drive as the primary drive, removing my original drive (and yes
I know what jumpers to set) all I get is a blinking cursor in the upper
left hand corner, no message, no boot, no splash of Windows, nothing.
(bios sees the drive) Now when I put the cloned 180 Gb drive in my Dell
(also XP Pro, NTFS) as a secondary, I can see all the files, folders,
and programs and a lot of free space, as it should be. But the cloned
drive just won't boot in the Compaq, and the original works fine. I
am trying to do the right thing in case the original crashes.

Basically the hardware has not changed, and all I want to do is make,
and keep a bootable backup of my original drive, with my original
programs, folders, and files. Why did uncle bill make this so hard to
do?

In the old days I was able to Fdisk, Format C:/s and Xcopy C:*.*
D:/S/E/C (or something like that) and put the new bigger drive in the
computer as the primary and it worked.

Thank you,

Doylestown PA

 

[Kerry Brown]

Are you doing the cloning while Windows is running? The best way is to boot
from the Acronis recovery CD and do the cloning from there. Once the clone
is complete DO NOT BOOT INTO WINDOWS. Turn the computer off. Remove the old
drive and install the new drive with the same jumper settings as the old
drive. Do not reinstall the old drive. Boot from the new drive and confirm
it is working. Now you can reinstall the old drive and do whatever you want
with it. The key is to not boot the first time with both drives installed
and to make sure the first time you boot from the new drive that it is setup
exactly as the old drive was. If you boot up with both drives attached one
of them (and sometimes both) may be rendered unbootable.

Ten hours seems like an unusually long time. How are the drives hooked up
while you're doing the cloning?

 

[DL]

The time taken, 10 hours, is inordinately long the last time I cloned a
160gb disk it took 60/90 mins or so.
Its a memory intensive operation and the slightest memory prob can cause it
to fail.
You verified the clone?