Cloning Operating System

[jackowens]

Dear Friends.

      I want to be prepared with a backup when my C: drive (Windows XP) goes out.

      To start, I have two installed internal physical hard-drives and three physical externals connected.  

      The general plan I have, and that I need help with, is to clone my C: drive with the Acronis program to another partitioned, formatted internal drive via a USB connection and make it an active partition.  Then, when my working C: gives up the ghost, simply yank out the dead drive, install the cloned drive and have a working computer.

      I already have a new external drive partitioned and formatted through a USB connection using Norton's Partition Magic, but it showed up as drive H: during the process.  It will have to appear as drive C: and as an active partiton to actually be used.  How is that to be managed?  I haven't done the cloning yet.  The drive is empty.        

      That's the general theoretical idea.  What changes are needed to make the plan actually work?

      Regards,

                  Jack Owens

[GX1_Man]

The image file that is created by Acronis should be stored on a separate drive - internal or external is irrelevant. When the C drive failes, you put in another hard drive and restore the image file onto it.

It isn't any more complicated than that. You do not need to make other drives active partitions, etc.

[jackowens]

Dear GX1_Man,
      
It looks like we may be talking around each other.
      
I have a new, empty, partitioned and formated 80 GB internal hard-drive sitting on a shelf.  That is the other, separate hard drive that you mention.  

If it already has a cloned image of my C: drive --meaning my operating system-- why would the restoration that you mention be needed?
      
Regards,
                  Jack Owens

[GX1_Man]

Because it is an image file - one file, not the entire contents that are usable immediately. It has to be restored, much like an ISO file, if you are familiar with those.

Will that one file that was created by Acronis fit on a DVD? If so, copy it to that media and then you can install it from there to the New drive when it is installed.

The best way to use Acronis is to create an initial "bare" configuration" - just the operating system, updates and appropriate drivers so you never have to go through a manual install of all of this again. THen you can make incremental updates as programs, etc. are added.