Imaging an Entire Partitoned Hard Drive - Is this possible ?

[admiral_victory]

I have used Drive Image 2000 many times to generate Image Files of
individual Partions on my hard drive but have never attempted to Image
the entire drive including all contained Partitions before.

Is this possible ?

B.N.

 

[Ron Reaugh]

I have used Drive Image 2000 many times to generate Image Files of
individual Partions on my hard drive but have never attempted to Image
the entire drive including all contained Partitions before.

Is this possible ?

Yes.

 

[Rod Speed]

I have used Drive Image 2000 many times to generate Image Files
of individual Partions on my hard drive but have never attempted to
Image the entire drive including all contained Partitions before.

Is this possible ?

Yep, all the mainstream imagers can do that, including DI 2002.

 

[Kevin Buffardi]

I have used Drive Image 2000 many times to generate Image Files of
individual Partions on my hard drive but have never attempted to Image
the entire drive including all contained Partitions before.

Is this possible ?

B.N.

I don't use Drive Image, but you can definitely do it with Ghost. Just
choose to image "Drive" rather than "Partition"... they're in the same
menu in my (old) version of Ghost.

//Kevin

 

[Timothy Daniels]

I don't use Drive Image, but you can definitely do it with Ghost. Just
choose to image "Drive" rather than "Partition"... they're in the same
menu in my (old) version of Ghost.

With Acronis's True Image, you can *only* image the entire drive,
not just a partition. That's why I don't use it.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Rod Speed]

With Acronis's True Image, you can *only* image the entire drive, not just a
partition.
Wrong.

That's why I don't use it.

More fool you.

 

[Ron Reaugh]

With Acronis's True Image, you can *only* image the entire drive,
not just a partition. That's why I don't use it.

That is flat FALSE.

See Section 4.1 http://us1.download.acronis.com/pdf/trueimage8.0_ug.en.pdf

TrueImage is a superior product for doing HD image backups and has
considerable flexibility including selecting partitions.

Let me guess...you work for Symantec?

 

[Rod Speed]

Ron Reaugh wrote

That is flat FALSE.

See Section 4.1 http://us1.download.acronis.com/pdf/trueimage8.0_ug.en.pdf

TrueImage is a superior product for doing HD image backups and has
considerable flexibility including selecting partitions.

Let me guess...you work for Symantec?

Guess again, ****wit.

 

[Lil' Dave]

I have used Drive Image 2000 many times to generate Image Files of
individual Partions on my hard drive but have never attempted to Image
the entire drive including all contained Partitions before.

Is this possible ?

B.N.

As long as you have some device with adequate space to save the image file
to. You cannot image an entire hard drive, and save that image to the same
hard drive if that's your implication.

Never heard of DI2000. DI2002 or DI 6.0, is the only exception I know of
that used the year of mfr for its name.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

That is flat FALSE.

See Section 4.1 http://us1.download.acronis.com/pdf/trueimage8.0_ug.en.pdf

TrueImage is a superior product for doing HD image backups and has
considerable flexibility including selecting partitions.

Let me guess...you work for Symantec?

I got sloppy with my terminology. Sorry. I meant to say
that True Image can't make *bootable clones* of individual
partitions and put them as separate partitions on another
hard drive - as Ghost can. I store bootable clones as
quickly accessible system backups on other hard drives,
(no "restore" procedure necessary) with several bootable
clones per hard drive, and True Image can't do that - even
according the Acronis' support reps. If you know of a
procedure that can do that with True Image, please let me
know as I bought the sucker before I found out its short
comings.

Right now, I'm considering CasperXP since I hear
that CasperXP can do what I want.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Ron Reaugh]

I got sloppy with my terminology. Sorry. I meant to say
that True Image can't make *bootable clones* of individual
partitions and put them as separate partitions on another
hard drive - as Ghost can. I store bootable clones as
quickly accessible system backups on other hard drives,
(no "restore" procedure necessary) with several bootable
clones per hard drive, and True Image can't do that - even
according the Acronis' support reps. If you know of a
procedure that can do that with True Image, please let me
know as I bought the sucker before I found out its short
comings.

Double talk. You blantly tried to smear TrueImage...now you gibber.

TrueImage has effective restore and emergency recovery procedure including
full bootability.

Right now, I'm considering CasperXP since I hear
that CasperXP can do what I want.

Do you derive income from CasperXP?

 

[Timothy Daniels]

"Ron Reaugh" fumed:

TrueImage has effective restore and emergency recovery
procedure including full bootability.

Yes, but the clones themselves can't be booted
unless an *entire* hard drive has been copied to
another *entire* hard drive. Thus, multiple bootable
copies of a system partition cannot be put on a
backup or archiving hard drive and available for
immediate booting without having to perform a
"restore" or "emergency recovery procedure".
When *I* have to perform an "emergency recovery
procedure", I just use the BIOS and XP's multi-boot
manager to select any one of several archived
system partitions to boot, and I'm up and running
with the backup in two minutes.

Ghost, Drive Image, and I hear CasperXP, facilitate
that. And from what I can tell from the descriptions of
Paragon's Exact Image 7.0 and ITS System's TransXP,
they do, too. But True Image does not. It's too bad that
Acronis let such a minor feature ruin True Image for use
in such an easy and quick backup scheme. Maybe
they'll get it right in version 9.0 .

*TimDaniels*

 

[Rod Speed]

Timothy Daniels wrote

Ron Reaugh wrote

Yes, but the clones themselves can't be booted unless an *entire* hard drive
has been copied to another *entire* hard drive.
Wrong.

Thus, multiple bootable copies of a system partition cannot be put on a backup
or archiving hard drive and available for immediate booting without having to
perform a "restore" or "emergency recovery procedure".

Wrong. All you have to do is setup an XP multiboot
config ONCE and THEN just clone partitions for
backup as required and use the multiboot to select
which you want to boot from when something dies.

When *I* have to perform an "emergency recovery
procedure", I just use the BIOS and XP's multi-boot
manager to select any one of several archived
system partitions to boot, and I'm up and running
with the backup in two minutes.

You only have to set that up initially and then use
whatever you like to do the cloning of individual
partitions at whatever rate you choose for backup.

Ghost, Drive Image, and I hear CasperXP, facilitate that.

Nope, not with the multiboot they dont.

And from what I can tell from the descriptions of
Paragon's Exact Image 7.0 and ITS System's TransXP, they do, too. But True
Image does not.
Wrong.

It's too bad that Acronis let such a minor feature ruin True Image for use in
such an easy and quick backup scheme.

They didnt.

Maybe they'll get it right in version 9.0 .

Or maybe you will eventually manage to grasp that you
have always got that stuff wrong, for years and years now.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Timothy Daniels wrote


Wrong. All you have to do is setup an XP multiboot
config ONCE and THEN just clone partitions for
backup as required and use the multiboot to select
which you want to boot from when something dies.


You only have to set that up initially and then use
whatever you like to do the cloning of individual
partitions at whatever rate you choose for backup.


Nope, not with the multiboot they dont.


They didnt.


Or maybe you will eventually manage to grasp that you
have always got that stuff wrong, for years and years now.

You don't seem to remember that a couple months ago you
agreed that an entire hard drive had to be cloned with True
Image and that one couldn't select just a single partition.

To wit:

On Mar 22nd, I wrote in this NG:


"Interesting. One question, though: Can you use TI to
clone just one partition to another physical drive or do
you HAVE to clone the entire physical disk?"

To which you replied on Mar 23rd:

"Looks like you have to move them all. You dont even appear
to be able to clone them all but set the destination to zero size
for the ones you dont want."

"You can obviously image the partition you want to move
and then restore the image to the other physical drive tho."



I understand all the multi-boot/boot.ini/active partition/BIOS stuff.
But the GUI (and True Image reps) say that one must clone the *entire*
source hard drive to the *entire* destination drive. That prevents
putting just a single bootable partition in with other bootable partitions
on the destination drive. If you know of some straight forward way to do it,
please post your method.


*TimDaniels*

 

[Rod Speed]

Timothy Daniels wrote

Rod Speed wrote

You don't seem to remember that a couple months ago you
agreed that an entire hard drive had to be cloned with True
Image and that one couldn't select just a single partition.

I actually said that it had to be done indirectly
with an image file used in a two step process.

Completely routine to do it that way with
an automated clone of the partition.

Thats an entirely separate issue to this other question of ensuring
that the result is bootable when you need to boot the clone.

To wit:

On Mar 22nd, I wrote in this NG:

"Interesting. One question, though: Can you use TI to clone just one
partition to another physical drive or do you HAVE to clone the entire
physical disk?"

To which you replied on Mar 23rd:

"Looks like you have to move them all. You dont even appear to be able to
clone them all but set the destination to zero size for the ones you dont
want."

"You can obviously image the partition you want to move
and then restore the image to the other physical drive tho."

You just ignored this crucial bit.

I understand all the multi-boot/boot.ini/active partition/BIOS stuff.

No you didnt, and you still dont.

But the GUI (and True Image reps) say that one must clone the *entire* source
hard drive to the *entire* destination drive.

You dont if you use an image file in a two step process, as I said.

That prevents putting just a single bootable partition in with other bootable
partitions on the destination drive.
Nope.

If you know of some straight forward way to do it, please post your method.

I've done that, three times now.

YOU USE AN IMAGE FILE IN A TWO STEP PROCESS.

YOU FIRST CREATE AN IMAGE OF THE PARTITION
AND THEN YOU RESTORE THAT IMAGE TO WHERE
YOU WANT THE CLONE TO BE.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

"Rod Speed" waffled:

YOU USE AN IMAGE FILE IN A TWO STEP PROCESS.

YOU FIRST CREATE AN IMAGE OF THE PARTITION
AND THEN YOU RESTORE THAT IMAGE TO WHERE
YOU WANT THE CLONE TO BE.

Thanks for the kludge! < > But until True Image gets it
right with direct copying possible to a designated area of
another hard drive of a single bootable clone of a system
partition - as Ghost and other utilities can - True Image will
continue to be a step behind the others.

Specifically, in Ghost, et.al., you can select and clone a
single system partition from hard drive 0 to any large-enough
partition (or unallocated space) on hard drive 1 and have
that clone bootable. You can even put several bootable
system partitions on hard drive 1 (or 2 or 3), and any of them
can be selected by the XP boot manager and the boot.ini
file to be booted. No two step process is needed with Ghost.
If I get CasperXP, I'll let you know how it works out.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod Speed wrote

Thanks for the kludge! < >

Your demand for a clone of just a partition never made
any sense. You dont need and instant switch on hard drive
failure and if you did need that, you should be using RAID.

But until True Image gets it right with direct copying possible to a
designated area of another hard drive of a single bootable clone of a system
partition - as Ghost and other utilities can - True Image will
continue to be a step behind the others.

Nope, no one but you is silly enough to want to do that.

Specifically, in Ghost, et.al., you can select and clone a single system
partition from hard drive 0 to any large-enough partition (or unallocated
space) on hard drive 1 and have that clone bootable.

And anyone with a clue either uses an
image or RAID if they need an instant switch.

You dont need an instant switch.

You can even put several bootable system partitions on hard drive 1 (or 2 or
3), and any of them can be selected by the XP boot manager and the boot.ini
file to be booted.

You can do that with TI too.

No two step process is needed with Ghost.

It can fail to clone the partition tho.

If I get CasperXP, I'll let you know how it works out.

I dont need that capability. I'd rather use a mainstream
product like True Image that has a decent support forum.

I've given up on Ghost because it cant create an image
from the bootable CD and that is a very desirable capability,
best to image a system that you are about to work on
in case it all goes pear shaped in the process.

And its cloning of partitions is a steaming unreliable
piece of shit and has to be done at the XP level with
all the downsides with drive letters that that involves.

Ghost 2003 has other problems, lousy lan support
for other than the small set of nics it natively supports.
And both versions are a pain in the arse if they crash
in the process of what they are doing.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Your demand for a clone of just a partition never made
any sense. You dont need and instant switch on hard drive
failure and if you did need that, you should be using RAID.

If I wanted to drop back to a previously working system in
the event of flaky software, RAID wouldn't do it. RAID just
makes redundant the current state.

And anyone with a clue either uses an
image or RAID if they need an instant switch.

An image file has to be "restored" from its archival medium.
A bootable clone just has to be booted from where is resides
on a hard disk.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Ron Reaugh]

"Ron Reaugh" fumed:


Yes, but the clones themselves can't be booted
unless an *entire* hard drive has been copied to
another *entire* hard drive. Thus, multiple bootable
copies of a system partition cannot be put on a
backup or archiving hard drive and available for
immediate booting without having to perform a
"restore" or "emergency recovery procedure".

Double talk. With TrueImage one boots from a recovery CD.

When *I* have to perform an "emergency recovery
procedure", I just use the BIOS and XP's multi-boot
manager to select any one of several archived
system partitions to boot, and I'm up and running
with the backup in two minutes.

That functionality has nothing to do with imaging but how ones keeps their
HD.

Ghost, Drive Image, and I hear CasperXP, facilitate
that. And from what I can tell from the descriptions of
Paragon's Exact Image 7.0 and ITS System's TransXP,
they do, too. But True Image does not. It's too bad that
Acronis let such a minor feature ruin True Image for use
in such an easy and quick backup scheme. Maybe
they'll get it right in version 9.0 .

Try a coherent attempt at describing some functionality that TrueImage is
missing. You made a claim earlier in this thread that was blatantly FALSE.
Now you gibber.

 

[Ron Reaugh]

You don't seem to remember that a couple months ago you
agreed that an entire hard drive had to be cloned with True
Image and that one couldn't select just a single partition.

Wacko, you seemed to have forgotten that I proved in this thread that
TrueImage CAN SO DO!