Cloning WinXP

[Miha]

We have clonned a newly installed HP desktop machine running WinXP PRO and
some other desktop programs. We used Acronis True Image 10 to create an
image. After deploying it to a second machine (the same model as first one)
and trying to start system, Windows after 3 seconds of booting automatically
reset, the same is in safe mode.
I'm asuming that there must be a problem with SATA hard drive, because we
had the same problem when we clonned laptops with SATA drivers, but after
disabling in BIOS 'SATA native mode', Windows start without any problems.
Here at desktop machine there is no such function in BIOS, so what can we
try more? I also run chkdsk from recovery console and still problem remains.
Any ideas how to solve this without reinstalling or doing a repair, since we
need to clone 5 more computers?
Regards,
Miha

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

We have clonned a newly installed HP desktop machine running WinXP PRO
and some other desktop programs. We used Acronis True Image 10 to create
an image. After deploying it to a second machine (the same model as first
one) and trying to start system, Windows after 3 seconds of booting
automatically reset, the same is in safe mode.
I'm asuming that there must be a problem with SATA hard drive, because we
had the same problem when we clonned laptops with SATA drivers, but after
disabling in BIOS 'SATA native mode', Windows start without any problems.
Here at desktop machine there is no such function in BIOS, so what can we
try more? I also run chkdsk from recovery console and still problem
remains.
Any ideas how to solve this without reinstalling or doing a repair, since
we need to clone 5 more computers?
Regards,
Miha

You should do a very simple test: Deploy the image on the
machine where it came from. I suspect that it will work
perfectly. If so then the hardware of second machine is different
from the first machine, even though it may be the "same" model.

Use Acronis True Image (Universal Restore) when porting
images to different hardware.

 

[Guest]

I have ran into this when using ghost as well, the problem is the mode of
operation. when you have an HP PC, it defaults to Bit Shift HD mode in the
bios. When cloning it, it changes the clone to LBA mode. I have therefore
changed all my PC's to LBA mode in the BIOs and recloned the original disk.


Of course you also need to use the corporate version of XP with appropriate
number of "Right to copy" licenses for this to work. Regular off the shelf
windows xp with anti-piracy activation, is required before you can use it.
Activating it and then cloning it won't work even if it is the same identical
make/model of PC. Serial numbers of Motherboards, Nic, video cards are diff
between them.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

When a disk is loaded with the incorrect disk geometry parameters
(e.g. CHS instead of LBA) then it usually won't boot at all. The OP's
machines do boot but they don't get very far.

I have ran [run?] into this when using ghost as well, the problem is the
mode of
operation. when you have an HP PC, it defaults to Bit Shift HD mode in
the
bios. When cloning it, it changes the clone to LBA mode. I have
therefore
changed all my PC's to LBA mode in the BIOs and recloned the original
disk.


Of course you also need to use the corporate version of XP with
appropriate
number of "Right to copy" licenses for this to work. Regular off the
shelf
windows xp with anti-piracy activation, is required before you can use it.
Activating it and then cloning it won't work even if it is the same
identical
make/model of PC. Serial numbers of Motherboards, Nic, video cards are
diff
between them.

You should do a very simple test: Deploy the image on the
machine where it came from. I suspect that it will work
perfectly. If so then the hardware of second machine is different
from the first machine, even though it may be the "same" model.

Use Acronis True Image (Universal Restore) when porting
images to different hardware.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

We have clonned a newly installed HP desktop machine running WinXP PRO
and some other desktop programs. We used Acronis True Image 10 to create
an image. After deploying it to a second machine (the same model as first
one) and trying to start system, Windows after 3 seconds of booting
automatically reset, the same is in safe mode.
I'm asuming that there must be a problem with SATA hard drive, because we
had the same problem when we clonned laptops with SATA drivers, but after
disabling in BIOS 'SATA native mode', Windows start without any problems.
Here at desktop machine there is no such function in BIOS, so what can we
try more? I also run chkdsk from recovery console and still problem
remains.
Any ideas how to solve this without reinstalling or doing a repair, since
we need to clone 5 more computers?
Regards,
Miha

Sorry, but if you say that the BIOS is different on the two machines, they
are not identical, despite being the "same model". You need to examine the
systems a little more closely.

HTH
-pk

 

[Miha]

Thank you for informations. We'll give it a try with LBA enabled in BIOS.
Patric: the BIOS is not different on desktop machines, but between notebook
and desktop
Regards,
Miha

 

[Guest]

I ran into this with HP machines which were all an identical model, but were
clearly not identical mobos.

1. Something which often helps is to change the IDE driver to "Standard PCI
IDE Driver" BEFORE taking the image. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to
make this change TO an imaged copy which won't boot, as it must be running to
do so.

2. Check the partition order in boot.ini. Partitions on the HD are not
necessarily numbered in the order you might expect. This is particularly true
if a 'recovery partition' was previously present. If in doubt I just copy a
boot.ini with entries for all four partitions, then try each in turn.

3. There might be an MBR disk-signature on the new disk, perhaps left by the
manufacturer's preinstall, and this might be causing the C: drive to shift
to, for example E: as the Windows kernel loads. In this case the machine will
start off OK, but will give an "Unable to access <suchandsuch system file>"
or similar message just before the GUI would load. To correct this, either
issue "FDISK /MBR" from a Windows 95 or 98 boot floppy, or use a hex editor
to zero the signature bytes in the MBR.

Hope one of these tips helps. It's basically a question of going-through the
possibilites, and if all else fails you need to do a Repair Install. (Which
unfortunately doubles the setup-time)

 

[Miha]

Thank's Anteaus, have tried all, but nothing worked, so at the end we used
windows repair feature.
I'll try tomorrow with Norton Ghost if there would be any difference.
Regards,
Miha