Restore from multiple sources?
The worst case scenario has happened and I’m trying to rebuild my main computer from a HD failure. I think I have everything I need, I’d like some input before I make anything worse.
Here is a list of what I have using short form names and a description:
• Main = main computer I’m trying to restore
o Thinkcentre 8189 – Win XP pro SP3
• Spare = spare computer I’m using to try to create a restored drive
o Thinkcentre 8194 – Win XP pro SP3
o Has IBM hidden restore partition
o Does not have my software or data
• Maxtor = original drive from Main
o Drive was starting to fail
o Has original IBM hidden restore partition
o Has OS but won’t boot
it keeps looking for autochk
tried MS fixes of replacing autochk and chkdsk
need to alter registry to cancel above
can see and read it as a spare drive
missing 4 years of software and data updates
• Failed = failed drive
o A clone of Maxtor above
o Used 4 years had software and data
o Sent for data recovery
o 3 partitions
IBM Hidden restore
Programs including OS
Data
o Data recovered – see Seagate
o Drive kept by recovery service for warranty replacement
• Seagate = Replacement drive sent back by Data Recovery Service
o Not a clone of the original (that would be too easy)
o Has all data and software on it except the hidden restore partition
o Everything is in a file structure rather than partitions
o 2 folders Programs and Data
• M1t4 = Maxtor One Touch 4 - external drive
o Contains old backup of Failed partitions in .TIB format
o Uses the Maxtor dumbed down version of Acronis
o Apparently does not back up the OS for a restore
• Black = new WD caviar black replacement drive I want to use
• WDatih = Western Digital’s limited function Acronis ATIH
o Will only clone a whole disk
o Will not clone selective partitions
• SDW = Seagate Disk Wizard – Limited function ATIH
• ATIH = ATIH 2014 std ed
o 3 PC license,
o downloaded not installed
What I want is a drive to put back into my Main computer that contains the 3 original partitions, Hidden, Programs and Data. That works as the original OS – Win XP pro SP3, without wasting one of my 3 ATIH licenses in the process. I do want to install one ATIH 2014 license on that when all is complete. I intend to use the 2nd license for my laptop then the third for a planned tablet purchase. This would have been so easy if the $1500 I spent on data recovery simply provided me with a cloned disk of the original that I could just pop back into my main computer.
My plan is to:
1. Use Spare with Maxtor, Seagate and Black installed as extra drives
2. get a trial key to activate a trial version of ATIH 2014 on Spare to prepare Black for use
3. Format Black with 3 partitions cloning the IBM hidden partition from Maxtor
4. Set the Programs folder on Seagate as a drive in Spare
5. Copy or clone my OS and programs from Seagate to Blacks Program partition
6. copy my data from Seagate data folder to Black's Data partition
7. Install Black in Main
8. install 1 license of ATIH 2014 on Main
9. Develop a better disaster plan so I don’t have to do this ever again.
Does this sound reasonable and that it would work? Do I need to do anything different? Do you have any suggestions? I know this is a long post but wanted to give you everything at my disposal.
Roy
Thank you for the response Scott.
I know the user guide is there. My experience is that user guides frequently have a few single line limitations buried in the 250 or so pages that could adversely affect an intended plan. OTOH forums can present the experience of many that have an understanding of the nuances of a particular item or process. They allow for dialogue.
Sometimes an opinion such as don't use the trial version since it does not allow cloning; or you will have to upgrade to the premium because of the Universal restore features will give you what you need to do in a certain step.
You're proposing something complicated. Sometimes there is no substitute for reading the instructions. If you still have questions, then come back with those. But if you want ot be this serious about using the program, then you should learn from the source.
What seems complicated is that there are diffierent sources of what I want to restore onto one drive. This is the suggestion I got from a data recovery specialist (not the one that did my drive).
"My suggestion to you is to image the recovery partition back on and confirm before continuing that you can boot into it as usual (if you needed to do a system restore)
After, make that windows partition that was given back into it's own drive so you can image that to another partition on the new drive. I think I remember you saying it was Windows XP if I am not mistaken. If it is, you can run a repair install ontop of it so it will fix any startup problems it has now and repair any kind of system files that might have gotten messed up.
After that it would just be a matter of taking your data and moving it back if you had another partition or just put it on a separate drive alltogether which would be a better idea."
Grover appears to explain what I want to do in his guide: http://forum.acronis.com/system/files/mvp/user285/guides/tih2012-restore-larger-smaller.pdf with the exception being my partitions are coming from different sources. I'll need to review that while trying to decide which version of Acronis I'll need to use. Right now I've got the Trial, Western Digital and full 2014 editions. I don't know if I will need to upgrade to the Premium to be able to apply Grovers instructions using multiple drives.
Suggestions on which version of Acronis to use or not to use would be appreciated.
Pinging Grover ......
If you have the 2014 version, then my suggestion would be to use the 2013 Bootable Recovery CD.
As to what guide to use, my suggestion would be the link 3 below and select item 1 as you have several restores you wish to make.
As you have several restores, you may also want to consider creating the target disk in advance with all its different partitions and then just restore your backups into the designated partitions. Each restore would be a single partition restore. In link 3, item 3, it illustrates restoring C but this is the same example you would use to restore different backups into their individual specific partitions.