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Acronis Clone Tool has killed my computer!

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So my Acer Apire XC-705 was running too slow to handle Adobe Lightroom.  I decided to upgrade to a 1TB SSD.

I bought the upgrade kit which had everything in it including the link and product key for Acronis software.

Installing the SSD was easy.  I had already created a recovery disk.  I downloaded the 100 page Acronis guidance and followed the on screen instructions.  After cloning I was able to get into the BIOS to try to prioritise the new hard drive but it wasn't listed.  I closed it down again and since then the whole system is ********!

It wouldn't boot into windows and I've spent 3 days solid trying to resolve the issue without any joy.  I've reinstalled windows on the old hard drive and removed the ssd.  I've tried to reboot the system but it isn't loading or entering set up - just hanging.  I can't get into BIOS or recovery mode - just a black screen. 

I've followed multiple videos on Youtube to identify the error but not joy

What an absolute crock.  I'm well and truly snookered without my desktop pc.  Acronis should come with warning signs!

I'm not an IT person so really don't know what to do next.

 

1 Users found this helpful

Stephanie, welcome to these public User Forums.

See KB 2201: Support for OEM Versions of Acronis Products which applies to all OEM versions of ATI supplied with hardware purchases.

Sorry to read of the issues you have encountered with cloning but I am not familiar with the 100 page documentation that was provided with the free version of Acronis that you used, so don't know what actual steps you have used here?

The first recommendation before embarking on any process such as cloning is to always make a full disk backup of the working original drive that is then your safety net in case of this type of issue arising!  This is clearly stated in the official Acronis documentation that comes with the paid products, so should also be stated in the documentation for OEM products.

Next, when using Acronis bootable rescue media, it is very important to use the same BIOS boot mode as is used by the Windows OS on the same PC.  If Windows uses UEFI then so must the Acronis boot media.  The BIOS boot mode can be found by looking at the BIOS settings where for UEFI it is shown as 'Windows Boot Manager' and for Legacy boot it is the make / name of the OS disk drive / SSD make.

KB 59877: Acronis True Image: how to distinguish between UEFI and Legacy BIOS boot modes of Acronis Bootable Media

KB 69472: Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office: how to create bootable media

See KB 56634: Acronis True Image: how to clone a disk - and review the step by step guide given there.

Note: cloning should not make any changes to the source HDD at all - it is purely a method of making a duplicate copy of that drive, so it should not have been necessary to reinstall Windows on that HDD.

From the other information provided, it sounds very much as if the issues here are BIOS related, i.e. not having the correct BIOS boot device selected.

Hi Steve

Thank you for your feedback.  I already feel like I'm trying to shut the gate after the horse has bolted.  The Kingston SSD includes a link to their website were you can download Acronis and there is also a link to the 90 page guide.  A recovery disk was made but ever since the clone my computer won't boot into windows or even allow access into the BIOS.  We have tried to recover and troubleshoot but to no avail.  According to the instructions this should be a really straight forward process but far from it - so much so that I've had to buy a new desktop as I need it for work.  Not the best experience.

Stephanie, just using cloning should not cause the BIOS to be inaccessible.

Do you have anyone near to you who could take a deeper look at the PC for you?

I would suggest disconnecting any internal disk drive(s) and then check whether you can go into the BIOS.  This should be done while the PC is powered off for safety reasons!