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Acronis True Image 2013 (paid for and registered) support Universal Restore?

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Hi,

Having Acronis True Image 2013, we intend to clone a SSD to another standard hard disk so that if the SSD fails we can continue to use the computer with the backup hard disk.

 

On viewing a youtube of Acronis True Image 2014, I notice the warning that the above method may be ok if the SSD fails it will not protect my client if the PC fails.

 

The youtube states that if the user has Universal restore the clone can be use on any computer system. 

 

Question...

Does Acronis True Image 2013 (paid for and registered) support Universal Restore?

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If you are intending to put the clone of the SSD back into the same computer then Universal Restore is of no use to you, the standard ATIH 2013 program can do all that you need it to do.

Universal Restore is use primarily to move a disk image to a new system where there is new hardware components, this is accomplished by first restoring the disk image to a drive in the new system, then using the Universal Restore boot media to then add in all the additional 'missing' hardware device drivers needed for that new system to the restored version of Windows being used.

https://kb.acronis.com/content/41681

https://kb.acronis.com/content/34283

Universal Restore was not included in the base version of True Image 2013.  It was a feature of the 2013 Plus Pack addon which required an additional purchase and installation.

Steve Smith wrote:

If you are intending to put the clone of the SSD back into the same computer then Universal Restore is of no use to you, the standard ATIH 2013 program can do all that you need it to do.

Universal Restore is use primarily to move a disk image to a new system where there is new hardware components, this is accomplished by first restoring the disk image to a drive in the new system, then using the Universal Restore boot media to then add in all the additional 'missing' hardware device drivers needed for that new system to the restored version of Windows being used.

Thanks Steve.

My thinking was that if we lose the mothereboard or some item that means the we have to change PC's, a clone backup is no use due to MS not alowing a change of motherboard or raid controler.

I thought this is what Universal restore was for?

You may wish to watch the following YouTube video which shows how Universal Restore is used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbe8yTOaVGg

Also KB document with the same / similar video https://kb.acronis.com/ati2016/aur

Universal Restore will allow you to move your Windows installation to new hardware though you may still face Windows Activation issues unless you have a full Microsoft Retail version of windows - OEM versions, i.e. those branded for specific manufacturers such as Dell, HP etc, are restricted to the specific hardware they are installed on and cannot be activated on new hardware without purchasing a new software license from Microsoft.

Huntsman,

You are correct as universal restore is intended to allow a system image from one type of hardware to boot on another - bascially, UR generalizes all of the drivers so that the OS can boot without producing a BSOD at boot due to bad or incorrect drivers being brought over from the old system that are not compatible with the new hardware.  You would then need to manually update your drivers on the new system once booted back into Windows.

However, it is not an end-all, be-all solution.  Many systems have different bios configurations and resrtrictions.  Just because you can push an image to a new system, and use universal restore to generalize the image, does not mean it will still work for every situation.

Examples of it not working:

1) Old system bios is only  Legacy BIOS without no UEFI/GPT support and OS was installed in Legacy mode to an MBR formatted drive.  New system does not support Legacy Bios and only has UEFI installation that requires a GPT formatted disk.  

2) Old system SATA mode in the bios was RAID, new system SATA mode in bios in AHCI.  Recovered OS will not boot unless you can first change the bios SATA mode to RAID... (Windows 10 does not seem to have this issue though - Windows 7 does, 8.1 I think also has this issue).

3) OK - it worked.  However, old system is Win 7 and new system came with Win 10.  There are no Windows 7 drivers for your new hardware - you use UR to generalize the Win 7 OS for the new hardware and it boots, but your NIC, wireless, etc, don't work and there are no drivers for the new hardware so it's not very usable.

4) OK - it worked and drivers are not a problem because you were already using Win 8.1 or Win 10.  Image restored and UR helped to make it boot on the new hardware.  However your old system was an OEM build (Dell, HP, etc) that the OS license was only good for that system. Windows boots but you are no longer registered/licensed in Windows.  You will need a boxed licensed key for the OS now.  OEM licenes won't work because they are tied to the original hardware.  Might get lucky if you call Microsoft - but most likely not.  Work-a-round... upgrade old sytsem to Win 10 (if you haven't) first since it's free and verify it is licensed.  Upgrade your new system to Win 10 first (if it doesn't already have it - new  system will need a license of some kind - if this is DIY motherboard install - you'll have to have a license of some kind that is not OEM and tied to another computer already).  Then you're new system will be licensed if you push your old image to the new one and both were already running Windows 10 and previously licesned with Win 10 since Win 10 licenses are now tied to the hardware and not a specific license key. 

Bobbo_3C0X1 wrote:

Huntsman,

See full text in Bobbo_3C0x1

Thank you for a very full answer.

It encompasses all and more of my fears.