Problem cloning new HD - won't boot from USB drive ???

SillyCat41,
Version 9 is long time ago. Most people willing to help are using newer versions.

You need the bootable media Recovery CD. This can be made from the installed version via the Create Bootable media.
Or, if you have a retail package, the install CD should be a bootable recovery CD.

Using the CD,you are booting into the Acronis software loaded from the CD.

The target should be mounted inside the computer and the source mounted via some other means such as an adapter or external enclosure.

Once you are able to boot into the Acronis menu, you should be able to find your source and your target and perform your clone. Not sure what resize options are available for version 9. you may have to do an "as is" clone and then later use some other software to get the partition sizes exactly the way you want.

Before you start the actual cloning, double check the options to make sure that the options are NOT set to delete the source upon completion of the clone.

GroverH - Thanks for your quick response and for answering my question about old software. I'm retired now and can't afford to buy updated versions of software that still works.... hence ATI 9.0. I usually only use it for backups. but my old hard drive was full so I bought a new one.

You refer to a bootable media recovery CD. I assume you mean the one that Acronis TI makes under "Create Bootable Rescue Media", right? Not the Dell recovery CD? Unfortunately I would have to swap the hard drives again to create one OR can I use one created on a different XP computer? I have one that my partner created on an identical Dell Inspiron 6000 a couple of years ago. Will his CD work for this purpose? Isn't is basically a rescue boot CD with the whole Acronis TI program on it?? I can't find the original CD from when we bought the program.

I know what to do once I get into the software.... that is how to do the cloning. My worry it that it won't boot from the CD-rom drive even if it is first in the boot sequence, since it doesn't boot from the USB port. Does the Bootable Rescue CD fix this problem... make it recognize the CD-rom drive??

Sorry for questions that may seem dumb. I'm not good at these types of problems. Appreciate your help. Thanks.

P.S. Is this Acronis Bootable Rescue CD similar to a MBR repair CD or an emergency boot CD like EBCD??

SillyCat41 wrote:

You refer to a bootable media recovery CD. I assume you mean the one that Acronis TI makes under "Create Bootable Rescue Media", right? Yes, I referring to the user created acronis bootable CD

can I use one created on a different XP computer? Yes, the CD is generic. It can be created on any computer

Isn't is basically a rescue boot CD with the whole Acronis TI program on it?? Yes, nothing more and nothing less. If your computer is set to boot from the CDrom device, it should boot from the CD and boot into the Acronis program.

Always glad to help a youngster. I understand the part about buying only what you need. I'm retired too.

GroverH,

Thanks for the info.  I'll be working on the laptop later today but have one more question for you...  if you don't mind helping this "youngster" again.  ;-)

Assuming that it finds the bootable CD in the CD-rom drive and I get into the Acronis TI program to clone the old drive, will I be able to set up the 3 partitions manually??  What I mean is the original 40 GB hard drive has 3 partitions... the main one with the OS, the Dell Recovery one and the Dell Diagnostic one.  I'd like to keep it like that, but I've read that when cloning to a larger drive, in this case an 80 GB, that the automatic feature enlarges the partitions which creates a problem.  Knowing that I'd like to choose manual and create my own partitions.  I have written down the size of the 3 partitions but will I be given a chance to size them and clone "into" them??  Not sure how this works.  If you could explain this process I'd be very grateful.  Thanks. 

I am not a fan of cloning. I much prefer the safety of doing a backup and then restoring the backup onto a new or larger disk. I outline how to do this in item # 1 of this first link. This guide is not for version 9 but might suffice.

http://forum.acronis.com/forum/29618

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Using a version 9, the guide below shows how to restore (not clone) a backup to a new or larger disk.

http://forum.acronis.com/forum/3426
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Here is a guide on cloning to a larger disk but not for version 9 but its features may be helpful.

http://forum.acronis.com/sites/default/files/forum/2009/11/5940/mar1-gh…

GroverH,

Thanks for the links to the 3 PDF files with detailed information about doing a backup & restore or cloning. Very impressive guides... you put a lot of work into them!! Unfortunately, those guides are way over my head! I was under the impression that transferring the entire contents of my old hard drive to a new larger one was simple. It's obviously NOT.

I do not have the patience or intelligence to go through these long guides... 36 pages, 12 pages and 23 pages... just reading several pages got my head spinning!! This morning I was looking at other cloning software... Clonezilla, EaseUs were two of them... but they also look too complicated for my old brain.

I am so confused about how to do this and afraid of making a major mistake that I think I'm going to abandon the whole idea. What I was looking for was simple instructions with a few screens shots to get the job done. Obviously it's more complicated than I thought.

Thanks for your efforts.

Which option is available to you.
1. Put new disk inside computer and place old disk in another holder; or
2. Leave old disk inside computer and want to clone to a larger disk inside another holder?
3. If you open the Windows Disk management view, how many partitions does it show.
You can open windows disk management by opening the RUN window and typing into it this command
DISKMGMT.MSC
and then selecting the disk management option.

Certainly one option is to start the clone procedure, accept the automatic recommendation and see what you get. Do this from the CD.

GroverH,

You are indeed a very patient guy.  ;-)  Maybe I'll give it a try... the worst that can happen is that it won't work, eh. 

I had already swapped the drives... the new 80 GB drive is in the laptop, the old 40 GB drive is connect via an adapter kit.   Before swapping them I checked the size of the partitions:

1. Fat 16  =  62.62 MB
   
2. Fat 32  =   3.57 GB
   
3. NTFS   =   33.62 GB

From what I've read partitions 1 & 2 (which are Dell Diagnostics and Dell Recovery partitions) must be the same size or they won't work.   I think from what I read in your instructions that there is an option to clone or copy each of these partitions individually.   Correct?   I do have Partition Magic so I can stretch the main partition after the cloning or copying is done.

I never went into Windows Disc Management... got the above info from Acronis True Image.

Hate to keep bothering you with more questions, but do you think I'd better better off putting the old drive back in the laptop and making a full image backup copy and then swapping the drives again and trying a restore??  Or just try the clone operation first?  I'm afraid I'll bend the pins if I keep taking them in and out.  :-(

Thanks again! 

Thanks for the info.You're smarter than you give yourself credit.

As for your questions. A backup would be really nice and a good safety precaution. However, if you already have a backup--even an old one, then you do have some safety but just not as current. Having an old backup would make having a new backup to be lessor important. As you have already performed some clones recently, this would seem to indicate, your system is working ok which might also reduce the risk of cloning.

So, if you have an old backup, I would opt to do the cloning with the new disk as current set inside the computer rather than take the computer apart again. If it is easy to get to the ribbon connectors, I would take the extra time to give them a little extra push to make sure the connectors of both end is fully seated. It is really easy for these not to be fully seated.
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Because you have already used the 80G, I do strongly urge that you boot from the TI CD and use the "add new disk" option. This procedure will cause the partitions to be deleted on the 80G.

For the first step, we do NOT need to have the 40G attached. This is another safety factor to prevent a mistake.
Boot from the CD (full version if offered) and chose the "Add new disk" option.
Screen 1=Destination hard drive
Choose the 80 G which should be your only choice as nothing else is connected.

Screen 2=Non-empty destination hard drive
Checkmark the Delete partitions option

Screen 3=New Partitions
__Uncheck the Create new partitions option

Screen 4=Summary
__Click the proceed option

Screen 5=You will be advised to a shutdown iis necessary.
__Shutdown and attach the old 40 drive.
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To begin the cloning
Choose the cloning option
Choose the Automatic or proportiionate option

Select the 40 G as the source
Select the 80 G as the target and most liklely the program will pre-choose this 80 as the target

One of the next screens will show you the view of the old disk on top (before view) and the new disk on the bottom (after view)
Examine this view iin detail. Note the sequence of illustrated partitions. The information you obtained from the TrueImage display may have been WRONG. What you see on the screen is the correct sequence.
Also note the size comparison. My guess is that the Fat16 62.62 MB will be unchanged; the Fat32 of 3.57 GB will be slightly enlarged (which is ok unless it is a great deal larger); and the ntfs should be expanded to take up the rest of the space.
If the new information shown in the bottom window is acceptable, then you can click Next & Proceed--whatever the options are to completion. Upon completion, shutdown and remove the 40 before reboot.

However, If the intended changes to the 80 is NOT acceptable, then choose the cancel option. If you click the cancel option, the clone will not start and the 80 G will continue to be blank or unallocated.

If you choose the Cancel option, another option would be to restart the clone procedure again and choose the Manual procedures and then choose the "as is" option. The "as is" option would make the 80 like the 40 and we would need to expand the user partition using another partitioning utility--such as Partition Magic.

Or, if none of options are acceptable, then advise and we determine what our other choices might be.

Hi GroverH,

I've been offline for a few days. The power supply for my backup laptop failed. Always something.

Anyway, I started to try the instructions:

"For the first step, we do NOT need to have the 40G attached. This is another safety factor to prevent a mistake. Boot from the CD (full version if offered) and chose the "Add new disk" option. Screen 1=Destination hard drive Choose the 80 G which should be your only choice as nothing else is connected."

and got this error message:

Error X  -  Unable to continue.  You only have one drive.  This program is designed to work with two or more drives.

Is this because I'm using an older version of TI... version 9??  Should I try again with the old 40 GB drive attached and just be very careful to choose the right drive... the new 80 GB... when I choose the command to "Delete partitions"??

Thanks again.

You don't seem to have any other choice but to have both drives attached. When doing the "Add new disk" function, just be sure and choose the 80G size as to the target to be deleted.