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cloned bootable HD won't boot

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For years I have happily used True Image Home 11 to maintain a bootable backup for the C: drive of my desktop PC running WinXP. By using the clone disk procedure, I always have a perfect copy to fall back on if my main disk fails, for no more effort than it takes to change the boot sequence.

Recently, I've come into several HP laptops. I thought it would be a good idea to clone the HD for each and have a similar fallback, but I have run into a problem. These laptops only take one HD, so I can't use the clone procedure running True Image 11 on the laptop itself, but must do it on my desktop. My procedure is

1) connect known good bootable laptop drive to desktop
2) clone laptop drive to a desktop drive
3) disconnect just cloned laptop drive and connect what will be the backup laptop drive (tested with Hard Disk Sentinel to be sure it is flawless)
4) clone desktop drive that holds laptop drive contents to backup laptop drive

All this goes without a hitch, but the clone laptop drive will not boot on the laptop, hanging up immediately when the laptop BIOS attempts it - as if the drive is not recognized.

Must a bootable clone be created on the PC on which it will be booted? Is there information on a HD that matches the copy of WinXP with the machine for which it is registered? Any thoughts on why the laptop clone will not boot?

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Consider another alternative:

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/store/Product.aspx?C=1023&SC=1057&ID=1380

$49.99 from Thermaltake

1. Buy the above and add a 2TB disk and use the combined unit as a storage disk for backups. You could take a disk option backup of each of the laptops and a backup for all of these could be stored on the 2TB and still have room. Or, get a 3TB and split into 2 equal MBR partitions and use for storage.

2. a. Now that you have the docking unit, you can remove the old disk from the laptop and place the 2.5" old source disk inside the docking unit.
b. Install a new disk inside the laptop and use the version 11 CD to perform the clone from docking unit to computer--referenced as a reverse clone.

Or, my preferred method for creating a replacement disk is the disk backup of the entire contents of the old disk and then remove the old disk and set aside for safe keeping. Then Boot from the CD and disk restore the backup from the storage disk (inside the docking unit) onto the new disk inside the laptop.

If any of the computers are Win7, you should consider upgrading TrueImage to the 2014 version.
Or, I believe that the 2014 trial copy bootable CD could be used to restore a version 11 backup.
The 2014 trial copy bootable CD does not do clones--limited functions as trial.

Check your licensing requirements.

I believe any of the above procedures would have a better chance that using a 3rd computer for portions.

Thanks for the good ideas, Grover. The docking unit (news to me) seems like the solution as it allows the duplication to take place from the machine where the HD will be used.

There must be something written on a HD that identifies the machine on which the OS was written to it. I tried booting the laptop HD on the desktop PC where I cloned it and, sure enough, it boots.

I have two Thermaltake docking units and both have worked withiout issue.
I have an older usb/esata unit plus a newer usb3.
I have found them very versatile and they work on both 3.5 and 2.5" drives.
There are other brands and styles if you want choices.