SSD to SSD Recovery settings
I am a first time user of TI 2018 and confused about some settings to use when migrating from an SSD to a slightly larger different brand SSD on a Win 7 laptop.
Created a recovery image on external drive
Created bootable disk by burning ISO to CD (had some trouble in that usb media would not boot - but I'm past that now.)
Was confused about whether or why to follow procedure under either (A) "Migrating to SSD using the backup and recovery method", or (B) "Recovering your system to a new disk under bootable media."
Question 1: Why should I have chosen method (A) or (B) ?
Question 2: If using method B, should I have checked the box for recover MBR and Track 0?
I chose method A.
I checked the box to recover disk signature avoid possible issues with software licensing.
Question 3: I checked the recover disk signature box to avoid possible issues with software licensing - but don't know if that was a correct choice. I will not be using the original ssd in the same computer - so no conflict between drives with same signature.
Recovery then proceeded "sector by sector" when I clicked "next."
Question 4: Is sector by sector copying appropriate for my SSD to SSD scenario? I do not see the rationale for a sector by sector copy.
Question 5: Was Acronis TI able to properly set the SSD parameters for the new SSD such as offset for partition alignment?
The new SSD is Crucial Brand, the recovery image SSD was Toshiba. I am now not able to download the Crucial SSD management software.
Question 6: Might this be because Crucial thinks I have a Toshiba SSD as a result of the way the system was migrated? In other words might copying the disk signature and/or sector by sector copy be causing this issue?
Bonus question: My recovery image was made under windows via the installed software. I did not know that I could make a recovery image using a bootable disk. Are recovery images made using bootable media superior? I would imagine they are since they are imaging a static system.
Thank you for considering my questions. To a new user these questions are difficult and I tried hard to answer them for myself using web resources but in the end was not clear.


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Hi Steve,
Thank you for taking the time to read through my many questions and for writing your thoughtful and knowledgeable replies!
May I ask a couple of follow up questions?
You mention there being minimal operational differences between a recovery image created within windows and one created using the rescue media disk. When doing a manual backup, is it preferable to boot into the rescue media and do the backup from there? Or are the differences between the two methods immaterial if I am not setting up exclusions?
Under what circumstances should I check the box to recover MBR and track 0?
***Is there a unified "best practices" writeup somewhere that I might use as a guide in better understanding how and when to use of the options within ATI? I did find this material from "Grover" and am looking at it - a lot of information here https://forum.acronis.com/forum/best-practices-data-protection/grovers-…
Thank you again for sharing your expertise and time!
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You mention there being minimal operational differences between a recovery image created within windows and one created using the rescue media disk. When doing a manual backup, is it preferable to boot into the rescue media and do the backup from there? Or are the differences between the two methods immaterial if I am not setting up exclusions?
The main reasons for doing a manual backup using the rescue media to boot the computer, in my own experience are:
- Dealing with a system with suspected malware / virus infections.
- Wanting to preserve a backup copy of a new system drive before initial setup actions (i.e. as supplied from the factory before any personalisation).
- Wanting to avoid any interference or contention from other installed applications running in Windows such as security software (antivirus, firewall, antimalware etc).
- Capturing a backup of a failed system before recovery which might require a clean install of Windows, so as to backup user data, documents, etc.
My normal practice for manual backups is to create these using the Windows ATI application, or occasionally to boot into the rescue media when testing the same or making a full backup before testing a drive replacement or similar, so that I am leaving my regular scheduled backups alone and using a spare target drive.
Under what circumstances should I check the box to recover MBR and track 0?
If you are recovering to the same disk drive without doing a full format, then you may not need to recover the MBR and track 0, but if recovering to a brand new drive, then this should be recovered.
Note: the MBR refers to Legacy MBR type drives, rather than to UEFI / GPT drives, but on the latter, track 0 is still used to point to the EFI partition so can be recovered.
***Is there a unified "best practices" writeup somewhere that I might use as a guide in better understanding how and when to use of the options within ATI?
Not as such, you have found the Best Practices Forum which has lots of good information and resources but which has not had a lot of activity for the more recent versions of ATI.
The authoritative source for this information is the main ATI 2019 User Guide which is available via the web and on your computer via the Help pages in the ATI GUI, along with the Acronis KB. Beyond that, doing a search in the forums may produce relevant results based on your search arguments. I tend to search via Google using site:forum.acronis.com 'search terms' rather than using any search facility in the forum itself!
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