Clone utility not cloning both partitions
Have been successfully doing bi-weekly clones of my main drive for years, to both an internal and external backup drive. Just found out that only the "Recovery" partition is making it over to the external (USB) drive. Or at least that's the only one showing up in Windows Explorer. On the internal drive, both the main and recovery partitions appear. I use the same settings for both backups so I can't figure out how to fix this.
A picture of the drive list is attached. C and D are the two partitions on the main drive, E and F are the clones on the internal backup drive, and "RECOVERY (I:)" is the only clone showing up on the external USB drive.
Advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
-lee grueneld
www.leegruenfeld.com
How about posting a screen capture of your Windows Disk Management graphical view.
Which version of True Image Home?
Which version of Windows?
True Image Home 2011 Update 1 (Build 6696); Windows 7 Ultimate; screenshot attached.
Thank you.
Just realized external drive wasn't on. New screenshot attached, and I see that it shows both partitions present on that drive. So they're there, which is good news, but the main one is not showing up in Windows Explorer. Any idea why?
Thanks again.
P.S. Just tried a sync to that partition, which I do in between full clones. That worked, too. So it's just about finding the drive in W.Explorer, a far less serious issue!
Windows Explorer will only display partitions which have drive letters assigned.
If the original partition did NOT have a drive letter assigned, then the clone should not have one assigned as well. Any assignment of a letter was a mistake--but there may be times when you need to assign a letter (temporarily) so you can access or view its contents. The letter can be removed by using Windows Disk Management features such as -- Right click on the partition for drive letter options.
Edit:
You may have an interest in the cloning information listed in my signature below in tan/gold coloring.
Yep, that was it: Drive letter conflicted with another one (Apple MobileMe "iDisk") and got mislabeled. I reassigned it and now it shows up properly.
Surely do appreciate your assistance. Pick a book from my Website and I'll send you a signed copy. (Tech guys tend to like The Expert, but it's your call.)
-lee gruenfeld
My apologies for my delayed response.
You are very kind to make such an offer but such was not necessary. My contribution to your awareness was minimal therefore I will pass on the offer. Your thoughtfulness much appreciated.
Be sure and occasionally do regular disk backups to include all partitions. Don't put all your faith in cloning as too many users have posted about a variety of issues (not related to Acrons) where they lost the source during a cloning operation. This risk is why I have cloning comments inside my signature below.
Grover
I think I'm doing that already. I've got all my data backed up in any number of places, including two other computers and an on-line service (Mozy.com). The reason I do a regular clone, to two different drives, is in case my OS gets slammed or the drive goes bad or I get an intractable virus. It's happened twice in the last three years, and both times I was able to simply swap drives, immediately boot, update the data and get going again. Of course, some programs don't like to find a different hard drive ID, so part of the process involves re-formatting the corrupted drive (assuming it's not a hardware issue), then cloning the backup to it and re-swapping.
My experience has been that backing up data is easy. Getting the OS and all the software re-installed, and in some cases re-licensed, is the nightmare. My backup policy may look like overkill but you only have to get smacked with one bad situation to know it's worth it. Don't want to sound like an old-timer but the first disaster I ever had was the Michelangelo virus. That was twenty years ago and I still haven't forgotten it.
Thanks again for your help.
Lee,
I do want to emphasize that I am talking about more than just a data backup. This type backup includes all the data and files but also includes the mbr/track0 plus the "disk signature" which is necessary often times to avoid reactivation of some programs. Many users of TrueImageHome are not aware that the "Restore a backup" feature can produce a duplicate disk identical to the disk a cloning if you have the correct type backup.
If you have the right types of backups (such as a disk option backup), then TrueImageHome will enable you to restore the backup and recreate a new duplicate disk most often without any reinstall of special programs or re-activation. You have the same benefits of the cloning operation but without putting the source at risk. Cloning is slightly faster than using the restore procedure.
An example of a disk option backup (which includes all partitions) when backup is performed via the Rescue CD.
http://forum.acronis.com/sites/default/files/forum/2009/12/7027/Disk-op…
An example of a disk option backup (which includes all partition) when backup is performed from inside Windows.
http://forum.acronis.com/sites/default/files/forum/2011/02/19256/add-di…
Thanks for listening.
Grover
Your screen shot looks different from the one that comes up when I go to "Disk and partition backup." We may have different versions. Is the one attached the right one to do the backup you describe? And, if so, I'd be able to drop that HDD in place of the existing one and have it boot up and look identical, the same as a clone?
Thanks again.
-lee
Lee,
We are using the same versions 2011-6696. In your attachment, click in the upper right corner on the button "Switch to disk mode" and the resulting view will be a listing of actual disks. Checkmarking the system disk will get you a backup of all partitions for that disk. The partitions included are listed there as part of the description.
When creating a duplicate disk via cloning or restoring, the best results are obtained by performing those chores when booted from the Recovery CD.
When a replacement or duplicate disk is needed, that backup could be used using the Restore/recovery option and the result produced would be a disk identical that produced by the cloning procedure. If you have some spare reading time, click on my signature link below and check on items #3-BB or 3-CC for a few examples.
Using the Recover option, the user has several choices.
Option A.
User can checkmark the disk as to what is being recovered/restored and TI will automatically proportionally resize all partitions either larger/smaller. User has no control over partition sizes. Usually the 100mb boot partition is not changed in size. User needs to select the "Recover disk signature" option listed on the target disk selection screen.
Option B:
The disadvantage to option A is that user has no control over partition sizes. For some configurations, this does not present a problem but for others it does.
To control partition sizes. Instead of checkmarking the disk, user checkmarks all partitions but does NOT checkmark the MBR/track0 option. During this restore, user has options to resize any or all partitions (as illustrated in my guides 3-BB). After restore completed and without rebooting, user performs a second restore and checkmarks the MBR/track0 option and also selects the "Recover Disk signature" option listed on the "select target disk" screen.
Option C:
Or, User can restore a single partition in a single pass adjusting the resize as needed., and successively restore/resize additional partitions until all partitions are restored. The final restore pass would be to restore the MBR/track0 and checkmark the "Recover disk signature" located on the "select target disk" screen.
Final:
When duplicating a new disk via either the clone or Restore procedure, it is highly important that on the first boot following the clone or restore, that only the new target disk be attached to the system. On first boot following a restore or cloning, Windows must NOT be exposed to two disks which are identical with the same drive lettering, etc. After the first or second boot, then an identical disk can be attached and the additional disk will assume other drive letters up the letter chain.
Best results with fewer issues obtained if procedures performed when booted from the Recover/rescue CD. Also, before restoring, best results (fewer issues) if the old disk is removed and a new blank disk is installed using the same connectors. Source disk not needed as restore will be performed using the *.tib full disk backup file.
During the restore procedures, the backup file is stored on an alternate device and the original source disk is not attached and not at risk.
PS: From your description of disk, it appears your system closest resembles the Gateway system as shown in my guides listed in 3-BB
Sorry for tardy response: Commuting Calif<-->NY fighting fires.
Did a backup as per your post. Interesting in that it appeared to only take about an hour twenty (vs. several hours for clone), but when I shut down the PC, there were a couple of hours of "operations" still processing.
Have not had a chance to swap the drives and test it, which is probably a good thing: Hadn't read as far as your suggestion to have only boot drive in place on first startup. Wasn't a problem the 2-3 times I've needed to actually use a clone, but no sense taking chances.
Thanks again, Grover.
-lee
Thank you for the update and be safety conscious when doing your fire fighting.