Cloning steps using external hard disk

Before you do anything, my first suggestion would be to read item #5 and #7D inside my signature link.

For many of us, cloning is not the preferred method of moving to a new or larger disk. Many of use would rather restore a full disk image archive using the "Partition Restore with Resize" method..

Acronis recommends that when cloning a system disk, the procedure be done when booted from the TI Rescue CD. Do not perform from within windows.

Open Windows Disk Management and look at a graphical view of your disk. Check to see if you have any hidden or diagnostic partitions. If yes, then write down the size of these partitions. When cloning or restoring, you will want to retain the same partition size for these type partitions.

One of the nice things about TrueImage is that you can practice many of the functions without actual performing them. It is practice up to the Summary screen where you choose either the  Proceed or Cancel option.  Pressing the cancel stops the practice whereas pressing the Proceed button initiates the procedures you chose.

When cloning, you will increase your changes of success if you perform what is commonly called a "Reverse Clone". That is, with the computer powered off, etc:
1. Remove the source or hard drive being cloned and place it in an alternate location--such as external drive.
2. Install the new target disk in same position as original. Same position/same settings. (Format or partitioning not required.)
3. Boot from the Rescue CD and perform several trial runs until you feel comfortable with the procedure.
4. Choose the manual cloning option so you can control the partition sizes. Remember, any hidden or diagnostic should be kept at their original sizes and same partition sequence.
5. Upon completion of cloning. Shutdown and disconnect the original drive--wherever it is located. During first boot following the cloning, only the new clone should be attached.  Later after the clone has proved to be functional, you can consider connecting the original as an additional drive.
6. For some brands of laptops such as the Thinkpad and Lenova,  the reverse clone works best. For desktops, sometimes you can successfully clone from desktop to an alternate location and then relocate the clone into its internal boot position. Even for the desktop, a reverse clone seems to offer fewer obstacles.  Again, first boot must always have only the clone attached.

BE CAREFUL

Acronis True Image Home simply does not work with the thinkpads, and Acronis support will only help you until you have purchased their product!

Despite several messages to Acronis since I purchased this product nearly 2 months ago, I am still awaiting a reply.

Ole Knudsen wrote:

BE CAREFUL

Acronis True Image Home simply does not work with the thinkpads, and Acronis support will only help you until you have purchased their product!

Despite several messages to Acronis since I purchased this product nearly 2 months ago, I am still awaiting a reply.

I take it you have a Thinkpad. What are your plans for cloning? I just bought a Thinkpad and am planning on using Windows 7. Should I look for cloning alternatives?

Ole,

There have been many postings about Thinkpad laptops being successfully cloned but that particular brand requires the use of a "Reverse" clone as discussed in my link above. Also, iIf you are also using some type of docking or dual drive device, be sure those are also disconnected before first bootup after the cloning.

I would also call your attention to item 8-H inside my index regarding special issues with Vista. TI 2009 and 2010 should not have those issues. I do not know whether Windows 7  has any issues with the Thinkpad disk geometry.

K0LO wrote:

Many Thinkpads (like mine) use a nonstandard disk drive geometry (240 heads vs. 255 heads). Almost all USB interfaces will "see" the drive as having 255-head geometry. To work in your laptop it must be "seen" as 240-head. As you have discovered, the way to accomplish this is to have the target drive installed internally.

Some Compaq laptops are similar, so the general advice for best chances of a successful clone or restore is to always have the target drive installed in its final location. Some call this a "reverse clone" where the source drive is removed from the laptop and installed in a USB enclosure and the new target drive is installed in the laptop. The same advice applies to image restores - restore to the internal drive in its final location.

I have a ThinkPad and have tried cloning the existing disk to a new disk. I followed KB 2931: Cloning Laptop Hard Disk by installing the new disk in the laptop and connecting the old disk via USB dock.

I booted from the TI 2013 recovery media.

When I PROCEED, the operation starts but then fails after less than 1 minute. Among the logs are "Run List Corrupted" error and several warnings.

I see lots of ThinkPad problems in this forum and hope someone has a solution.

Hi Everyone,

This is an interesting thread because I have run into similare trouble.

My Laptop is Toshiba Tecra with internal Hybrid SSHD of 500GB installed. Then I have 1TB of of the normal SATA in an external enclosure. Both hard drives manufactured by Seagate with MBR.

Instead of doing reverse cloning, I was trying to do clone from the internal HDD (C) of the laptop to the external HDD, then I ran into the following trouble:

"CLONE DISK OPERATION FAILED. Operation with partition "C" was terminated. Run list corrupted (0x001C). Tag=0x89D94B01B483DCCF." I have attached the full details of the errors.

Does anybody know how I can fix the corrupted Run List? Note that my laptop still works perfectly but cannot do the cloning.

Any comment is greatly appreciated. Please also send your answers to my private mail to notify me.

Thanks.

We recommend that you perform a full disk mode backup and restore, which is much safer than cloning.