Skip to main content

Problem with different hard drive partition

Thread needs solution

Hi! I use Acronis True Image 2013 since a few year on 10 different PCs. Everything worked perfectly since now. I have a PC that was pre-installed with Windows 8, upgraded to 8.1. My back ups and restores were all successful, even if the only way i had to restore by recovery CD.

Now here's my new problem: I wanted to try to do a clean install of windows 8.1. Since I had my back up, i had no worry about getting the PC the way it was before formatting the hard drive. But when I try to restore it, it seems the clean installation has changed the numbers of partitions, I just dont know how I should deal with this. The pre-installed 8.1 had 5 partitions and the clean install has only 2.

I'm not even sure about the UEFI boot or CFM, it seems it's not the same for the 2 installations....

Please tell me the way to deal with the partitions; is it my version of acronis? If so, I will change it.

I'm not that good with PCs, but I understand things how they work.

Thank you for you support!!

0 Users found this helpful

Only 2014 and 2015 compatible with 8.1.

Many months ago, Acronis offered 2013 users a free upgrade to 2014 but that offer has expired.

Best chance of getting a closer match to partition sequence is to make sure your backup is a full disk image or disk option backup where all partitions are automatically selected for inclusion within the backup, rather than using the partitiion mode where user selects what is included.

Added Edit:

This link about 8.1 partition sequence is helpful
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/60129#comment-193928

This link can also help.
GH58. Difference between Partition Mode & "Select Disk Mode" (Entire PC) backups.

A DISK MODE or DISK IMAGE backup equivalent in 2015 is the "ENTIRE PC" backup.
https://kb.acronis.com/content/48404

Thanks for you answer! I just bought 2015, I will try some test. In the worst case, I have the USB key of the pre-installed version of my PC...Thats not the best scenario, but thats how i'm writting this right now!

Still, I have everithing i had already installed on this Acronis back-up, there must be a way this PC can be like it was before

You should run the TI cleanup utility (my signature link #4 below) before installiing 2015.
Or, if already installed, I would run the cleanup and do a fresh install of 2015.
Read the instructions specified within the KB clean up text.

I did my first test, but it was a big failure. The new acronis did'nt deal with any partitions. My back-up has 5 partitions, but the current HD has only 4, so acronis offers me to restore 4/5. I tried this in the past, and it was a disaster. And I thought the 2015 version would also deal with the "boot type" of windows 8. I have 2 kind of boot in the setup: one that boot windows 8 and one that will not. the other boot worked only winth windows 7. So I guess it's all on the recovery CD again, because the restart does not work.

Honestly, I dont know what to do anymore. I will try to restore my PC to new with my USB. Then upgrade to 8.1 like it was before. With some luck, the HDD will get the right partitions back. Then I should be able to restore my back up again to the way it was before.

But for the idea of installing a clean 8.1, my idea was to setup it slowly, then travel back by back ups to my original back up...then, go back to clean version and setup it again...think i'll forget this unless i use another HDD

Since the partitions and boot problems are so hard to deal with, it seems to me like here is no way out,

I'm a bit disapointed that windows 8 has become such trouble to deal with with acronis.

Please, if you have any simple solution, let me know!

Thanks!