Cloned drive does not boot
Anyway, here is my dilemma!
I bought a used, but clean 160 GB Western Digital drive and tried to install it in my laptop and never could get Acronis to find the drive, or even have the laptop find it for that matter. Western Digital could not figure out what was wrong with it so they sent me a brand new 320 GB drive, IDE. That is identical to the one in the laptop. The laptop is the HP Special Edition L2000 series. It only has one drive bay.
I was using both Acronis 10 and 11 trying to get the new 320GB drive to work and have had zero success. Since both drives are identical, I tried to clone the new drive. Acronis reported the operation was successful, but when I installed it into the laptop, it would not even boot. I tried to install Windows 8 from a DVD and it could not find the drive, even after it had been cloned. I tried Windows XP Pro install and it too could not find the drive.
The only way Acronis can find the drive is by way of using a USB adapter. That is how I cloned the drive, by way of the USB adapter.
When I first hooked up the new drive via the USB adapter, Windows 8 could not see it, so I went into Disk Manager and initialized the drive. I also formatted it, but Windows 8 only gives one option for formatting and that is the "quick" option, formatting it as a simple drive, whatever that is. I also assigned a drive letter to it, which was E. That was when I tried cloning it. As mentioned, Acronis reported the procedure was a success, but when the drive was then installed into the laptop bay, it would not boot and was not recognized by the laptop.
There are no features in the BIOS that show the drive- none at all. So trying to do something using that route is futile.
If the drive is hooked back up to the USB adapter after the cloning procedure, then the drive is recognized and the files can be seen on the drive. There is something that is not transferred correctly during the cloning. Otherwise the drive would boot. Is the fact that I have to use a USB adapter at fault? Since there is only one bay in the laptop, there is no other way to hook it up.
Should I have NOT used a drive letter when I formatted it???? I have no idea what to do next.
Please help. I am trying to get this drive set up for an older lady, a widow.
Thank you,
Ron K.
I would prefer you do a backup and restore
Agreed. That is much safer and more flexible than cloning. There's almost never a need to clone. Backup and restore is a better procedure.
Okay folks, The target drive has Windows 8 on it but doesn't boot, but all files can be seen via the USB adapter. I do have a backup image that I did of the original drive but have not been able to restore it to my target drive so it would boot.
If I try to restore, I have 2 options which you guys know; one is to restore the C drive from the source or to restore the MBR and track zero. The C drive has 2 flags, active and primary. I do not know which to choose. Does the C option restore the MBR and track zero also?
I cannot do the restore with the target drive in the laptop bay because the laptop will not boot even though the BIOS is set to go to the CD/DVD drive first. The screen is black with a flashing message "no operating system installed". Goody.
My backup image is on another USB drive. The target drive can only be accessed via the USB adapter.
Can I restore the image to the target drive via the USB adapter and get it to boot correctly? Also, the original image is from a smaller drive. I want to restore it to a larger drive.
So, everything evidently has to be done using the USB adapter and the other USB drive with the original backup image on it.
Should I patition the drive first and delete the windows 8 partition? Where to from here?
Thanks again.
Ron
Any answers on this? Have tried to restore the image, but it wouldn't boot.
If I try to restore, I have 2 options which you guys know; one is to restore the C drive from the source or to restore the MBR and track zero. The C drive has 2 flags, active and primary. I do not know which to choose. Does the C option restore the MBR and track zero also?
Which option?
Thanks,
Ron
Ron,
A repeat of my post #1 request: "Confirm whether using version 10 ane 11 or versons 2010 and version 2011. These are years apart. b Your issue could be Window 8 as only version 2013 supports Windows 8. "
Which version of True Image created the backup? Does this computer contain more than one operating system?
Many installations of Windows 7 and 8 have more partitions than just Drive C and if these extra partitions were not included (or available) within the backup and restore, you could have difficulty getting your system to boot.
Have you tried the "Startup Repair" option when booted fromt the user created Windows Recovery CD? The repair option may need to be repeated several times as it usually only makes one repair per run. This recovery CD can be created on another similar system, if not originally created.
Certainly, you can try the restore by restoring both C and the track0 both together. You an combine both if there is a boot problem. Look carefully at the restore screens and if you have a "Recover disk signature" option, check this option. Unfortunately, this will only appear as an option if the backup was all inclusive at time of backup creatiion.
I do not have nor used Windows 8 so cannot assist you any further. My signature link #3 below includes an item 3 which illustrates how to restore Drive C only--should that illustration be needed.
One option might be to restore your system to factory fresh and then restore C only to get back to current.
Grover- Sorry I missed your question. I'm using Version 11 Home Edition. I did the backup with that. There is only one OS on either drive.
I do see an extra partition on the drive, but it's only 10MB and is unallocated.
I did try the "Startup Repair", but the drive could not be found for it to repair.
There is no option to restore both C and the MBR and track zerio together. It is an either/or proposition. I only have the option to restore the D drive by itself or the MBR and track zero by itself. There definitely is a boot problem because all the files can be seen via the USB adapter, but the drive will not boot when placed in the bay.
The backup was supposed to all inclusive as far as any options that were available at the time I made the image, but there is no "recover disk signature" option.
I'll check your #3 link and see what's there.
Thanks and keep thinking. :-)
Ron
This is an example of what a typical Windows installation "might" look like during a backup or restore. Note the extra partitiion. To get them all included within the backup, it would have required the disk to be checked or all partitions listed to be checked.
These partitions can be seen via the Windows Disk Management graphical view. Not all these would appear in the normal Windows Explorer screen.
Backup Restore Backing up using the TI CD
http://forum.acronis.com/sites/default/files/forum/2009/12/7027/Disk-op…
Disk restore using TI CD
http://forum.acronis.com/sites/default/files/forum/2009/12/7027/disk-op…
Some additional reference material migt be of interest.
Click on my signature link #1 below and locate items 3-XX; 3-YY; 3-ZZ; 3-D
All of which relate to version 11. These include instructions on restoring a backup.
When you simulate a restore, and look at the listing for Drive C, does part of the describption include "ACT" ?
Grover, bless your heart. I'll take a look at these tomorrow when I get a chance. Thank you so much.
Ron
I am back, and still with no good report. I found that I had not clicked the box in the top of the restore menu for Disk 1. When I did that, it automatically checked both drive C and the MBR and track zero option. So I tried the restore that way with both options checked. Then I put the drive back in the bay and still get the same thing; a black screen with flashing marks which finally show "no operating system found". Whenever I have that situation it is impossible to boot from the CD/DVD drive. It goes almost immediately to the "no operating system found" screen and cannot even find the DVD drive.
Is there any way to use TI to start from scratch, format it so Windows XP can be used to set it up? With the drive the way it is now, I can't boot from either XP or 8's setup disk. The laptop simply cannot find the drive and won't let anything else boot from the DVD drive. That just amazes me!
I have a drive exactly like it that is running Wndows 8, but cannot get this drive to even be recognized. I don't care about the contents of the original image at all. All I want is to be able to load some kind of OS on it which could be overwritten later with Windows 8 or even 7.
You mentioned in one post that TI 11 was not compatible with 8. I have no idea why. Since I have one drive already running with 8, would it be feasible to update TI and make an image with that? Then try the Restore onto this new drive that way? I am really skittish about spending money I don't have for something that may not work anyway.
I've done a slew of machines and installed all kinds of drives, but never had this kind of situation. I hope you, Mr. Wizard, and help me dig out of this pit.
Thank you.
Ron K.
Ron,
I have not digest all you wrote but have you intcepted the boot process by going into the bios and you forcing or making sure that the correct disk is being chosen for the bootulp? After installing a new disk, it is not unusual for the user to need to force the bios to choose a specific or the correct disk.
My guides and the Acronis literature suggests that the target disk be installed into the computer and then have the restore (or clone) applied from a source disk which is mounted elsewhere.
When you did the restore and checked the disk, the next screen was most likely where you selecte the target to receive the restore. Did that same screen also include an option to "Recover Disk Signature"? If this option is to appear, This option would only appear when both all boxes checked. You can simulate the restore again, if desired, to see if you have such an option.
This is really a complicated mess, isn't it? You have to go back to post #3, the 3rd paragraph, to see the big problem I have. When the target drive is installed in the bay I cannot access the DVD drive, even though the BIOS is set to access it first. There is nothing in the BIOS that even indicates a drive is present, even if it is the drive that works. The only option in the BIOS that has anything to do with the hard drive is an option to test it. When that is used, it says there is no hard drive installed. That leaves me with only the choice of restoring from the USB external drive where the image is, to the target drive connected with a USB adapter. I have done that, and checked disk 1, which includes both the C drive and the MBR and track zero, but when the restore was finished and the target reinstalled back into the laptop bay, it would not boot.
Any chance you have the original disk from which you made the backup?
If yes, is it possible for you to hook it up on the usb adpater and then attach the adapter to another computer.? If yes, then look at the disk when using the Windows Disk Management graphical view and see if the Disk Management indicates any partitions other than C.
What OS is the backup attempting to restore?
Ron, I don't seem to be helping you to make any progress. It is a possibility that the DVD is problematic. You might want to check if there is a bios update for your model.
On each attempt to boot, are you manually going into the bios and selecting the boot device rather than allowing the boot to find it automatically
Grover, I'll answer this tomorrow after church. Thanks for your continued efforts. See you tomorrow.
Ron