just purchased Acronis TI 2011 Home Edition and need help

Before you attempt to clone, click on my tan color signature link below on cloning and absorb its contents.

The size problem you mention is not a permanent problem. It can be overcome later after you have a bootable new disk.

Boot from the TI Rescue CD and perform your procedures when booted via the TI Rescue CD.

After you have created a new bootable disk, open Windows Disk management and look at its picture to determine the size of the new disk. You will either have the same size plus unallocated space or a new disk the same size as the old. Once you know the results, you an then post and we can respond accordingly. It would also help to past a picture of the new disk as shown in disk management.

I would suggest that if you are going to clone, that you use the manual procedures and use the manual "as is" method. Hopefully, this will produce a bootable replacement and the extra space being in an unallocated form--which can be corrected later.

TrueImage enables you to practice or simulate your procedure all the way until you must make a choice to either Proceed or Cancel. Click Cancel if you are not sure of your settings or is just practice.

After cloning. Shutdown. Reboot with only the new disk attached.

You may have an interest in this link
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/20586#comment-62734

Should you not succeed all is not lost. We can try other procedures.

I did what you're trying to do on a Dell Inspiron 6400 (Canadian version of e1505) with a slightly older version of IT (Version 10, not 2010) but I captured a full disc image and then restored the image to the new hdd rather than doing a clone. This procedure rids your computer of Media Direct. If you want that functionality don't follow this method. If like me, you don't want it then carry on. I always preferred watching movies, etc. from within Windows.

I restored all 3 partitions using resizing but did not restore the MBR. You don't want the Dell MBR because it points to the hidden partition (not one of the 3 you restore) which will no longer be present on your new larger drive. My system wouldn't boot after the restore since TI didn't write a proper MBR. Not sure why. I booted from the XP disc and ran FIXMBR from the recovery console and then the system booted fine. I suspect a newer version of TI will properly write an MBR but if not this one additional step should take care of things.

You could also try just restoring the c: partition and not bother with the recovery or diagnostic partitions. The only issue this might create is that the C: partition will not be in the first partition whereas it was (likely) originally in the 2nd partition. Since those 2 partitions were small I just brought them along to reduce the number of changes.

One interesting thing I found was that after system booted up it reported that a Soundblaster file was missing. Uninstalling and reinstalling the software for Sound blaster eliminated that problem. It appears that one of the files was either in the hidden partition or one of the other 2 and the link got broken. Weird.

Anyway, one users experience and another option to the clone method.

Good Luck!

Grover,
before I can do what you suggest, let me tell you of another problem.
I installed the Acronis TI Home 2011 on my Dell Inspiron e1705 with the 100GB memory. when I click on the ATI Home 2011 icon on my desktop I get an error message:
Error
---------------------------------------------------------------
Cannot connect to 'localhost'.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Details
Code: 5,242,881(0x500001)
Module: C:\Program Files\Acronis\DiskDirector\mmsBundle.dll
Message: An invalid index has been specified.

---------------------------------------------------------------
I've read that others have had this same problem.
I am not a computer geek. If it isn't user friendly right out of the box, It isn't right for me. so with this error problem, I can't open the software to see how to make the TI Rescue CD. I need some help fast.

Also, I bought the PC Backup & Recovery at Best Buy. It says its "PC Service SKU Only" what is that?

There is some confusion here. Your error message relates to Acronis Disk Director. Is Disk Director a trial install or did you buy it? You have not mentioned that part before. Which version of Disk Director is involved?

AS for the best buy purchase. It has a serial number and if you have not done so, you should register your purchase with Acronis. Once registered, you then have access to your download page where you can download the most current version of TrueImage Home 2011 which is build 6696. To see which build you have installed, open the software and check the help/about section in upper right corner of the software.

I bought it. Then I manually registered my serial number on the acronis website. Then I put in the CD from the software I bought. It asked me for the product key/serial number and wouldn't accept it. I couldn't go any further unless I agreed to selecting the trial version. Then I installed the program with the resulting error I listed above. The whole thing with Acronis TI 2011 not working is I may return the product unless I get adequet support. I don't know what Disk Director is. I used the CD for Acronis Ture Image Hoje 2011 PC Backup & Recovery so how did the Disk director show up? I know about build 6696 and thought the purchased CD was downloading it!

I'm uninstalling the Disk Director now and going to the website to download the 6696 hopefully it will do that without using the CD I got from Best buy.

At this point, I would suggest you initiate a support ticket requesting assistance from Acronis. Along the left margin is a link and info about requesting official support.

Hello all,

Thank you for posting. Grover, thank you for your help.

sunnydays, let me provide you with additional assistance please.

The 'invalid index' error is related to Acronis Disk Director 11, you can check this article for the solution.

I believe the issue with ATIH 2011 can be resolved through a chat and a remote desktop session. I would recommend the following KB article which shows how to contact our Support team.

I apologize for any inconvenience and if you have additional questions please let us know.

Thank you.

Thanks everyone. I uninstalled the Disk Drive which I did not intend to install and can't understand how it happened, but then I downloaded ATI Home 2011 from the website (didn't use the copy I got at Best Buy) and copy and pasted the serial number into the software when it asked for it. This time it worked. When I get the right instructions I will be taking out the original hard drive in my laptop because it is going bad and putting in a new one but the original hard drive is full with no room to do a backup first before I clone. Are there other options to do a backup on the new hard drive first and then clone If so, how do I do that? Your site isn't easy to navigate to get the answers in the community. It would help if you had a questionnaire to fill out and then the user would be led to the exact directions that pertains to their needs. AS it is I've had to read hours of stuff just to find what to do to a laptop....i.e. take out the original hard drive first and put the new one in the laptop after I've made the bootabe media. etc.

So in my case without space on my old hard drive to do a backup what if any are my options before I clone?

You desperately need a backup of your system before attempting any cloning operation. Look at my signature below and click on the gold colored link on cloning. If you attempt a clone and your hard drive becomes non-usable, what are your plans for recovery?

As part of your normal computing, backups are needed and one good place to store them in on an external storage disk.

I would suggest you obtain a external disk and create a disk option backup (all partitions) and store the backup onto the external disk.

After you have a backup, you can then restore the backup onto the new disk without the risk of cloning.

Click on my signature link below on the highlighted yellow item and locate item #3A. While it is not specific to your 2011 version, it will take you through all the steps to backup and restore a backup of your old disk to a new larger disk.

Your old disk has Media Direct installed and that could complicate the results of the restore but you won't know until you try.

Anton Deev, Acronis Moderator,

HELP!!!!!!!

I printed off over 60 SIXTY pages that Grover told me to read so I can successfully use the Acronis True Image Home 2011 EASY TO USE, SIMPLE...FOR THE NOVICE...

I cannot follow all of that. I AM A NOVICE. I BOUGHT THE PRODUCT DUE TO IT'S ADVERTISING...EASY TO USE.

I HAVE A LAPTOP
I HAVE DELL INSPIRON E1705 AND DO NOT WANT TO KEEP THE MEDIA DIRECT PARTITION.
I CANNOT READ 60 PAGES OF NOTES FOR SOMETHING THAT IS EASY TO USE.

I CHATTED WITH SOMEONE ON YOUR CHAT ALTHOUGH HE NEVER CHATTED WITH ME.

my harddrive is almost crashing. i have no more time to waste. if you cannot contact me directly and help me through this Acronis company has failed their job and has falsely advertised their product.

sunnydays,
Performing as simple backup or a simple recovery is not difficult. But what you are wanting to so (omit the media direct partition) is something even a skilled technician would have difficulty or time consuming.

Sometimes, it is better to let a professional do what you want done and any delay can make your recovery more difficult--if not impossible. Acronis has a 30 day moneyback guarantee should you want a refund or want to use the refund to have someone teach you how to use the product.

No backup product is really easy to use and all of them have a distinct learning curve. It is not something you can learn by a once through the user guide.

Good luck.

Hello sunnydays and Grover,

Thank you for the follow-up and your continued assistance Grover.

sunnydays, I could not find any chats registered in our system, could you tell me if you used a different e-mail address to contact us?

Just in case, you can always refer to this detailed guide for contacting our Support team via chat and I am very sure that if you do a remote desktop session with one of our support representatives he will be able to assist you with this issue.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

Thank you.