Re: Question about backups with Ghost


"Rod Speed" wrote:
Timothy Daniels wrote
Any utility that will clone a drive will also copy the MBR - either
automatically or as a user-indicated option.

Thats wrong too, xxcopy doesnt.

So use xxClone: http://www.xxclone.com/iwhatis.htm


What is "not necessarily"? -
3) any utility worth its salt will [can] copy the MBR.

That one. Particularly with those which can clone
just a partition, not the entire physical drive.



"Timothy Daniels" <TDaniels@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ZqCdnWUyI8T3sYLZnZ2dnUVZ_uWdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Name a cloning utility that cannot copy the MBR.
Ghost (and its predecessor, Drive Image) can clone
a single partition and it gives the user the option of
copying the MBR. Casper XP can also clone a single
partition and it copies the MBR automatically. xxClone
can also copy a single partition and it also copies the
MBR. True Image cannot clone a single partition directly,
so what it does about the MBR is irrelevant.

*TimDaniels*


Tim:
Let me cite some of my experiences using disk imaging programs to directly
clone the contents of one HD to another HD and how, for the most significant
part, they parallel your experiences with one or two exceptions. And, of
course, we're speaking about PATA drives here...

1. As I think you know from our past exchanges, I primarily use the Ghost
2003 disk imaging program to perform direct disk-to-disk cloning operations
although I have used other DI programs as well, chiefly the Acronis True
Image version 8 program. So my comments pretty much refer to the use of
those programs in this area.

2. I most certainly agree with you that it is important, if not crucial, for
the user to disconnect the source disk immediately following the cloning
operation and make that initial boot with only the newly-cloned HD
connected. Future boot problems with that cloned drive may (but not
*always*) occur if the preceding is not adhered to. At least that has been
our experience with the Ghost & ATI programs, and from reports that I've
received from those who have used other DI programs, the same potential
problem can occur. (BTW, we have run into the same problem with SATA
drives). Incidentally, this potential problem can occur even if the BIOS
boot order priority was changed to make that initial boot from the cloned HD
while both the source & destination drives were connected at the time of the
initial boot to the cloned HD. The important thing is to disconnect the
source disk before the initial boot to the newly-cloned HD.

3. However, we have never encountered a subsequent boot problem with the
cloned HD if it later was connected as a secondary drive. At least I can't
recall a single problem in this area. Again, as long as the *initial* boot
with that cloned HD had been undertaken with the source drive disconnected
as indicated above, it didn't matter that the cloned drive was, at one time
or another, later used as a secondary drive. We've always been able to boot
to that cloned drive at some subsequent time either with the source HD
disconnected or a change in the BIOS boot order should both drives be
connected at the time of that boot.

In this connection - we're assuming two bootable HDs in the machine - our
experience with modern motherboards - let's say about the past five years -
has been (with rare exceptions) that regardless of the IDE channel (or its
position on that channel) that a bootable HD is connected to, the system
will boot to that drive if it's the only bootable HD currently present in
the system. (A BIOS item change is sometimes necessary to facilitate this
action). I'm not sure if your experience has been different from mine in
this area.
Anna


.

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