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Best way to image/clone your hard drive?

AznAnarchy99

AznAnarchy99

Lifer
So Im going through OCZ for an RMA because of their bullshit with their 25nm drives and they are taking it back free of charge for another one. We'll see if its any improvement but as of right now, I dont want to go out and redo everything that is on my drive. So whats the best way to image my drive so I wouldnt have to do a fresh install?

Also is there any complications through doing this?
 
What OS are you running?
Win 7 has the ability to create disk images - built in.
You can also download the Acronis Trial as well.
 
Got Win7? Got the bootable Win7 DVD? Use the built in backup image tool. Your new SSD should be larger than your current one. The built-in backup has some issues with restoring to a smaller drive.

I'm surprised OCZ is making you send it in before they give you a new one. Most HDD manufacturers offer you that choice after giving them a credit card collateral. If OCZ wants to succeed in the data storage business they should start treating you as the big boys do.

Unless they really are taking your SSD and adding the chips, however in my opinion with all this stink going around, they should just give you guys the SSD you paid for instead of hacking jewels onto the crap that they gave you.
 
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I've found the LapLink application to be the best and most flexible. Enables you to transfer your apps and licenses over from XP to Win7 without a massive heartache, and also does disk images. In some cases a disk image isn't the best, particularly if you want to change OSes but want to keep your apps. I have a complete Adobe CS3 suite that I was able to xfer over painlessly along with Adobe Design Premium CS5. I've found Acronis to be unreliable on most of my machines, particularly on laptops.
 
When used properly, Acronis TrueImage 11 or later is very reliable on laptops with Windows 7. I use it weekly on two Thinkpads. For good cloning, use the bootable res ue media, and on a laptop, have it on a thumb drive. I keep an external drive clone for each. The procedure is simple:

1. Connect the external drive and power on. I use eSATA.
2. Insert bootable thumb drive w/cloneware.
3. Power on, boot laptop to cloneware.
4. Select source drive (main drive in laptop)
5. Select target drive - the external.
6. Select mode (as is, proportional, or custom.)
7. Proceed - use power down when done option.

Takes about 10 minutes. Come back and remove laptop main drive. Replace it with the new drive. Put the old drive away - it is now the reserve drive.

Repeat the above process, except source will be the external and target will be the laptop main drive.

When that is done, disconnect the external drive and power on the laptop. It boots to the newly cloned drive.

Been doing this for several years - never a problem.
 
razel said:
Got Win7? Got the bootable Win7 DVD? Use the built in backup image tool. Your new SSD should be larger than your current one. The built-in backup has some issues with restoring to a smaller drive.

I'm surprised OCZ is making you send it in before they give you a new one. Most HDD manufacturers offer you that choice after giving them a credit card collateral. If OCZ wants to succeed in the data storage business they should start treating you as the big boys do.

Unless they really are taking your SSD and adding the chips, however in my opinion with all this stink going around, they should just give you guys the SSD you paid for instead of hacking jewels onto the crap that they gave you.
Click to expand...

I tried pushing them to either cross ship or send me a new one first. They wouldnt budge saying that they had to "verify" that it was a 25nm drive. Bullshit. If the lower capacity, slower speed, and their own ocz tool saying that it is a 25nm isnt enough for them.
 
It would have been easiest to clone if they send ya a new SSD. You could clone directly instead of making an image then restoring. Oh well, at least you'll now have an image backup. Best of luck.
 
I use a free utility disk called Redo Backup and Recovery: http://redobackup.org/download.php

Create a bootable iso and reboot your computer with it in. Boot into this utility and choose "Backup". If you have a USB drive or HDD dock you can image the drive from this Linux-based utility.

I anticipate buying a larger SSD (using a 40GB now) when the prices drop and moving the image over to the new SSD.
 
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In my experience (I have no idea why this continued to happen) on both my XP desktop and two XP-based laptops, both TrueImage 11 and Seagate Discwizard (which is an OEM version of Trueimage) failed repeatedly. They would simply claim the task was completed without actually imaging any data. Tech support was useless. I'm now very skeptical of both.
 
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