cloning...

[Brado78]

Is it easy to clone the recovery partition to another hard drive? or is there a trick to it?

Thanks Gang

 

[UsandThem]

It depends on the software. For example, I generally use Samsung Data Migration and it makes an exact copy of everything unless you change the settings. I used it on two Dell laptops when I replaced their hard drives with SSDs. Of course it only works with Samsung drives.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I've used Macrium Reflect quite a bit, and no issues cloning any partitions.

 

[Jakieyoyo D]

I am using easeus to backup and do clon jobs, it works. worth to try.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I am using easeus to backup and do clon jobs, it works. worth to try.

I was still using Acronis Disk Director 11 update-2 for my Z68 and Z77 systems in the house. I got True-Image 2014 for my WHS-server (3-PC version, no less). I was in such a snit of panic to resolve my MBR-to-GPT conversion problem that I simply went out on the web to look for such a program, but I think TI 2014 also will make that conversion. But which would be more current with Z170 and the Intel controller?

Disk Director won't run on Win 7 with Z170. Or maybe I should try it again now that Secure Boot is disabled.

EaseUS is only likely to be a Chinese or (S) Korean outfit. They are very earnest about customer support, and I've had very beneficial e-mail exchanges. E-mails are well-written and friendly.

The low-level boot-time interface that raises itself after you "apply pending operations and reboot" is clear enough. They need to polish up the wording there. Seems like it had been more hurried in its creation and exhibits Asian-English mistakes.

But like Romex's (Shanghai) Primo-Cache, very reliable and top-notch software. Acronis just has a lot more polish and therefore just seems more robust.

I haven't tried Macrium Reflect, and probably should download a free version just to compare.

My rule that you don't need to follow: Always choose built-in OS features for things like backup over additional third-party software. Some of the latter is pretty darn good. It's just the "simplification principle" in my thinking about it.

I also require Folder and File unencrypted backup, like copying (XCOPY, you could remember from DOS) or mirroring. I finally broke down and purchased a license for SyncBackFree for my server system (but you can use it on more than one system for that license).

MS's RichCopy 4.0 simply stopped working for some reason -- maybe because of file-path length. Win server OS is up to date and working properly. Never could figure out the problem, but forget RichCopy.

 

[corkyg]

Consider upgrading DD to 12 and TI to 2017. They do all of the above.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Consider upgrading DD to 12 and TI to 2017. They do all of the above.

That's really not such a difficult thing to do. I must have senior brain-atrophy, because I didn't even think to look.

Generally, I just ran for the first promising SW package I could find for "convert MBR boot drive to GPT" in a web-search. To get that feature, you gotta pay!

They're all good programs, Acronis being among the most highly polished for a robust appearance.