Migrating (almost) all of the system to another HD

[flexy]

I am slowly getting desperate.

I want to do something really simple:

Migrate my Vista OS 1:1 to another HD.

Paragon and Acronis only provide the option to image whole partitions and i cannot exclude a certain folder.

But on my system drive is ONE folder i dont want to image. (This folder is my main data folder and contains GB of apps/games). I only want to "clone" the selected system folders (without that *one* folder).

So...i got Norton Ghost 14 which supposedly can do this, to migrate a system based on folders to another HD.

Only Ghost 14 cant even read my disk - it doesnt work AT ALL.

What other programs are there allowing me to migrate C: to another HD WITHOUT going thru a whole partition IMAGE - allowing me to select what to copy (with the OS intact of course after copying to anotehr physical drive) ???

G.


Edit: Imaging is not desired since the whole image would be way bigger than target HD !

add: truly amazing that a whole selection suites, incl. acronis DD10, "easy migrate", Tur Image, Paragon Disk Manager Suite AND Ghost 14 cant do this. I probably could do this from the commandline using robocopy if all fails. Garbage, especially Norton which cannot even read a disk under Vista X64.

 

[NoelS]

flexy,

Why not just clone the drive anyway you want then remove the folder you don't want. Seems to me you're just making it difficult for yourself... Just use the hard drive disc to do the cloning. It'll take you maybe 15-20 minutes, then 5 minutes to remove that folder you don't want.

Or do I misunderstand something?

Noel

 

[flexy]

Noels, if i get a raptor with only 75GB which i want to use as an OS drive- the whole partition is already 250+GB big with the OS part (which i want to clone) only 30-40 GB. So i have to exclude this folder and cannot just clone the whole partition. None of the program gives me the option to exclude the folder.

Normal backup programs (like commodo backup) look good, it would also have an option to exclude folders. But i cant access the system files for copy since they're all in use. I can try using this from a bootable CD and get data over that way somehow.

 

[revolutn]

Mmmmmmm you have a tricky one here.

I would really have to think about this a bit...but here's what I'm thinking.......

Technically the program was WAY pre-vista......BUT....it worked on NTFS ..... so..... hmmm let's see.

I think if I were in your shoes ( I can't guarantee this would work but....) I would TRY...

Find the last independent version of Partition Magic by PowerQuest (before they were absorbed by Symantec and sucked it all up) and resize your current drive. create 2 partitions. move all the programs you want with the program mover help app and get the primary C:\ partition down to a realm that you can image.

Even as I type this I'm starting to really doubt it will work because of the app mover probable wouldn't run in Vista.....but... maybe there's a comparable vista compatible product out there that you can find and use the general idea to achieve the end.

 

[Blazer]

with acronis it can be done, create the bootable CD then create a backup [ "backup" not "image" ] of your os to another hd if possible, if not then to another partition, boot the Cd and choose restore, browse to the backup and select it to restore, then choose the partition to restore to, done!!!

 

[flexy]

thanks. yeah, figured there might be a way with acronis/backup. Revo, good idea too.

 

[drebo]

With Acronis, what you can do is create the full partition image and then mount that image as a virtual drive and remove specific folders.

Alternatively, you can clone only the MBR and then copy all other files over manually.

Acronis should be able to do either without issue.

 

[RebateMonger]

You could also copy off the game folders to another drive, image the drive, use the imaging program's ability to do a restore to a SMALLER partition than you started with (some of the imaging programs can do that, ShadowProtect, for example). After you are done, copy the gaming folder back to the original partition.

 

[Billb2]

It's not that easy. That's what Revolutn was talking about... "doubt it will work because of the app mover probable wouldn't run in Vista....."
Just like you can't copy game folders and have the games work (few would be buying games if that worked), you can't move an OS.
The "new" OS won't "see" the games/programs on the "old" drive. and the "new" OS will be clogged up with references to games/programs that don't exist for it.
You'd have to reinstall all the games and programs.

And what would happen to registry entries/shortcuts/START>Programs? What would happen to MBR/boot sector/boot loader? What about drive leters?

Basicallt you want to "copy" an OS..you can't do that.

Why not install a new copy of Vista on the raptor and then reinstall the programs and games as you need them. Install to the same drive/folder as the originals to avoid double folders with the same games/programs in them. And you get a clean, fresh Vista install.

 

[NoelS]

flexy,

I like RebateMonger's approach. If you can just either copy or image that unwanted folder to another HDD as a temporary measure, then your 250GB partition would end up with only your OS plus other things not in that unwanted folder. Now clone that balance to your new Raptor without any trouble. Then put that big folder back on your 250GB partition if you want to keep it there...

I'm assuming you want to keep that folder you don't want to clone. Otherwise you could just delete it first, then clone the rest to the Raptor...

Noel