SSD Backup

[dryfly]

I am doing clean install of Win 7 to a new SSD. I am only using it for OS so will only create one partition using Diskpart. I will Use Acronis TI Home 2010 to make image on an HDD (which will be used as the data drive).

In case of a future problem with the SSD I want to be able to remove it from the system and make the first partition of the HDD the active primary, to which I will restore drive C: and then boot from.

Can I go ahead and partition the HDD making the first partition a "primary" but not active, telling the BIOS to boot from the SSD? If an issue pops up and I make the switch to the SSD as a boot drive what's the easiest way to make it's primary partition "active".

 

[Elixer]

This is basically what I do, you can make them both primary & active, and just pick the boot device from the BIOS.
Then when something fails, you just change boot device (or it will just boot from the next active device, since the first one died or was pulled...)
If you clone the SSD onto the HD, then make sure it is aligned on the HD, so when you clone it back to the RMAed SSD it will be easy. Unsure if Acronis 2010 will align or not, so this is just assuming it don't. You align it on the HD by making a 1MB partition, at the beginning, and then make another primary, active, partition the same size as the SSD.

 

[dryfly]

This is basically what I do, you can make them both primary & active, and just pick the boot device from the BIOS.
Then when something fails, you just change boot device (or it will just boot from the next active device, since the first one died or was pulled...)
If you clone the SSD onto the HD, then make sure it is aligned on the HD, so when you clone it back to the RMAed SSD it will be easy. Unsure if Acronis 2010 will align or not, so this is just assuming it don't. You align it on the HD by making a 1MB partition, at the beginning, and then make another primary, active, partition the same size as the SSD.

Interesting and glad to know it works. I've imaged but never cloned. What software do you use?

I will check over on the Acronis forum but I'm thinking it takes VER. 2012 for auto alignment.

So you are saying just an empty 1 MB partition before the OS partition on the HDD will solve the problem? I thought you could only have 1 primary partition per HDD and it had to be the first one.

 

[Elixer]

Interesting and glad to know it works. I've imaged but never cloned. What software do you use?

I will check over on the Acronis forum but I'm thinking it takes VER. 2012 for auto alignment.

So you are saying just an empty 1 MB partition before the OS partition on the HDD will solve the problem? I thought you could only have 1 primary partition per HDD and it had to be the first one.

You can have 4 primary partitions per a HD, and then the extended one, and then you can have as many as you want, but you run out of drive letters in windows...if you go more than 26
I use Clonezilla, but that isn't as user friendly as Acronis.

When you create the 1 MB partition, and the normal aligned one (which is same size as your SSD), you can then delete the 1MB partition if it bugs you. It will just turn into 'unallocated space' instead of showing a partition. Just don't merge it with the aligned partition.

 

[dryfly]

Thanks for the info I'll try it. Appears that a good way to check for proper alignment is the program AS SSD. I'll try a clone to the HDD and then remove the SSD and see if it boots.