Cloning Laptop Drive

ronbo 613 · 12-12-2006, 12:49 AM

Kind of at my wit's end here, but I'll throw it out anyway.
I'm trying to clone the 40G hard drive on my Thinkpad T30 to a 3.5" 40G PATA drive in a USB enclosure using Acronis True Image 9. Laptop sees the USB drive, cloning looks good, but the cloned drive will not boot the computer even when the original drive is removed.
Thinkpads have a hidden recovery partition, but Acronis is supposed to clone this, no problem. I've read many opinions on this, including the Thinkpad posts here, result being total confusion. I don't want to do a fresh install, I want to clone the drive I have. Windows is not recognizing the USB drive because it is not labeled "C" drive, disc geometry is not correct, I don't know, I'm totally lost.
This Thinkpad T30 is my first laptop, so I don't know every exact detail about them, but I get the feeling I'm really missing something here.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated and prevent any further excess drinking.

*Bofinn* · 12-12-2006, 09:13 AM

I'm confused. What is the end goal you are trying to achieve?

rjs735 · 12-12-2006, 10:43 AM

The TP recovery partition is in a non DOS partition. So you are looking for a bit for bit clone of the HD. Which would include the recovery partition. Acronis should be able to do it for you. You may have to tell him to do both partitions. An image copy should also be able to do it.

*Bofinn* · 12-12-2006, 10:45 AM

But why are you trying to boot up from the other drive?

ronbo 613 · 12-12-2006, 11:51 AM

What I'm trying to do is store a clone or image on the external drive for backup. If I need to change the hard drive or have a problem, I'll have a backup to get the computer up and running again. I tried to boot from the external drive to make sure the clone would work before I needed to use it for real.
Since the drive in the USB enclosure does not boot the computer, I'm not sure if cloned image on it is good or if the USB drive is not able to boot the computer. Before I buy a new 2.5" laptop drive, I wanted to clone the old 2.5" drive to the 3.5" drive in the USB enclosure, then install the new 2.5" drive and clone that drive from the USB drive.
I'm still trying to figure out a way using the Acronis Rescue Disc, I'm just a little sketched with the mixed results with Thinkpad laptop drives. A little different story than schlapping a hard drive in a PC.
I have cloned boot drives for all my computers sitting in a file drawer in case I have problems. Using them for work, I don't have time to fool around reloading and reconfiguring software. The laptop has a full MS Office suite on it that I would lose if I used the IBM Restore Discs to reinstall XP Pro, so I'd like to get the clone thing going.

*Bofinn* · 12-12-2006, 01:52 PM

What I would do is create an image of the entire 2.5" drive to the 3.5". Then use the Acronis boot CD to boot from, and see if you can "verify" the image on the usb drive. If that works then slap in the new laptop drive and restore the image - which should contain all the partitions.

ronbo 613 · 12-12-2006, 02:07 PM

Thanks, that sounds like a good plan. I'll give it a shot.

ronbo 613 · 12-28-2006, 11:13 PM

I wound up getting a Travelstar 80G, 7200rpm hard drive. Cloned the original 5400rpm drive to a 3.5" drive in a USB enclosure. Installed the new drive and cloned it from the drive in the enclosure.
Now I have a new hard drive in the T30 and will use the original 5400rpm drive as a backup in case of problems.

12-12-2006, 12:49 AM	#1
ronbo 613 Computer User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,642	Cloning Laptop Drive Kind of at my wit's end here, but I'll throw it out anyway. I'm trying to clone the 40G hard drive on my Thinkpad T30 to a 3.5" 40G PATA drive in a USB enclosure using Acronis True Image 9. Laptop sees the USB drive, cloning looks good, but the cloned drive will not boot the computer even when the original drive is removed. Thinkpads have a hidden recovery partition, but Acronis is supposed to clone this, no problem. I've read many opinions on this, including the Thinkpad posts here, result being total confusion. I don't want to do a fresh install, I want to clone the drive I have. Windows is not recognizing the USB drive because it is not labeled "C" drive, disc geometry is not correct, I don't know, I'm totally lost. This Thinkpad T30 is my first laptop, so I don't know every exact detail about them, but I get the feeling I'm really missing something here. Any advice will be greatly appreciated and prevent any further excess drinking.
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12-12-2006, 09:13 AM	#2
Bofinn I'm gettin' dizzy! Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 11,035	I'm confused. What is the end goal you are trying to achieve? __________________ ---------- JimBo ----------- When in doubt, smack it!
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12-12-2006, 10:43 AM	#3
rjs735 Virus? What I am not sick Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Central Florida Posts: 1,825	The TP recovery partition is in a non DOS partition. So you are looking for a bit for bit clone of the HD. Which would include the recovery partition. Acronis should be able to do it for you. You may have to tell him to do both partitions. An image copy should also be able to do it. __________________ Asus P4S8x 2.0 Ghz Celeron Ram 512MB WDC 80GB HD SATA WDC 80GB SATA Memorex DUAL DVD/RW Win98SE/XP pro Asus P2b-F Cel 450 Ram 256MB W98 SE Optorite CDRW WD 40GB Asrock P4combo P4 346 Xp Pro Sp 3 SATA HD SATA DVD/RW Foxconn 925EX 550 XP Media SP2 Sata HD Sata DVD/RW Foxconn 925EX 550 Xp SP2 Asrock 775Dual 550 Xp pro SP2 IBM T23 1.3hz RAM 512MB XP pro SP2 All systems are networked Konica Minolta Color Laser Samsung clp-315 Color laser Dlink 655 Dlink G650 Wireless
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12-12-2006, 10:45 AM	#4
Bofinn I'm gettin' dizzy! Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 11,035	But why are you trying to boot up from the other drive? __________________ ---------- JimBo ----------- When in doubt, smack it!
(Offline)

12-12-2006, 11:51 AM	#5
ronbo 613 Computer User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,642	What I'm trying to do is store a clone or image on the external drive for backup. If I need to change the hard drive or have a problem, I'll have a backup to get the computer up and running again. I tried to boot from the external drive to make sure the clone would work before I needed to use it for real. Since the drive in the USB enclosure does not boot the computer, I'm not sure if cloned image on it is good or if the USB drive is not able to boot the computer. Before I buy a new 2.5" laptop drive, I wanted to clone the old 2.5" drive to the 3.5" drive in the USB enclosure, then install the new 2.5" drive and clone that drive from the USB drive. I'm still trying to figure out a way using the Acronis Rescue Disc, I'm just a little sketched with the mixed results with Thinkpad laptop drives. A little different story than schlapping a hard drive in a PC. I have cloned boot drives for all my computers sitting in a file drawer in case I have problems. Using them for work, I don't have time to fool around reloading and reconfiguring software. The laptop has a full MS Office suite on it that I would lose if I used the IBM Restore Discs to reinstall XP Pro, so I'd like to get the clone thing going.
(Offline)

12-12-2006, 01:52 PM	#6
Bofinn I'm gettin' dizzy! Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 11,035	What I would do is create an image of the entire 2.5" drive to the 3.5". Then use the Acronis boot CD to boot from, and see if you can "verify" the image on the usb drive. If that works then slap in the new laptop drive and restore the image - which should contain all the partitions. __________________ ---------- JimBo ----------- When in doubt, smack it!
(Offline)

12-12-2006, 02:07 PM	#7
ronbo 613 Computer User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,642	Thanks, that sounds like a good plan. I'll give it a shot.
(Offline)

12-28-2006, 11:13 PM	#8
ronbo 613 Computer User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,642	I wound up getting a Travelstar 80G, 7200rpm hard drive. Cloned the original 5400rpm drive to a 3.5" drive in a USB enclosure. Installed the new drive and cloned it from the drive in the enclosure. Now I have a new hard drive in the T30 and will use the original 5400rpm drive as a backup in case of problems.
(Offline)

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