Cloning a hard drive

Discussion in 'Networking and Security' started by CoralReef, Aug 13, 2008.

  1. I want my entire hard drive (os, programs, files, everything) put onto an external hard drive.

    In case of fire, stolen computer, crash, etc. I want to be able to just plug an external hard drive to a new computer and be up and running as if I was using my old computer and pick up right where I left off.

    Whats the best way to do this? I feel like this my not be as easy as I think.
     
  2. Tums

    Tums

  3. It's a pain in the ass and takes some time. I paid a local computer repair shop $75 to do it for me. Do likewise and relieve yourself of the burden.
     
  4. Otherwise look at Acronis for image backup and transfers.

    It all depends how technically capable you are.
     
  5. longhi18

    longhi18

    ghost image?
     
  6. gaj

    gaj

    casper xp works for me.
     
  7. jfilla

    jfilla

    I second casper xp... I have had several hard drives go bad over the years and every time, i have swapped it out with the casper drive and been back up on the next reboot. For $50.00, it cant be beat.
     
  8. mokwit

    mokwit

    CasperXP. Just swap in the backup HDD and you are up and running again. Saved me from some serious headaches and lost trading time.
     
  9. ntfs

    ntfs

    Coral,

    I tried using an external hd and found the transfer was too slow. I ended up installing two removable HD drawers. Using Aconis, I now have a master hd , which I have my operating system, core programs and data, and several cloned masters. I use the clone and if there is any problem I can quickly switch drives, like under one minute, and I am up and running. I update the master weekly. Use cable select when setting up the hd’s.


    nt
     
  10. gnome

    gnome

    Casper XP is the easiest to keep a cloned hard drive up to date.

    Acronis True Image offers more capability and flexiblity with its additional ability to make "images" to an external drive.

    Both are good and offer a fully functional free trial.

    If you are truly anal about backups (as am I), the BEST would be to have both. Each day you could keep a cloned HD current with about a 1 minute update by using Casper XP, and you could make "images" to an external hard drive with Acronis as necessary. (Actually, Acronis has a recently added ability to make an "incremental" update, but I don't know whether that's to an existing image or to a cloned HDD... haven't tried it yet.)
     
    #10     Aug 14, 2008