Computers & Electronics

Imaging/cloning/backup questions

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  • Mar 14th, 2022 1:56 am
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Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2004
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East Gwillimbury
kwk1 wrote: So would I just use windows built in or like macrium to do this? And, is an image on a hd still requiring windows 10 usb stick to start up? I'm not sure how it all works.

The new ssd is 2tb so I'd prefer to use the new 2tb WD external for backups. and the new 1tb WD external for the image/clone.
Bullet points makes it a lot easier to understand

Depends on your imaging software. Let’s say the something happens to your existing hard drive and renders it non bootable. If you use Windows’ built in back up software, you will need a new drive, install Windows, and then run the restore.

If you use something like Clonezilla, you install the new drive, and just boot up a USB key with Clonezilla and restore the image to the new hard drive.

If the software was installed in Windows (Not a fan), then you would need to install a fresh copy of Windows and re-install the imaging software before you can restore it. If the imaging software can run independently of Windows (Bootable USB Key) then you can restore the image without re-installing Windows

With regards to your external WD drives, you don’t really need a two terabyte drive to create images.

1. You would never completely fill your existing 2 terabyte drive in your computer
2. When images are created, they are usually compressed, the images are considerably smaller than the space it occupies.

I would assume 50% compression unless you have a lot of images (jpeg) or music on your computer. These files are already compressed and would not compress any further.
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Nov 25, 2009
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Have you thought about cloning the 1TB to the 2TB and maybe leave the 1TB in as backup #1 for daily backups?
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Oct 29, 2019
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From what I gather, OP wants the ability to make a copy of the working Windows drive so if it fails, the cloned one can just be plopped jn and ready to use.

I’ve done this before I believe using Acronis True Image - when I got a larger capacity SSD, I cloned the smaller Windows SSD to the new one and put in the new SSD as boot drive and it worked. Acronis was most straight forward.

I recently used Macrium Reflect and I assumed it was as easy as Acronis but the clone drive did not boot to Windows without a lot of research and I believe I got it to work by using the Boot to “select a drive” feature (or something like that) in Macrium.

If I had to do it again, I would try using Acronis again - granted the version I used was an older one from like 5yrs ago but it worked flawlessly.
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Nov 7, 2007
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Portage la Prairie
yyzthe6 wrote: From what I gather, OP wants the ability to make a copy of the working Windows drive so if it fails, the cloned one can just be plopped jn and ready to use.

I’ve done this before I believe using Acronis True Image - when I got a larger capacity SSD, I cloned the smaller Windows SSD to the new one and put in the new SSD as boot drive and it worked. Acronis was most straight forward.

I recently used Macrium Reflect and I assumed it was as easy as Acronis but the clone drive did not boot to Windows without a lot of research and I believe I got it to work by using the Boot to “select a drive” feature (or something like that) in Macrium.

If I had to do it again, I would try using Acronis again - granted the version I used was an older one from like 5yrs ago but it worked flawlessly.
Yeah, if the new windows ssd fails, I'd like to be able to clone a new ssd to replace the failed one . So Acronis may be better than Macrium? How bout ease of use? Thanks
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Nov 7, 2007
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FrostyWinnipeg wrote: Have you thought about cloning the 1TB to the 2TB and maybe leave the 1TB in as backup #1 for daily backups?
No because the new 2tb is installed and working. I'd rather just clone it to an external drive and not have to go in to the case. I would probably just sell the 1tb ssd.
Sr. Member
Oct 29, 2019
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kwk1 wrote: Yeah, if the new windows ssd fails, I'd like to be able to clone a new ssd to replace the failed one . So Acronis may be better than Macrium? How bout ease of use? Thanks
Both are not bad but I found Acronis easiest, with Macrium it wasn’t straight forward as I had trouble getting the cloned SSD to boot. Usually they have a trial version of sorts, I would recommend trying it out and if it does what you want then you can commit to buying it.

Also I would recommend doing a clone as backup maybe every couple of months rather than trying to clone when a drive fails.
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Nov 7, 2007
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Gee wrote: Bullet points makes it a lot easier to understand

Depends on your imaging software. Let’s say the something happens to your existing hard drive and renders it non bootable. If you use Windows’ built in back up software, you will need a new drive, install Windows, and then run the restore.

If you use something like Clonezilla, you install the new drive, and just boot up a USB key with Clonezilla and restore the image to the new hard drive.

If the software was installed in Windows (Not a fan), then you would need to install a fresh copy of Windows and re-install the imaging software before you can restore it. If the imaging software can run independently of Windows (Bootable USB Key) then you can restore the image without re-installing Windows

With regards to your external WD drives, you don’t really need a two terabyte drive to create images.

1. You would never completely fill your existing 2 terabyte drive in your computer
2. When images are created, they are usually compressed, the images are considerably smaller than the space it occupies.

I would assume 50% compression unless you have a lot of images (jpeg) or music on your computer. These files are already compressed and would not compress any further.
Hey Gee,
I'm trying to decide on Macrium or Acronis at this point.

Actually, having the software on a usb stick sounds okay.

How would I use a usb stick to make backups?

Wouldn't you need the software installed in order to do hourly/daily backups?

Yes, with compression, a 1tb ssd is sufficient for an image.

Thanks for your reply.
Last edited by kwk1 on Mar 13th, 2022 8:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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yyzthe6 wrote: Both are not bad but I found Acronis easiest, with Macrium it wasn’t straight forward as I had trouble getting the cloned SSD to boot. Usually they have a trial version of sorts, I would recommend trying it out and if it does what you want then you can commit to buying it.

Also I would recommend doing a clone as backup maybe every couple of months rather than trying to clone when a drive fails.
Thanks for the reply yyzthe6.
If you had trouble getiing the clone to boot, wouldn't I have the same trouble?

Makes sense to do a clone every so often as well like you say. And yes, I'm trying to clone now with a new drive and not when it fails.

I wonder if like 'Gee' suggested, put the cloning software on a usb stick, not install onto the hard drive, would work better.

Did you download Acronis to pc or use a bootable usb drive?
Last edited by kwk1 on Mar 13th, 2022 8:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2004
38395 posts
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East Gwillimbury
kwk1 wrote: I'm trying to decide on Macrium or Acronis at this point.

Actually, having the software on a usb stick sounds okay.

How would I use a usb stick to make backups?

Wouldn't you need the software installed in order to do hourly/daily backups?

Yes, with compression, a 1tb ssd is sufficient for an image.
I don’t think you can go wrong with either Macrium or Acronis. They both offer a trial and I suggest you try both before committing to one

The bootable USB is only used for making images

if you want to use it to make incremental back ups, I would suggest you look at something else. If you decide to back up to the cloud, Google drive or One Drive has clients available for free. If you want to back up to your WD external, there are lots of other packages to consider

1 terabyte SSD should be sufficient to make an image of your 2 terabyte SSD assuming you haven’t filled the entire 2 terabyte
Sr. Member
Oct 29, 2019
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I never put the cloning software on bootable USB. I installed on a current WIndows SSD and then used the app to clone the SSD to another SSD.
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Jun 27, 2004
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kwk1 wrote: So Acronis may be better than Macrium? How bout ease of use?
Acronis is crapware. I would never (again) install it in Windows. It leaves junk after you uninstall it, including registry entries that are very difficult to remove without Fing up your system. (Note that they even make a special clean-up program.) I guess it's fine if you don't ever want to remove it.

I've already posted a link to get Macrium bootable ISO.

Clonezilla, that Gee mentioned, works fine, too, but has a DOS GUI.

Repeat, Acronis is crapware. If you must use it, get something like Hiren's Boot CD and run it off that. Hiren's also includes Macrium.

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