Acronis or Casper? | Bootable Clone Drive

[commissarmo]

I'm interested in creating a BOOTABLE clone drive of my system/OS disk.

I want this drive to be capable of being booted up immediately upon any kind of primary failure.

I know that incremental backup doesn't work in tandem with 'cloning' of a drive, unless you clone the drive say, daily or at some frequent interval. For that eventuality, I use Acronis to maintain incremental FILE backups.

But, I've been told that Casper (their website confuses me since it uses language very similar to Acronis, even though I sense they're using different software methods) would better allow me to create the aforementioned BOOTABLE clone drive.

Note - I do NOT want an image of the system disk which I then use a bootable media (like the OS install disk) to restore with.

1. I want to create a hot-swap, MBR-cloned, ready-boot disk which I can plug in, select at the BIOS, and boot into the moment I have some kind of failure, and have my former system (whenever it was cloned last) ready to go.

2. I'm wondering if Acronis will do this readily, or if perhaps Casper, which I've never used, might be a better choice, given their claims of 'cloning' technology.

Thanks!

 

[Hawkeye22]

Acronis has a clone disk option, at least true image home 2012 does. I thought my 2009 version also had it.

With Acronis' patented disk imaging and PC-cloning technology, every bit of information can be restored to its original shape in minutes—without having to reinstall any software application.

They don't have a screen shot of it, but there is actually a clone button/wizard.


http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/#benefits

 

[commissarmo]

Yes - I forgot to mention I have Acronis TI 2012; I haven't yet tried any of the cloning features they have onboard.

I suppose I was wondering why Casper was forwarded as being distinct and different viz. cloning features compared with Acronis (alternatively there seems to be a vocal population online that just doesn't like Acronis for various reasons).

Does anyone have any contrasting advice on the use of Casper for Cloning vs Acronis?

 

[Hawkeye22]

I've used acronis and clonezilla, but not casper, but I don't see as how one clone can be better than another since the end result is a duplicate of the original drive. Clonezilla is strictly cloning software where as acronis can clone and do backups. I'm sure others have different features too, but cloning should be nearly identical in all cloning software.

Since you already have acronis, I suggest you just use it. After all, you already paid for it.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Hawk's "it's there, use it" advice is sound.

If ya don't like Acronis, Shadow protect Desktop gets the highest accolades. I have both on different boxes and can't say I prefer one over the other as my usage is generally very infrequent.

Replacing a boot drive is usually a very simple matter as all i keep on them is the OS.

 

[commissarmo]

Ok sounds good, thanks for your time! I'll open a thread if I find out Acronis doesn't do what I think it should.

 

[sureshk0505]

I'm interested in creating a BOOTABLE clone drive of my system/OS disk.

I want this drive to be capable of being booted up immediately upon any kind of primary failure.

I know that incremental backup doesn't work in tandem with 'cloning' of a drive, unless you clone the drive say, daily or at some frequent interval. For that eventuality, I use Acronis to maintain incremental FILE backups.
But, I've been told that Casper (their website confuses me since it uses language very similar to Acronis, even though I sense they're using different software methods) would better allow me to create the aforementioned BOOTABLE clone drive.

Note - I do NOT want an image of the system disk which I then use a bootable media (like the OS install disk) to restore with.

1. I want to create a hot-swap, MBR-cloned, ready-boot disk which I can plug in, select at the BIOS, and boot into the moment I have some kind of failure, and have my former system (whenever it was cloned last) ready to go.

2. I'm wondering if Acronis will do this readily, or if perhaps Casper, which I've never used, might be a better choice, given their claims of 'cloning' technology.

Thanks!

Hello, I came across your thread, i am trying to to some thing like u've mentioned above. I am wondering if u have sucessfully found a way to incremental clones.
I cloned my drive with Acronis True Image, as such i want to clone the disk again to the previous clone destination (incremental clone) is this possible with true image....pls reply thanks.

 

[sureshk0505]

I'm interested in creating a BOOTABLE clone drive of my system/OS disk.

I want this drive to be capable of being booted up immediately upon any kind of primary failure.

I know that incremental backup doesn't work in tandem with 'cloning' of a drive, unless you clone the drive say, daily or at some frequent interval. For that eventuality, I use Acronis to maintain incremental FILE backups.
But, I've been told that Casper (their website confuses me since it uses language very similar to Acronis, even though I sense they're using different software methods) would better allow me to create the aforementioned BOOTABLE clone drive.

Note - I do NOT want an image of the system disk which I then use a bootable media (like the OS install disk) to restore with.

1. I want to create a hot-swap, MBR-cloned, ready-boot disk which I can plug in, select at the BIOS, and boot into the moment I have some kind of failure, and have my former system (whenever it was cloned last) ready to go.

2. I'm wondering if Acronis will do this readily, or if perhaps Casper, which I've never used, might be a better choice, given their claims of 'cloning' technology.

Thanks!

Hello, I came across your thread, i am trying to do some thing like u've mentioned above. I am wondering if u have sucessfully found a way to do incremental clones.
I cloned my drive with Acronis True Image, as such, i want to clone the disk again to the previous clone destination (incremental clone). Is this possible with true image....pls reply thanks.

 

[popatim]

Yes, but it won't be an inclremental clone; theres no such thing. A clone is the whole drive, every time. Otherwise it wouldnt be a clone.

 

[sureshk0505]

Yes, but it won't be an inclremental clone; theres no such thing. A clone is the whole drive, every time. Otherwise it wouldnt be a clone.

Hello there,

Thanks for your reply. U've got the exact idea of what I intend to do (an incremental clone). But to my disappointment, your reply states that there is no such option.

I began to look for such a process in windows OS because I do the same in Mac osx. To be specific, I use chronosync, which does bootable incremental clones. It only makes a change to the currently altered files, which means it takes a much shorter period than the initial clone.

I guess there no such option yet in windows OS. Thanks again.

 

[popatim]

then, IMO, the updates are not a clone, they are a sync. You can do the same thing with windows. Create an intitial clone then sync the drives after that.

 

[sureshk0505]

then, IMO, the updates are not a clone, they are a sync. You can do the same thing with windows. Create an intitial clone then sync the drives after that.

Thx for your reply. Which software do you use to do the above......is it bundled in windows or its a 3rd party ware...

 

[popatim]

two free options I use are Synctoy2.1 and robocopy. Synctoy you need to download from Microsoft and robocopy is run from the command line and included with win vista and up.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15155
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc733145.aspx

Freefilesync also gets good reviews but I have not tried it.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/freefilesync/

 

[sureshk0505]

two free options I use are Synctoy2.1 and robocopy. Synctoy you need to download from Microsoft and robocopy is run from the command line and included with win vista and up.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15155
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc733145.aspx

Freefilesync also gets good reviews but I have not tried it.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/freefilesync/

Thx again for your reply.

I will give synctoy n robocopy a spin. As for freefilesync..... I have read that it is bundled with malware or unwanted additions which keeps prompting. Then again I am not sure if I can boot from the sync made via FFS....Thanks.

 

[popatim]

the sync does not make it bootable; thats the clone's job. Syncing keeps the stuff you added/delected up to date.

 

[sureshk0505]

the sync does not make it bootable; thats the clone's job. Syncing keeps the stuff you added/delected up to date.

Hi there,

So you are saying that, synctoy, robocopy & FFS only sync and the end product cant be booted....
If that's the case, then your opinion that what i do with chronosync is just a sync ...is incorrect.

Because chronosync creates a bootable clone and at a much later period the current changes from the source disk can be updated to the destination disk and the end product is again bootable with the updated changes.

The manner it does it is not just a sync, its an incremental clone which is bootable. I get my files synced, further i get a clone which is bootable.

That was my initial task which i was trying to achieve.

Cheers.

 

[JPNpower]

So is there a windows tool for complete clone? Or just syncing.

 

[sureshk0505]

So is there a windows tool for complete clone? Or just syncing.

Hi there,

There is certainly tools for windows clone. I clone mine with True Image. but what i am intending to do is ....just an update to the existing clone which is bootable with the updates.
Now that, i am not sure...if it is possible in windows...or i am missing it.....that is what this discussion is about.

As such ....yes you can clone in windows.... there are tonnes of wares to do it..... Acronis true Image, Clonezilla......

 

[JPNpower]

What would you need to clone for though? Why is an incremental image backup not sufficient?

 

[sureshk0505]

What would you need to clone for though? Why is an incremental image backup not sufficient?

Hi there,
A clone can be used to run ur OS exactly how you cloned it, in the event ur running HD fails. U just need to switch the HDD and you are able to run it. U won't be able to boot from your incremental image alone.... a start up disk will be required.

 

[JPNpower]

Yes, but the image is smaller by far, an easier to maintain. Although a recovery effort is needed in case of failure, I think that takes less effort than created and maintaining clones all the time.

 

[sureshk0505]

Yes, but the image is smaller by far, an easier to maintain. Although a recovery effort is needed in case of failure, I think that takes less effort than created and maintaining clones all the time.

Now that is a matter of personal preference. It is like ..... Between a Ferrari and a Lamboghini...it depends on individual needs n interests. There would be a zillion reasons for its fans to choose what they have chosen. It may not apply to u....but it does to another.

Imaging or cloning .... One man's food is another man's poison...

I clone because I am able to do incremental clones.....only the current changes are updated to the clone......it takes about 10-15 minutes to do that (depending on the size of the update). When it's done, I am able to boot from the clone as though I am booting from the source disk. The source disk is attached as an external disk, which means I just boot from an external drive when the internal fails or any sort of that. At the same time .....it's a backup of my files...which I can access at the point of need.
Come to think of it....if u already prefer imaging which means you had done your homework before choosing the same....and you feel that imaging suits you....why would you query about cloning.

Cheers

 

[Al Winston]

I've used both Acronis and Casper with Windows 7 x64 Home. Acronis is touchy, not always reliable and does not always produce a bootable copy in my experience. Casper has been 100% reliable, consistently producing bootable clones to my hotswaps and to my drive attached by USB or eSATA. Further, while it doesn't do an 'incremental' clone, it clones very quickly to a drive that was recently cloned and I'm just cloning an update to the drive, so I suspect it compares sectors and is capable of only copying over those that are different. Again, this is Casper 7 I'm using, I don't know how their version 8 is, but if it's similar I would definitely advise it over Acronis.

 

[popatim]

I have not had much success with either one since I run raid0 arrays. I was given Casper to try and it failed on restoring a bootable array in my testing.

 

[commissarmo]

I'm a bit disappointed to hear about Casper 8.0 failing (I understand it might be because of your RAID 0 array, though Casper on their website claims hardware RAID compatibility).

I use a RAID 10 for my OS main drive, so I'm not sure how it will react to that.

Still, as of just today (glad to see these threads now almost a year old, are still updated!), I was recommended to try Casper 8.0 because it's the first mainstream integrated software solution I have seen that has full bootable backup with incremental sync as a feature.

This is ANOTHER post of mine on this issue which was where someone recommended Casper 8.0

I have written to Casper 8.0 to verify whether this functions as I think it does.

I'm not sure exactly about why RAID drives would be a problem as they present to the OS as a single drive, and the RAID controller performs the necessary adjustments to data read/write so the OS in principle shouldn't even 'know' that there's a RAID on the other side of the controller (unless you're using software/fake RAID 0 which I don't recommend at all). Still, RAID being the incredibly complicated monster that it is, I'm sure something could crop up that I don't even understand which might prevent Casper from working.

I will ask the company about the RAID variants they tested (assuming they did test it...which they should have...)