Acronis True Image Migration Problems, see latest post

[sydelle94]

Heya, I know there are a lot of guides out there for this topic and Ive researched and seen many guides, the problem for me is they arent specific enough and gloss over the details when the OP thinks its a simple part. And the physical installation of the SSD i am unsure of too, all I can find is old outdate guides talking about IDE ports.

So then, I actually got a great deal on a SSD recently from amazon, I never really planned on buying one but the price was good enough that I thought why not.

I have a 256GB Sandisk ultra plus. I have a lenovo 10117 mobo. I also checked sisoftware sandra lite and it says maximum sata mode is G3 / sata600. 2 channels, in use channels 2 @ 100%, port g3/ sata600, and port g1 / sata150.

I have 3 sata ports, not sure if they are all 6gbps or what, I didnt get a manual for my mobo and cant find one online.

So then, I know that I need to first make a backup incase something goes wrong. Then get a cloning software (ive got macrium reflect.) How am I supposed to clone over to the ssd? Should I hook it up to my pc (on which sata port, this is one of my main concerns) or should I get a sata to usb cable and do it that way?

All the guides talk about partitions, im not sure if I have any or if I need to adjust anything there when cloning. I can tell you that when I click my computer I only see my current hard drive in one chunk.

Okay, then once I have cloned to the ssd, what is my next immediate step, turn off computer and switch spots on the SSD and HDD so my SSD goes into sata 1?

Sorry for the many questions Ive never had multiple hard drives in one PC before.

And another dumb question, the physical installation of the ssd, do I simply need to plug in the sata cable or is there some power cable I need to plug in. My power supply has a few spare wires not being used in the tower now, will it be one of those or do I need to buy it?


This is my rig:
Case: Stock
Mobo: Lenovo 10117
CPU: AMD A8-5500
Hard Drive: 7200rpm 1TB, Have a new 256GB Sandisk Ultra Plus SSD.
Ram: Stock, single 4gb stick
PSU: Stock
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7560D (Built into mobo)
Sound Card: Stock (Built into mobo)

 

[clutchc]

You want to clone the SSD (from the HDD) with it connected in place just as you intend on using it. You seem like you are making this more difficult that it really is. This is the simplest cloning guide I've found: http://www.howtogeek.com/97242/how-to-migrate-windows-7-to-a-solid-state-drive/

Basically, you will clone the drive while in Win7, re-boot, and then go into BIOS and make it the boot drive instead of the HDD. After you successfully boot to Win7 on the new SSD, you will want to perform a few 'tweaks' to make it perform at its best and to keep from writing itself to an early death. Here is a guide for that: http://www.computing.net/howtos/show/solid-state-drive-ssd-tweaks-for-windows-7/552.html
A ssd handles data differently than a HDD, so it needs a few things modified for best results.

As to a good cloning pgm, I found that EaseUS Todo Backup Free works well: http://www.todo-backup.com/products/home/free-backup-software.htm
But keep in mind (1) that you can only clone the SSD from the HDD if the HDD or its OS partition that you are cloning is smaller than the SSD is. i.e. you can't clone a HDD with a 350GB partition to a 256GB SSD.
Also (2) when you go to the part of the pgm that allows you to partition the SSD, be sure to leave it as 1 full partition. The EaseUS program likes to set the SSD's partition to just what is necessary to hold the dada it will clone. Be sure to widen the slider to include the whole drive.

 

[sydelle94]

You want to clone the SSD (from the HDD) with it connected in place just as you intend on using it. You seem like you are making this more difficult that it really is. This is the simplest cloning guide I've found: http://www.howtogeek.com/97242/how-to-migrate-windows-7-to-a-solid-state-drive/

Basically, you will clone the drive while in Win7, re-boot, and then go into BIOS and make it the boot drive instead of the HDD. After you successfully boot to Win7 on the new SSD, you will want to perform a few 'tweaks' to make it perform at its best and to keep from writing itself to an early death. Here is a guide for that: http://www.computing.net/howtos/show/solid-state-drive-ssd-tweaks-for-windows-7/552.html
A ssd handles data differently than a HDD, so it needs a few things modified for best results.

As to a good cloning pgm, I found that EaseUS Todo Backup Free works well: http://www.todo-backup.com/products/home/free-backup-software.htm
But keep in mind (1) that you can only clone the SSD from the HDD if the HDD or its OS partition that you are cloning is smaller than the SSD is. i.e. you can't clone a HDD with a 350GB partition to a 256GB SSD.
Also (2) when you go to the part of the pgm that allows you to partition the SSD, be sure to leave it as 1 full partition. The EaseUS program likes to set the SSD's partition to just what is necessary to hold the dada it will clone. Be sure to widen the slider to include the whole drive.

Heya, thanks for the advice. And if im running windows 8.1 theres no real difference I imagine. And yeah Ive shrunk down my hdd to like 50 gigs, most of the stuff I have are just videos and music I put on an external drive.

 

[spooky2th]

There are free apps of Acronis True Image that ssd manufacturers post for their SSD's. You can clone a larger drive to a smaller ssd as long as the data on the hdd is less than the size of the ssd. Just set Acronis to auto and it works like a champ. I use the paid for version plus Acronis Disk Director.

EDIT:
Clone your hdd to a ssd then install the ssd into the port that the boot hdd was in and presto. Speed.

 

[clutchc]

Heya, thanks for the advice. And if im running windows 8.1 theres no real difference I imagine. And yeah Ive shrunk down my hdd to like 50 gigs, most of the stuff I have are just videos and music I put on an external drive.

The cloning process will be the same. Some of the tweaks you perform afterwords may look different in the Win8 environment. Win8.1 will automatically set itself up for a SSD if you run WinSAT. Here is some discussion on that procedure.
http://www.tweakhound.com/2013/11/02/windows-8-1-ssd-settings-etc/
I can't really compare the 2 OSs, because I gave up on Win8. I don't have it on any of my machines anymore.

If you have your HDD shrunk down to where it only has ~50GB in use, you may want to consider just doing a fresh install of Win8 on the new SSD rather than the clone. That will be the cleanest, less troublesome of the choices. Of course, it will mean re-installing any pgms you may still have on the original drive.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1240779/seans-windows-8-install-optimization-guide-for-ssds-hdds

 

[sydelle94]

Heya, thanks for the advice. And if im running windows 8.1 theres no real difference I imagine. And yeah Ive shrunk down my hdd to like 50 gigs, most of the stuff I have are just videos and music I put on an external drive.

The cloning process will be the same. Some of the tweaks you perform afterwords may look different in the Win8 environment. Win8.1 will automatically set itself up for a SSD if you run WinSAT. Here is some discussion on that procedure.
http://www.tweakhound.com/2013/11/02/windows-8-1-ssd-settings-etc/
I can't really compare the 2 OSs, because I gave up on Win8. I don't have it on any of my machines anymore.

If you have your HDD shrunk down to where it only has ~50GB in use, you may want to consider just doing a fresh install of Win8 on the new SSD rather than the clone. That will be the cleanest, less troublesome of the choices. Of course, it will mean re-installing any pgms you may still have on the original drive.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1240779/seans-windows-8-install-optimization-guide-for-ssds-hdds

Heya, I am installing the ssd now. Im at the part where I need to go into diskpart.

I did as the guide instructed, Followed the steps one at a time, last one I did was:
I typed Create partition primary align=1024

Then it said

Virtual Disk Service Error:
There is not enough usable space for this operation.

Is there a problem, will I need to do something about that error?

Thanks

 

[spooky2th]

Looks like your destination drive is smaller than the source drive. Download Acronis True Image 2014. Free for 30 days. Cloning is flawless and simple. Just let it do it in auto mode and it will take a larger hdd and fit it onto a smaller ssd. You might even want to keep true image.

download link:
http://download.cnet.com/Acronis-True-Image-2014/3000-2242_4-10168093.html

 

[sydelle94]

Looks like your destination drive is smaller than the source drive. Download Acronis True Image 2014. Free for 30 days. Cloning is flawless and simple. Just let it do it in auto mode and it will take a larger hdd and fit it onto a smaller ssd. You might even want to keep true image.

download link:
http://download.cnet.com/Acronis-True-Image-2014/3000-2242_4-10168093.html

Okay downloading now (I have terrible internet, half hour to DL it) I read somewhere that cloning is a paid feature only though for acronis?

 

[spooky2th]

You should be able to find a free acronis app on-line. Lot's of HDD and SSD manufacturers have a free version of true image on their web sites.

 

[sydelle94]

You should be able to find a free acronis app on-line. Lot's of HDD and SSD manufacturers have a free version of true image on their web sites.

Gotcha thanks

 

[sydelle94]

You should be able to find a free acronis app on-line. Lot's of HDD and SSD manufacturers have a free version of true image on their web sites.

Hrm, so I went to disk management and initialized my ssd, quick formatted it in ntsc, assigned a letter and name.

I had to do that to get it to show up under my computer.

But when its time for diskpart, I get to the Create partition primary align=1024 part.. but, can I just reformat the ssd from my computer and choose an allocation unit size of 1024 to accomplish the same thing?

 

[sydelle94]

ooh, actually I think I have it set perfectly now, can someone confirm that for me please
i entered list partition in disk part and it says this:
Partition 1, primary, 238gb, 1024kb

The 1024KB is under offset headline

 

[spooky2th]

I wouldn't worry about aligning a drive to 1024 or 4096 or which ever. Get a decent migration tool and then just a few clicks to a cloned drive.

 

[sydelle94]

I wouldn't worry about aligning a drive to 1024 or 4096 or which ever. Get a decent migration tool and then just a few clicks to a cloned drive.

Ahh okay Im getting the one off WD site now, I assumed Id need a serial number to DL it or something but it doesnt look like it. Thanks

 

[sydelle94]

You should be able to find a free acronis app on-line. Lot's of HDD and SSD manufacturers have a free version of true image on their web sites.

Alright, Ive been trying to get Acronis to clone for awhile now with no luck.

I choose the simple process, picked my current HDD with windows on it already as my source, and the empty SSD as the destination. Clicked ahead and hit proceed, then a dialog box comes up telling me I have to reboot for the clone to take affect, I clicked it and it restarts like normal to my desktop and there are no changes, my SSD is still empty. I made sure that I wasnt cloning the wrong drives.

Ive tried twice, the second time I gave it about 10 min to see if that would help and no luck.

And I see that this Acronis required you to have some WD product installed, I just hooked up my WD external hdd. Or does this program only work if im cloning to a WD ssd?

 

[clutchc]

After you finish cloning, you have to make your SSD the boot drive in BIOS. Otherwise it will continue to boot to the HDD.

 

[sydelle94]

After you finish cloning, you have to make your SSD the boot drive in BIOS. Otherwise it will continue to boot to the HDD.

Ahh, okay I know how to do that. But do you mean that after my computer reboots (and it reboots normal, no mention of cloning process or anything) the cloning process is already done and completed, that I just need to switch over the boot priority for it to take affect?

Because after Ive done the cloning and reboot, it shows nothing at all on the SSD.

 

[clutchc]

...Because after Ive done the cloning and reboot, it shows nothing at all on the SSD.

Then the cloning process didn't work. If you used the pgm I linked you to, it would tell you at the end if it was successful.
Either that pgm or Acronis usually works flawlessly. I don't know how you could have not done the copy/clone. The SSD should have the same file structure as your HDD if it was successful.

 

[sydelle94]

...Because after Ive done the cloning and reboot, it shows nothing at all on the SSD.

Then the cloning process didn't work. If you used the pgm I linked you to, it would tell you at the end if it was successful.
Either that pgm or Acronis usually works flawlessly. I don't know how you could have not done the copy/clone. The SSD should have the same file structure as your HDD if it was successful.

I see.. yeah I dont know whats going wrong then as far as I can tell I followed the directions right, and I think acronis is simple enough that you cant really mess up the process.

Ive tried with acronis 3 times, twice with the ssd initialized and partitioned, once with it initialized and not partitioned. I do have the ease todo program, I can try that one next

 

[clutchc]

Is there any reason you can't do a fresh install of Win on the SSD?

 

[sydelle94]

Is there any reason you can't do a fresh install of Win on the SSD?

I bought a prebuilt PC with windows 8 installed onto it already, I dont have a windows 8 serial key. (checked purchase emails, computer tower, paper work in box, box) I think there are programs I can get to find my serial key because windows 8 hides them.

But I believe I read that the prebuilt PCs with windows 8 dont allow you to make a copy of windows 8, that your win8 license dies with your computer, so putting it on a new HDD is like a new computer. I did download the win8 installer to where I could put it on a disc, but no serial key.

 

[clutchc]

I think the licensing changed with Win8. It doesn't use a key like Win7 did. But you should first use the PCs option to make backup disks or image so you can always restore the system. You should make sure you have a fall back plan if things fail. i.e. make sure you can restore the pC to its original condition.

 

[spooky2th]

Acronis is not working. Looks like the windows8 is not letting you clone the drive.

 

[sydelle94]

Okay after trying acronis so many times and not getting it, I tried easeus todo and it worked It did make 2 partitions one named LRS-ESP with 496MB on it, and then one named windows8_OS with the other 211gb.

And my original HDD that I cloned off of isnt working now it says invalid signature detected, check secure boot policy, is it safe to plug that in while my PC is on just to format it?

Edit: read around real quick and it looks like that is a terrible idea lol, so then. is it safe to turn off my pc, plug the old HDD in the secondary spot or will that cause problems?

 

[clutchc]

You don't have to physically switch cables. Just enter BIOS and make the SSD the boot drive.

But I don't know what you did to your HDD to make it fail.