How to test a clone

Topic

New Reply

I cloned a new SSD (256GB Samsung) to an identical SSD thru USB to a docking station. I used Acronis 2013 which reported the cloning was successful. I can see the files on the clone and it looks OK.

I don’t trust anything so I would like to boot from the clone. Simplest would be to boot from USB which is an option in the BIOS (Dell XPS 8700) but it will not boot. Acronis says Windows will not boot from USB. There are webpages for other computers which discuss how to boot from USB.

Anyone know how to get a Dell to boot from USB? Dell Techsupport says they can’t answer for Acronis.

Swapping the SSDs is not an option. The SSD is screwed to the motherboard.

Think of another way to check the clone?:confused:

Reply | Quote

Replies

I can’t remember, does Acronis, after you boot into it via either usb-boot-stick or boot-dvd, have a menu item that lets you verify the clone? I know of no way to boot Windows prime via any external media.

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

Reply | Quote

I’ve never used Acronis, I have alway’s cloned with Casper. The only way I know of to actually test the clone is to swap the drives and boot from it since Acronis says that it will not boot from USB. I find it hard to believe that Acronis said “Acronis says Windows will not boot from USB”. Makes me glad that I use Casper as it will boot from USB or swapping drives on windows.

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

Reply | Quote

Thanks. That is a good suggestion. Unfortunately, I could not find such an option and Acronis tech support did not suggest anything like that. Maybe they added that for 2016 – not 2013. I shall pass that along to them.

Reply | Quote

Acronis says Windows will not boot from USB. There are webpages for other computers which discuss how to boot from USB.

Anyone know how to get a Dell to boot from USB? Dell Techsupport says they can’t answer for Acronis.

Swapping the SSDs is not an option. The SSD is screwed to the motherboard.

Think of another way to check the clone?:confused:

Acronis is right your clone will not boot on USB w/o a huge bit of tinkering and/or 3rd party s/w I would not trust. Linux is easy in this regard BTW.

The SSD is screwed to the motherboard.

And I would say so are you if your SSD fails. :rolleyes:

This looks like a desktop strange that it would have a drive soldered to the MB. The Dell blurp says it is expandable, is there an internal SATA connector available perhaps from the Optical drive? If not a PCI SATA card may be your only option.

:cheers:

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

Reply | Quote

Acronis is right your clone will not boot on USB w/o a huge bit of tinkering and/or 3rd party s/w I would not trust. Linux is easy in this regard BTW.

And I would say so are you if your SSD fails. :rolleyes:

This looks like a desktop strange that it would have a drive soldered to the MB. The Dell blurp says it is expandable, is there an internal SATA connector available perhaps from the Optical drive? If not a PCI SATA card may be your only option.

:cheers:

Screwed, not soldered. It’s probably an mSATA or M2 socketed drive. You should be able to undo the screw and carefully lift it out.

Reply | Quote

The Dell blurp says it is expandable, is there an internal SATA connector available perhaps from the Optical drive?

The specs say that it will support 1-SSD and 3-HDD and ( as David suggests ) if there is a SATA connector for an OD I assume that you could change the boot order. Is that what you were leading to David?

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

Reply | Quote

Rather than clone – and waste a disk – image the disk and verify the image. Then you can restore when you really need to – and make a copy of the image for extra security.

cheers, Paul

Reply | Quote

Guys, I think Acronis is correct. Ok, we all know Windows prime, after computer post, will boot up to its normal user desktop from either the boot-stuff on drive C or the boot-stuff within System Reserved. I know of no way to usb-boot or DVD-boot into Windows prime and reach the normal desktop. What Acronis and Macrium and many other programs can do is usb-boot and/or dvd-boot into a WinPE environment or into a Windows’ rescue/repair menu board. I have never seen such external boots ever get into Windows’ normal user desktop.

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

Reply | Quote