best hard disk cloning software?

Question

Hello all, I have a Dim 8300. I am trying to replace out my factory WD 200GB IDE drive with 2 Samsung 160GB SATA drives. I got the first Samsung in the case, connected and formatted. I tried using a free WD copy program but got a bunch of errors from the Office software, so I just wiped the disk and now I'm starting over. The OS will be all on my first Samsung. The second drive is only there to store select images, documents and other things.   What is the best (if possible, free) disk cloning software out there? I do not want to have to boot off a disc or something like that. Select old drive, select new drive, hit copy...that is what I want. I want no errors this time around.     Thanks for your help!

ejn63 · Answer

The trial version will run only under Windows- you cannot use it from a boot CD.

miniz · Answer

Will the trial version work for me?

mombodog · Answer

Do not know, what does it say about trial, usually they disable necessary features, or nobody would buy it.

mombodog · Answer

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/     this is the home version   http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATICW/    workstation version, more for corporate environment   Best I have ever used...

europa303 · Answer

Actually, I used the free trial version of Acronis to clone a noisy Seagate Barracuda 80 gig to another.  Worked perfectly.  I liked it so much I bought the program and have used it again twice for similar clones.  Again, both clones perfect.  Highly recommended.

mombodog · Answer

So much for my theory  :smileyvery-happy:   Thanks for the insight europa..

europa303 · Answer

It was only $29 when I downloaded it from Newegg 6 or 8 months ago. New version 10 is out now, I got version 9.

mombodog · Answer

If you registered the product on their website, you can get upgrades for that version free.   register here https://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/my/updates/

miniz · Answer

Did the trial have all the features activated? I just cannot see spending $50 to clone one hard drive, once. The hard drive didn't even cost much more then that!

shesagordie · Answer

miniz

You can download the full retail copy of True Image 10.0 @ $31.90 and burn it to a CD, from here,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E1681528708SF

The Acronis True Image 10.0 pdf Manual, can be download from here,

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/docs/

Bev.

Please don't send me questions about your system by DCF Messenger.
Post the issue in the appropriate Board, where they will be answered.

europa303 · Answer

miniz, my recollection is that it was full featured.  The clone feature is the only thing I wanted and it worked perfectly.

Timdrouilard · Answer

If I recall, the only way the trial copy is crippled, is that you cannot restore an image using a bootable CD. I could be mistaken as it's been quite a while since I converted from Ghost to Trueimage (back when Trueimage 8 was new).   Download the trail and try it. What do you have to lose??

miniz · Answer

:smileyvery-happy:   I am SO HAPPY right now!!! I've been fighting with this stupid image problem for 2 weeks trying this software and that software. NOTHING copied the disk 100%. There were ALWAYS errors, UNTIL I used Acronis. I just downloaded the 15 day fully featured free trial and used it to create an exact image of my old disk and put it onto my new disk outside of Windows (that must have been the key!). I started the computer and guess, what? Everything works correctly, even MS programs!   Thanks so much you all!!! Time to take out the old drive and insert the remaining Samsung back-up disk!

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best hard disk cloning software?

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