Imaging entire hard drive with TrueImage

Question

I wish to use Acronis TrueImage V9 to create a complete image of my (newly purchased but not yet delivered) Inspiron e1505 hard drive. I have read on this forum that there are several hidden partitions including one called an HPA. Can anyone tell me if this will be possible and if so, how? I think there may be a way to force TrueImage into a sector by sector copy mode which would copy everything, even portions it may not recognize. By the way, I have written to Acronis support with this question, but their responses so far have been non-responsive!

ejn63 · Answer

Yes, you can image the entire disc with TrueImage.

paroots · Answer

Thanks. That's very encouraging and timely! Can you tell me the steps? I ask this because there are several possibilities within TrueImage (eg, backup image, clone, etc). Is there something special must one do in order to copy the sectors where the HPA lives?

ejn63 · Answer

Choose Backup, select all partitions, select the external drive where you want the image stored, and click through the other options.

agdds · Answer

I am in the process of this right now.  What you want to do is create a bootable CD with Trueimage, then boot to that and make your copy.  I am copying it to a usb hard drive.  After that I am going to do a complete wipe of the drive, leaving only the 50MB partition and reinstall windows without all the bloatware.   Good luck.  So far my only problem is with the Dell Restore.  Acronis is working great.    PS  You can get True Image cheaper through NewEgg than through Acronis.

boppo · Answer

newegg had it for 19.99. good program

paroots · Answer

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm still concerned about the ability of TI to image the entire hard drive based upon another thread in which it was stated:

"The MediaDirect partition is a completely different animal. No, it is not embedded inside one of the two hidden Dell partitions. It is a totally separate disk space set inside a HPA (Host-Protected Area) and masked by the disk controller itself. XP can't see it. Ghost can't see it. TI can't see it. Even Partition Magic can't see it."

As stated, TI (TrueImage) is unable to see this HPA area. The full thread can be found at:
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_harddrive&message.id=53502&query.id=75928#M53502

Perhaps someone has actually performed the backup of hard drive and verified the results.

paroots · Answer

I just heard back from Acronis. Here is an excerpt from their email:

==============

We regret to inform you that Acronis doesn't support HPA officially. Probably HPA will be supported in one of the future versions of Acronis True Image.

Thank you.
--
Best regards,
Dennis Kurochkin
===============

If anyone has managed to copy the HPA (host protected area) despite the above, I would very much appreciate hearing about it. I find it curious that they said 'officially'. Does that mean they 'unofficially' support it?

paroots · Answer

I would like to make a complete image of hard drive using Acronis TrueImage V9. Has anyone successfully done this? As noted above, I am particularly concerned about this HPA partition.

GreyMack · Answer

The thread you linked previously indicates that it may be technically possible to back up the Media Direct feature from the HPA, but the far simpler solution at this point in time may be to obtain the Media Direct installation CD, and (presumably) use it in conjunction with imaging software when replacing the system disk. (I also presume the Media Direct feature survives well in the HPA on the original system disk, and will only need to be reinstalled when replacing the system disk.)

Imaging software alone may someday become sufficient for the task of capturing and restoring data in the HPA of a disk, but the immediate need is mitigated so long as the installation software is available and the procedure is compatible with imaging/restoring the rest of the disk. It does add a step to the recovery process for Media Direct when the system drive is replaced, whether you're using imaging software or performing a clean installation to otherwise prepare the replacement.

Any HPA content like Media Direct is probably going to be easier to install than it is to copy or image, at least until imaging software automates the process. Imaging software remains valid for all reported areas of the disk, it just can't address areas that virtually don't exist.

This article on "Computer Forensics and the ATA Interface" has some interesting information regarding HPA.
http://www.foi.se/upload/rapporter/foi-computer-forensics.pdf

GM

paroots · Answer

Thanks for the feedback. It certainly seems that using Acronis TI v9 in combination with the MediaDirect reinstallation CD would be the best approach. I've ordered this CD from Dell, but have not yet received it. I'm curious though why no one has documented the results of doing this as a recipe with the results indicated.

Storage, Drives & Media

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