Would it be prudent to un-install RB before restoring from image?

[Froggie]

Originally Posted by tubby

-I now feel (fairly) comfortable making my first image as soon as I buy an Imaging product. Looks like Horizon has a sweet deal this weekend on their own imager, Drive Cloner Rx. I have to think it will work if I follow your sage wisdom! -I will investigate the "boot" by external disk and the MBR restore features I will need.

I don't mean this as a dis, but pls don't be in a big hurry to buy DC. A quick look at the online documentation shows no options to deal with the MBR separately (it may do it by default) when imaging, and no mention of any options when using the RESTORE feature of the BOOT CD. You really need to get these questions answered prior to purchase.

As I said, there are many other successful off-line imagers available that have those mentioned options. Due diligence (to save money)... due diligence

[tubby]

Ok ok.....I will not be hasty in my selection of an Imaging product! Thanks for the response. I will tread lightly! This "imaging" thing is one "dilly of a pickle" I must say! -But what magic when under control it must be.

Nexstar's latest tool, the "docking" station sounds nifty. "An EXACT CLONE" in every way! (I hope the tool itself's firmware/software handles the MBR/first sector nicely) I can see a desktops harddrive fairly easy to deal with using such a docking station but a laptop....hmmmm.

Tubby

[nexstar]

Originally Posted by tubby

Nexstar's latest tool, the "docking" station sounds nifty. "An EXACT CLONE" in every way! (I hope the tool itself's firmware/software handles the MBR/first sector nicely) I can see a desktops harddrive fairly easy to deal with using such a docking station but a laptop....hmmmm.

Tubby

Time will tell but, I wouldn't expect anything less than an exact copy, including the MBR. If you watch the short video on their own website here then it mentions copying the boot sector specifically and I haven't read anything to the contrary. In fact, if it doesn't copy track 0, including the mbr, then it'll be going back!

It will handle 2.5" laptop drives just as easily and you could even clone a 2.5" drive to a 3.5" drive. This would be cheaper as a backup but not so good when you go to put it back into the laptop .

As to how easy it is to do depends on your laptop. The machine I mainly use is a Dell Inspiron XPS M1530 with a 120GB 2.5" SSD drive. The drive slots into the side of the laptop and has 2 retaining screws. I normally leave these out as the machine is rarely moved and the drive is a good firm fit. So it is pretty easy then to remove the drive for copying or to swap it with another drive for testing purposes. The drives on most laptops are quite simple to remove. Which laptop is it?

Graham

[Owl]

Agreed - modern notebooks are no problem to get at the hard drive. Gone are the days when it was a major surgical operation.