Cloning 2 drives


  1. Posts : 279
    Win 10 Pro 64 Bit
       #1

    Cloning 2 drives


    I want to clone 2 1TB drives with Macrium Reflect.
    Instead of buying 2 individual drives, can get one 2TB and partition it into 2? This'll work just as well ?
    Thanks
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 4,780
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #2

    No, During the process, the Destination drive is wiped of any data or partitions. The cloning process takes an image of your Source drive and then clones it, as is, to the Destination drive. If the Destination drive is larger then the Source drive, it will increase the size of the clone to take up the whole drive.
    What you Can do, is to take an Image file of both HDD's save the images to a third drive and then Partition the Destination drive into Two partitions, then restore the image of each drive to the partition you want.
    Or forget the Clone job all together and just stick with making Images, you can fit several images on a drive but only one Clone
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  3. Posts : 279
    Win 10 Pro 64 Bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks very much for the info. Seems a good workaround If I understand correctly? I would make an image of each 1TB drive and save them. Then partition the 2TB into two and restore each image to one of the partitions? When you say "Partition the Source drive into Two" Would that not be the target ??
    Might I strike any problems booting from whichever partition is the boot one ? The BIOS lets me select a boot drive, how about a boot partition.
    Should have bought two drives but I haven't.
    I could also keep the images as another backup I guess?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 4,780
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #4

    Yes, my bad, I meant Destination Drive.
    We strongly suggest Imaging your computer and saving the Image to another drive that doesn't have the OS on it. If the OS becomes infected, or the drive fails, you can easily restore your image and be back to where you were when the image was created. Within minutes, not hours or days.
    Having a drive with two Windows OS's on each partition will probably confuse the Bios into which one to boot from unless you specify it in a Boot loader like EasyBCD. Why do you want two versions of Windows to boot from? If you have two drives with Windows on it now, why not put both in the computer and select which drive to boot from in the Bios?
    If the reason you are cloning is for backup, then Imaging is the way to go.
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  5. Posts : 279
    Win 10 Pro 64 Bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    > If the reason you are cloning is for backup, then Imaging is the way to go.
    I didn't appreciate that, thinking a 1:1 clone would be the most robust. And more easily restored.
    But it is for archival only, they are M2 drives. I can never "use" them as the OS password is unknown. But I do want to keep them "as is" just in case it is found later on. They aren't two boot dives - one is and the other a data drive.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4,780
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #6

    If you don't know the password of the Windows you are cloning, then you still won't be able to boot into the desktop on the clone job?
    If you if you used to login with Microsoft Account and forgot the Password, you can go to https://account.microsoft.com/ and try to login with the last password, when that fails, choose Forgot Password, and it will ask you your security questions and send you a code via you smart phone or Email address.
    The Data drive does not need to be cloned or imaged. You can just copy and paste, or drag and drop it to a new partition.
    As for Clone as opposed to Image, an Image can be added to with Macrium. You can do an Incremental Backup, just backing up the files that have changed since the last Full Backup and adding that to the image to keep it current.
    A clone cannot be added to. It will remain, Robust, as the day it was first cloned and will not be current with new files that are created since the clone.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 279
    Win 10 Pro 64 Bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    I have removed the M2 drives and making the image/clone in another computer.
    What you say about the password is interesting... but I can't log into an MS account as I don't know that password. I'm resigned to not being able to boot and just being able to archive the system. I don't want to ever add to it, just keep it "as is".
    I have run into stalls with drag'n drop copying with wanting admin access and who-knows-what else. I figured using MR would avoid that. So far so good, I've early finished the first image.
    Thanks for all the advice , btw :)
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 4,780
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #8

    If you if you used to login with Microsoft Account and forgot the Password, you can go to https://account.microsoft.com/ and try to login with the last password, when that fails, choose Forgot Password, and it will ask you your security questions and send you a code via you smart phone or Email address.
    That is the point of trying to login to https://account.microsoft.com/ you can press Forgot Password, and then it will ask you security questions. If you linked your Smart Phone to your account, or Email address, it will send you a code to your phone or Email to type in and give you access or allow you to change your password.
    When copying large files, you can install TeraCopy. If the copy or paste is interrupted, TeraCopy will allow you to start where you left off and not from the beginning, it also protects against stalls. But if imaging is working for you then stay with that.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 279
    Win 10 Pro 64 Bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Hi there, many thanks for that info, will give it a go,

    - - - Updated - - -

    Spunk, can you tell me a wee bit more about the password thing ? I always thought the password was stored in the computer.
    I don't know if a logon was via MS account. How could I confirm that ?
    Unfortunately at the moment the computer won't boot and I'm in a case with Asus to try and see why.
      My Computer


 

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