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Disk Cloning Question
Paul R. | 10/21/2025 | Me

Posted on 10/21/2025 7:42:59 AM PDT by Paul R.

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To: Bloody Sam Roberts
The new version (8.0.7783) did NOT have an option to Restore from image listed...whereas the older version did have that option.

I am not sure why you are a little confused about this.

You need to look a little closer it DOES have the option to Create and Restore images. I am using version 8.0.7783 right now; creating and restoring images is what I use it for the most. I typically do not image directly from one drive to another so that I can verify the image easily and use it again and again. I save the images on my network RAID drives.

You can use either the options under the Restore Heading at the very top or you can use the Existing backup tab below the big shortcut buttons. It does look a little different from the older version on the Hiren’s Boot CD, I prefer that version, but it works the same.

61 posted on 10/21/2025 2:30:05 PM PDT by fireman15
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To: fireman15
I'll look again but under Restore, the only options are...Redeploy to new hardware, Fix Windows boot problems, View unsupported devices, Explore image, Detach image.

Existing backup tab shows Image selected data or Backup files. Thereare no big shortcut buttons.

62 posted on 10/21/2025 2:53:58 PM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Perfection is impossible. But if you pursue perfection...you may achieve excellence.)
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To: Paul R.; All

Woo-hoo!!

The cloning process went well, and everything works fine, including my new switch & network organization: That was basically just putting the new 100/1000 switch ahead of my router, which has 10/100 Ethernet ports, so now all the “quick” stuff communicates to each other directly via the switch and is not limited by the router. The new USB 3.2 gen2 PCIe card seems to be working fine, and, my USB 3.2 gen2 hub* connected to it now finally working off a worthy port.

*Purchased a while back.

Negatives:

Because I’d disconnected the (E:) data drive, when I added it back in, it became the “G:” drive. So, I’ll have to be a little careful until I get used to that, about where I’m saving data. Windows seems to have “lost” a couple of the apps like Irfan View, due to the path change, I assume. (I can still run it, but I have to do so manually.) So, I need to correct that. “Downloads” (which I’d moved to the data drive also had to be retargeted.) (done)

I’m getting low on SATA power cables. The USB PCIe card needed SATA power too. All those “Y’s”are a bit messy. Maybe somebody has inexpensive. 3-way or 4-way “Y” SATA power cables. Time for a web search. :-)

The USB C port on the USB 3.2 gen 2 PCIe card is placed so close to the edge of the bracket, the computer case slightly interferes with the USB C plug from the hub. I had to cut away a bit of the soft plastic the metal part of the plug fits into.

The power supply for the fast Ethernet switch had under 2 ft. of cord! I had to dig up a 6’ extension cord (needing less than half that) to extend to the wal wart (supply). Later I’ll just splice in some 18-2 zip cord - I have almost 2000 ft. of the stuff. (eye roll!)

Too many cords! I spent a good half hour straightening them out & better organizing them, labelling some, re-labelling others... At my computer desk I have 3 desktop machines, 3 monitors, 2 printers, by the left side 2 more desktop machines, 2 sets of speakers, 3 keyboards (1 wireless), 2 Ethernet switches plus the router, a scanner, 2 speakers and a subwoofer, and in a separate cabinet on the right several battery chargers for rechargeable AA - D batteries are set up. Plus an old desk style “web office phone” from a former consulting job. I should just pull that out!

Those are mostly minor nits: All the potential serious trouble spots turned out to be nil. :-)


63 posted on 10/21/2025 2:54:33 PM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

Somehow you downloaded a different version than I did even though the numbers are identical.


64 posted on 10/21/2025 3:48:30 PM PDT by fireman15
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

The download installs two programs and maybe a third depending on the boxes that you check. Macrium Reflect and Macrium viBoot and I think something else. Are you sure that you are not looking at Macrium viBoot or the other one? It is a specialized program for virtual machines? I usually only install Macrium Reflect but if you are a box checker like my wife and check all of the boxes, who knows what you are looking at. I suggest you look at the title bar or the shortcut name. I can tell you for sure that you are not looking at the same program that I am.


65 posted on 10/21/2025 3:56:45 PM PDT by fireman15
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To: fireman15

nice- what model/brand did you go with?


66 posted on 10/21/2025 4:24:30 PM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: Paul R.

[[Too many cords!]]

Understatement of the year LOL :) I hate hate hate when i have to tear the com[puter down and unplug and sort everything- Somehow, the chords always seem to tangle themselves behind the tower while I’m not looking-


67 posted on 10/21/2025 4:32:58 PM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: fireman15

Thanks. I’ll double check.


68 posted on 10/21/2025 5:31:43 PM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Perfection is impossible. But if you pursue perfection...you may achieve excellence.)
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To: Bob434
nice- what model/brand did you go with?

During Prime Days I was able to get a mini-PC that had been selling for around $700 last summer... for $373. It is a:
Reatan A6 Mini Gaming PC AMD Oculink Ryzen 7 7840HS (8C/16T, up to 5.1GHz) Mini Desktop Computer, 32GB DDR5 5600MHz 1TB PCle4.0 SSD Mini PC, Quad Display&Dual 2.5G RJ45&HDMI/DP/USB-C, WiFi 6E, BT 5.2

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9F6PKZ5

This is the exact same hardware as the better known:
BOSGAME M4 Neo Mini PC, Mini Computers with AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, 32GB DDR5 1TB PCle SSD, 4K Triple Display, USB4.0, Oculink, Dual 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 6E/BT5.2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F5PGXYLF

The interesting thing about this computer is that the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS was one of the first processors that AMD put a neural processor in. Unfortunately getting the Neural Processor to work is an incredibly tedious process. The first problem was that the NPU was disabled by the BIOS that came with the computer probably to avoid the cost of providing technical support for procedures that most people would never be able to get through.

I took me two weeks to finally get Bosgame to send me a BIOS that did not have the NPU disabled. They were sending out units with the NPUs disabled as well. The BS I had to wade through was incredible with customer support lying constantly. But I finally convinced them to send the updated BIOS. After that I got the system to work and am happy with the results so far.

69 posted on 10/21/2025 6:04:17 PM PDT by fireman15
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

There is no real advantage or disadvantage that I am aware of to the newer release of Macrium Reflect as compared to the older version. Things have just been moved around a little.


70 posted on 10/21/2025 6:07:43 PM PDT by fireman15
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To: fireman15

Thanks for the l8nks. Ive seen the guy 8n the video 9n the first link quite a bit. Hes a tech dude, knows his stuff.

I havent decided on a mini yet, but am getting close. It sure is frustrat8ng when customer support either doesnt onow whzt they are talki g about or flat out lie. Ive had them lie to me 9n numerous occasions. I later found out the workarounds, when they fkat out said that they were not resp9nsible.

Adobe was a nightmare t9 deal with- found the solution onkine when they swore up and down there wss no way to deactivate an old phot9shop so i could reinstsll it

Long story short- there is a way, znd i am pretty sure they know how as the soluotion had been online for a long while.


71 posted on 10/21/2025 6:24:28 PM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: fireman15

The GUI for this current version of Macrium (free) seemed slightly better to me than what I used over 2 years ago, but, that may just be me. That said, it did seem slightly confusing initially when doing a dry run and choosing the disk to clone from: With a list of 4 disks being viewed (an external drive was still plugged in at that point, too, too), I found myself asking if “Clone this disk” was a footer of one disk’s “info field”, or the header of the next. The GUI of that page probably could be a little more “definite” in this regard.

Temporarily selecting the first or last disk on the list cleared that up, and, there are multiple indications / reminders later, so, at least working out of Windows 11 Pro, I likely didn’t really need to disconnect the uninvolved drives, so long as I proceeded carefully and methodically. Live and learn!

The whole process went nicely, and took just over 9 minutes for the actual clone operation to run.

I was surprised there seems to be no easy way to save a pdf of the results. The info. overran the window it was in, with the window height maxed out on my 1200 x 1920 monitor, until I went full screen. The I took a screen shot and copied it into IrfanView to “bold” the text a bit (gamma plus contrast correction) for my old eyes, and saved it both as a png and as a pdf, so I have a copy I can view or print “anywhere” if need be. Not that I likely would need to.

:-)


72 posted on 10/21/2025 7:16:48 PM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: SunkenCiv

I am not actually using Samsung SSD’s in this machine @ present, but, interesting info. nonetheless...


73 posted on 10/21/2025 8:42:47 PM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Paul R.; Bob434; Gideon7; Robert DeLong; Dr. Sivana; Retgearjammer; SunkenCiv; msrngtp2002; ...

Thanks to all who posted useful and / or interesting replies! Much appreciated!


74 posted on 10/21/2025 8:49:30 PM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Paul R.


75 posted on 10/21/2025 10:32:15 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (NeverTrumpin' -- it's not just for DNC shills anymore -- oh, wait, yeah it is.)
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To: Paul R.

Does Win 11 have the “drive manager” app? Just re-designate the drive letter and paths to what you want.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/disk-management/change-a-drive-letter


76 posted on 10/22/2025 3:01:18 AM PDT by Openurmind (AI - An Illusion for Aptitude Intrusion to Alter Intellect. )
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To: Openurmind

Yes, “Disk Management”. I can rename “G:” to “E:”, but does “E” then automatically become the now available “G”? I dunno.

I guess I could rename “E” to, oh, say, “M”, then rename “G” to “E”, then “M” to “G”?

A “drive” is really just a designated (letter named) partition, in some sense, right?


77 posted on 10/22/2025 9:58:43 AM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Openurmind; fireman15

Macrium may have allowed me to arbitrarily assign an unused (open) drive letter to the new drive, but if so, I missed it. :-(


78 posted on 10/22/2025 10:03:19 AM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Paul R.

Forgot to mention that I swapped the 2x 16 GB Ram sticks from the old Win 10 Pro machine into the new Win 11 Pro machine. So far, I’ve not done anything such that I could likely tell a difference...


79 posted on 10/22/2025 10:33:10 AM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Paul R.

(The new machine came with 2x 8 GB sticks of RAM in it.)


80 posted on 10/22/2025 11:37:26 AM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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