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Acronis 2015 bootable media failed to recover image to a new HDD

1K views 14 replies 3 participants last post by  m_tawfik15 
#1 ·
Dear Sirs
I created image file for my drive C: including MBR and track zero using Acronis 2015 bootable media. When I recover this image to same HDD it works fine and the machine boots up successfully, however when I recover same image to a new HDD (larger) it does not boot and I got error that there is no operating system. That occurs despite of I selected my C: partition and MBR and track zero as I usually do.
I would appreciate very if you advised me how to solve this problem.
Sometimes I can use Windows DVD to repair new HDD, but that does not work every time.
My operating system is Windows 7 ultimate SP1
Best regards,
M. Tawfik
 
#2 ·
When Windows installs, it creates a small Hidden Partition called System Reserved. This partition holds the boot information.
If you go to Start/Search and type diskmgmt.msc, and right click the diskmgmt results and Run As Administrator. In the Disk Management window in the lower pane, you should be able to see this.
If you imaged the full disk, including the hidden partition, and not just the C: drive, Then the computer should boot. If you made an image of just the C: drive and restored it to your old HDD with the hidden partition still on it, then the computer would boot because it has access to the System Reserved partition.
 
#3 ·
Dear spunk.funk
Thank you for your reply
I followed your instructions and checked diskmgmt and ran it As Administrator.
However, I did not find “System Reserved” partition, and my PC still booting without this partition.
Would you advise further
Best regards
 
#5 ·
Dear spunk.funk
Yes, my computer is working fine, but I want to replace small HDD by a larger one.
I will attached the screenshot later on today.
And I could figure why there is no System Reserved partition, although my PC is working fine. As I said before when I created image file for my PC, I did not take the “System Reserved” in the image. Later on I restored this image to another HDD, it did not boot up, so I used Windows DVD to repair start up, I repeated this repair two or three times. In the end my HDD booted up but there is no “System Reserved”
Best regards
 
#7 ·
When Windows is installed cleanly, it loads a small system partition on the front of the C: drive.
If the pictured HDD was also cloned (and then repaired via the Windows DVD, there would be no System Reserved Partition and the computer will boot normally.
 
#8 ·
...That occurs despite of I selected my C: partition and MBR and track zero as I usually do.
I've been using Acronis since 2009 and have never selected to restore the MBR, or anything to do with Track 0. This is created when the drive is initialized/formatted. I've gone from small drives to larger and larger drives with no problems.

spam.funk said:
When Windows installs, it creates a small Hidden Partition called System Reserved.
I believe there is some confusion here. I am running Windows 7 Ultimate and there is no System Reserved partition shown in Disk Management. I know 10 has this, and maybe 8/8.1.
 
#10 ·
When you install Windows 7 or up, you do not need to create a partition and format it. If you install a blank (RAW) drive and choose Install, Windows will create the small System Reserved Partition. Along with the C: drive and automatically format it.
If you first Partition the drive and Format it, then install Windows 7, it will not create the system reserved partition.
 
#11 ·
...If you install a blank (RAW) drive and choose Install, Windows will create the small System Reserved Partition. Along with the C: drive and automatically format it.
If you first Partition the drive and Format it, then install Windows 7, it will not create the system reserved partition.
So that's what it is. I did a trial run of Windows 10 Pro a short time ago. It insists on installing to a "raw" drive. This could be because the file system is different. It's an old habit of mine to partition a drive before anything else. This is why I don't see a reserve area on my HD for Win 7.

Acronis 2017 will restore to a raw drive. It creates the exact layout of the backup image. In this situation, I don't know if it restores the MBR or not. I didn't select it. It restarted with no problems.
 
#12 ·
Dear all,
I agree that when I install Win7 in a new HDD, windows will create a System reserved partition. However when I create TIB backup for my C: without this partition and restored it to a new HDD (say HDD2) , then used Windows DVD to repair it; I got a bootable HDD (2) without the system reserved partition.
The question now is when I cerate image file for this one (HDD 2) which has no system reserved, why this image will not boot up if it was restored to a new (HDD 3)
Best regards
 
#14 ·
Dear all,
I agree that when I install Win7 in a new HDD, windows will create a System reserved partition. However when I create TIB backup for my C: without this partition...
This reads like you're doing file-and-folder backups instead of doing a partition image. Each drive letter, C: for example, is a partition. I don't know what the process looks like in Acronis 2015. Below are two screen snips from Acronis 2017:

The one on the left is the main entry to doing partition backups. The smaller one on the right shows a partition list. Notice that I selected the bootable partition on the primary drive, even though it is a split drive with two partitions. This is the method you must use to get a proper restore that will boot.
 

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#13 · (Edited)
Since you did not Clone the Whole disk, including the Hidden System Reserved partition, and just did the C: drive, then each consequential clone of just the C: drive without the Hidden Partition, will have to be repaired with the DVD each time you restore that clone, even though the cloned drive was repaired with a DVD previously.
In the process of Restoring a Clone to another drive, Acronis and every other Cloning software, wipes the Destination (target) drive of all data before restoring a cloned image
 
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