Cloning XP Boot Camp partition...

[balamw]

Anyone have any ideas for cloning the XP partition?

I just got Visa RC2 and want to try that, but I want to be able to go back to my current XP install if and when I get bored of messing with Vista.

I guess I could just use dd from terminal, but I'm looking for something a bit more friendly like Acronis or Ghost. Do any of these types of tools understand the hybrid GPT/MBR structure Boot Camp apparently uses...

B

 

[mustgroove]

Don't use Acronis or Ghose, there's a free alternative...

Grab BartPE Builder (http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/download/) and DriveImage XML (http://www.runtime.org/dixml.htm)... Not sure if you're familiar with the idea of a Live CD, but basically BartPE will take your (legit) Windows install CD and turn it into a "Live CD", which is a version of Windows which is totally self-enclosed and bootable off the CD... The DriveImage XML program needs to be installed in the BartPE Builder as well, or else the Live CD won't have that plugin available...

Once you've got your Live CD with the DriveImage plugin, here's what you do:

1) Boot into OS X
2) Connect a USB hard drive, to which you're gonna copy the image of the Bootcamp partition (I've only tried USB but Firewire may well work as well)
3) Reboot the computer while holding down the Alt key... you'll get the startup disc menu... Select the CD
4) The Live CD will boot... when you've got the desktop, find the menu and navigate to the DriveImage XML plugin...
5) Follow the instructions in DriveImage XML - basically you select the partition you want to backup, select a destination (the USB disc) and it just does its thing...


To restore a partition just reboot into the Live CD and launch DriveImage XML as above, select the target partition on your Mac, and then select the backed up version on you USB disc...

One thing though - if you want the USB drive to be visible to the Live CD, it has to be plugged in and turned on BEFORE the CD starts booting... you can even leave it as late as turning it on while the initial Alt-key startup disc menu is still being displayed, but make sure it's on before you start booting into the Live CD or it won't see the drive...

 

[balamw]

Grab BartPE Builder (http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/download/) and DriveImage XML (http://www.runtime.org/dixml.htm)...

Thanks, I'm familiar with Bart's so I'll check out DI XML.

(I also own copies of both Acronis & Ghost, so if an upgrade was all I need, I'd do that...)

B

 

[jroad]

Thanks, I'm familiar with Bart's so I'll check out DI XML.

(I also own copies of both Acronis & Ghost, so if an upgrade was all I need, I'd do that...)

B

Has anyone had success using Acronis True Image for a restore? I made an image of my Windows partition on a Mac Pro but have been unable to do a restore. The restore fails when using the boot CD with USB support, the True Image program does not respond to my mouse (Logitech wireless) or keyboard (usb).

When trying to restore without the CD (load XP->run True Image->choose restore->restart) I am getting a keyboard stuck error.

Regards

 

[sushi]

FWIW, I asked the Carbon Copy Cloner folks about backing up the Windows partition.

They said they are working on a solution at this time.

As nice as CCC is for the Mac side, my bet is that they will have a nice solution for the Windows partition side.

...here's to hoping that's true!

 

[jroad]

Has anyone had success using Acronis True Image for a restore? I made an image of my Windows partition on a Mac Pro but have been unable to do a restore. The restore fails when using the boot CD with USB support, the True Image program does not respond to my mouse (Logitech wireless) or keyboard (usb).

When trying to restore without the CD (load XP->run True Image->choose restore->restart) I am getting a keyboard stuck error.

Regards

Alright I figured out how to restore an Acronis True Image 9 image. Acronis does not support support True Image on a Mac.

So, first, you have to do a "Complete" install of True Image. This places a BartPE plugin in your Acronis install folder. You then need to make a BartPE boot disc and use this plugin. Note that the plugin on the Acronis web site only works for True Image 8. (I found out the time consuming way).

The image I used was on a USB drive and had to power on the drive from the OS X boot menu in order for it to be detected in the BartPE environment.

Regards