G+_Rud Dog Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Looking for a quick imaging hardware to create disk images of my PC's and Mac's. Would like it to be cross platform and if possible not necessitate removing the drive from the machine. Looking to be able to image a drive before performing any major changes to PC or Mac; upgrade hardware, add new software, restore when problems occur. You get the idea. Simplicity is the last key in my search for the perfect duplication of running OS's on my PC's and Mac's. Guessing the common access to both platforms is USB that might be key as well or is there a duplicator(hardware) which functions over my LAN? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Eddie Foy Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Does CGWIN (sp?) have dd? But I'd suggest just running VMs. Systems are single files (usually) copy-able, easy restore, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_James Berry Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 For the Mac side of things, buy a drive with 2x the drive capacity of your drive. I bought a 2TB USB3 LaCie Porsche with the plan to migrate from my 500GB 7200 RPM spinning HDD to a 1TB (preferably SSD or Hybrid). Time Machine for OS X is super simple, connect the drive as the "Time Machine" drive and allow it to run a full backup and then afterwards it performs incremental backups and will let you know if you haven't backed up so you can have it keep things currently backed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 Eddie Foy Not sure all that rings a bell sounds like stuff from my Unix days but as said memory ain't what it used to be. Want something I can plug into any one of the systems start the image process and come back to a finished copy. James Berry Have that going on time machine dumping to WD Mycloud but want fail safe for the reasons stated. Nothing like finding your computer coughing and sputtering only to me saved by removing the hard drive and replacing it with a fresh newly copied image. Wayne Hobbins So you can create images with out removing the drives with the combination you suggested don't mind spending less then 200.00 dollars for such a set up and forget till it is ready. The simplicity is sounding like it matches my needs. Thanks all time for purchase and experimentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 My first question Wayne Hobbins , do you have to install a copy of True Image on every machine in need of imaging? They seem to have one copy for PC's and one copy for Mac's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_James Berry Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Leo is darn close to being an edge case. He swaps hardware a lot more often than we normal people will ever do. Time Machine is steady and easy to implement and requires an external HDD, nothing more. You'll need the external HDD anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 In the case of something unforeseen happening to existing drives on any one of my computers a drive with image at the ready would be available . This would ensure the downtime would be as simple as removing the old drive and installing the new imaged drive. When timemachine was setup for the first time I do believe it did a complete backup and from there on it saves files which are changed or new. Don't think it creates a new image wouldn't be practicable. Need simplicity in bringing the system back up meaning grab the imaged drive drop it in and from there allow Timemachine add files needed not on imaged drive. Same goes for PC's drop in the imaged drive and allow restore of files not imaged. The deal on 3 computers for 60.00 dollars was unclear sent in a question asking if you can mix and match the downloads for imaging PC's and Mac's. It to bad the software needed to image a drive is not on the hardware. http://www.amazon.com/ORICO-External-Docking-Duplicator-Function/dp/B00JJEUL5W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 I boot to VHD files for Windows which is similar to what you're trying to accomplish. I can boot to a DVD and copy the virtual disk to another drive then do my changes. It's far from instantaneous and not cross platform. For that, you'll have to use VMs - but that wouldn't really support Apple OS... The smartest thing is to just keep the majority of your data on a separate drive. I don't mind reinstalling Windows on a new VHD now because I can always boot to the old and the files I care about are on other drives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 Thanks Ben Reese took a few minutes to play with this and found it to be useful but not how my minds eye saw the solution I was looking for only becuase if the disk drive the VHD is stored on (each computer only has one drive in it) failed would lose all including the VHD. Oh and it is very possible I missed your point on how this would work due to my ignorance in how it would be setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_James Berry Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 If your Mac needs to be redone due to failing HDD, Time Machine is an option that's easy as it's on the boot screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 Sorry James Berry , not sure what that means? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 Wait, you mean you can boot from the backup which in my case is on a drive via ethernet if/when you hard drive fails? Of course I understand you would have to put in a new drive on the Mac before attempting but is this the case? Not sure what the option/alt does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 So, I think the only solution that might be cross-platform is a hardware raid 1 (full redundancy on 2 drives). Pull the 2nd and replace with a fresh drive then upgrade the OS. If there's a problem, remove the 2 drives and put the original 2nd back in to get back to where you were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 Ben Reese Mirroring the drives is indeed a great option, now need to find out if it is possible to mirror a disk drive via a USB port after which could disconnect and store away. This would allow future updates of the mirror by simply connecting the drive again and allowing the sync to occur. What do you all think is this possible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 First update on conversation: True Image mix and match on PC/Mac from a review read on PCMag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 Going to have to do a comparison between TrueImage and SyncBackPro they both have a lot going for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 Had no idea how much is involved in removing the drive from an Imac going to have to cross my fingers and hope the drive can be imaged via USB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Wayne Hobbins Just received my Orico 6629 duplicator connected to the Mac via USB cable dropped a drive in the target bay of the Orico. Don't remember so long ago I setup the mac for Time Machine but will ask here. Is there an image function in TM which will allow me to image its drive to the target drive in the Orico? Any and all help is appreciated. BTW did not order Trueimage yet waiting to see if I really need it based on my question here in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Started the format of the new drive and it appears to take longer then a PC didn't see a check box for quick format. Ended up downloading a free software package called Carbon Copy Clone. Now if the format will ever end I can start the clone process. Ran into a gotcha would like to share. The drives come unformated when I placed one in the Orico and connected it to the Imac it would not see it therefore could not format it. So removed it formatted it on the PC then returned it to the Imac started the format and all was well with the cross platform world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 Project complete and the cloning software allows the inserting of the drive, lets say a month down the road, for updating files which have changed on the source drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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