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Question

Cloning to internal HD

Aug 9, 2015 8:36AM PDT

So a couple weeks ago I bought a second internal 1TB HD for my computer. I've been using Macrium Reflect to clone my regular drive onto my new one as a backup. However, I'm wondering is this the best way to 'back up' my main drive to the second drive? If windows has a problem/my computer won't boot, can I simply unplug the main drive and have it boot from the clone? Will it do it automatically? Or should I be doing images to my 2nd internal drive?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
It work with the programs I'm familiar with.
Aug 9, 2015 8:50AM PDT

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of backup/restore programs out there, but if the one you're using is reliable, yes that should work as long as something like a power surge or fire doesn't destroy both HDs at the same time.
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Good luck.

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Answer
Sometimes one more step.
Aug 9, 2015 9:39AM PDT

Most of the time I put the drive I want to boot in the position of the boot drive. You wrote you unplugged the old but didn't move the new one?

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Internal hdd
Aug 9, 2015 1:40PM PDT

No I have them both plugged in. I just clone the main drive onto the second drive every once in a while.

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So all you need is to test if the move is optional.
Aug 9, 2015 1:43PM PDT

This will vary by machine and OS. You'll have to test this out.

BTW that's no moon (or backup.) It's a good first step to backup but any nasty or other oops and both drives get wiped.