Exact disk clone

[aartdesigns]

I have used various cloning products to make clone backups of my system drive (either direct disk-to-disk or via imaging). A serious drawback that I have found it that they do not, in fact, make an EXACT copy of the original drive, by not copying the GUID or UUID of the original drive, and instead, assign a new identifier. When I install the cloned drive, many programs see this as a new installation and require reactivation, which is quite a pain.
Is there a cloning product that will copy the original identifier as well to avoid this issue?

 

[clutchc]

I've cloned various HDDs and SDDs over the years and never had that problem. Mostly I use this: http://www.easeus.com/disk-copy/index.htm
Or I'll make a disk image in Win7 and restore it to a new HDD or SDD.

 

[aartdesigns]

Yes. I've used Acronis (TrueImage), and Easus products (ToDo Backup, Partition Master), and Win7.
When I install the cloned drive (no matter what product I use), various programs think they are no longer activated. My research into this issue indicates that the GUID is different. Using DISKPART to identify the device ID confirms this, insomuch as the disks do not share the same GUID, and therefore the programs think they are new installations. The programs in question are ones that have a single machine license. Not all my programs have this issue. Just the single-machine licence programs.
The original HDD/SSD as well as the cloned HDD/SSD are being installed on the same machine, so the only difference is the HDD/SSD physical drive.
I understand that I can change the GUID for a drive using DISKPART, but that's a pain.

 

[The Original Ralph]

I have used various cloning products to make clone backups of my system drive (either direct disk-to-disk or via imaging). A serious drawback that I have found it that they do not, in fact, make an EXACT copy of the original drive, by not copying the GUID or UUID of the original drive, and instead, assign a new identifier. When I install the cloned drive, many programs see this as a new installation and require reactivation, which is quite a pain.
Is there a cloning product that will copy the original identifier as well to avoid this issue?

I had the exact same problem, especially having to re-activate adobe photoshop cs3 - and if i hadn't de-activated it prior to the clone, adobe only allows you 2 free re-activations, so it's a phone call into CSR

solution - with easeus todo backup, on the 2nd page where you select the target drive, be sure to select "sector by sector" - then no re-activations required. Another benefit, if doing a sector by sector clone, i could use that cloned drive as my OS drive, and it would boot from the get go - if i didn't, i'd have to use the windows dvd to "repair the installation" so the boot files it hadn't copied or copied correctly, would be repaired. Download their freeware version and you'll see

fwiw

 

[aartdesigns]

I have used various cloning products to make clone backups of my system drive (either direct disk-to-disk or via imaging). A serious drawback that I have found it that they do not, in fact, make an EXACT copy of the original drive, by not copying the GUID or UUID of the original drive, and instead, assign a new identifier. When I install the cloned drive, many programs see this as a new installation and require reactivation, which is quite a pain.
Is there a cloning product that will copy the original identifier as well to avoid this issue?

I had the exact same problem, especially having to re-activate adobe photoshop cs3 - and if i hadn't de-activated it prior to the clone, adobe only allows you 2 free re-activations, so it's a phone call into CSR

solution - with easeus todo backup, on the 2nd page where you select the target drive, be sure to select "sector by sector" - then no re-activations required. Another benefit, if doing a sector by sector clone, i could use that cloned drive as my OS drive, and it would boot from the get go - if i didn't, i'd have to use the windows dvd to "repair the installation" so the boot files it hadn't copied or copied correctly, would be repaired. Download their freeware version and you'll see

fwiw

In fact, I am using ToDo Backup v9, and have tried the sector-by-sector method as well. Same thing happens with having to re-activate all my single-machine license programs (haven't had the issue with Adobe, though. knock on wood.)
I have heard some people have the problem you mention, with not being able to boot a cloned system drive. Luckily, I have not experienced that particular issue. I have done RAW cloning, Disk-to-disk (direct cloning to an eHDD with the old HDD still as main OS drive), and restoring to a second HDD from an image. They all boot just fine, and work just fine... except for the re-activation(s) issue.
I guess if that is the worst thing happening.... it could be worse.

 

[ArtPog]

I've been using the Casper disk-cloning program (http://www.fssdev.com) for many years, chiefly as a comprehensive backup vehicle and I never have run into the issue you raised. I was curious about it so I contacted Casper's tech support with your query. Here's their response...

Hi Art,

All disks must have an unique disk signature assigned. There is no way around this because Windows uses this signature to differentiate disks and identify volumes. For example, if more than one disk attached to your PC has the same disk signature, Windows will take the conflicting disk(s) offline.

A disk signature for an MBR partitioned disk is a pseudo-random generated 32-bit value based on the time that the disk was initialized. This signature is what Windows uses to associate volume names (e.g., drive letters, unique volume names paths, etc.).

A disk signature for a GPT partitioned disk is a globally unique id (GUID) generated at the time that the disk was initialized. A GPT partitioned disk also uses unique partition signatures -- i.e., on a GPT partitioned disk, the disk as well as all partitions are assigned different GUID values at time of creation. Again, Windows uses these values to maintain the association of volume names on a GPT partitioned disk.

While some product license activation processes are known to tie the license activation process to a drive's volume serial number, this is yet another number. A volume serial number is assigned when a drive is formatted. Casper clones the volume serial number by default, but this can be changed in the Casper Options (e.g., Casper Explorer -> Options -> Copy Preferences -> Always copy volume serial number)..

I am not aware of any product license activation processes that tie the activation process to disk signatures or partition signatures. (I suspect such an activation process would be a nightmare for enterprises.) None the less, a disk cloning/imaging utility that sets out to defeat the functionality of a product license activation process would be an entirely different kind of utility. Simply consider that when you clone a disk (or create or restore an image of a disk), you are making a copy of the contents of that disk, including the software on that disk. The licensor of any software or other intellectual property installed on that disk has no idea what your intentions are with respect to that copy. For example, are you going to illegally distribute it? (Think disreputable OEMs distributing unlicensed copies of Windows with new PCs, which was a major problem for MS before MS introduced Windows Product Activation.) Consequently, product activation schemes that tie the software license to a specific drive are doing so to prevent the end user from making unlicensed copies. If you have to reactivate the software after migrating your system disk to a new disk, just remember that the software protection process employed by the licensor is simply doing its job...
Regards,
Brian
Technical Support
Future Systems Solutions
www.fssdev.com

I thought this might be of interest to you so I'm passing it on.

 

[The Original Ralph]

don't know if will help, but when i used samsung's data migration software to clone my OS drive to my new 950 PRO drive, it cloned it so exact, when i rebooted, the orig OS drive was "offline" and investigating it, it indicated it was offline due to a "signature collision" - suspect what the response ArtPog got was talking about

if your target drive is a samsung retail drive, it should work for you - but it won't clone to a non-samsung drive, nor a samsung OEM drive. It's apparently software from Clonix but while i found them, i couldn't find their software for sale online

here's link to samsung's migration software http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/minisite/SSD/global/html/support/downloads.html?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000170