[SOLVED] System Drive built after cloning...but can't access it.

[tgrgary]

HI, I recently bought a new PC. I wanted to clone my SSD drive to the bigger backup hard drive so I downloaded Macrium Reflect to do the cloning. The cloning went fine except at one point it asked for permission. I wasn't sure why it asked as I never had a cloning software do it before, but I was able to click thru it. After the drive was cloned I had a SYSTEM D: drive which keeps giving me an access error and there is no security tab on the properties of the drive. I also noticed my backup/destination drive was reporting it's available/total space incorrectly. It had basically had been cut in half. So now I had a drive I couldn't access and my secondary drive is reporting it's storage incorrectly.

I followed some steps to try and remove the SYSTEM drive as it looked like thru my googling it was a known issue. However, after rebooting my pc the drive was back. Since I couldn't undo the cloning process I just reformatted the SYSTEM drive and my secondary drive. However, I still can't access the SYSTEM drive and my secondary drive is still reporting storage incorrectly.

I guess this is kind of long, but it seems like Macrium or Windows did something to partitions on my secondary drive that I didn't ask for.

Is there a way to clean this up?

 

[USAFRet]

Please post a screencap of your Disk Management window.

What was the reason for the 'clone' operation?

 

[tgrgary]

I just wanted to have a back up bootable drive. I guess it's not really necessary.

I'm an idiot. I can't find how to paste my Snip it screenshot of my Disk Management into this message. I've tried multiple ways, but copy and paste does nothing. Is there an option or something I'm not seeing to post an image?

Please post a screencap of your Disk Management window.

What was the reason for the 'clone' operation?

 

[USAFRet]

A clone is for changing the drive 'right now'.
If you want a backup, the Image function in Macrium is the tool to use.

It create a file of xxxxx.mrimage. In case of need, you slot in a new drive, boot up from a Macrium Rescue USB, and apply that Image to the new drive.

And even with a direct clone, you do NOT leave the drive in the system. Having 2x bootable identical drives is rarely a good idea.
CLone, then disconnect the clone and store it in a desk drawer.


To post a screencap, upload your image to imgur.com, and post the BBCode link it gives you.

 

[tgrgary]

A clone is for changing the drive 'right now'.
If you want a backup, the Image function in Macrium is the tool to use.

It create a file of xxxxx.mrimage. In case of need, you slot in a new drive, boot up from a Macrium Rescue USB, and apply that Image to the new drive.

And even with a direct clone, you do NOT leave the drive in the system. Having 2x bootable identical drives is rarely a good idea.
CLone, then disconnect the clone and store it in a desk drawer.


To post a screencap, upload your image to imgur.com, and post the BBCode link it gives you.

Hope this works:
Disk Management

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, it worked. Disk 0 is the 'backup hard drive'?

Again...clone is the wrong tool for saving a backup image for later needs.

 

[tgrgary]

Ues, it worked. Disk 0 is the 'backup hard drive'?

Again...clone is the wrong tool for saving a backup image for later needs.

Yes Disk 0 is the secondary drive.

 

[USAFRet]

What I would do?

Delete ALL partitions on the secondary drive. Commandline function diskpart, and the clean command.
Leaving a totally blank drive.
New Simple Volume, format it, give it a drive letter.

Then, in Macrium, create an Image to be saved on that drive. Based on your current C drive consumption, it will be approx 250GB.
Leaving the other 750GB to use as you desire.

 

[tgrgary]

What I would do?

Delete ALL partitions on the secondary drive. Commandline function diskpart, and the clean command.
Leaving a totally blank drive.
New Simple Volume, format it, give it a drive letter.

Then, in Macrium, create an Image to be saved on that drive. Based on your current C drive consumption, it will be approx 250GB.
Leaving the other 750GB to use as you desire.

I was able to do the clean and gave it D as a letter. Everything looks good. Thanks for your help!!👍