Restored Hard Drive Has Old ID/Password

[RDN]

Something a little wierd just happened.

I just used my new copy of Acronis "True Image" to backup my laptop's C: drive to an image file on my USB D: drive.

I then removed the C: drive and inserted my spare, identical laptop drive. I restarted the PC with the Acronis bootable CD in the CD drive so it ran the Acronis software from the CD.

I then restored the image file from my USB D: drive to the spare C: drive and, when it was finished, I rebooted from the C: drive as normal. This all took about 5 hours (can't be sure as I was down the pub while it was restoring )

BUT, when I came to connect to my ISP, the User ID was one that I last used in April, and I have changed the ID twice since then - each ISP package lasting 30 days.

So I was wondering why this supposedly exact image of my other drive, was using 6 week old data?

All my emails are present - nothing lost - and my desktop contains the latest files, so as far as I can tell nothing else is wrong.

Can anyone explain what happened to the ID and password?

[JSixpack]

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=65

[waldwolf]

....This  all took about 5 hours (can't be sure as I was down the pub while it was restoring )....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Strange isn't it. I've experienced exactly the same problem after a few pints in the local brewery. In my case, I usually end up dropping a whole bunch of disks while trying to find the one needed.

I'm convinced it has something to do with the smokey atmosphere in these pubs, temporarly effecting ones eyesight.

[RDN]

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=65

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks - I've just posted the question there, too.

....This  all took about 5 hours (can't be sure as I was down the pub while it was restoring )....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Strange isn't it. I've experienced exactly the same problem after a few pints in the local brewery. In my case, I usually end up dropping a whole bunch of disks while trying to find the one needed.

I'm convinced it has something to do with the smokey atmosphere in these pubs, temporarly effecting ones eyesight.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nothing to do with the booze. When the restore completed, the True Image "Restore Success" message was displayed. I ejected the True Image CD and rebooted from the hard drive. When I tried to dial up to my ISP, the user ID was from 6 weeks previous, so I had to re-enter the current one. When I do the same operation (swapping hard drives, keeping one as a backup) in about a month's time I'll let you know if the same thing happens.

[xyz]

Something a little wierd just happened.

I just used my new copy of Acronis "True Image" to backup my laptop's C: drive to  an image file on my USB D: drive.

I then removed the C: drive and inserted my spare, identical laptop drive. I restarted the PC with the Acronis bootable CD in the CD drive so it ran the Acronis software from the CD.

I then restored the image file from my USB D: drive to the spare C: drive and, when it was finished, I rebooted from the C: drive as normal. This  all took about 5 hours (can't be sure as I was down the pub while it was restoring )

BUT, when I came to connect to my ISP, the User ID was one that I last used in April, and I have changed the ID twice since then - each ISP package lasting 30 days.

So I was wondering why this supposedly exact image of my other drive, was using  6 week old data?

All my emails are present - nothing lost - and my desktop contains the latest files, so as far as I can tell nothing else is wrong.

Can anyone explain what happened to the ID and password?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I could see something like that happening if your "true image" program is copying the backup that Win xp had made when you were using the old password. Win Xp has a "restore" function and keeps some backup copies, corresponding to various dates in the past, in the HD. If Win XP was running when you made the backup to USB D, it's not likely that the "true image" progam could backup a program that is already running, so it may have copied the backup version made at the time you were using the old password that is part of the Win xp "restore" function instead.

[RDN]

I could see something like that happening if your "true image" program is copying the backup that Win xp had made when you were using the old password.  Win Xp has a "restore" function and keeps some backup copies, corresponding to various dates in the past, in the HD.  If Win XP was running when you made the backup to USB D, it's not likely that the "true image" program could backup a program that is already running, so it may have copied the backup version made at the time you were using the old password that is part of the Win xp "restore" function instead.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I actually have the restore function turned off on all drives. This is to save space. I take regular backups, so don't worry about Windows "restores".

And when I make an image, I shut down all the other processes - internet connection, anti-virus, anti-spyware, trojan-hunter, firewall - so that the backup process can get the maximum resources to do the job. And when I restore my image, I run the PC from the special boot CD, so only minimal other processes are running.

I did have a similar problem once before - I restored a month old image (created by Norton Ghost) and it too had an old ISP user ID and password. But that was to be expected as the image I restored was a month old and the ID and password was out of date by one month. So that was OK. But this time, I restored the image I had made just a few hours earlier - but to another hard disk - so it is a mystery.

[waldwolf]

RDN - As your USB backup drive is a HDD, you may want to look at one of the backup programs like Second Copy 2000.

These programs will automatically backup your data (all or portions thereof) either in real-time or on a scheduled. Faster, more reliable than Ghost or True Image, in the event of a HDD crash.

cheers