Seagate Replica - Hard Disk Recovery How-To

Full Hard Disk Recovery

Note: Should you ever need the information in this section, you will not have access to it because your PC will be non-functional. Therefore, Seagate recommends that you print this section and store it with the CD-ROM that you received with the product.

Replica makes it possible to completely recover from a hard disk malfunction by restoring your fully backed-up computer to a new drive or drives. When you replace a malfunctioning hard disk with a new one, you must use a new hard disk that's at least as large as the original hard disk.

Note: If your computer is rendered unusable through loss or damage, you may be able to recover to an identical replacement computer using the procedure below. The replacement computer must be identical to the original in every respect. The recovery may complete but during boot Windows may prompt for activation. Any difference whatsoever can cause recovery to fail because of inconsistencies between the hardware and restored software. In addition, certain security features, such as fingerprint readers, may prevent successful recovery. If you cannot replace the old computer with an identical one, or if security features interfere with recovery, Seagate recommends that you instead restore only your data files to the new computer without attempting to recover the entire system.

Creating an Updated CD-ROM for Hard Disk Recovery

Seagate may occasionally offer updates to the Replica hard disk recovery software. To use such an update, you must download a disk image from Seagate and burn the image to a CD-ROM. Follow these instructions:

1. Make sure you are using a PC with hardware that can create CDs and that it is connected to the Internet.
2. Download the hard disk recovery image file here (file type: .iso) to your desktop or another folder of your choice. You will use this image file to create a new CD-ROM.
3. Double-click on the icon for the downloaded image file. This launches the application where you can create CDs.
   Follow the procedures in the application that lets you burn the downloaded image to the CD. Unlike merely copying the file to the CD, burning the image creates a CD that your computer can boot up from.
4. After the image is burned to the CD-ROM, remove the CD from the drive and label it "Seagate Replica Hard Disk Recovery". Store it in a safe location.

Recovering your Hard Disk

To perform a full hard disk recovery, follow these steps:

1. Replace the malfunctioning hard disk with a new hard disk according to the hardware instructions.
2. Insert your Replica CD-ROM, or the updated CD-ROM you made in "Creating an Updated CD-ROM for Hard Disk Recovery", into the CD-ROM drive as follows:
   1. Turn on the power to the computer long enough to open the CD-ROM drive.
   2. Insert the Replica CD-ROM.
   3. Close the CD-ROM drive.
   4. Turn off the power to the computer.
3. Connect Replica to the computer USB port.
4. Turn on the power to your computer. The computer should start and boot from the Replica CD-ROM. If it does not, you may need to make changes to the system BIOS to permit booting the computer from the CD-ROM.
5. Once the recovery CD loads, select language and press Next.
6. Read the warning message and proceed with Next.
7. The Seagate Replica will be displayed; Highlight the drive and press Next.
8. Select the Backup to restore and press Next.
   Note: The replacement computer must be identical to the original in every respect.
9. Select the Date of the backup to be restored and press Next.
10. Assign a Destination disk on the machine to a backup source by highlighting the destination disk on the left and pressing Assign to the highlighted Backup Source on the right. Then press Next.
11. Review the Warning and Backup Source and Restored To are correctly assigned, then proceed to Restore.
12. Replica restores your entire computer onto the new hard disk, exactly as it was at the selected backup time.
    Caution: Do not interrupt the recovery process. It is likely to take several hours. Replica will prompt you when your system has been recovered.
13. Once Replica has recovered your computer on the new hard drive, it engages to provide continuous backup of your computer.