I have a number of Seagate 2tbs. During cloning using the old Ghost 11.5 on Windows 7
I get drive inconsistency errors. HDD Guru told me in a previous threat (or someplace) that that show the drive unique identifier is being copied. All these disks represent backups on more than one PC.

I also have a Toshiba and an old Hitachi so I tried just cloning to that. I think the
unique identifier is copying.

A procedure was offered to go in and change the HD unique ID. I tried that back previously
but it gaves a different error as I recall

Also the first time I wrote about this, somebody said that system (OS) should correct for this and just make a new identifier.

As it is, I cannot get my backups refreshed. Ghost is not the problem so far as I know. Two clone jobs completed-- but must have copied that troubleome Ident.

I'm still trying to think of solutions on this. Previously If I thought a low level format would fix anything I was wrong. The next level would be some sort of wipe such as that available in CC Cleaner or others. I don't like to mess with that but if all I have are drives with the same problem multiplied I could try something. Please give any advice.

Then if a wipe is done-- all MBR, everything, how can one refresh the HD for reuse?

Back in the days, NT4 era it was a 4 or 8 byte disk signature in the MBR. Back in the days you could just wipe it using MBRtool (https://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Ha ... tool.shtml). I don't know how this stuff works nowadays.

_________________
Joep - http://www.disktuna.com - video & photo repair & recovery service

It's called a "signature collision".

"Change identifier using uniqueid command of diskpart."

https://help.altaro.com/hc/en-us/articles/4416921613713-How-can-I-change-the-Disk-ID-of-a-drive-

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/disk-offline-because-it-has-signature-collision/fecf7169-078d-4941-81e3-ccafca148b8b

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.

Thank you.

I don't have much experience with diskpart. I think I saw this earlier but
had forgotten the command.

thanks for answering.

Was MBRTool in Hirens? Just wondering. I have a bootable ISO of Hirens but not used that in years.
If you wipe it do you have to run BOOTREC /FIXMBR again? I'm doing that all the time in these problems.

All of what I own is from back in the days. :/

It's worth a look and I'll try it out on something. I know that what I was trying to explain earlier was a routine from diskpart that failed to get the object or target drive recognized. Has anyone written a simple autorun for this procedure?

Right now I'm manaully transferring the file group I use and modify daily.

I took a quick look. That MBRTool description is from 2006 and says:

"bootcode is replaced with US english XP bootcode"

So might not be usuable. Even I have moved up to Win 7 (and one PC with Win 10) :-)

I have found the diskpat intructions numerous locations now.

But how can the unique is command refuse to show the 8 characters in Windows 7?

I recall practicing with this on another of my PCs that has Win 10 and that seemed to go alright.

All I get from the Win7 is errors and I can make a screen shot.

To get Norton Ghoest 11.5 going I tried the workaround of loading the Win7 Repair disk and running the series of three commands:

BOOTREC /REBUILDMBR
NOOTREC /FIXMBR
BOOTREC /FIXBOOT

That seemed to get the clone going. It's still running but no errors yet.

Still, I don't know how many ways I can make errors on the uniqueid command.

Just a follow up on the BOOTREC routine. I thought that would work but a second HDD is still not recognized. I tried to attach a non bootable SSD which had been reforttend quick format from it's Win10 OS but the SSD may need a wipe with an SSD tool.

I am back to facing down the inscrutible uniqueid command instructions.

Just for my information, have any of the mods at HDD Guru ever actually done this procedure successfully?

Just a followup. Another SSD with W10 not uninstalled did load at D:

It'll give me enough space for another target for backups of daily file updates I do.
I put it on the cloud too-- never too many.