Updating a clone without recloning?

"Bill in Co" wrote in message
news:

I'm wondering if it is possible to update a bootable clone with some
file update copying, but without potentially impacting it's
"bootability".

Let me explain:

Suppose we make a clone of the main system drive, which may or may not
have several partitions, but never actually plug it in as the boot
drive to "initialize" it. (This step is apparently not *always*
required with all cloning programs (and apparently not required using
Acronis to make the clone).

OK. So that's fine and dandy so far. And the clone is just sitting
on the shelf as a backup.

Now let's suppose we just want to update it with just a few updated
personal and non system files, rather than go through the whole
cloning process all over again (which takes considerable time)

IF we now connect this cloned drive as an external drive (through
either USB or SATA connectors) and then boot up in windows with it in
(in addition to the normal boot drive), will that mess anythin up,
like its future bootability (since the first time its being used here
is when it is connected as an external secondary drive (and is NOT the
boot drive)?

That's the key question here. Because if doing so will mess up the
clone, then one can't simply update the clone, as I've suggested (and
one would always have to make a brand new clone).

I think this whole thing has to do with the active partition byte
being set correctly, and not being potentially reset, by doing such a
thing.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Or can clarify this for me?

As you mentioned, the drive (actually a partition on the drive) has to
be marked Active in order to boot. Usually when you make a clone, you
are replacing your old drive and at the beginning of the cloning
operation, so the clone is marked Active so it can boot. As long as all
you are adding or replacing are data files documents, pictures and
so forth, not system or program files... this will not affect the
ability of the clone to boot.

Attaching the clone to your computer as an external USB or eSata drive
(or as an internal second drive for that matter) won't change the Active
setting, any more than attaching a bootable drive from another computer
externally, or internally as a second or slave drive, will affect its
Active setting.

Just make sure if it is connected via USB or eSATA that you do NOT have
those interfaces selected in the BIOS setup as the first boot device or
before the internal hard drive, so they don't try to boot your system.
In other words, make sure your BIOS boot order is either hard drive
first, or CD/DVD first, hard drive second, and that USB and eSATA are
not listed or are listed after the hard drive.

In the case of a cloned drive being connected as an internal drive (PATA
or SATA), make sure the BIOS is still set to boot from your Primary hard
drive, not the second or slave drive.

Connecting an Active bootable drive from another computer to my computer
is something I do often, to copy some data off the drive for someone, or
to scan for malware on the drive while it is not booted. Your clone
should act the same way it is a bootable drive.
Glen Ventura
MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
CompTIA A+