musicroom
Hmmm, I have windows in the saved image with the other programs. I'm just planning on installing the drive and loading the image at this point. I didn't know Acronis embeds into a system like you described.

Acronis does not embed into a system.
 
It sounds as if Spacecalf may be experiencing a problem with limits on addressing a very large hard disk, and using a software translation/kludge to make that work. 
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/11/29/enabling-large-disks-and-large-sectors-in-windows-8.aspx
 
If your replacement drive is < 2 TB this is a non-issue.
 
 
 
 
 

Update - Loaded the backup image from a usb drive containing Win8 and programs using the acronis boot cd last night onto the new drive. Works like a charm. No formatting required as I learned would be the case from reading this thread. A big thank you to all who stepped in here to offer advice.

Well, the manufacturer put it on, so I have no idea why then. Just know that I guess it is needed even for the 1Tb drive in there. Not even sure if it is a Seagate but I do have DiscWizard on a CD (DVD).
??
That is what it is probably for. Before you could only format a disk up to a certain size and then the blocks on the disk could be 16kB or even 32kB for one block. Making those 4kB like NTFS could not be done. That is what it probably does, which to me, seems to make those harddisk drives be smaller than the space that is recorded. Before space was wasted, now it is not on the hard disk drive being that 4K is the standard block for NTFS.
??
 
Or else they sell different computers some with larger than 1Tb disk in them and they put that program on all computers anyway, since it is OEM type software on the computer.
 
Well, anyway, that is needed, and Acronis is suppose to allow a free download of a program that tells you if the harddisk drive is healthy so if it is going to fail you would know ahead of time.
 
I am not sure about that, but I can not download the program anyway from Acronis website anyway.
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/drive-monitor/
 
but then Acronis sells the other programs anyway.
 
Good you got your Windows 8 going again on your computer. The way they keep changing things all the time, it is hard for me to keep up with it all, and I really do not.
 
 

Yep, boot from the Acronis Rescue Disc... load the backup image file onto the new HD... and reboot.
No partition/format is necessary.
Everyone here should have an up-to-date backup image file (using True Image or similar).  
At some point in the future, it will save you literally hours of work.  
(If you have lots of apps/plugins, it can save you days of work.)

Thanks Jim! It works as you described. I did not want to face reloading anything. It's almost as troublesome as moving.  :)