My computer is approaching it's 4th year.   Normally I like to get a new computer at least every 3 years, but business has not been great, wear and tear on the current computer has not been like usual. Also I don't feel that my current computer is being overwhelmed by the software and upgrading a 2.8 gig i7 will not get me a substantially better computer.
 
So i decided to buy new hard drives and store the old ones as safeties. I have Acronis True Image. Do I just clone my drives then swap 'em out. Is it that easy or is the other steps I need to know about?
 
Any thoughts? 
 
Thanks!!

I have simply just copied disks when I add a new HD. The system disk should not be copied and your Acronis would be useful there. 

From Acronis True Image user guide:

9.4 Cloning a hard disk
Acronis True Image Home 2011 makes the data transfer procedure from one disk to another (disk cloning) quite easy and clear.
To clone a disk:
 Click Tools & Utilities in the main menu and then click Clone disk on the Tools & Utilities screen.
 Follow the Disk Clone Wizard steps

You'll have to mount the new drive to clone it, but the whole process is pretty straight forward.  Just don't confuse which one is the source vs destination.

Thanks for the replys,

I plan on using a USB mount/adapter to connect the new hard drives and to clone.

I'll then replace the drives.  Are there software copy protection issues with Sonar and other programs because of drive ID's?

Last year, on my 6 year old computer, I added a new drive, then successfully cloned my complete system drive using Acronis Disk Clone, to the new drive. Then I found that I could boot from either drive. They were exact copies of all data and programs.

No software issues, licensing problems, or driver problems occurred at all.
I think the only stipulation was that you could only clone to a larger drive, not to a smaller drive.

I've also heard that cloning to or from an SSD drive is very finicky, perhaps not to be done by a novice.

Since then, I've upgraded to a newer system, and my old system has all the old Sonar projects which can be accessed for years to come, as a legacy back-up.

A few years back I replaced a glitchy C drive with a new and larger Maxtor  drive. 

The Maxtor came with a disk containing  CLONING software for the Maxtor. I followed the instructions in the manual and in 15 minutes I had a successfully cloned drive. Operating system and all. 

A re-boot after connecting the new drive as the C drive and I was up and running. Even the desk top looked perfect. I only had to reinstall ONE of my business programs (from the original disk) to be where I needed to be. 

It was the most painless and easy to do drive swap I have ever done. 

Storage drives are easier than that... just copy or clone the drive there and you're done.  It's not the PITA it used to be.