Hello, I just used MRF version 5.3 Build 7109 for the first time on my Windows 7 Home Premium PC. I created a rescue CD based on the default setting Win PE 3.0. Now as for the next step I am stumped not knowing whether I should "clone" or "image" "this disk". I have 2 internal storage devices: MBR Disk1: 250 GB for Windows C: MBR Disk2: 250 GB for drives D (old Win XP), E: (System Reserved), and an Extended Partitions for Linux distros. Note that Windows automatically put "System Reserved" separately to the other disk. 1. For now, my goal is to be able to back up and restore either or both disks. 2. In future, I want to keep Windows (including "System Reserved" partition) in one disk and Linux distros in the other. I would appreciate your suggestions and guidance on both goals.
taytong888, It is a bit messy at present as you require both HDs to boot Win7. When Win7 is installed the booting files usually go to BIOS HD0. I understand Win7 sees your Windows 7 on Disk1 but can you check the BIOS and let us know how the BIOS enumerates your HDs. Can you post a a screenshot of Disk Management?
Hello Brian K, Thanks for your reply. The following is the screen shot of Computer Management including Disk Management:
Hi Brian K, 1. I don't understand what you meant by "how BIOS enumerates the HDs". My motherboard is ECS A780VM-M2, with American Megatrend Inc. 1985-2009 BIOS. Here's what I copied down from the BIOS set up page: APIC Mode = Enabled Boot order: 1st= DVD drive 2nd= ST3250824AS (i.e. 250 GB SATA hard disk) 3rd= Floppy drive First hard disk drive = ST3250824AS Second hard disk drive = ST3320613AS (i.e. 320 GB SATA hard disk, not 250 my bad) Integrated peripherals: onboard IDE controller = enabled, onchip SATA channel = enabled, onchip SATA type = IDE (Originally I set up SATA and the HD connections are still SATA, but some months ago I selected Cool & Quiet feature of AMD CPU and somehow I couldn't boot, I then had to switch from SATA to IDE in order to remedy the setup). 2. Perhaps because I upgraded from Win XP Home to Win 7 Home Premium, the screen shows the following message when I boot into Win XP:
Thanks. That makes sense. The 250 GB HD is HD0 in the BIOS and the 350 GB HD is HD1. Win7 has reversed the BIOS order but that's not unusual. It is a nuisance. That's why your Win7 needs two HDs to boot as the booting files aren't on the Win7 HD. If you disconnect the 250 GB HD, Win7 won't boot. Your WinXP error looks like a boot.ini error. I assume WinXP is D: drive when you are booted into Win7. Can you look in the root of D: drive and find boot.ini (a text file). You will probably have to temporarily enable "Show hidden files, folders and drives" and unhide "Protected Operating System files" in Win7 so you can see boot.ini. Can you paste the contents of boot.ini into a post?
Hello Brian, 1. Originally I had Win XP and the 250 GB HD. Then I added the 350 GB and upgraded to Win 7 Home. During the Win 7 installation process somehow I let Windows put the E: System Reserved partition in the other drive. Is there an easier way to place all booting files in one drive? 2. D: drive is actually Win 7 Ultimate trial version that expired. I cannot find boot.ini anywhere. MSCONFIG doesn't show it either. Screenshots of Drive D and Drive E are as follows:
That's OK. It looks like WinXP doesn't exist anymore. Back to your original question re MRF. Use images created to an external HD. For Win7, create images of the Win7 and the SRP partitions. Create images of the Linux partitions you want to backup. I can't think of an easy way to put your booting files on the Win7 HD as Win7 is on BIOS HD1, not the first BIOS drive. You could of course boot that drive from the BIOS, but that's messy. You could use a Boot Manager but that could be tricky because you have Grub in the MBR of BIOS HD0. Edit.... If you delete D: drive do you have enough space to copy Win7 into that space? Then you would have all OS on the one HD. BIOS HD0. I like that. Win7 on the 320 GB HD could then be deleted. Edit... In Disk Management can you right click on the word Disk1 in the square to the left of the rectangle. Click Properties, Volumes tab. What is the "Partition style"?
Disk Management shows at least 15 "Primary Partitions" on Disk 1. But a MBR disk can only contain 4 Primary Partitions. This discrepancy is explained by the Disk Management "bug". Disk Management mis-identifies Linux Logical Volumes as Primary Partitions.
Hello, I would like to sort out the mess in my HDDs. At present, MRF (Macrium Reflect Free)shows: 1. MBR Disk1: C:\ WINDOWS: 163 GB used, 147 GB free, capacity 320 GB (NB: Knoppix CD Gparted shows /dev/sdb & flag=boot) 2. MBR Disk2: from left to right: System Reserved: 24.8 MB out of 100 MB partition D:\ Old Drive D NTFS 61 GB used out of 70 GB partition The rest are Linux partitions Total capacity 250 GB NB: Knoppix CD Gparted shows System Reserved partition flag= boot, the 250GB HDD is /dev/sda Multiboot Windows-Linux system with GRUB(1) bootloader placed at the beginning of the Master Boot Record of 250 GB HDD. My plan to sort out the mess is as follows: 1. Copy System Reserved Partition from the 250 GB HDD to the beginning of the 320 GB HDD 2. Copy D: to the unused part of C:\Windows in the 320 GB HDD 3. Clone (or image?) the resulting 320 GB HDD 4. Restore 320 GB HDD 5. Set up a new multiboot system where the 320 GB HDD only has Windows and the other HDD only has Linux partitions. I would prefer not having to unplug the 250 GB HDD then do a repair installation of Windows 7 on the 350 GB HDD, unless there's no other choice. I would very much appreciate your suggestions, including details. Thanks in advance.
Hello, Today I connected a 320-GB external HD to my PC. Used Macrium Reflect Free to first make a (full) back-up of the System Reserved Partition (SRP) to the ext. HD, then repeat the process for C:\Windows. This is to make a new partition in the ext. HD that will include both SRP and C:\Windows. Some questions before I go further toward the original aim: 1. Since I changed the file names of the images from random default, i.e. alphanumerics, to something more recognizable, will I encounter problems when restoring these partitions? 2. Do I need to create a new partition out of unallocated space in the ext. HD in order to accommodate both SRP and C:\Windows, prior to restoring these 2 partitions in this new partition? 3. In Macrium Reflect Free, is there a way to restore these 2 partitions into one single unit? Or will I need to restore them sequentially? 4. When the ext. HD is connected to my PC after backup is completed, Macrium shows it as MBR Disk 3 with a single partition of about 88 GB active, NTFS (cf. 11.7 MB for SRP and 91,944 MB for C:\Windows). Does this mean I can "clone" this 88-GB partition (and boot it later), instead of having to "restore" this partition to the destination partition in #2 above? Thanks in advance for your suggestions and help.
