Imaging dual-boot system

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by dogbite, Aug 28, 2015.

  1. dogbite

    dogbite Registered Member

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    I have currently Ubuntu 14.04 as my primary system, in dual boot with W7. Both stays on SSD.
    W7 is easy to image with EaseUS, but what about imaging (or cloning..I am just looking for a recovery in case of disaster) the whole SSD.
    Here a screenshot of the partitions, including HDD where the documents stay.

    Thanks.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    dogbite,

    Take your pick. Do an Entire Drive image backup with anything that supports Windows and Linux.
     
  3. dogbite

    dogbite Registered Member

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    Brian, thanks!
    What do you recommend for linux?
     
  4. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    dogbite,

    I've been using the TeraByte apps to image Linux and Windows partitions. My SSD has about 10 OS including 2 Linux OS. Image/restore works for all partitions. I tend to use individual partition image backups on a system with this many partitions.

    You can image the Linux partition from Windows or from a boot disk. You can't hot image the Linux partition from Linux.
     
  5. n8chavez

    n8chavez Registered Member

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    The operating system itself is not important. What matters is the filesystem. That being said, if you're going to image an entire drive and not just a partition I'd look at Macrium Reflect HE. I recently bought it because of it's ability to work with SSD drives. The operating system is irrelevant, because to image an entire drive you'll need to cold-image it; or, image it outside of the OS.

    See here.
     
  6. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Nate,

    I do almost all of of my Entire Drive images from Windows. Hot images.
     
  7. n8chavez

    n8chavez Registered Member

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    Yes, but he said "What do you recommend for linux?" That implies that he will not be hot-imaging the drive in windows. Hence my recommendation is valid.
     
  8. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Semantics, Nate. I would recommend IFW for Linux imaging if there was a dual boot. As above.
     
  9. n8chavez

    n8chavez Registered Member

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    I know that. But you're biased. I was just saying that most applications can do what was asked, and based upon there being an SSD involved I'd recommend Macrium because of their RDR and TRIM options. That, and, well, I just hate phylock.
     
  10. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    That's one of the capibilites of the new Shadow Protect SPX. It can do windows and linux.
     
  11. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    Macrium Reflect can not properly image an EXT4 partition, as long as I remember, unless you treat all EXT4 sectors as unknown filesystem (image will be the same size as your whole partition, not only just used data, but unused free space also included). I tried MR v5 a while ago to image an EXT4, however it could not even correctly identify the amount of used space.

    As Brian suggested, Terabyte IFL/IFW is the best option. It can do all popular file systems, FAT32, NTFS, EXT4/3/2 and more. 2nd option is Paragon HDM or Backup Restore. Third option is Clonezilla Live CD/USB. Acronis also supports both ntfs and ext4.
     
  12. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    BTW, I am dual booting WIn10 x64 enterprise and Ubuntu 14.04.3 x64, and I personally tested IFL/IFW, Paragon and Clonezilla. They all work fine.
    Macrium Reflect is good for FAT/FAT32/NTFS but not for EXT4.
     
  13. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    oliverjia,

    Thanks. I haven't tried Macrium with an EXT4 Linux system. Good to know,
     
  14. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    I asked this question of Macrium back in April. Macrium states (from Support.. see last POST in this thread) that v6 is limited to FAT16, FAT32, NTFS and Ext 2, 3, & 4 for used sector imaging (what Macrium calls "Intelligent Sector Copying"). All others are done as unformatted sectors (Raw).
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2015
  15. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    lol, I just googled and about to quote that exact post in my reply. Anyway, I have not tried v6 yet. Plus, I only do cold imaging from the live USB recovery media, not from within Windows.
    I was wondering if anyone gave v6 a try to do a backup/restore of EXT4 partition.
     
  16. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    The FREE v6 version can do DIFFERENTIALS so that may be used for testing if anybody wishes (I don't have any LINUX systems laying around :cool: ).
     
  17. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    I just booted into the MR v6.753(latest version) recovery environment, and checked the reported used data on my EXT4 partition: 103.50GB out of 232.4GB used as per MR. I then checked the same parameter using Paragon HDM v15, the reported data is 9GB out of 232.4GB. Acronis reported the same. The image file for the EXT4 partition is less than 3GB for Paragon and Clonezilla, so I am sure the 103.50GB of used space reported by MR v6 is wrong. I booted into Ubuntu 14.04.3 and checked disk usage data, it's about 10GB.

    So obviously something is wrong with MR when dealing with EXT4 systems. The same problem as in previous MR V5 version.

    http://support.macrium.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4030

    According to the above post, MR v5 does not fully support EXT4, because the OP did an restore and the system did not boot. And what's funny is that the forum staff still said MR fully support EXT4 backup/restore. Yeah, I guess by "fully support" they meant to say just like what HDS means by "RollbackRX fully support SSD Trim" scenario. The take home message is, I don't believe in any "talk", especially from an employee, regarding whether or not a product "fully support" anything. Sometimes they don't know what they are talking about. The only way to test it is to do it and see the results. In the above post, the op did a test and MR failed. So in my dictionary it does not count as "fully support", because the OP also did a Clonezilla backup/restore which resulted in a working/bootable OS, which means the OP's OS itself have no problems. So the only culprit is MR in his case.

    Unless someone or better yet, a group of someone did test backup/restore of EXT4 system using MR v6 and the restored OS is bootable and working correctly, I consider MR's claim to be BS until the fact proves otherwise. Sorry but that's how things should work.
     
  18. Raza0007

    Raza0007 Registered Member

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    But did you image that partition with Macrium? Maybe it is just the reported usage data that is faulty. During actual imaging, Macrium may correctly account for the used data and also produce a 3 GB image.
     
  19. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    No. I don't trust an imaging app that could not even correctly identify the used sector counts. This problem has been with MR since V5 and they did nothing to correct it other than plainly stated that MR fully support EXT4. How could I trust it when it can not even do the most basic thing during the imaging process?
     
  20. Raza0007

    Raza0007 Registered Member

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    I will take your word for it as I have never used Macrium with Linux or Ext partitions. But I am surprised that they will list it very clearly in the system requirements of Macrium v6 that it fully supports Ext 4 Partitions!


    Try Paragon Backup and Recovery 14 Free Edition, they state that they support Linux Ext 2,3,4 filesystems for imaging, so it should be able to image your entire SSD.
     
  21. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    They have been claiming the same statement ever since v5, but in reality it failed to properly restore an EXT4 partition image in the link I provided. As I said, it's the MR version of "RollbackRX fully support SSD Trim", lol.
     
  22. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    I restored an Ubuntu UEFI system from a TeraByte image. The OS partition was 100 GB, EXT4. A Macrium 6 boot disk was used to image the entire drive. The image was 2.5 GB.

    The drive was wiped and the image was restored to the blank drive. Ubuntu booted fine.
     
  23. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    Thanks Brian for the test! LOL, did you check the used space on the drive as reported by MR before the imaging?
     
  24. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Yes I did. It is 5.46 GB on the 100 GB partition. It looks correct. Just a basic install.

    I'm looking at it now if you have other questions.
     
  25. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    Was the UBUNTU installed in UEFI mode with secure boot turned on? I have used Symantec System Recovery before, it can do a correct backup/restore of Ubuntu installed in MBR mode, but could not do it for a UEFI secure boot system.
     
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