Can you image Windows x64 partitions ?

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by bigg1, Feb 16, 2006.

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  1. bigg1

    bigg1 Registered Member

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    I'm expecting a new PC with a x64 CPU and plan to install Windows Pro x64 edition on it.

    Will I be able to make an image of the C:\ partition and save it on another partition, using an ATI 8.x rescue bootable CD ?

    I will boot from the CD, will not install ATI.

    Thanks
     
  2. backman

    backman Registered Member

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    Here's my take. Someone correct me if I am misunderstanding here. You can image a Windows x64 system using the ATI recovery CD (no support at this time using the installed program), however it looks like you may have a problem with the way you plan to implement it. If you plan to image/recover only the C:\ partiton, you won't get the MBR. This means you may have to do an MBR repair to get it working. If you image the entire hdd and your restore image is on that hdd, that's problematic. ATI will wipe your original prior to restoring and if that happens you lose your restore image. I think you would better off imaging the entire hdd to some other media, i.e., external hdd, separate internal hdd or CD/DVD-RW media for this to work.

    Terry
     
  3. bigg1

    bigg1 Registered Member

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    I'm not sure I understand. The image of C:\ may not include the MBR (BTW please someone clarify this), but so what?
    And isn't it the same when using ATI to image the system partition on 32-bit Windowses?
    So far I've used ATI 8.x many times to do exactly the same - an image of C:\ only, which I save on D:\ - another partition on the same drive. And restored many times such images without MBR or other problems (I always boot from the rescue CD to create or restore an image)

    I asked this question to get some info whether there could be problems because of the x64 ? For example if the file system is somewhat different, ATI may not be able to read/write.
     
  4. Menorcaman

    Menorcaman Retired Moderator

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    Hello bigg1,

    Backman is quite correct. By imaging only the C:\ partition Ti will not have included the MBR (makes no difference whether it's Windows X32 or X64). To ensure the MBR is included in an image you need to tick the checkbox next to the Disk Number. See this <previous reply>.

    The MBR issue only really comes into play if you have a hard drive failure and need to restore an image to a brand new replacement drive. As you have been restoring back to the original drive each time, the fact that the MBR isn't in the image doesn't matter (unless something caused the MBR to become corrupted).

    Regards
     
  5. backman

    backman Registered Member

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    Which is probably my fault:oops: If you don't image the entire drive and all partitions on it, come time to restore, your image will not include the MBR. ATI only includes the MBR if you image the entire hdd. At least that has been my experience. If you have done it before with no problem then I stand corrected. There must be something I did differently. Someone straighten me out here, please.

    I tried to find the previous answer to this same question and couldn't. Sorry. But, one of the support people here did say that you should be able to image a Win64 system from the recovery CD. Maybe they will chime in again.

    Terry
     
  6. backman

    backman Registered Member

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    Thank you Menorcaman. We cross posted. :D

    I am the slowest two finger typest you have ever seen. :D
     
  7. backman

    backman Registered Member

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    So here I am talking to myself, but I had a catastrophic failure and those are the terms I think in. Sorry for making this confusing. As usual Menorcaman is more acurate than I was. I guess that's why they pay him the big bucks!

    Terry
     
  8. noonie

    noonie Registered Member

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    Windows 64-bit installs and uses an EFI boot manager which uses the fat file system. xp64 uses fat32 or ntfs. It is mostly the drivers that are not compatable, even though it will run some 16 and 32 bit applications. But this efi boot loader will allow you to install other os's
    64 uses a different partitioning scheme called GPT which does not use the mbr to boot into 64, although, it is on the disk
    It also uses 64 bit linux distros which the Ti boot cd is not.

    So try the boot cd and see, but it definately will not work in windows.
     
  9. bigg1

    bigg1 Registered Member

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    Thank you very much for the answers.
    I will try to make an image today or tomorrow, when the PC comes, and will post the result.

    Now another question arises - how to backup/restore the MBR only?
    Because I don't really want to make images of the whole drive, these will be unneccessary big.
    And isn't the recovery console FIXMBR command good for that?
     
  10. Menorcaman

    Menorcaman Retired Moderator

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    Yes it is - provided you have a bog standard MBR (no special boot partitions, etc.) and have got access to a proper Windows installation CD.

    Regards
     
  11. bigg1

    bigg1 Registered Member

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    Just to post what happened:
    (boot from a restore CD)

    ATI 8 can't make an image of a x64 partition - it shows some error about the 64 bit address space or similar first, and then can't see the HDD

    ATI 9 - no problem, created an image and saved it on another partition, then burned it to a DVD, then it verified OK. Haven't actually restored it though. But as I have planned tons of experiments, I'll surely need to restore soon :) and then post again.
     
  12. seekforever

    seekforever Registered Member

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    bigg1 - going where man has feared to tread, or something like that. Please do keep us posted! Thanks.
     
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