Questions about Macrium Reflect Free

Hello everybody!

I'm new to the area of system image, and I have some doubts about Macrium Reflect Free:

1. If I create a backup just the C: (And do not Reserved for the system) if my HD fails (almost irreversible) as I have my system back 100% in the new HD?
2. How do I get that the image becomes completely (again if my problem goes HD and I buy another) bootable?

Remember that using Windows 7 SP1 Home Premium x64, and will only create image of my system.

They are simple questions, but I'll be very grateful to those who respond.

Sorry for my English.

Thanks.

 

Whether macrium or any imaging tool, the ideas are the same.

First you create an image of the object to save. If the object is the OS drive, or a data drive, you can make an image of it. However, there is a difference between a drive like c: or d: and a "disk". Some disks are split into pieces (partitions), so a disk may have more than one drive.

The point is, if you take an image of your c: drive, and then place it on some other media like a usb stick, a dvd or another hdd (internal/external/networked) you have taken an image of only the c: drive. If your drive fails, and it had partitions on it, then you have only backed up the c: drive partition. It is important that one understands this if they are to properly backup data, whether you are working with images or just copying data as backup.

After you have made your image of c: drive, whether it is the only partition on the "disk" or not, if your harddrive fails, you can then restore that image to another harddrive. The only limitation I have ever seen with most imaging tools is that the size of the drive in the image must be equal to or smaller than the size of the drive you are restoring to. Some imaging software does not have this limitation, some do.

As an example, if my c: drive is 80gb, and I make an image of that, I must put it onto a drive that is at least 80gb in size or larger. If I put in an old 36gb drive as a temporary replacement for my 80gb drive that failed, I will not be able to put my image on that 36gb drive with Macrium (I believe it is this way).

What I normally do is, once I have a really nice install just the way I like it, is to use Partition Wizard or some other tool to resize the c: drive to a small amount, just enough to house the data and OS and a few extra gb for the swap file. Then I make an image of this smaller drive size. In this manner, my image size is generally at 20gb or under (that is the size of the c: drive I made the image from). When I go to put that image on another hdd, these days they will always be above 20gb, so all is good. This was especially useful when imaging and testing in raid 0, raid 1 and no raid, as I could put the image on however.

Once you have your image, you should store it somewhere you consider safe, such as dvd, but not on the hdd you have made it from, even if it is on a secondary partition, for if the harddrive dies, you are screwed.

To put your image back on, you need a boot disc or boot method of some kind. Macrium will make a linux based boot cd for you, which generally works, but sometimes depending on your hardware will not. it will also make a bartPE plugin which you can use with a bartPE boot disc or a winPE boot disc. The plugin can actually live on a USB stick or network drive or any media really. Once you are in a PE environment, you simply browse to it and start it.

Then when you restore, you just need to pay close attention to what you are restoring to. It is quite painful to restore to the wrong drive letter, as you wipe out anything that was there. That you don't want to do

Sul.

 

Sorry for the delay in responding.

Well, first thank you immensely for your help, to be sure tips are excellent.

So my biggest question is, do not know if you know but Windows 7 (I think that Vista also) create a partition called "Reserved by the system" my question is, if I want to restore my hard drive because it gave defect, if I have not done that partition backup (Reserved by system) I can not completely restore my Windows 7?

And do you think is best to use the tool to create images of Windows or Marium Reflect?

Sorry for my english.

Thanks!

 

You must backup both the boot partition (SRP) and the system partition. It is not necessary to backup the boot partition frequently, because it does not change often.

 

Thanks.

Sorry, but what is SRP?

 

It is the "reserved by system" partition you mentioned. SRP = System Reserved Partition. It is used on certain Windows 7 installations, not in all of them. It contains the information needed to boot Windows.

 

Thank you, you two were a great help!

Just to finish, so I created the image of the SRP and C: (which are the two partitions on my Windows 7) will have a fully bootable system image and functional?

Thanks again!

 

i think it is used in the Pro and Ultimate version of W7.
i don't have the SRP on Home.

 

Here is 7 Windows Home Premium, and have that partition. Unfortunately.

 

I have it on Home Premium x64 also.....

 

strange...

maybe you used a dual boot in the past?
have you installed Linux or another OS?

 

No, my HD is new, when it came I just installed Windows 7, nothing more.

 

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