Well, I just built a new system with 64 bit Win 8.1 Pro and I have, I think, a simple question. My OS is on a Samsung 512GB 850 Pro SSD, and it has the usual hidden partitions as Windows does not assign them a drive letter. What I have been doing is this... I boot from the 2015 Rescue CD and do a full backup of disk 1 with all partitions checked to a 3TB HDD. As I have added "stuff" I do this backup again, booting from the rescue CD. Since I am afraid of loosing activation, etc, am I correct in assuming that if I install something...like AV software...that screws up my system, I can boot the rescue CD and do a complete restore of all partitions and get back to the last Full Backup without having to worry about Win 8.1, or other software, having an activation issue? I know I am kind of using this as a Time Machine (I do have an AX64 License) but I think what I am doing will work while I am at least trying to learn Win 8.1.
LOL, that's what an imaging app such as Acronis is developed for. You'll be fine. Acronis did indeed create a complete snapshot of everything of your OS and reserve the activation and settings upon restoration.
MPSAN, Did you install Win8.1 in UEFI mode? If so you will have another hidden partition which doesn't appear in Disk Management. Just a comment. It is the MSR and is an essential partition.
Yes, I believe there are 4, but TI shows the disk 1 with 3 checked...I guess that is the whole disk. Yes, I did install as UEFI. Still looking at IFW...but I have this for now.
Brian, I had done that and that is why I knew I had 4...here is what I get. Partitions 1= Recovery 300 MB 2= System 99MB 3= Reserved 128MB 4= Primary 476GB Have a Great New Year, too!
TI usually only sees three, but not MSR. That's OK, the only thing needs to be done is to check the whole disk for backup instead of partitions.
Inconvenient when there is a data partition in the disk and I want to backup only the system. Perhaps if only the system is backed up, in some cases the MSR is created automatically on restores. Anyway, the imager should always see it.
I think you are right - ATI will remember teh partition map/layout, therefore even only the three OS related partitions are selected, the MSR will be automatically created upon restore. I agree - as an imager, all 4 partitions should be visible, just like Terabyte, Macrium and Paragon.
Thanks ALL, and Happy New Year. Yes, it does only show 3 out of the 4. May switch to IFW when this is all built and configured.