Image For Windows

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by Stigg, Apr 15, 2014.

  1. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    sm1,

    A few questions to help me understand the situation...

    Which version of IFW?
    Paid or Trial IFW?
    Did you create a PHYLock or VSS backup image?
    Which OS are you using?
    Is the OS installed in UEFI or Legacy mode?
    Did you create a backup of the C: drive (partition image) or did you create an Entire Drive image (all partitions)?
    You mentioned "incremental image". The first Changes Only backup is a differential image as it's based on the Full backup. Incremental images are based on previous Changes Only backups. Were you able to make the first Changes Only backup?
    Have you restored a BitLocker image in the past? If so, was BitLocker active on the restored OS or did you need to re-encrypt?
     
  2. sm1

    sm1 Registered Member

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    @Brian K Thanks for replying:) I was using IFW 3.09 paid version. I was using VSS backup image. My OS is windows 10 64bit pro and installed in UEFI mode. I have two partitions C: and D:. I created an image of C: along with Recovery, EFI and Microsoft Reserved partition inside windows with bitlocker enabled. I made a complete format of the hard disk and restored the image. Bitlocker was now disabled and I had to re-encrypt the partitions. Sorry I should have used the word differential in place of incremental. I tried making the first changes only backup with the full image backup which I used for restoring the system. Do I need to create a full backup and then a differential backup since bitlocker is re-enabled? My suspicion is that bitlocker changes partition structure which makes the full backup which I created prior to restoration useless for creating changes only backup after restoration. Also while creating backup when I choose to validate the image byte by byte it fails but normal validation passes and I have this issue only after I started using bitlocker.
     
  3. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    sm1,

    Thanks for the detailed reply. Last year I spent a long and painful effort leaning how to use BitLocker. TeraByte Support was most helpful. Ver 2 IFW couldn't do it correctly but the issues have been resolved with ver 3 IFW.

    Today I activated BitLocker in my test computer. UEFI Win10 64 bit as you have. IFW 3.11. First I created a Full image with VSS IFW and used a password. Then a differential and an incremental image were created (using the same password). No problems and I don't know why you had an issue.

    A summary on how to use BitLocker....

    Use VSS IFW in Windows, You can create images in TBWinRE/PE but you must use the "Read from Volume" option and have the OS partition unlocked (see below). The images can be C: drive partition or Entire Drive. Create a batch file with your recovery password such as...

    ... keep this batch file in a data partition you can access from TBWinRE.

    To restore your image...
    You can't use IFL to do the restore as you can't unlock the OS partition. Use TBWinRE/PE. Run the batch file which unlocks the OS partition. The partition must be unlocked prior to the restore. Do an OS partition restore. Windows will boot with BitLocker active and you will need to enter your BitLocker password. If you do an Entire Drive restore Windows will boot with BitLocker disabled and you will not need to enter your password. Re-encryption will be needed.

    The above restore applies to restoring to the same OS partition on the same HD. If you delete the OS partition or restore to a new HD then BitLocker will be disabled and re-encryption will be needed.

    You can get /vb failures with VSS. I'm not sure about /vb failures with BitLocker as I didn't test it but it wouldn't be surprising.
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2017
  4. sm1

    sm1 Registered Member

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    Thanks Brian K:) I prefer offline backup and restore. Re-enabling bitlocker after every restore is a hassle. I will use this script in IFW and try to use it in other programs like O&O and lazesoft too:)
     
  5. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    OK. In TBWinRE, unlock the OS partition with the batch file and then backup with the "Read from Volume" option. I'm interested to hear about your IFW results and results with other imaging apps.
     
  6. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    sm1,

    When I build TBWinRE I add a file manager. This makes it quicker to find and run the batch file. This file manager works (A56 64 bit version)...

    http://vault32.com/a56/

    I mentioned not to restore an Entire Drive image as this turns BitLocker off. Restore the OS partition only. But if you really want to restore multiple partitions...

    On the "Select the drive or partition(s) to restore:" window, select the desired partitions but don't tick Drive (HD 0). Drive will then have a greyed out tick but that's OK. On the next window, "Select where to restore the partition(s):" you have to select Drive (HD 0). BitLocker will not be turned off and you will not have to re-encrypt.

    Edit.... Remember, whether you are doing a backup or a restore in TBWinRE, the first thing to do is run the batch file to unlock the OS partition.
    When booted into Win10, the OS partition is unlocked.
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2017
  7. sm1

    sm1 Registered Member

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    Thanks @Brian K :) I tested imaging from TBWinRE. I was able to create both full image and changes only image. As you mentioned for restoring I individually ticked all the partitions I needed to restore and I didn't tick drive (HD 0) and it was greyed out. I was able to restore both full and incremental images successfully without affecting bitlocker:thumb:

    As for O&O in its recovery environment I could unlock the drive but I could not do a successful restore from a differential image and the system was unbootable. I even could not restore the full image I had taken within windows. I was using O&O 10.5
     
  8. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    sm1, thanks for the feedback and I'm glad I could help.
     
  9. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    hi
    can i ask a queustion ?
    i would not like to want to ask twice ,but i have only 2 image softwares
    could image for windows & linux (when i restre an image) change a uefi partition to a non uefi parition?
    i have always restore entire drives
    thanks
     
  10. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Last edited: Oct 7, 2017
  11. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    Hi Brian
    is threre a gain to have all in uefi mode?
    and there is not the link of the script to download
    the screenshot is of w10 , but later i upload w8.1 and 7

    in every os i have disabled the ssd with 10 ,8.1 e 7 via device manager
    and i have't TBOSDT in BootIt Bare Metal

    i have to create another BootIt Bare Metal usb stick but i don't know how add TBOSDT

    thanks Brian

    added w8.1
     

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    Last edited: Oct 7, 2017
  12. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    mantra,

    As you say, a MBR/Legacy Win10 install.

    You own IFW so you have the script in your "TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore Suite\Scripts" folder. Also in TBWinRE and IFL.

    What was the original OS on this computer?
     
  13. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    hi
    i have installed on a new ssd with uefi settings on my bios

    ->windows 7
    yes i do

    i guess i had to use BootIt Bare Metal
    can you tell me what should i do with image for windows?
    thanks
     
  14. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    mantra,

    I suspect your Win10 has always been in MBR mode. Why do you think it was UEFI? Did you see a EFI partition?
     
  15. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    hi
    just because i have used EasyUEFI in past ,on my w10 e w8.1 and even on my w7 in the past
    do you use uefi windows 10 partition?
    can you show me?
    thanks
     
  16. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Do you accept you could have converted from UEFI to MBR mode and changed the BIOS/Firmware to boot a MBR system without being aware of what was happening? It is improbable.

    Is this what you wanted to see...

    diskman.PNG
    tbos.PNG
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2017
  17. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    Brian , to convert a UEFI to mbr , i guess needs many steps
    it does not happen editing the bios or restoring an image with ifw or ifl , just because i played with bios several times and i restored entire drive to bigger ssd with image for windows/linux

    am i right? is not enough playing with bios or restoring to a bigger ssd to change ufei to mbr?
    thanks Brian!
     
  18. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    mantra,

    I don't believe you could have accidentally converted to MBR mode.

    Can you post a screenshot (Disk Management) of one of your OS installed in UEFI mode?
     
  19. Mr.X

    Mr.X Registered Member

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    I guess you meant GPT to MBR, right?
     
  20. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Me too. I keep messing up the terminology.
     
  21. Mr.X

    Mr.X Registered Member

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    On a BIOS machine you got MBR partitioning style disk as bootable partition only while on UEFI machine you can set it to GPT style and full EFI boot OR Legacy (compatibility mode) boot which behaves exactly like a BIOS only machine.
     
  22. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    On my main computer I have multiple OS installed in MBR mode. I use a test computer to install OS to a GPT disk. The test computer has image restores done almost daily. As discussed in the past, my second SSD in that computer has multiple EFI bootable partitions with EasyUEFI being the boot manager.

    Of interest, whether you are installing Windows to a MBR or GPT disk, be wary of installing the OS to a non HD0 disk as the booting files will be installed to HD0 and the Windows partition to HDx. It's best to install the OS to a blank HD0, create an image and restore the image to HDx. Then restore your original HD0 OS.
     
  23. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Mantra I am going to be very Honest. If you have to ask all these questions, you shouldn't be messing with this stuff, at least not on your real machine. Get a virtual machine, and play there where you can reverse your errors.
     
  24. ambralivio

    ambralivio Registered Member

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    I didn't know there is already available a free virtualization software working with virtual machines based on UEFI systems !
    If so, Peter, could you please recommend one ?
    Thanks.
     
  25. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    I don't know about free. I use VMware Workstation I think Virtual Box may be free
     
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