Restore image with IFW

I have a Windows 7 system with 2 partitions, an OS and Data. I have an image on an external drive which was made with IFW. If I wanted to restore that image to the same drive (the drive didn't go bad, just to "undo" a bad software install), how would I do that? I would prefer to leave the data portion intact; I don't know what options to select in the restore process- or more accurately, I don't know what they do.

I have aWinPE disk; I have read up on the IFD restore disk, but I haven't made one. I wasn't sure which options to select to create that either.

Thanks in advance.

 

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?p=2092244#post2092244

See post #4

It's easy. Do a partition restore.


Edit.... the above thread was about restoring WinXP to a new HD. When restoring Win7 to the same HD you only need...

Easy isn't it.

Make sure you keep imagew.exe updated on your USB WinPE. An old version of IFW will not restore an image created by the current version of IFW.

 

Thanks Brian, I had read that and should have put that in the initial thread. The reason I still had a question is that I don't know if I need to restore the Windows 7 MBR, and I don't know about restoring the OS partition from the Data partition. Can I do that? And what about the "setting partition to active" and "restore first track"? I don't need to do that with Windows 7?

Also, what options would I need to check when making a IFD restore disk?

Thanks for your help

Edit: Just fiddling around with the WinPe recovery environment, I went through the steps (minus the actual restore) to restore the OS image contained on my data partition (only 1 internal HD) and I didn't have any options available- no set partition active, no log results, etc. I was doing a normal restore, not automatic. Is this correct?

 

dueceswild,

In your sig, you say that you use RollBack Rx on-demand (exactly how do you do that)? ...I ask because RollBack Rx impacts image backup and restore.

TS

 

You know, that is a really good question. Anyway, I have since removed Rollback RX, I just need to take it out of my signature. I have decided that IFW may be a little more reliable to "rollback", so I am making a concerted effort to thoroughly understand it.

 

About a month or so ago I came to the very same realization (IFW-IFD is not nearly as fast as Rx, but it's a heck of a lot more reliable)!

 

For an IFD boot disk....

Try it again. I always have an Options Window. Maybe you doubled clicked and it jumped to the final window.

You only need the options I mentioned when restoring Win7 to the same HD.

Only when restoring the image to a new HD.

 

Brian,

From the WinPE recovery environment I: choose Restore Normal, Select where backup is located and navigate to the external, then to the particular file, select the file, click next, select the drive or partition to restore (this case OS) next, select where to restore the partitions (C: OS) click next, then a window pops up and says WARNING all data will be lost, lists the C: OS partition, and asks me if I want to continue. I click no here, until I figure out what I am doing.

Should I go further?

 

dueceswild,

You have to click Yes. The Options screen will be next and you can abort there. There is another screen after the Options screen that says Start. When you click Start there is no going back. Actually there is. I always select Verify. This does a Verify on the image before the restore commences and you can abort safely during the Verify.

 

Brian,
Ok, that explains a lot. Sorry for being so dim. IFW seems quite intimidating initially, but I am going to force myself to get comfortable with it.

I am now trying to convince myself to buy Boot-It Bare Metal. It seems pretty involved as well though. I know it's a little OT, but how necessary is it for beginners?

 

I'm not sure how to answer that. If you don't plan to multi-boot or change your Windows partitioning then you wouldn't use these components. But it does contain IFD so you could use that component as a restore option. You could do this without having BIBM installed on the HD.

That's just the start. Once you have BIBM you will want to learn how to use the other features. Learning will take months but you won't regret the experience. I have fun with BIBM several times a day. Do you have a computer that can be used as a test bed? Create and delete partitions etc. Having a test computer will greatly speed your learning.

Here is a list of what it can do...

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootit-bare-metal.htm

 

Brian,

Maybe it's more the challenge, but my interest was piqued when I read one of your posts in the thread you had referenced where someone had accidentally deleted a partition and you said they could have undeleted the operation with BIBM. I look at it as kind of a safety net.

It would take me months to use: I haven't even figured out what options to select to install it if I did download it.

As far as multi-boots, I have 2 partitions, and MIGHT install a Linux or W8. Nothing too complicated.

 

Yes, Undeleting seems like magic.

Let's say you use BIBM in a ham-fisted way and delete all your partitions. You can either use Undelete or just restore your images. Having backup images is a great safety net.

Get yourself a $20 test computer. Nothing fancy is needed except for two HDs.

TeraByte has a guide for this.

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=279

There are videos on using the various products.

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/howto/index.htm

The latest BIBM has an option to prevent Win8 causing data corruption with it's hibernation feature.

 

I have an old XP system that isn't used. I don't want to derail this thread, but you have answered my questions. If you don't mind, what options to you select to install BIBM? Do you put it on it's own partition, and do you use the EMBR- I think that is the name of it?

 

Perfect.

Have a look at the first two videos on the link I posted.

Making a CD (the trial version may be slightly different, but not much)

unzip the download
double click makedisk.exe, next
dot in BootIt Bare Metal, next
dot in I accept the agreement, next
tick Image for DOS (GUI)
tick Scripting Support, next
dot in Mouse Support Enabled, next
dot in VESA Video, next
dot in Video Mode 1024*768 - 64K Colors, next
dot in Normal, next
don't choose any Device Options, next
tick in Enable USB 1.1 (UHCI), next
tick in Align partitions on 2048 Sectors
tick in Use Windows 7 MBR, next
ignore Additional bootitbm.ini Options, next
enter your BM license details
select your CD burner drive letter (you can use a CD-RW or a CD-R disc)
Finish

Standby while I find my Install instructions.

 

In Disk Management, what partitions do you have on the WinXP computer? Sizes? Any unallocated space on the HD? One or two HDs? What size HDs?

Are all partitions Primary? Any Logical Volumes?

 

Those 2 videos are outdated. Use this...

Boot from the BIBM CD and click Cancel
Click OK to enter maintenance mode
Click Partition Work and make sure you have at least 8 MB of Free Space on HD0 (Free Space inside an Extended Partition doesn't count)
Resize the final partition 8 MB smaller if you don't already have 8 MB of Free Space.


Reboot and boot from the BootIt BM CD
Setup... Click OK to install BootIt ...
Setup... Put a tick in Change all MBR type drives to EMBR and click Yes to enable support for more than 4 primary partitions
Setup... Click Yes to let setup choose the partition for you
Setup... Click Yes to install to a dedicated partition. No tick in Install to any drive
Setup... Click OK to begin
Setup... Click OK for Setup completed successfully
click Close
Setup... Click OK for the Remove the boot disk and click OK to restart


BM will boot to a Boot Menu
Click Maintenance

This is the BIBM desktop

 

One interesting feature is you can setup an IFD restore script in BM. In Windows you can use BootNow to restart your computer and automatically run the restore script.

 

Brian,

There is only 1 HD, 2 Partitions. Local disk (C) (System) NTFS with 56 GB free space, 142 total. Recovery (D) FAT32 6.83 GB with 4.6 GB free. Both are Basic partitions. The Recovery was made with First Defense Rescue.

 

Great.

I suggest boot from the BIBM CD and resize the FAT32 partition 8 MB smaller. Then install BIBM.

After installation you don't need to use the CD anymore. I considered resizing the C: drive smaller and then creating a backup partition in the unallocated space but you will need to remove data from the C: drive first. Otherwise the backup partition will not be large enough to contain an image of the C: drive. It's best to avoid USB HDs at this stage. The smaller you can get the C: drive data the better. Faster image/restore.

Let me know the C: drive data size after "massaging" it.

Lots more experiments you can do.

 

So it doesn't matter which partition of the XP drive (or W7 drive) BIBM goes on? I could put it on the Data Partition on my Windows 7 machine? (1 drive, C (OS) and D (Data)- over 100GB on each left over)

The Data drive on my Windows 7 machine is NTFS

 

No, the wording of the BIBM install is confusing. You create 8 MB of unallocated space. When you run Setup BIBM creates a partition in that 8 MB and installs into the 8 MB partition. Actually, the 8 MB can be anywhere on the HD but at the end is easiest.

 

I understand now (I think). Is there any advantage to installing it as opposed to just keeping it on a DVD? Other than the obvious losing the DVD.

I also saw you post in another thread regarding sector alignment when installing. Should I choose one when installing on XP and another not on Windows 7, or does it matter?

 

CD not DVD. You can do most things from the CD except for the Boot Manager function and the use of BootNow. So if you want to ease yourself in gradually, just run it from the CD for the time being.

Edit... to make a CD for cylinder alignment (your WinXP computer), don't use...

tick in Align partitions on 2048 Sectors
tick in Use Windows 7 MBR, next

But use...

tick in Align partitions on Cylinders, next

 

So I should check the options of Align partions to 2048 sectors and Use Windows 7 MBR for the Windows 7 BIBM CD; and only check the Align partitions on Cylinders for the XP computer.

Thank you very much for your patience. Terabyte should hire you.