BACKUP MBR

Hi

I have a Win 7 64 bit HP Pavilion computer, with the hard drive divided into three partitions.

1) System 100MB (Hidden)

2) HP (C 580GB

3) Factory Image (D

When I try to backup MBR with Diamond CS Boot Sector Explorer, it shows a number of physical and logical drives, but I am not clear which one has the boot sector in it. So i am unsure which one to save.

Is it 1) above the SYSTEM 100MB partition

or is it 2) HP (C 580GB

Thanks for your help

 

backup 1 & 2

 

Hi Cudni

Thanks for that

Terry

 

Actually back up all 3, just in case
Here are more utils
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=281747
&
http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives...to-backup-and-restore-master-boot-record-mbr/

 

I used HDHacker on Win 7 x64 yesterday to backup the MBR.

 

If you want to backup the MBR, just backup it. You don´t need to backup the partitions. The MBR is not in any of them.

 

Terry,

Why do you want to backup the MBR?

Under what circumstances do you intend to restore the backup?

Are you confusing the MBR with the boot sector or the bootmgr?

 

My main backup method is to use MBRtool on UBCD to backup to one of the first sectors on the hard disk. You can also use MBRtool to compare a backup to the original. I did so yesterday and noticed they differed, and so I used HDHacker to save copies of each to a file for comparison.

 

Hi

Brian K

"Why do you want to backup the MBR?

Under what circumstances do you intend to restore the backup?"

Because there is much information about that suggests that MBR can become corrupted ie as in some cases of installing/uninstalling CTM.

Robin A

"If you want to backup the MBR, just backup it. You don´t need to backup the partitions. The MBR is not in any of them".

I wasn't suggesting backing up the partitions, perhaps its the way I said it,.

I am still unclear where the MBR resides and how to back it up. Yes I know I can use one of the proprietory tools.

But, from where are they selecting what needs to be backed up?Is the System Partition The C:drive or the Factory image?

Thanks

Terry

 

The MBR is in the first sector of the disk, which is not part of any partition.

There are tools to backup and restore the MBR, like the aforementioned MBRTool, http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/mbrtool.htm, which is freeware.

Also, imaging programs can backup the MBR. Paragon programs can backup the MBR independently of the partitions, or with them.