Different archive file sizes with laptop installed HDM 2011 and WinPE HDM 2011

Yesterday I used Hard Disk Manager Suite 2011 to perform image backups of my C (system) and E (programs) partitions on my Dell laptop. A single complex archive of both partitions was made.

I made one archive using the HDM 2011 Suite installed on my laptop and a second archive using the DVD based WinPE HDM 2011 Suite. The archives were produced on the same 1 TB Toshiba USB connected drive.

I noticed some differences in archive image sizes between the two methods:
HDM installed on laptop C drive 30.8 GB E drive 5.2 GB
HDM DVD based WinPE C drive 35.2 GB E drive 6.2 GB

As far as I can see, I used the same option, e.g. compression ‘normal’, exclude hiberfile.sys and pagefile.sys.

I decided to use the HDM 2011 archive explorer to compare the 2 archives. Unfortunately the WinPE archive was not displayed in archive explorer.
I used the Archive tab, to ‘add’ the WinPE archive to the list of archives. It appeared in the list, but greyed out. This meant that I could not select it to ‘mount’ the image to be viewable in Windows Explorer.

I’ve used HDM for many years through various versions, and I’ve never understood what determines which archives are available for use in ‘archive explorer’. The appearance or otherwise of an archive seems to be random. Unfortunately, if the archive is greyed out, none of the useful archive functions (particularly Mount archive, Restore archive etc.) are available for use.

The only way to get some access to an archive that is greyed out is to use the Image Restore function and use the ‘switch to File View’ option. Unfortunately in this mode, it is not possible to mount the archive for viewing in windows explorer.

So, I have two questions:

1. Why would archive sizes be different between using HDM installed on a laptop and using the WinPE version of the same program?

2. How do I get my WinPE archive to appear in ‘archive explorer’ in an accessible (not greyed out) form?

Can anyone help?

Thanks

Geoff

 

Your HDM 2011 Suite installed on the laptop and the DVD based WinPE HDM 2011 Suite may not have the same Component versions.

Just go to the version information under help and about to see if they match.

 

I had similar experience with Macrium Reflect. Trying to remember from memory, the WinPE (cold) image included the system restore files (snapshots) and the Windows (hot) based image didn't include such files.

Trying to remember from memory.

Best regards,

KOR!