Need a way to backup entire Win-7 boot sector ONLY.


  1. 1oldguy
    Posts : 8
    Windows 7 32 bit
       New #1

    Need a way to backup entire Win-7 boot sector ONLY.


    I have a dual-boot system, Win-7 Ultimate and Windows-ME (needed for old software). Both operating systems are located on a single 80 GB IDE hard drive that has two primary partitions, one NTFS for Win-7 and the other FAT-32 for Win-ME. (Win-ME requires FAT-32.) All data files are on separate physical hard drives. My need is to be able to backup The ENTIRE Windows-7 partition including the system and all installed programs. As installed, that partition has some 30 GB occupied on a 42GB partition.

    Windows-7 won't allow me to create an image of the entire drive because one of the partitions is FAT-32. I don't need to image the whole drive, only the NTFS partition that contains the installed Windows-7 system and software.

    When I use Windows-7 backup (no imaging) to back up my Windows-7 system and programs it appears to run and complete but the resulting backup file is only about 1.7 GB in size. This leads me to suspect that everything (maybe most everything) did not get backed up. The size difference between the backup file and the space taken by the installed system and software on the boot disk is too great.

    Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get a COMPLETE backup of all my Windows-7 system files and installed programs?

    Thank you.
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  3. Pauly
    Posts : 2,573
    Win7 Ultimate X64
       New #2

    Windows backup files never show their true size as most files are hidden/locked, firstly try to open each folder and subfolders within the backup directory confirming access as you open each for the first time. After you have opened all folders (there aren't many) when you look at properties the true size of the backup will be revealed.
    You can look inside the backup after it has been created heres the tutorial to do that
    System Image - Extract Files Using Disk Management
    Backup - Manually Extract Files from in Vista & Windows 7

    If that doesn't work I would try using a third party app like acronis to clone the disk but im not sure if it would definitely work or if it will allow you separate the fat partition from the ntfs so you may have to clone the entire drive
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  4. Kaktussoft
    Posts : 10,796
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bits 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       New #3

    Which of the 2 partitions is ACTIVE (so has the bootmgr and bootmenu)?

    So you want to backup 1 partition. It's quite easy and I advise you to NOT use win7 built-in system image software. It can only be used if old and new partitions layout is EXACTLY the same. If not.... they will be made the same .... and all previous data is gone. As a result you cannot restore to a smaller drive like a SSD.

    Use Macrium Reflect Free instead or AOMEI Backupper (also FREE).
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  6. 1oldguy
    Posts : 8
    Windows 7 32 bit
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    Of course, since it is Windows-7 I am wanting to back up, it is the Windows-7 partition that is active. I can back up the Windows-ME partition using the Windows-ME backup utility when that OS is active. It works differently from the Windows-7 backup.

    I will look into Macrium Reflect and AOMEI Backupper. I already know I can't use Windows-7 to image the drive because it has to have the FAT-32 partition on it for Windows-ME. If these two back up programs will allow me to image or otherwise properly back up the disk I will be satisfied.
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  7. 1oldguy
    Posts : 8
    Windows 7 32 bit
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    I tried AOMEI Backupper and it totally solved my problem. It even let me make an image of the entire hard disk with both operating systems, even though one partition is NTFS and the other FAT32. It is really good software, particularly considering that it is free. Thank you for making me aware of it.
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  8. Kaktussoft
    Posts : 10,796
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bits 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       New #6

    1oldguy said:
    I tried AOMEI Backupper and it totally solved my problem. It even let me make an image of the entire hard disk with both operating systems, even though one partition is NTFS and the other FAT32. It is really good software, particularly considering that it is free. Thank you for making me aware of it.
    Indeed very good and easy to use. Did you make a AOMEI recovery disk already?
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