Macrium Reflect How Do I Use It?

Hi lehnerus2000:

Concetrating on this part... to keep it short...

You said:

lehnerus2000 said:

If you image an empty drive the file size of the image will be tiny (if not zero).
With the standard Macrium settings your OS image will be ~50% of the size of your actual install.

So my new WD HDD just has the standard WD programs on it (not erased I just put them in one folder for convenience in finding them again if I should need one of their utilities when Drive gets older---otherwise they are about 500MB? in size, so drive is not "empty".

My question derives from how I understand read/write processes (old knowledge) that it begins from the center of the drive outwards.. the center part being the one that has the MBR on it. (I kept this part from being 10 pages long but my summary may be faulty---I know how it works, can't explain better in one sentence)

So I am worried, that even if I mistakingly copy just "nothing" or 500 MB of programs back into the Laptop HDD, it will begin at the center and record outward, destroying the MBR and ability to use that drive, can't anyone see that? Or is my knowledge of how drives record over data wrong?

Remember----all these programs (see online manual of Macrium) indicate they will "warn you" if they are copying over data! So no matter which way it goes since there is "data" on both drives (500 MB new one, 140 GB on old) I will get the warning... but the screens are not clear as to which way I'm doing the copying------

.............that's the point.... . "the Macrium Summary Screens are not clear as to which way I'm doing the copying over" so accidental erasure of the Source Drive is potentially possible!!! Especially on the first try (after that I should get the hang of things).....

Ending shorter posting here.. leaving other comments for later...

Thanks!

Hi lehnerus2000:

Short response to your

lehnerus2000 said:

I realise not every one has spare working HDDs lying around (I don't).
If you create the Macrium PE disc and store your image on a different physical HDD to your OS, then you can physically disconnect your OS HDD and it will be safe from any changes.

So while I do have a "spare" drive.... its tied up at the moment almost full (400 GB) with my "one year old" backup of Norton Ghost---I can't access it as no Norton Ghost on this laptop anymore----but for money I'm certain someone can---so its my backup in case everything goes wrong here..... but then I get one chance like I described in prior post to make the error.... if I accidentally erase the whole Laptop HDD (not the whole! one I know but I'll be corrupting at least 500 MB randomly of it and maybe its MBR maybe its the Windows .ini or boot file or whatever, and it does not work after that I need to come up with the money to get the 1 yr old drive replaced back into the Laptop...

Even if I take a chance and that all occurs....

I'm right back here on Forum again... having one backup a year old---- and one inside the Laptop now a year old---lost 1 year of everything done---no backup to it.....

So once I make the backup on the new HDD I can do the same process on the Norton HDD (Smaller one) and make one extra backup I'll always keep detached safely on a shelf away from the Laptop (I usually keep them all detached)

Ok, enough typing!

Thanks for reading this too....

Thank you mjf for the correction.

I got to figure out how to update old knowledge....

When you create a Backup Image, you select the Source and Destination.
The Source is where you are copying from.
The Destination is where you are copying to.

Every backup program has this basic concept.

Do you understand copy from/to ?

In my screen print example, I am creating a backup image of my Win 8.1 partition (Source) and saving the image to a folder on my Backup HD (Destination) ...

Hi Layback Bear!

Layback Bear said:

How old the knowledge is doesn't matter.

Thanks! Makes me feel better (not as old fashioned)....

Layback Bear said:

If one follows DavidE post #17 the programs does all the work.

Yes, I'm responding to his very informative post with many items I'm happy he is showing me so I can comment on the and maybe solve everything...

Layback Bear said:

Years ago doing a backup took a lot of user input but today the program does the work for you.

Yes, I'm aware of this, I've had many versions of Norton Ghost, from a totally DOS line by line entry version to latest v15 where it can be scheduled to do everything in background and just never have to think about it... I've done it all.... just now with Macrium its somehow different than I'm used to.... can't find the items I'm looking for on its screens...=confusing!

Layback Bear said:

You just tell the program to copy this (C)
Put copy of (C) here (F)

In a few minutes (Done)

Yes (hoping others are reading this...Thanks everyone for highly recommending the program, I know its going to work, when I learn how....

Layback Bear said:

Don't you just love it.

Everything but the final "Summary" screen which of course is not my famliar Norton Ghost with a clear "Source Drive" "Target Drive" in the summary....
Maybe you're not seeing what I see... I will go over DavidE's presentation and describe it better. HOPEFULLY I'll type shorter so everyone can read it and help.


Thanks again (I think I have to wait for 10 other reps to do yours again, but I'll record this number post and come back later to it)