Easeus todo for images?

mjf said:

The one issue is the CD pe takes quite a while to load for some reason.

Have you tried using the add Macrium Recovery option to the boot menu (V6) ?
For me, running Macrium from the boot menu is much faster than booting from a CD or flash stick.

You still need a Macrium Rescue bootable CD or flash stick in case the HD/SSD fails and can't boot anything.

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
Version 6 works very well and the new version winpe isn't a long download less than 10 minutes and should be used.

For me with Version 6 (free) updating to a new V6 release while running Macrium is very fast and reliable.
Also, updating the Rescue media is very fast and reliable.

It seems doing a program update from the Macrium GUI only downloads and installs the "small patch" needed, not a "full download/install".

I'm def going to use Macrium. Will install it tonight. I got a horrible feeling my hard drive is the reason I am struggling with the WIndows Image software though. It always used to work great. Then my USB HD has an issue, so that's why I bought a new portable one. Frustratingly the process gets 80-90% done and then 'back up failed - drive disconnected'. Last night I deleted the image and tried again on a different USB port. Gets about 90% done and suddenly a BSOD which I didn't have time to take in properly but I am sure it referenced kernel_data. So maybe the internal HD is to blame although it works fine in everything else and I never had a BSOD in any other way before other than trying to do this image.

Anyway I'm going to try Macrium and see how it goes. Most of my critical data (like music, photos, documents) is backed up on various NAS drives. I want the image because I find re-installing Windows and getting everything how I like a lengthy process. All the game installs over the years (on physical media or digital downloads) and the searching to make them run or patching (I have many older games that need to some working on). So that's why my HD and image is nearly 700GB.

But long story short I'm going to give Macrium a go. Hopefully it'll give me security that I have an image. If things really to go to pieces then I'll prob just replace the machine as it's not far off 5 years old (although still a very good spec Alienware laptop).

Well I'm running it. It's about 50% done in about an hour. I really hope it completes the image unlike the Windows one. Thoughts so far are its so much faster. At this rate it'll be done in 2 to 2 half hours. Windows takes 5 or 6!

Yeah it's so much more responsive than the Windows backup using the PC whilst running. Very impressed thus far - it's just got to complete that image and I'll be doing cartwheels !!

Well things didn't end so good. It was about 96% done when I noticed things freeze up. No writing to the connected USB (which I changed out) and suddenly saw in system tray the Intel Rapid Storage program report disk on port 0 disconnected (or removed - it happened too quick). Some quirky behaviour and eventual BSOD which went by so fast I didn't get a chance to read it. Should I try the image again on the other side of the laptop connected to the USB 2.0 ports instead? I'm thinking there is something on the windows HD that is causing the issue though. Yet under normal operation everything is absolutely fine, it just seems to blue screen when taking an image. And it seems to be the same point whether it be Macrium or Windows own supplied imaging. About 96/97% of the way in. The good thing is Macrium reached the point in half the time windows does. But it's pretty soul destroying that I cannot image the machine. I'm worried the HD is on the way out (yet in every other operation there are no problems) or windows needs a re-install which is something I really struggle to contemplate given all that's gone into it (especially as there is no guarantee it'll remedy the issue). Can I try again with Macrium and maybe it'll try to pick up where it left off?