Windows 7: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

I sure will.

Hi Mr Grim,

Can't see a way round that as it's a complete pc backup, and the 7 boot files are on the System partition, it wants to back that up too.

Backup size would be huge, also be interesting to know how long it would take!



3rd party apps. would be better for this - quicker and with compression, plus more flexibility.

I am using the free version of Macrium Reflect - it is unbelievably small and fast, also allows you to schedule and to mount a backup
and also to copy back any files you want - in addition to being able to restore the image.

It does all that for free and you can make a boot disc if you need to boot in to restore an image.

The paid version adds a few extra bells and whistles , but the freebie will be enough for many people.

Macrium Reflect Free Edition 4.2 build 2033 - Downloads - ZDNet Australia

Hope you like it

SIW2

Thanks heaps for that, I will give it a try soon.

I Have the same problem.

When selecting Image Backup, My Vista partition and the Windows 7
partition are both selected by default.

Both Drives are selected and are grayed out so that neither can be unselected.

This is only true for the Image only backup, not the backup which automatically
includes an image.

Please Help!
Thanks,
Richard

Hello Richard, and welcome to Seven Forums.

My guess is that it may be including the boot sectors from both locations for the backup, so that may be why none of us can deselect them.

Hi Shawn,

There's one way to test our theory.

Find someone who installed 7 first, and then Vista. The 7 boot files would not be on the Vista partition.

If they are not forced to back up the Vista partition , that would be a good indication.

Anybody done the install that way round?

SIW2

According to Microsoft, Installing Windows 7 before Vista will cause the whole install
to fail. ( From the Windows 7 Forum ).

At one point I had done a Recovery using the Windows 7 Recovery Disk.

The result was that the systems were labeled " Recovered Vista "
and " Recovered Windows 7 "

While this was true the image backup only defaulted Windows 7 and not Vista.

Perhaps this is a clue to what is going on.

Thanks for your help
Richard

Hi Richard,

Thanks. I wasn't able to find that thread on 7 Forum using search - if you could point me to it I'd be grateful.

Had you already repaired Vista before you did the 7 startup repair?


SIW2

No Thread.

" Recovered Vista "
and " Recovered Windows 7 " Is what the screen showed at reboot.

For unknown reasons after installing Windows 7 the reboot only showed one of the two systems,
I than did a recovery using the Windows 7 Restore Disk. The restore process created
the " Recovered " items.

Richard

Hi Shawn,

If the 7 Boot partition and the System partition are one and the same - it only defaults to that one partition.

Like this:



You can fool it into thinking that simply by marking the 7 partition as active.

May be as well to make it a "secondary" system partition , by copying across the relevant files - in case you forget to hand the active flag back.

It seems to need the same amount of space on the target drive as the used space on the source partition - no compression, it appears.