Windows 7 - Imaging with free Macrium

opened up the MBR "configuration settings" file. Below is it's contents. Does this help?

; English HP 12/02/02
; V1.9e Modified System Lock Message - added Boot Switches
; v1.9g UseSmallMBR=1 / STR_START=""
; v2.0d
; line feed before "Press any key..." etc.
; ShowRecoveryPart=1
; SwapPart=0 04/04/02
; v2.2b1 Replaced HP by tag %BRANDNAME% in STR_NO_PASSWORD (section [BootLoader])

[PEImage]
Verify=1
LeaveFreeSpace=300
Absolute_Size=0
ImageSize=8000

[BootLoader]
RecoveryPartition=1
;QuickplayPartition=1024
RecoveryPartitionOnStartOfDisk=0
; Boot loader timeout for "\nOperating system found.\nPress 'R' to display System Recovery options.\n"
TimeOut=0
; answer key for "nNo operating system installed or partition corrupted.\nPress 'R' to perform a full System Recovery.\n"
ANSWER_FullRestore="R"
; answer key for "\nOperating system found.\nPress 'R' to display System Recovery options. "
ANSWER_SHOW_MENU="R"
; answer key for "Press 'F' to format the hard drive and perform a full System Recovery."
ANSWER_DESTROY_HD="F"
; answer key for "Press 'R' for standard System Recovery options."
ANSWER_BOOT_PE="R"
; answer key for "Press 'Q' to Quit."
ANSWER_BOOT_XP="Q"
; answer key for "\n\nPlease confirm with 'Y' to format drive and install a new operating system.\n"
ANSWER_YES="Y"
; Error strings
STR_CD_READ_ERR="\nCD/DVD read error!"
STR_HD_WRITE_ERR="\nHard drive write error!\n"
STR_ERROR="\nNon-System disk or disk error\n"
STR_PRESSAKEY="\nPress any key to continue.\n"
STR_HD_TOO_SMALL="\nERROR: The hard drive is too small for the recovery!\n"
; Menu Strings
STR_HD_ERROR="\nNo hard drive found.\nPC Recovery cannot be continued!\n"
STR_CD_ERROR="\nError! Unable to detect CD/DVD drive.\nPC Recovery cannot be continued!\n"
STR_PT_ERROR="\nNo operating system installed or partition corrupted.\nPress 'R' to perform a full PC Recovery.\n"
STR_ASK_RESTORE="\nPress 'R' to display PC Recovery options. "
STR_MENU_OPTIONS="\nPress 'R' for standard PC Recovery options.\n\nPress 'F' to format the hard drive and reinstall the original factory settings.\n All data will be lost!\n\nPress 'Q' to Quit this menu.\n"
STR_CONFIRM_FORMAT="\n\nPress 'Y' to format the hard drive and reinstall original factory settings.\nPress 'Esc' to exit this menu."
STR_NORMAL_BOOT="\n\nBooting PC..."
STR_RECOVERY_BOOT="\n\nStarting recovery...\n"
STR_COPY_TO_HD="\nPreparing recovery partition - please wait.\n"
STR_CURRENT_SIZE="\nThe current recovery partition size in MB is ";
STR_GET_IMAGE_SIZE="\nPlease enter the new size "
; Startup stuff
STR_WRONG_BLOCK="Error! Could not verify CD-ROM image.\n"
STR_SEARCH_CDDRIVE="Detected CD-ROM as drive "
STR_SEARCH_IMAGE="Detected boot image on LBA "

; Password stuff
STR_NO_PASSWORD="\nThese PC Recovery discs do NOT support this PC model. "
LockSystem=1
SystemPassword="Hewlett-Packard"
LockSystem2=0
; Max 4 chars!
SystemPassword2="****"
;5.0.42
PasswordsOn_HD=2
Use_Harddisk_Lock=0

OEM_Option123=1
OEM_Option007=5B03
OEM_Option008=8906
;IF AskCreateRecoveryPartition=1 THEN the boot loader will ask STR_ASK_CREATE_RP
AskCreateRecoveryPartition=0
;IF asked for Yes or NO, this is the NO letter
ANSWER_NO="N"
;...
STR_ASK_CREATE_RP="\n\n\n\nDo you want to create a recovery partition on the hard drive?\n\n * Press 'Y' to create the recovery partition used for standard PC\n Recovery.\n\n * Press 'N' to bypass creating the recovery partition and always recover\n directly from PC Recovery discs."

;Message for Magneto scenario
STR_REMOVE_USB="\n Warning - You must remove the HP Personal Media Drive or any other external\n media drive from the system before attempting system recovery. Data will be\n erased if the external drive is left in the system. Remove any such device\n and press any key to continue. "
;STR_REMOVE_CD2BOOT="\n Warning - You must remove the HP Personal Media Drive or any other external\n media drive from the system before attempting system recovery. Data will be\n erased if the external drive is left in the system. Remove any such device\n and press any key to continue. "
STR_REMOVE_CD2BOOT=\n Please remove the CD/DVD and press a key to reboot. If the PC boots on the\n hard disc re-insert the CD/DVD !



[MasterBootRecordOld]
UseSmallMBR=1
SwapPart=0
CountMode=5
RecoveryInUserPart=0
;TimeOut for "\nPress F10 to start recovery "
TimeOut=1
;STR_BS_ERROR="\nMissing OS\n"
STR_BS_ERROR=" "
STR_ERROR="\nMBR Error\n"
;STR_PRESSAKEY="\nPress a key.\n"
STR_PRESSAKEY=" "
;STR_START="\nPress F10 to start recovery "
STR_START=" "
QuietCountDown=0
AutoHideRecovery=0
ShowRecoveryPart=1
ScanCode=133

[MasterBootRecord]
; DO NOT TRANSLATE
UseSmallMBR=1
SwapPart=1
;TimeOut for "\nPress F11 to start recovery "
TimeOut=1
QuietCountDown=1
AutoHideRecovery=0
ShowRecoveryPart=1
ScanCode=133
;DoRecoverRP=0
SafebootCompatibleMBR=0
CountMode=1

; TRANSLATE
STR_START="\nPress F11 for Emergency Recovery "

;STR_ERROR="\nMBR Error\n"
STR_ERROR=\nErr1

;STR_BS_ERROR="\nOS Missing\n"
STR_BS_ERROR=Err2

;STR_PRESSAKEY="\nPress a key.\n"
STR_PRESSAKEY=Err3

RecoveryInUserPart=0

yikes - I didn't realize how long that was. Sorry everybody

M

Mike,

As an added safeguard, another thing I started doing after I discovered the Norton "issue" was to create manual check points each month after first disabling Norton. After, would then re-enable Norton.

After doing this, ALL restores worked.

M

Hi

Thanks for the prompt response, but does this create a self booting image.

God Bless

Self-booting, no. You'll need to make the recovery CD and boot from that.

By the way. Up until a couple days ago I had used this program solely for convenience. I had also installed it on a friend's machine as a safeguard. (Mostly a safeguard for me, to save time in the event she messed something up and I didn't want to spend a lot of time fixing it.)

To make a long story short, she had tried to install an Adobe add-on for MS Office which turned out to not be compatible. She then tried a registry cleaner to fix it, since she didn't want to bug me. It was like treating a cold with cyanide capsules. Yeah, the cold was gone - but so was pretty much her whole system, too. As a college professor who teaches an online class, she needed her computer working now. I restored an image for her in about half an hour, making us both very happy.

Prof made the situation clear - I hope. It is a good practice to burn the the bootable recovery CD as the very first step. It is explained in my video tut.
As an imaging newcomer I also suggest you make a trial recovery run with a test partition. Shrink a couple of GBs off C and create a new partition. Copy some files into there and then image that test partition. After that delete a file from the test partition.
Now do the recovery with your image and see whether your deleted files are back. If yes, the recovery worked and you have learned something. After that you can delete your test partition and merge the space back to C.

Exactly why I preach against registry cleaners.

Does macrium work with raid boot partitions, provided i supply the necessary intel drivers? Has anybody tried this?

Macrium doesn't support software raid.

Otherwise , drivers can be added to the winpe boot disc - not the Linux one.


http://www.macrium.com/webhelp/Addin...s.asp?nohead=y

Just to double check, attached is a screenshot of what Macrium shows me my Acer TravelMate (Vista, practising on this machine before my Windows 7 one arrives) has drive/partition wise.

Regarding this Active/Inactive thing, do I go down the "Do NOT MARK AS ACTIVE and DO NOT REPLACE MBR" route, or something different.