Back up Nortons Utility ?

JerometheGiraff- Thanks for being specific. When I first started researching 3rd party Image Backup software my first choice was to go with the most popular recommendation and try Acronis True Image, but after I found out that it required its own partition on the main drive to hold backups, used a Linux Preinstall Environment (PE) and constantly used 250 MB of RAM I decided to try a different program which was Macrium Reflect. I don't mean to shed any negative light on Acronis, but Reflect turned out to be the 3.65 MB RAM light running 100% effective Image Backup program that I felt was better suited for use on my computers.

From Wikipedia...

"Windows Preinstallation Environment (aka Windows PE, WinPE) is a lightweight version of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2 that is used for the deployment of workstations and servers. It is intended as a 32-bit or 64-bit replacement for MS-DOS during the installation phase of Windows, and can be booted via PXE, CD-ROM, USB flash drive, or hard disk. Traditionally used by large corporations and OEMs (to preinstall Windows client operating systems to PCs during manufacturing), it is now widely available free of charge via the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK)."

I have conveniently installed the 148 MB Windows 7 PE on the boot menu of my computer to eliminate the need to use a Rescue Disk simply by using the "Add a Boot Menu Option" in Reflect.

~Maxx~

JerometheGiraff said:

Windows PE is a light fast install of Windows that you can use for whatever reason, why would you want that if you are trying to restore a backup with Windows?

Macruim Reflect uses the Bart PE to restore Win XP, but it uses the 148 MB Win PE 2* to restore an Image to Win 7...



Macrium Reflect is indeed freeware, but Micro$oft charges $40 for the initial download including future updates of their Win PE 2. I have a very few programs that I have paid to use, but being able to use Macrium Reflect with this $40 M$ Win PE 2 has literally saved me hundreds of hours of manually restoring my computers.

Having a full set of Macrium Reflect Image backups allows me to try new programs and do new things that I would not have tried before because I can recover Win 7 from any disaster directly from the boot menu with a 4 minute 40 second Image Restore using the Win PE 2 with 100% accuracy each and every time I use it making Macrium Reflect my ultimate bottom line back to the wall computer security software with a complete contingent of 8 GB full Image backups from several different states going all the way back to the very first backup I did of my Win 7 computer and going back over 1 year for my Vista computer.

*The latest upgrade of the Win PE for Macrium Reflect is 2.1.2952.

~Maxx~

Curious Acronis would want to make a backup partion on the main drive, and not let you change it.

Although possible, its highly recommended to place the backups on a partiton or drive that does not have Windows installed on it.


True, it does require its own partition or disc, but, this partition can be a standard partition or drive with a Drive letter, or it can be hidden.
A.K.A Acronis Secure Zone.

ASZ has no drive letter and is hidden from Windows, and can be accessed through Acronis.


The Back Up partition or disc can be located anywhere you choose.
On a seperate Internal Drive, External Drive, or somewhere on the LAN.

This can all be changed and setup however you choose.
Also, whenever a backup is made, it can store it in the default location you choose, or you can choose another.

Wishmaster said:

True, it does require its own partition or disc, but, this partition can be a standard partition or drive with a Drive letter, or it can be hidden.
A.K.A Acronis Secure Zone.

Wishmaster- Thanks for refreshing my memory. ASZ was the name of the 100 GB partition that Acronis created on my C Drive and it remains partitioned like that to this day.

~Maxx~

If you want to restore a Macrium Reflect Disk Image the first thing that you need is a Rescue Disk which contains the 148 MB Win PE which is a miniaturized version of Windows which is just large enough to contain the software that is used to wipe the C drive and restore the Reflect Image that you have stored on a remote drive. To make a Rescue CD just follow the instructions in the Reflect GUI and it will burn the Win PE to a CD R or DVD R. Insert it into your computer's optical player and when you start the computer you will see instructions to 'press any key to boot from the Rescue Disk' and then you will enter the Preinstall Environment where Reflect will allow you to repair the computer or restore any Reflect Disc Image that you have stored on a remote drive.



In Reflect it also offers the option to install the Win PE on your computer's Boot Menu and you can then select Reflect on the Boot Menu at start up instead of having to insert the Rescue Disc each time you want to restore a Reflect Image...



The Reflect Images that I keep for Win 7 which date back from when I first had the computer set up through various stages right up until yesterday which takes up a total of about 64 GB. I also keep a couple of Windows 7 System Images, but this many Image Backups would have taken 192 GB of storage space on each backup storage drive.

~Maxx~

JerometheGiraff- Although I did make an effort to answer your questions if you could be more specific as to what parts of those questions you are still unclear to you I will try to go into more detail.

~Maxx~