Imaging strategies

curious on re imaging, how oftern do you find you need new sn# for products or to reactivate them since alot of programs the activation codes are hard wired to the hardware

You shouldn't need to re-licence any software following an image restore unless of course you happen to be unlucky with new versions of paid software which is one reason to take a new image following such an upgrade.

whs said:

Do NOT use Windows imaging for what you are trying to do. It is so restrictive and touchy that you will not be happy with it.

I suggest you use free Macrium or free Paragon.

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Thanks for that interesting suggestion. I have tried Paragon Free - it took a very long time to produce a backup. (i've also given up on Axcronis as their tech support is awful)
On the other hand the experience so far with Windows 7 Ultimate has ben quite good in so far as production of backup and doing a restore. I'm not sure what you meant in this context by "touchy" but apart from the multiple version problem of having to nama and rename it seems to work well

'Touchy' means that if you touch the image, it does not work any more. Yes Paragon is a bit longer, but after the initial image you can make differentials.

I actually use free Macrium all the time because it does the best job, has a lot of options and is very robust.

Thanks - I'll give Macrium a try.

keith99 said:

whs said:

Do NOT use Windows imaging for what you are trying to do. It is so restrictive and touchy that you will not be happy with it.

I suggest you use free Macrium or free Paragon.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that interesting suggestion. I have tried Paragon Free - it took a very long time to produce a backup. (i've also given up on Axcronis as their tech support is awful)
On the other hand the experience so far with Windows 7 Ultimate has ben quite good in so far as production of backup and doing a restore. I'm not sure what you meant in this context by "touchy" but apart from the multiple version problem of having to nama and rename it seems to work well

Click to expand...

I had difficulties finding the reference to the specific situation Windows imaging was unsuitable.
I use Windows imaging as my primary tool and Macrium Reflect as
1) a reliable secondary imaging tool in case Windows own fails
2) at times a more flexible tool.

In over 30 full system restores (2 PCs) including to new HDDs with a host of paid, licensed software, Windows imaging has never let me done. I do use Macrium from time to time for partition specific imaging that Windows imaging was not designed for. I may still need Macrium for item (1)....but I'm still waiting.

The difficulty I have had with it (apart from the total inflexibility ) - is there have been a number of times when the image cannot be found.

It has not been moved or renamed.

Windows Restore GUI and wbadmin refuse to acknowledge it is there.

Panic situation for the average punter

Of course , I could work around that - but why should I?

I have never had that issue with any other imaging software - over hundreds of restore operations.

The second major issue ( tho I have not experienced this myself ) is there are numerous reports of the restore process refusing the drive - even tho. it is exactly the same drive that was imaged in the first place.

You have been lucky so far.

I have had some success with imaging and restoring individual partitions using the command line - but given the occasions when the image was invisible to the restore process ( yet perfectly visible to me ) I would be foolish to rely on it.

I already mentioned the restrictions in Windows imaging but I believe they meet most user requirements including mine.

I have stored images on numerous external HDDs and performed numerous full restores. Admittedly only on 2 totally different PCs. When you get to the stage of 30 successes (at least...I've lost count) and no problems I think it is more than luck.

What do I do:
1) Only ever make a single image via "Create a system image". No differecing images. Rename the image, moving with the same partition is fine.
2) On the rare occasion an image is not located I physically remove and reattach the external HDD and refresh.

I think Windows imaging has been a built in success story for many users. I also think some of the third party products are excellent and in some ways superior - I use them.

I have been trying to like it - in many ways it is very ingenious.

Can't put with something that cannot find the image that is needed to restore from .

MS need to incorporate some kind of browse function - you browse to the vhd , select it , then point at where you want to restore it to.

Of course that would only restore the most recent image - but that's ok in most situations.

It can't be that hard to implement.

SIW2 said:

MS need to incorporate some kind of browse function - you browse to the vhd , select it , then point at where you want to restore it to.

Of course that would only restore the most recent image - but that's ok in most situations.

It can't be that hard to implement.

Click to expand...

I totally agree.
As I'm sure you know Acronis seem to be able to do the job for Windows images.
Although I'm a nobody, MS should realize that images and image recovery is a key recovery tool. It's not just a nice thing to have.

This is an interesting discussion. So let me add my 2 cents.

In my computer club, we were at first teaching people to use Windows imaging because it appeared to be the simplest imaging route. But after a while, many were bitterly complaining because they were stuck with the recovery process that did not work for a variety of reasons. We then switched to teaching them to use free Macrium and there has not been a single complaint yet.

Maybe that is not statistically significant. But the club has over 800 members and a lot of those were attending those classes.

I reimaged using Macrium this morning. It was simpler and quicker than unpicking some changes I had made that I didn't like.

The main thing is to have one or two imagining programs that you have a high degree of confidence in. I believe you will need to have carried out a few full system reimages before you can have some confidence. After that if you like it, use it.

Except for two or three instance, all the responses are from Seven Gurus. I wonder why most users shy away from imaging. I have tried to teach my office staff how to create and restore images and made them do it too, but they have done nothing after the creation of the first image under my guidance although some years have gone by.

I think the frequency of image creation that has been recommended in the tutorial is much too much. I just keep three images, a Basic1 as suggested in the tutorial with all updates in place, Internet connected and WLM installed. Then an incremental Basic2 with MS Office installed and updated. After that all other programs including the A-V and the third party Firewall are installed and imaged that I call the Perfect Image. I keep updating this perfect image every month. The A-V and Firewall are in the third image because they keep getting updated very frequently and may get discarded in the future for better ones unlike the OS and Office.

I may install some more third party programs during the month after creating the Perfect Image and evaluate them to make up my mind about which I want to retain and which ones I want to discard. Then I restore the month old Perfect Image, install the programs that I had wanted to retain, delete the month old Perfect Image and re-image to make another perfect image.

I have followed this procedure from 2006 when I first started on imaging and it has served me excellently well. It saves a lot of time in daily imaging and there is hardly any bloat on my C Drive. I keep the images in a separate folder on an external drive. Although my imaging program permits the creation of a "secure zone drive", I have not utilized this facility.

Everyone must reach their own level of comfort in their imaging strategy. I worked for 30 years in mainframe IT where backups and recovery were essential to the well being of the company I worked for. So perhaps what I do now is habit and is overkill but it keeps me happy.

Hi Keith, I just see your new shining star. Congratulations. And regarding imaging - you are right. There is no 'one size fits all'. Everybody should chose the frequency with which they are comfortable. I now deviate a bit from my own tutorial. But that is OK. I still have plenty of images on 3 seperate disks.

Thanks Wolfgang.

whs said:

Hi Keith, I just see your new shining star. Congratulations. And regarding imaging - you are right. There is no 'one size fits all'. Everybody should chose the frequency with which they are comfortable. I now deviate a bit from my own tutorial. But that is OK. I still have plenty of images on 3 seperate disks.

Click to expand...

Wolfgang, did you mean Gary?

whs said:

Right Gary. I had only tried the scheme with test partitions. But this was a real live experience.

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Kari, it is a bad morning. I mix up all the names. I am up sice 5AM, had a bad night. Sorry guys, please forgive me.

Wolfgang, just teasing and joking!

Take care of yourself, don't forget to rest

Kari