Issue with Windows Backup creating System Image

Need help with a Windows backup problem.

I'm trying to create a system image of my OS drive (C). This is an SSD drive. Anyway whenever I attempt to create the image, Windows Backup automatically selects my game drive (M) along with C drive and I can’t deselect it. In short I have no choice but to have both drives selected.

Now, I do have the MBR on the "C" drive and there are no boot records, files, or folders of any kind on the "M" drive. Yes, I have show all hidden files and folders in folder view enabled.

And to double check that C doesn’t need M, I’ve physically removed it and all other drives from the system, and C boots up just fine.

Also, there are no other OS’s loaded into the boot loader, just Window 7. I’ve even used this fix again just be sure everything was on C drive - Boot loader on separate partition?

BTW I did create a system image of just C drive by leaving the other drives disconnected, after which I re-connected the drives, tried to create another system image and yes, Windows Backup is STILL insisting on adding the M drive as well.

Anyone have any thoughts on what’s going on? It’s really annoying.

Thanks

I gave up with windows image and now use this;

Free Backup Software for Hard Drive System Backup and Restore. Backup freeware for data backup and disaster recovery in Windows 7/XP/Vista and Linux - EASEUS

<http://www.todo-backup.com/>

No problems since.

Regards....Mike Connor

Thanks Mike, but the problem I have is I want to use Windows Backup for my image. I need to know why Windows Backup is doing something that it has no logical reason for doing.

BTW I also have a decent backup program in Acronis True Image 2010 which I've already used to create an image.

Again, need to know why Windows Backup keeps insisting on including a drive that has nothing to do with booting the system.

Thanks.

A disk management screen shot and BIOS boot order could help with suggestions.

Sounds like you've confirmed there are no System files on Games partition so this is likely a fluke. A screenshot would verify this.

I'd just unplug it during imaging as it won't be referenced at all then. You'd want to have all other drives unplugged during reimaging anyway.

Not sure what you're looking for in the BIOS, but I can assure you that the SSD drive is the first boot drive.

As for the disk management screen, the C drive is active and does contain the MBR,



Tis no mere rookie here

Again, I fail to understand why WBU is insisting on asking for a drive with not boot records.

gregrocker said:

Sounds like you've confirmed there are no System files on Games partition so this is likely a fluke. A screenshot would verify this.

I'd just unplug it during imaging as it won't be referenced at all then. You'd want to have all other drives unplugged during reimaging anyway.

Thanks Greg, that's what I did. It's just annoying that this is happening for no reason. Also as you might imagine, physically disconnecting a drive to do an image is not idea. Really would like to know what the heck is going on.

Thanks

Just in case....

gregrocker said:

I'd just unplug it during imaging as it won't be referenced at all then.

Pragmatic maybe if the restore also works, but clearly there is an unresolved issue.

Thanks Cato, excellent find! Yeah that looks like what might be going on here. However I'm a little reluctant to try the procedures as I don't want to give up any more hard disk space on my SSD drive. Also It appears that I don’t have the 100MB partition anyway as Windows never seemed to create one for me as shown in disk part…..



@whs, not to be obtuse, but I would like to use a feature that’s supposed to work. However I do see now that the program is buggy.

My post is to try and find a solution, if none can be found, no sleep will be lost. Now I do value your opinion in this matter as to restoring an image that obviously needs to be aligned correctly on an SSD drive, and from my understanding, ATI2010 doesn’t do this properly, thus my interest in Windows Backup.

In other words when you restore an image to an SSD drive, it will get the default 63 sectors offset instead of 64kb (or a multiple of 64kb) offset recommended for SSD drives even if this offset was in place when the image had been created. This may result in a drop of performance on certain models of SSD drives after the restore;

Solid State Drive Support in Acronis Products | Knowledge Base

Since Windows Backup seems buggy, and ATI2010 is said not to properly align a SSD drive during an image restore, what do you recommend other than ATI 2011?

Thanks