Windows Backup Disc Image

Can you post a Windows diskmanagement screen shot using the snipping tool.

Here you go.

Your registry will be OK if the conversion back to basic works. If you are forced to reinstall Windows, you will get a fresh registry.

If the conversion goes well, your programs will continue to work and your data will not be affected.

If you use the right tool, you can convert those dynamic partitions back to basic. Dynamics are a pain as you are finding.

I think Partition Wizard can convert without forcing you to reformat and reinstall.

Free Download Magic Partition Manager Software - Partition Wizard Online

I'm not sure about the Paragon tools, at least the free ones.

BUT BUT BUT, because anything can and might go wrong during the conversion back to basic discs, you definitely should copy (not move) all of your personal data to a completely different drive---not just to another partition on the same drive. In your case that appears to be an external.

Draw a distinction in your mind between Windows and your personal data (email, bookmarks, pictures, mp3s, videos, Word files, Excel files, whatever you use the PC for). It's the personal stuff that you need to copy.

Installed programs aren't going to survive well being dragged around from one disc to another.

When I say copy, I don't mean use an image. I mean using the mouse, folder by folder.

If the conversion goes well, you won't have to reinstall anything and your data won't be damaged. But you can't count on it not being damaged---that's why you need to copy personal files to an external.

You should also make "recovery discs" since I assume your HP did not come with any type of Windows or installation discs. That may no longer be possible since you now have dynamic discs.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best. I'm not a dynamic to basic conversion guru, but I know it has been done successfully. Wait for more input in this thread.

Thanks for all the advice; I did successfully run a disk image backup and it appears to have worked. I have also set up a daily schedule using the same XML file.

However, as a test I restarted the backup soon after it completed - it scanned the drive and then gave me a two hour completion estimate? Is there no incremental backup - will it take two or three hours every single day?

A 2 hour backup a day is out of the question for a single system.

We need more information.
It would be useful if you provided an update on what you did. Did you convert the disk to basic? It looks like you are using Macrium with it's XMLs.
Again a screen shot and a description of what you're backing up is needed.

I believe these long back up times are a problem with my router - slow transfer speeds have been a constant issue. This is why I'm asking whether Reflect is capable of incremental back-up?

The disc is converted to basic and I just imaged the whole thing. I am indeed using Macrium with its XMLs, however if this problem persists I might switch to the fancy-looking Paragon program I found (anybody used it?)



The rest is just the other discs mentioned in disc management (minus the HP TOOLS partition - I appear to have lost that...).