Using Imaging software with Truecrypt system encryption.

I may have been testing out the wrong feature. Since I remembered you talking about cloning for the encrypted OS, I went directly to the "clone disk" feature from WinPE, then I deselected the unencrypted partitions so I could see if I could clone just one partition.

Using this method the recovery disk asked for a destination drive. I selected my external HD, which has two partitions and some unallocated space. The program was insistent on adding the cloned partition to the unallocated space, as if it would be an exact partition copy.

However I took a closer look at the recovery program and decided to click directly under the encrypted OS and select "image this partition" from there I selected my destination folder for the mrimg to be created, then under advanced setting I deselected "intelligent sector copy" and instead selected "make an exact copy of the partition". Is this right?

Oh, There were also some other options for things like a password, but I'm assuming I don't need this on the encrypted OS since I'm creating an image of the OS in it's encrypted state, correct?

If this is exactly what you did, please give me the thumbs up. Sorry for the relentless questions on this but I think I'm a bit lucky that the one person who responded here has tried exactly what I'm about to attempt.

Not to mention that this is going to be a one shot, get it right the first time thing for me. I spent about a week getting every program I wanted, optimizing windows settings, updating drivers, and running virus scans and registry cleaners, and all this on 3 operating systems. My computer is in optimal shape for the hardware, so getting the images right while it's in this condition would put an end to a long project.

You're correct on all counts. (I realize I said Macrium doesn't do partition clones, but as you figured out it does. I wasn't aware of that myself.)

It sure is lucky that you ran into me LOL, but I'm more than happy to pass on my knowledge - I had to figure it all out on my own and do some testing as well. Why shouldn't you or anyone else benefit from that :)

Good luck!

To update, I have the images created for the two unencrypted OS partitions now. :) I used standard "intelligent sector copies" for these. Since these are compressed I had plenty of room for making two images for each of these OS partitions.

For the unencrypted win7 for example I made both a partition image, and windows image using intelligent sector copy. I was guessing that a windows image can be used to restore windows without overriding my programs and data on the partition.

However when I looked at the sizes for the images, the windows image was the exact same size as the partition image. I'm not sure what that's all about, I figured a windows image would be smaller but at any rate it's their if I need it.

I'll be making two images for the Truecrypt OS as well, probably today or tomorrow.

One image will be made before the OS is decrypted from the WinPE disk, as you explained . I'll store this, as is, on my external HD. I'm going to attempt to access the data on this image to ensure the image is indeed encrypted.

I assume it will be, but it will be an interesting experiment to check for loopholes in truecrypt encryption.

The second image I make for the encrypted OS will be from windows after the OS is decrypted, I'll make this one using intelligent sector copy, and save this one on a truecrypt volume since it will be created unencrypted.

This image will be my backup if the other method doesn't work, in which case I'll be forced to re-encrypt the image after it is restored.

Im still debating on whether or not I should test out restoring one of these images, I think the cautious part of my personality is telling me to wait until something goes wrong before restoring.

If the backup goes well, and if you let Macrium verify the image and it comes back OK, then you can rest assured nothing will stand in the way of a successful restore.

For the unencrypted Windows 7 for example I made both a partition image, and windows image using intelligent sector copy. I was guessing that a windows image can be used to restore windows without overriding my programs and data on the partition.

However when I looked at the sizes for the images, the windows image was the exact same size as the partition image. I'm not sure what that's all about, I figured a windows image would be smaller but at any rate it's their if I need it.

I'm not sure I understand, what exactly do you mean by "Windows image" and how would it be different from a "partition image"? Did you make both these images from the WinPE disc?

Whether or not you use "intelligent sector copy" doesn't change the fact that you're always backing up the entire partition with all data inside it - Windows, programs, settings, everything. The difference lies in whether unused filesystem clusters are backed up as well.

Intelligent sector copy skips them, but technically you still end up with an image of a complete partition - minus whatever data actually resides in those clusters marked as unused by the NTFS filesystem.

I set all the images to verify and they checked out ok :) Now I also have the encrypted partition imaged as well, with two copies.

All the images were created using the WinPE disc with the exception of the second image I made for the encrypted Win7. I wanted a backup for that partition as well, so one of those images I made after the OS was booted and I stored that one in a Trucrypt container, since it was created after the OS was decrypted.

I also confirmed that the encrypted partition that I imaged from the WinPE disk was indeed created as an encrypted sector by sector image, because that image turned out to be over 30 gigs, and when I tried to read data on it from WinPE it asked me if I wanted to format it, which is typical of encrypted volumes/partitions. So that's cool.

About the "windows image", there was an option from the WinPE disc that let me make an OS image, or it might have said Windows or perhaps system image. From what I remember this was a separate option from imaging the entire partition.

Perhaps I should read up on this more because on both my unencrypted OS's I made one of these windows images, and one standard partition image. I also used identical settings for both types. Intelligent sector copy with the same compression method was used for both the standard images and the windows images. Whether or not I used the create windows image feature, the images turned out to be the same size as their standard counterparts though.

It might have been that the program itself just allows you to create the same type of image in two different locations from the menu, then they decided to label one of the menu options differently than the other, calling it a "windows image".

I dunno, but I do have two copies of each partition at the very least.

Thanks again for your help, i really needed it on this one. Im always a bit jittery with new types of projects, even though I have experience in computers, software concepts that are new to me always have me scratching my head for a while.

BTW if I mark this topic as solved will it prevent further post? I may want to leave the topic open in the case that I decide to do a restore in the near future and I run into a problem.

That does make sense (about partition images and 'Windows images' being the same thing). Glad to hear you've been successful with everything!
Feel free to mark this thread solved; you can always just start a new one if you run into any issues with restoring. :)

Thanks again Corazon, I'll return to this site if I ever have a problem restoring. :)