Image your system with free Macrium


  1. Posts : 10,455
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Service Pack 1
       #1681

    I would imagine that the unmovable files are part of the System Volume Information (restore points etc) and the page file which are not part of the image unless you select the forensic copy option.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #1682

    ken75 said:
    kado897 said:
    my understanding is that the placement of the data is irrelevant it is the quantity that matters.
    That seems to be what everyone is saying but that would require that some files are moved to different locations as part of the restore process. In that case the Original Partition and Imaged Partition would not be identical.

    Can Macrium move files to accomplish that? What about the unmovable files that I have near the center (approximate 500 GB point) of my 1TB disk as described above?
    You are still overthinking it. Don't worry about it.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 41
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
       #1683

    kado897 said:
    If still in doubt read this article. v5: How to restore a backup image (Restore, v5). Particularly the section on modifying the partition.
    Thanks once again. I actually bookmarked that link yesterday but just read through it now and watched the video.

    It will take some study to fully understand everything discussed. However, I just had the thought that perhaps Macrium could move files around as necessary. Files marked as unmovable by Windows would not be unmovable when Windows is not running. Moving files, however, would require that Macrium make changes to the file directory that knows the location of every file. Lastly, the original disk file locations would not all be the same as on the restored disk.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #1684

    ken75 said:
    kado897 said:
    If still in doubt read this article. v5: How to restore a backup image (Restore, v5). Particularly the section on modifying the partition.
    Thanks once again. I actually bookmarked that link yesterday but just read through it now and watched the video.

    It will take some study to fully understand everything discussed. However, I just had the thought that perhaps Macrium could move files around as necessary. Files marked as unmovable by Windows would not be unmovable when Windows is not running. Moving files, however, would require that Macrium make changes to the file directory that knows the location of every file. Lastly, the original disk file locations would not all be the same as on the restored disk.
    Still overthinking it. I give up.
      My Computer


  5. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
    Thread Starter
       #1685

    LF, Good point. I gave up a long time ago.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 41
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
       #1686

    In regards to the technical discussion on how these programs actually work, Wikipedia provides some answers. It appears that Imaging programs may move files to different locations allowing a smaller image and a smaller partition on the restored drive. If this is the case, then these programs are not creating a true sector by sector copy of the original image. Moving files would not be difficult and would be similar to the operation of any defrag program.

    "Most commercial imaging software is "user-friendly" and "automatic" but may not create bit-identical images. These programs have most of the same advantages, except that they may allow restoring to partitions of a different size or file-allocation size, and thus may not put files on the same exact sector."

    Disk image - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    I assume this explains how a disk image that is spread all over a large partition with a lot of empty space can be placed on a smaller partition.

    My apologies to those not interested in the finer details of Macrium Reflect or any imaging program. Some individuals may only be concerned with having a program work and be easy to use and that is fine. Others may want to learn more and understand the operation in greater detail.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 16,130
    7 X64
       #1687

    A sector by sector copy is an option in most of them. Default is to image used sectors, which saves time, space, and allows restoring to smaller drive than the original.

    Haven't we said this already?
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #1688

    SIW2 said:
    A sector by sector copy is an option in most of them. Default is to image used sectors, which saves time, space, and allows restoring to smaller drive than the original.

    Haven't we said this already?
    Ad infinitum, ad nauseam.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 264
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit SP1 x64
       #1689

    Electron said:
    "Most commercial imaging software is "user-friendly" and "automatic" but may not create bit-identical images. These programs have most of the same advantages, except that they may allow restoring to partitions of a different size or file-allocation size, and thus may not put files on the same exact sector."
    My experiences of restoring an intelligent Used Space only Incremental backup of the Licensed version of Macrium reflect include :-
    Exact Same Sectors when restoring to the same partition on the same Disk
    Fully Defragged when restoring to the same size partition on a different Disk
    Fully Defragged when restoring and shrinking to the same partition on the same Disk
    Fully Defragged when restoring and shrinking to any partition on any Disk

    I love the fact that when I decide C:\ has been corrupted and I need to restore an earlier incremental backup,
    I can delete ALL the subsequent incremental backups,
    and create a new incremental backup that is very small.
    Previous experience with Acronis was that it always fully defragged during the restoration,
    and the next incremental backup would find 40% of the same files in different sectors,
    and for that reason the next incremental backup I created was stupendously large.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 10,455
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Service Pack 1
       #1690

    That's some interesting observations Alan. I would imagine that it is quicker to restore to the same sectors. I wonder if it doesn't restore unchanged sectors.

    BTW I think it is risky to use incremental backups. Corruption of a mid chain incremental makes any later incrementals unusable. I prefer to use differentials. Provided the base image is sound then corruption of a differential does not affect others.
      My Computer


 

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