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  1. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #61

    The time required to make an image varies according to the occupied space on that partition and the application and settings used to make the image.

    Just to give you an idea, my C partition is 80 gigs, with about 25 occupied.

    Images take less than 10 minutes to make, regardless of which application I may have used (Acronis, Macrium Reflect, or EaseUS Todo Backup).

    Like you, I have given up on Acronis. It never failed outright, but prior experiences with it and some perusing of the Acronis forums did not inspire confidence.

    So, I alternate between Macrium Reflect and EaseUS Todo Backup. That way I am not entirely reliant on any one product--at any given time I have an image made with each. Both are free, quick, and have clutter-free intuitive interfaces.
      My Computer


  2. mjf
    Posts : 5,969
    Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1
       #62

    @CBM
    For an Acer Aspire intel Q8300 and 55GB on image data my times are approx 25 min for Macrium and 30 min for Windows imaging with an external USB 2 HDD.

    On an i7 PC USB 3 this drops to ~ 10 min.

    Also if you are imaging system reserved (as windows does) you are also imaging your full 11GB recovery partition.
      My Computer


  3. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #63

    CBM, This warning applies to all partitions that are not active - including the C partition (which is a new given since Windows7).

    WHat makes you think that the recovery partition starts the boot ?? Let me go back in this thread and have a look at your Disk Management pictures.

    Update: You are right. As to your DM pic in post #39, the recovery partition is active. You must have done a reinstall at one time. This is not the way it is supposed to be, but does not bother. As long as you leave the recovery partition alone, all is well.
      My Computer


  4. CBM
    Posts : 104
    1.Windows 7 Ultimate x64; 2.Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #64

    whs said:
    CBM, This warning applies to all partitions that are not active - including the C partition (which is a new given since Windows7).

    WHat makes you think that the recovery partition starts the boot ?? Let me go back in this thread and have a look at your Disk Management pictures.

    Update: You are right. As to your DM pic in post #39, the recovery partition is active. You must have done a reinstall at one time. This is not the way it is supposed to be, but does not bother. As long as you leave the recovery partition alone, all is well.
    Hello whs. No, I've never done a reinstall on this Dell Studio XPS 7100 computer. It's only appx. three months old. I would not use the recovery partition. I always use the installation disc and reformat.

    Why is Dell Recovery partition marked as the active partition? - Microsoft OS Forum - Software & Operating Systems - Dell Community

    Repositioning Boot Files To Fix a Dell, Windows 7, BootIt NG Problem

    C.B.
    Last edited by CBM; 25 Sep 2011 at 10:33.
      My Computer


  5. mjf
    Posts : 5,969
    Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1
       #65

    Using the recovery partition as system active is common practice by Dell.
    For this reason I have previously advised to other OPs that Windows imaging is not ideal in this case. Macrium Reflect and others have a definite advantages in that the OS (Boot) partition alone can be imaged.
      My Computer


  6. CBM
    Posts : 104
    1.Windows 7 Ultimate x64; 2.Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #66

    ignatzatsonic said:
    The time required to make an image varies according to the occupied space on that partition and the application and settings used to make the image.

    Just to give you an idea, my C partition is 80 gigs, with about 25 occupied.

    Images take less than 10 minutes to make, regardless of which application I may have used (Acronis, Macrium Reflect, or EaseUS Todo Backup).

    Like you, I have given up on Acronis. It never failed outright, but prior experiences with it and some perusing of the Acronis forums did not inspire confidence.

    So, I alternate between Macrium Reflect and EaseUS Todo Backup. That way I am not entirely reliant on any one product--at any given time I have an image made with each. Both are free, quick, and have clutter-free intuitive interfaces.
    I suppose it took so long because it was imaging a partition that was over 900GB in size. That's just a supposition on my part.

    I'm going to go with Macrium, which was recommended by whs, and Paragon, which I use on my Dell XPS 17 laptop.

    I appreciate your input.

    C.B.
      My Computer


  7. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #67

    CBM said:
    whs said:
    CBM, This warning applies to all partitions that are not active - including the C partition (which is a new given since Windows7).

    WHat makes you think that the recovery partition starts the boot ?? Let me go back in this thread and have a look at your Disk Management pictures.

    Update: You are right. As to your DM pic in post #39, the recovery partition is active. You must have done a reinstall at one time. This is not the way it is supposed to be, but does not bother. As long as you leave the recovery partition alone, all is well.
    Hello whs. No, I've never done a reinstall on this Dell XPS Studio 7100 computer. It's only appx. three months old. I would not use the recovery partition. I always use the installation disc and reformat.

    PS: the size of the partition is not the determening factor for the duration of an image. It is the amount of data on that partition. That is why I asked you earlier how much data you have on the OS partition. But you chose to keep that a secret - LOL.

    Why is Dell Recovery partition marked as the active partition? - Microsoft OS Forum - Software & Operating Systems - Dell Community

    Repositioning Boot Files To Fix a Dell, Windows 7, BootIt NG Problem

    C.B.
    Thanks for clarifying that. The funny thing is that I do right now work on a Dell from the Vista times, but never noticed that. But then again this system has undergone so many modifications that it is hard to tell what is original Dell.
      My Computer


  8. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #68

    mjf said:
    Using the recovery partition as system active is common practice by Dell.
    For this reason I have previously advised to other OPs that Windows imaging is not ideal in this case. Macrium Reflect and others have a definite advantages in that the OS (Boot) partition alone can be imaged.
    That's a good thought. I have to remember that.
      My Computer

  9.    #69

    As I noted earlier in the thread, some OEMs make Recovery System Active to avoid the need for the hotkey to both mark Active and then trigger Factorz Recovery at boot.

    Once you want to reclaim the whole HD we can help you mark C Active and run 3 Startup Repairs from DVD/Repair CD to write System boot files to C, then reclaim the disk space. But for now keeping Recovery is a good idea, if only to see if it will run once reinstalled.
      My Computer


  10. CBM
    Posts : 104
    1.Windows 7 Ultimate x64; 2.Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #70

    gregrocker said:
    As I noted earlier in the thread, some OEMs make Recovery System Active to avoid the need for the hotkey to both mark Active and then trigger Factorz Recovery at boot.

    Once you want to reclaim the whole HD we can help you mark C Active and run 3 Startup Repairs from DVD/Repair CD to write System boot files to C, then reclaim the disk space. But for now keeping Recovery is a good idea, if only to see if it will run once reinstalled.
    I appreciate your time, your past assistance and your offer of future assistance, gregrocker. I don't know what I'd do without all the help I've received from everyone in this thread.

    C.B.
      My Computer


 
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