Can I move a HDD image to another HDD? And a few more questions...

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  1. Posts : 63
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
       #1

    Can I move a HDD image to another HDD? And a few more questions...


    Hello everyone

    I used Windows 7 HP 64's built-in function to create an image of my system directly after a fresh install (after all updates were installed as well). The image was saved on my D drive, but I would really like it to have been saved to my F drive.

    Is there a way to safely move the image over from D to F?

    Also, is there a way to make a copy of the image onto e.g. an external drive? Can I simply copy all files, or must it be done using a special copy function?

    And also: if I zip up the entire image folder into e.g. an ISO file, will the image still be usage if I want to restore from it?

    Thanks
    Samuel

    ==

    Edited: [answer given at post #10.]
    Last edited by leuce; 08 Feb 2016 at 04:31.
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  2. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #2

    Just make another image.
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  3. Posts : 5,440
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #3

    I would recommend you use Macrium Reflect to create an image. I have found it more reliable. Definitely save the image to an external drive.
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  4. Posts : 63
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #4

    AddRAM said:
    Just make another image.
    Do you mean, I must make an image of the image? How does one do that? Windows only gives the option to add an entire drive's files to an image -- do other software allow more specific selection?

    I saved an image directly after I installed all Windows updates. In the mean time, I have also started installing all my software. As soon as all my software is installed and set up, I'll create another image, but my question relates to what I can do with that first image that I created. Am I doomed to keep it on the drive where Windows created it?

    mitchell65 said:
    I would recommend you use Macrium Reflect to create an image. I have found it more reliable.
    In what way?
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  5. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #5

    Hi,
    One way it's more reliable is it can be moved and even disconnected from the system entirely so it's safe from the same corruption as the os is.
    You can also save an image to a large flash drive.

    Macrium/ reflect uses a WinPE recovery cd or flash media to boot to and restore the image of the C drive... the WinPE recovery is only 500mb
    You can also restore the image to a totally different hdd or ssd if the original hdd fails..

    Yes M$ images can not be moved or disconnected making them just as corruptible as the os you imaged.
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  6. Posts : 63
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    ThrashZone said:
    Yes M$ images can not be moved or disconnected, making them just as corruptible as the OS you imaged.
    So, if I understand correctly, if I were to create an image on an external HDD, and I create a backup of that external HDD onto a second external HDD, then the image on the second external HDD is worthless, right (i.e. it can't be used to restore the image)?
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  7. Posts : 373
    Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit
       #7

    Leuce, don't know exactly why you are interested in doing it the way you are saying, but FTR Macrium Reflect is free and is an excellent program. Just install it on your main HDD, create an image of whatever you want, and configure Macrium Reflect to save that image wherever you want... on an external HDD. Within the MReflect interface you can also make recovery media, as ThrashZone stated, using a memory stick, which is more reliable than a CD. If your machine ever needs the image restored, you boot off the flash drive (or CD if you prefer that option), and into a mini-copy of MReflect, which will restore the image for you.

    It's much easier than what you are trying to do. :)
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  8. Posts : 427
    Windows 7/64 HPremium.
       #8

    remm said:
    Leuce, don't know exactly why you are interested in doing it the way you are saying, but FTR Macrium Reflect is free and is an excellent program. Just install it on your main HDD, create an image of whatever you want, and configure Macrium Reflect to save that image wherever you want... on an external HDD. Within the MReflect interface you can also make recovery media, as ThrashZone stated, using a memory stick, which is more reliable than a CD. If your machine ever needs the image restored, you boot off the flash drive (or CD if you prefer that option), and into a mini-copy of MReflect, which will restore the image for you.

    It's much easier than what you are trying to do. :)
    That is exactly what I do. I have used Macrium for < 3 years now and I make regular images to my NAS as backups, each is backed up to an external Hdd. When I first setup a system after an upgrade, I also use Macrium to make a Repair disc, I use a CD but it can be done via a USB stick. Download Macrium here:
    Macrium Software

    And take time out to read and understand it, then use it to create an image and/or backup your system.
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  9. Posts : 63
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    remm said:
    I don't know exactly why you are interested in doing it the way you are saying, but FTR Macrium Reflect is free and is an excellent program.
    I'm 100% willing to install Macrium Reflect and use it, as you suggest, but how can I ensure that the image that I make today is an image of the state of the computer as it was yesterday, before I started installing all my programs? I'm surprised that this is so hard to understand.

    It's much easier than what you are trying to do. :)
    Well, unless Macrium Reflect is able to make a backup of the state of my computer as it was yesterday (not today), what you're suggesting is actually much harder: you're suggesting that I restore the image that I made yesterday (thus removing all the programs and settings that I spent the whole day today setting up) and then make a backup/image of that onto an external hard drive, and then re-install and re-setup all the stuff that I installed and setup today.
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  10. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #10

    Macrium images can be moved, Windows images can also be moved but you cannot find them any more because there is no browse function during the recovery. And you can make an image of an image. Just mount the VHD. See here how it's done:

    System Image - Recover a Broken Windows 7 System Image
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