struggling with the old stuff still on this laptop

DavidE · 22 Mar 2016

imho, use Imaging.

Cloning is intended to make a "copy" of the drive to another drive so you can replace the current drive with the cloned drive and be up and running in minutes.
If your backup device is a USB stick you should use imaging, i don't think a clone on a USB stick (if possible) would work if the current HD fails.
If you want to use cloning i think you would need a HD or SSD for the "cloned device".

I only use imaging, i don't use cloning.
You can save multiple images on a single backup device.
You can only save 1 (the latest) clone on a backup device.

I keep many backup images on multiple HD's so i have a much better chance of recovery should i ever need them.
With imaging you do need to restore the image to a HD/SSD, so that takes some time.
It takes me 10-20 minutes to restore a backup image.

ThrashZone · 22 Mar 2016

Hi,
Do you have some cd's to create the recovery disk ?
cd-R disks are good enough the file is pretty small but is needed to ever restore the C drive + another partitions windows needs for booting
Post the disk management screen shot.

I personally would create a system image not a clone.

thelma · 23 Mar 2016

Disk management screen shot :

thelma · 23 Mar 2016

Sorry, it's all in the annoying Dutch language, cannot change that in windows 7 sp 1 professional.

thelma · 23 Mar 2016

I have just made a recovery disk and labeled it with todays date.

It took some searching, is called "systeem herstel schijf ".

How can I find out if it really worked ? Can I just play it off ?

ThrashZone · 23 Mar 2016

You'd need to insert the recovery cd and shut down
Power up and continuously tap either using the F8 or F12 key on startup = Boot options vary on computers.
If you see the boot options just select the cd/ dvd listing and you'll get Press any key to boot to cd.

Reflect will load.

To exit just click the red button on the bottom left once or twice and a popup message will appear asking if you want to close and restart/ Yes.

You have a functional recovery disk if all works

You can while you're there to try it's search but unless the external device with the image is connected it won't show up as another drive/ disk to find all you would see is the C Drive.
But the option on the Top Search for an image or file is where it is located.
Just use I believe the Computer listing and you'll see C Drive if that's all that is connected.

Barman58 · 23 Mar 2016

thelma, I think this may help with the language, at least partly

Language packs - Microsoft Windows

Although you can only install multiple languages on ultimate (or Enterprise), you can switch language on pro at least you used to be able to - @Kari is the language man

thelma · 23 Mar 2016

Hey listen to this !!! I am making an image at this very moment with macrium !!!! BRILLIANT I followed a video on YouTube. Takes ages so this is send from smart phone. Be back later ��

ThrashZone · 23 Mar 2016

thelma · 24 Mar 2016

Back again, the imaging took ages ( about 3 hours ), is that normal ?

I had to go out during and on my return it told me the storage place was not big enough, so I had to cancel the process.

In my post # 10 in this thread, I wondered about the size of the USB being only 64 GB.

So for the moment not made the imaging jet but it was a good exercise as with being dyslexic the video's always work the best for me, reading a long explication confuses, although I always put things in steps to follow on paper.

I did not reduce the size of the items to store in Macrium reflect because I am unsure how to open them after and restore them to normal size.
Do you think I could use this 64 Gb USB stick if I do decide to minimise the size of the items to store ?

Thanks for any help and suggestions in advance.

And Mr. Barman, I will look again into your idea's about the language change, though I am pretty sure it's not possible in windows 7 prof.