Solved Image your system with free Macrium

[whs]

Since this tutorial is pretty old, the situation in 2009 may have been different. Maybe Ignatz was right at the time and cloning was not supported. But I don't really remember what the situation was at the time.

 

[Scoop]

Since this tutorial is pretty old, the situation in 2009 may have been different. Maybe Ignatz was right at the time and cloning was not supported. But I don't really remember what the situation was at the time.

I bet you're right about the time of the posts on page 1.

From the screencaps, it looks like Macrium has a friendly user interface setup.

 

[SIW2]

Quite a few to look at if you like that kind of thing. If you have been using Acronis, you know the general procedure, they are all quite similar - choose which volumes to image, choose where to store the image, that's pretty much it. There will be options for compression level, scheduling, naming, etc. Some allow incremental/differential, some will make a pe media with/without additional giant downloads.

Try a few and see what you like.

My own choice right now would be Free Download AOMEI Backupper: Windows Backup & Cloning Software if you want a free version. It offers more than any other freebie, and they don't have a paid version to sell.

I suggest either Paragon or Macrium if you want a paid version . Paragon gives a huge number of partitioning/drive management features in addition to imaging.

 

[kado897]

I use Macrium to back up my system. I have moved most of my data files onto another partition. In my case the Windows partition compresses to about 50% of the used space, not the partition size. It doesn't include empty sectors by default. You only need to image the system partition once, although it is so small that it simpler to include it in a regular Windows backup.

I back up my data separately using FreeFileSync which doesn't compress at all. The first backup with FFS is quite slow because it is a full backup. I have set it up to only copy changed files which usually takes only a few minutes a day,

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I started reading the thread since I'm interested in trying Macrium as a cloning tool. I read on the 1st page of the thread that Macrium doesn't support cloning, just imaging.

However, when I visit the Macrium site and read about the tool, it says that it does support cloning as well as imaging.

Just wanted to clear that up and ask the Macrium users here about this.

Reflect does support cloning. I make at least two clones a week with it.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Personally I don't use cloning. It wastes the target drive. Imaging is better as it just creates a file on the target drive. I have never had a problem with a Macrium restore but I would recommend trying it for yourself

That's a good point and I've considered it as well. I'm basically learning about imaging but have had some questions about the compression rates and how that may affect my choice to try imaging vs cloning...

My backup scheme includes both cloning and imaging. I have my OS (Operating System, Win 7 in this case) on a separate drive (SSD) and my data on HDDs. Since the OS is the part that tends to get messed up the most often, using an image is the easiest way to recover from a disaster (malware infection, user error, regrettable program installation, etc.). The image of just the OS (and any other associated partitions) is faster and easier to restore than using a clone. I save the image a I make of the OS drive

...My main objective (with cloning) is to have a plug-and-play complete bootable replacement HDD on the shelf in the event of an intrusion which either can't be cleaned or would be time-consuming to recover.

Except for the need to be bootable (I don't boot from my data drives), that is why I clone my data drives. My desktop computer has a 3.5" hot swap bay I plug my backup HDDs into (it also as a bay for 2.5" drives). While imaging would be best for recovery of an internal data HDD, by having the backup HDD being a clone, if the internal data drive should irreparably go south, I can just plug in one of the backup clones (I always make two) into the 3.5" hot swap bay and chug merrily along until I can get and install a replacement data drive.

...I used to run a Raid 1 config but due to unrelated issues with it, I discontinued it. Also, it's not a protection against malware/virus intrusions since both HDD's will be affected by such an intrusion.

And that, my friend, makes you brighter than the so called experts (who, admittedly, have forgotten more about computers than I will ever know) who insist that RAID is a backup.

 

[alan10]

Personally I don't use cloning. It wastes the target drive. Imaging is better as it just creates a file on the target drive. I have never had a problem with a Macrium restore but I would recommend trying it for yourself. There is a link to a pre-built PE disc at the beginning of this tutorial.http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?filter[2]=Backup%20Restore

I totally agree.

If something I seldom use is not working as I remember from the past,
I can restore my system to the exact state it was in at any month of the last two years,
and can thus find WHEN it went wrong and then track down the cause.
All image backups are on a single drive that is then backed up on a separate external.

To achieve that with clones would require a long shelf with protection from "dust bunnies" and spring cleaning.

I can restore from an image in 6 minutes,
and perhaps 3 minutes more if I first validate its checksums.
If an image has been overwritten I can use its duplicate or choose another image from a similar time period.

Replacing one drive with another would take at least 6 minutes to clear a space on my desk before I get my tools out and open up the case and put tags on all the connectors that will need reconnecting once I have replaced the drive and skinned my knuckles - no thank you.

Were I to use a clone and the clone had fallen from the shelf,
and I had no other clones,
then

NB
Twice in 6 months an emergency unscheduled Windows Update made my system unusable.

Once I immediately (6 minutes) recovered by restoring a recent image backup.
The other time I first used the WinPE Boot rescue CD to create an image of the broken Windows,
then I restored the previous image backup,
and then booted into Windows,
and under Windows I mounted the backup of the broken Windows,
and copied the documents I had been creating and not been able to backup up before Windows destroyed itself.

Images forever

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I have never used Macrium, but if it's a true clone, there should be no need to restore anything. One simply installs or swaps the clone drive into the spot where the C: disk resides and fire up the machine and you should be up and running as if nothing happened.

The beauty of an image is you don't have to swap drives; you can use the image to restore the drive while it's still in situ. You can also do that with a clone—just clone back to the original drive—but it takes longer than using an image.

 

[mjf]

If cloning suites you then that's fine. Imaging is more efficient and you can do a complete system restore to an existing HDD/SSD or brand new ones. I've got multiple images on 2 separate HDDs spanning periods of time using 2 different imaging programs (Windows inbuilt and free Macrium). You can't practically do that with cloning. The only thing likely to bite me in the neck is a motherboard failure and reactivation issues with an OEM OS.

 

[Scoop]

Quite a few to look at if you like that kind of thing. If you have been using Acronis, you know the general procedure, they are all quite similar - choose which volumes to image, choose where to store the image, that's pretty much it. There will be options for compression level, scheduling, naming, etc. Some allow incremental/differential, some will make a pe media with/without additional giant downloads.

Try a few and see what you like.

My own choice right now would be Free Download AOMEI Backupper: Windows Backup & Cloning Software if you want a free version. It offers more than any other freebie, and they don't have a paid version to sell.

I suggest either Paragon or Macrium if you want a paid version . Paragon gives a huge number of partitioning/drive management features in addition to imaging.

I need to get more familiar with imaging in Acronis, that's certain. Up to this point, my basic cloning routine has worked for me but I'm definitely interested in multi-imaging my full HDD.

Thanks for the link I bookmarked it for future reading.

I use Macrium to back up my system. I have moved most of my data files onto another partition. In my case the Windows partition compresses to about 50% of the used space, not the partition size. It doesn't include empty sectors by default. You only need to image the system partition once, although it is so small that it simpler to include it in a regular Windows backup.

I back up my data separately using FreeFileSync which doesn't compress at all. The first backup with FFS is quite slow because it is a full backup. I have set it up to only copy changed files which usually takes only a few minutes a day,

Thanks, good info. I'm not experienced with custom-OS installs and partitioning, ie, OS on one partition, data on another, but I understand the reasons for it and it makes sense to me as well as you all here at this fourm.

The only problem for me is that I'm about as far from you guy's experience here as the "Voyager 1" space probe is from Earth today (Astronomy "geek" time for me again :d )

Reflect does support cloning. I make at least two clones a week with it.

Good to get that confirmed by Macrium users. Thanks

My backup scheme includes both cloning and imaging. I have my OS (Operating System, Win 7 in this case) on a separate drive (SSD) and my data on HDDs. Since the OS is the part that tends to get messed up the most often, using an image is the easiest way to recover from a disaster (malware infection, user error, regrettable program installation, etc.). The image of just the OS (and any other associated partitions) is faster and easier to restore than using a clone. I save the image a I make of the OS drive.

Your routine sounds great. I've got a long way to go before I can get the gist of in-depth backups but I'm picking up excellent info here.

Except for the need to be bootable (I don't boot from my data drives), that is why I clone my data drives. My desktop computer has a 3.5" hot swap bay I plug my backup HDDs into (it also as a bay for 2.5" drives). While imaging would be best for recovery of an internal data HDD, by having the backup HDD being a clone, if the internal data drive should irreparably go south, I can just plug in one of the backup clones (I always make two) into the 3.5" hot swap bay and chug merrily along until I can get and install a replacement data drive.

I also have 2 hot-swap SATA racks in my tower. That's why cloning is fairly fast and easy for me to do periodically. At present, I clone once every 4 weeks. If something happens, I'm 4 weeks past from today in a worst-case scenario.

I've already used my cloned HDD twice to recover from malware/viruses. The last time was to recover from that "FBI" malware. I remember laughing at it when the audio voice came from my speakers. All I did was plug in my clone and I was back running again.

...I used to run a Raid 1 config but due to unrelated issues with it, I discontinued it. Also, it's not a protection against malware/virus intrusions since both HDD's will be affected by such an intrusion.

And that, my friend, makes you brighter than the so called experts (who, admittedly, have forgotten more about computers than I will ever know) who insist that RAID is a backup.

Believe me, I'm in kindergarten compared to you all but thanks for the words

Personally I don't use cloning. It wastes the target drive. Imaging is better as it just creates a file on the target drive. I have never had a problem with a Macrium restore but I would recommend trying it for yourself. There is a link to a pre-built PE disc at the beginning of this tutorial.http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?filter[2]=Backup%20Restore

I totally agree.

If something I seldom use is not working as I remember from the past,
I can restore my system to the exact state it was in at any month of the last two years,
and can thus find WHEN it went wrong and then track down the cause.
All image backups are on a single drive that is then backed up on a separate external.

To achieve that with clones would require a long shelf with protection from "dust bunnies" and spring cleaning.

I can restore from an image in 6 minutes,
and perhaps 3 minutes more if I first validate its checksums.
If an image has been overwritten I can use its duplicate or choose another image from a similar time period.

Replacing one drive with another would take at least 6 minutes to clear a space on my desk before I get my tools out and open up the case and put tags on all the connectors that will need reconnecting once I have replaced the drive and skinned my knuckles - no thank you.

Were I to use a clone and the clone had fallen from the shelf,
and I had no other clones,
then

NB
Twice in 6 months an emergency unscheduled Windows Update made my system unusable.

Once I immediately (6 minutes) recovered by restoring a recent image backup.
The other time I first used the WinPE Boot rescue CD to create an image of the broken Windows,
then I restored the previous image backup,
and then booted into Windows,
and under Windows I mounted the backup of the broken Windows,
and copied the documents I had been creating and not been able to backup up before Windows destroyed itself.

Images forever

Good points This is why I'm trying to get familiar with imaging. I'd like to have multi-images available of my full HDD in case they're needed for recovery.

Since I have the SATA hot-swap racks in my tower (and an external enclosure for my Laptop backups), I avoid the issue of using tools and accessing my internal components inside my Desktop tower.

I have never used Macrium, but if it's a true clone, there should be no need to restore anything. One simply installs or swaps the clone drive into the spot where the C: disk resides and fire up the machine and you should be up and running as if nothing happened.

The beauty of an image is you don't have to swap drives; you can use the image to restore the drive while it's still in situ. You can also do that with a clone—just clone back to the original drive—but it takes longer than using an image.

That's been my routine, when I've had to use the shelf clone to recover. I install it, insure that it's working ok, then retrieve a few of my "must-have" items from another USB HDD that I use for nightly Acronis backups, and I'm running the Desktop PC fairly fast.

Then I'll format the original HDD with "Gparted" (to keep all of the formatting outside of Windows), and boot up on the Acronis CD to clone back to the other HDD. I know I can clone with Acronis from within Windows (is it the "shadow" technology in Windows that allows this?) but I like the idea of cloning outside of Windows.

It takes about 40 minutes to clone my everyday HDD.

If cloning suites you then that's fine. Imaging is more efficient and you can do a complete system restore to an existing HDD/SSD or brand new ones. I've got multiple images on 2 separate HDDs spanning periods of time using 2 different imaging programs (Windows inbuilt and free Macrium). You can't practically do that with cloning. The only thing likely to bite me in the neck is a motherboard failure and reactivation issues with an OEM OS.

I know you're right along with the other members here, imaging has a lot of advantages vs cloning. I guess I originally gravitated towards cloning since that's the first thing I learned and not imaging.

One thing I've learned and I see it daily at my AV forum site; there's a lot of PC users out there that either don't have a backup routine in place or they like the challenge of cleaning up/recovering their HDD's from attacks.

From what I read over there, there's a lot of headaches that they are going through. I read posts daily about help requests from the resident malware guru at that forum.

I hate to see them go through that since I've been there a few years ago before I learned about cloning and backups. I made a vow to never have to wipe my HDD and re-install Windows again, and start over, installing apps/programs and dragging that big "Documents" folder over to the HDD to recover.

So far, I've been ok with about 3 years running on my original Win 7 install. Without the cloning, I'd have had to format and re-install a couple of times.

I also have a 2nd clone HDD on the shelf that's about 6 months old, an emergency backup.

The only possible issue that I see with scheduled imaging is that, correct me if I'm wrong here, you'd need to have the external target HDD installed 24/7 to your PC. If an intrusion got into the PC, all devices attached to the PC would be in jeopardy. This is my understanding about it but perhaps that's incorrect.

My shelf clone isn't connected to my PC so in the event of a malware/virus hit, it's isolated. That's the only advantage that I can see with how I clone vs a scheduled imaging setup.

Having said that though, since I've been using home 'net (2004), I've never had that happen, ie, an attack that also affected a USB or externally-connected HDD to my PC.

I also haven't experienced one of those "stealth , delayed trigger" (or "rootkit"?) attacks with my PC's. In other words, in 9 years of home 'net use, the intrusions that I've encountered are all obvious ones, where a pop-up appears or I'm blocked out of the browser, all of my icons on the desktop are "dis-associated", or there's one of those official-looking bogus Windows Security Shield icons that appear in the System Tray that tells me that I've got a multi-infected PC and to click here to run a scan.

I like those kind

since I know immediately that it's time to pop in the clone HDD.

all, for the great advice here.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Cloning and Macrium PE?

Cloning doesn't seem to work from inside Windows if your VSS service is broken/corrupted.

Does anyone know if the Macrium PE disk can bypass that issue?

My friend's laptop has power problems and his SSD has become corrupted as a result.
Various functions don't work on his machine (SFC can't fix it).
Strangely enough, almost everything works on his install, except for a few Windows tools and Adobe CS5.

We couldn't clone his install to the new SSD, using:

• The Samsung tool
• Macrium Reflect (inside W7)
• The "dd" command in Linux (from a Live DVD)

We tried re-registering the VSS components (as per the Macrium site's instructions regarding the error message we received).

We wasted so much time the other day.
I probably could have reinstalled W7 SP1, updated it and installed a few programs in that time.

 

[kado897]

I don't think that Macrium will use VSS in the PE disk, after all the reason for using VSS is to allow you to image while doing other work.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Thanks kado897

I don't think that Macrium will use VSS in the PE disk, after all the reason for using VSS is to allow you to image while doing other work.

I was hoping that might be the case.

I didn't get to try the PE disc the other evening, as my friend had removed his DVD drive and replaced it with his new SSD.

Also, since his install is corrupted, should we be using "Forensic" imaging instead of "Intelligent" imaging?

 

[kado897]

Forensic imaging will copy every sector including empty ones. CHKDSK /r should correct any filesystem errors it can.

 

[alan10]

Forensic imaging is a waste of time unless you intend to restore all the deleted files in their deleted state so that you can subsequently use data recovery utilities.

@Scoop.
Most malware is unlikely to look for external drives and corrupt them, but I too have a similar fear.

I make image backups in an internal SATA connected Secondary HDD.
Subsequently I use TeraCopy to copy those backups to an external eSATA connected HDD,
and TeraCopy then reads the duplicates and compares the hash checksums and warns me of any data transfer errors.

Only when copying to the external is that connected up - so it is mostly off-line and not accessible to malware.

NB
Never had data transfer errors with eSATA, but did suffer when using USB2 externals.

NB
At any time you can validate an image backup, and Macrium will warn if any data corruption has occurred because it incorporates hash checksums. You can validate immediately before you restore.
Plugging in a clone is an act of faith - there are no checksums or other means of validating.
(If hash checksums were incorporated in a clone then the clone would be unbootable)

 

[lehnerus2000]

Forensic imaging will copy every sector including empty ones. CHKDSK /r should correct any filesystem errors it can.

Forensic imaging is a waste of time unless you intend to restore all the deleted files in their deleted state so that you can subsequently use data recovery utilities.

I'm aware that "Forensic" will copy everything including "empty" sectors.

CHKDSK won't run on his machine.

After "dd" refused to run from the Live Linux DVD, we scheduled a disc check in W7 and then rebooted.
CHKDSK "spat the dummy".
I should have paid more attention to the message (I can't remember what it said).

 

[Scoop]

@Scoop.
Most malware is unlikely to look for external drives and corrupt them, but I too have a similar fear.

I make image backups in an internal SATA connected Secondary HDD.
Subsequently I use TeraCopy to copy those backups to an external eSATA connected HDD,
and TeraCopy then reads the duplicates and compares the hash checksums and warns me of any data transfer errors.

Only when copying to the external is that connected up - so it is mostly off-line and not accessible to malware.

NB
Never had data transfer errors with eSATA, but did suffer when using USB2 externals.

NB
At any time you can validate an image backup, and Macrium will warn if any data corruption has occurred because it incorporates hash checksums. You can validate immediately before you restore.
Plugging in a clone is an act of faith - there are no checksums or other means of validating.
(If hash checksums were incorporated in a clone then the clone would be unbootable)

for the info. I had a guess about your point about malware mostly acting as you mentioned, being unlikely to seek out and target external HDD's.

I'm not familiar with checksums as it relates to cloning. I read a little about it after reading your post and it's interesting info.

When I clone, I have a routine that (I think) validates my newly-cloned HDD:

- Install my Target HDD (via hot-swap SATA racks, no tools required, no accessing internal PC needed). Boot up with "Gparted", a Linux CD bootable HDD utility tool. I do this to format my Target HDD outside of Windows prior to starting the cloning process.

- Format the original HDD. I do this to make it easy to determine the "Source" and "Target" HDD's in the software gui, or with Conezilla, etc. That way, my Target HDD will display an empty bargraph, etc within the software tool. It eliminates human error, selecting the HDD's in reverse.

- Clone the HDD outside of Windows, usually with my Acronis CD.

- Remove the Source HDD and install the Target HDD. This prevents Windows from seeing 2 identical bootable HDD's in my PC.

- Boot up on my Target HDD and insure that it's a working spare HDD. I launch several programs, my Outlook, IE10, etc.

- Re-install my Source HDD. Insure that it's working ok. Resume everyday PC use until I clone the next time.

Since I also have a 2nd spare HDD that was also tested to work ok, I'm not vulnerable in the event that a cloning process goes south.

- I've been cloning every 4-6 weeks since Sept '11 without issues.

I'm definitely going to learn more about imaging and will soon launch my own imaging activity on a scheduled basis since I like the idea of covering all of the bases with backup tools.

Thanks again for your info

 

[alan10]

Forensic imaging is a waste of time unless you intend to restore all the deleted files in their deleted state so that you can subsequently use data recovery utilities.

I'm aware that "Forensic" will copy everything including "empty" sectors.

Regardless of what you might be aware of,
You specifically ask
"should we be using "Forensic" imaging instead of "Intelligent" imaging?"
and I answered your ignorance of what you should be using by telling you that it will facilitate data recovery of what were "deleted files" at the time that you create the image.

If you intend to use something like Lazesoft Recovery to resurrect files deleted from a corrupted install then use Forensic imaging.
If you wish to only retrieve NON-deleted files from what you image then Forensic will give zero benefit.
Lazesoft Recovery Suite Home Free Download

 

[alan10]

I'm not familiar with checksums as it relates to cloning. I read a little about it after reading your post and it's interesting info.

Macrium Image backups consist of blocks of compressed data which can be decompressed into sector clusters.
Each data block is a few Megabytes (documented somewhere) and a hash checksum is recorded for each block.
Every block must match its hash or it is not valid.
When the image is restored only the data blocks are decompressed to the target sector clusters,
the hash values are not written to the target.

This sort of checksum validation is not feasible for a clone - Its sector clusters need to hold the system data and there is no space for embedding hash checksums.

 

[kado897]

With Macrium you need to manually do the validation before a restore. There is nothing automatic and there is no prompt to remind you. The Linux restore disk doesn't have that feature.