Making a 'backup' boot partition?

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  1. Posts : 661
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #11

    I do have a Macrium image, but I have found in the past (including Macrium) then when it comes time to make use of the image (fortunately, very rarely), the process fails, or the image is pronounced as 'invalid' (even though it was validated after it was created), and then I have in any case to reinstall Windows from scratch and start again. I don't have a lot of confidence in these programmes to be honest (though I know some people totally disagree).

    I am installing a new 2TB internal SSD later today.. I wonder whether to make a partition on it big enough for the Windows installation (but what about the smaller 'recovery partition'?).

    As I say, I would want both boot drives to be easily available. I can't permanently unplug one of the SSDs in any case because of data on the other (non-Windows) partition.

    I did successfully make a dual boot (Win7/XP) on my other PC, which is encouraging!, but I am very 'iffy' about tampering with boot repairs and so on on this PC, in practice I have had things go 'wrong' too many times in the past. Maybe I should stick with images (I keep one Macrium image, and one made with Windows 7 own image tool. I used to use all sorts of other image backup software too, but ended up removing all of them when they proved less than 100% reliable).

    Thanks.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 565
    Windows 7 Ultimate x32 With Sp1 + Vista Ultimate x32 with Sp1 & Sp2 !!
       #12

    Hi All,
    Greets,

    @martinlest : Sir,

    1. Macrium is 100% reliable & sufficient alone, unless we make a mistake !

    2. What's that pagefile on X: ?

    I am installing a new 2TB internal SSD later today.. I wonder whether to make a partition on it big enough for the Windows installation (but what about the smaller 'recovery partition'?).
    3.
    (a) Are you planning to install windows 7 or other os on the new drive ? make sure to detach other drives before starting the installation.
    (b) You are planning to go again with ''MBR + Legacy Bios''. You may need to convert the ssd from GPT to MBR. Convert GPT Disk to MBR Disk - Windows 7 Help Forums
    (c) It is recommended that make a 100gb partition first for the installation and after installation you can expand it and/or create other partitions ! SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation - Windows 7 Help Forums
    (d) If you prefer a small System Reserved Partiton configuration, consider making it 200 mb. (above link)
    (e) On MBR you can make 4 primary partitions or 3 primary partitions + multiple logical drives. Primary partitions are recommended for OS installations. (If you prefer small System Reserved Partition (I do), you would be using one primary partition for that and one for the main installation)

    As I say, I would want both boot drives to be easily available. I can't permanently unplug one of the SSDs in any case because of data on the other (non-Windows) partition
    4. you need not to unplug permanently ! It would be just a cushion.

    To be Contd...
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 661
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #13

    1. Macrium is 100% reliable & sufficient alone, unless we make a mistake !
    With respect, nothing is 100% reliable, and I have had Macrium refuse to recognise an image that it made. There's not really a lot of room for mistakes. You just select the restore operation and point to the image file.

    Thank you very much for the information, but in the end (amazingly) I needed all the available space on the 2TB SSD - there's no room for another partition! I may buy another 1TB SSD at some stage in the not too distant future and use that for this purpose.

      My Computer


  4. Posts : 7,351
    Windows 7 HP 64
       #14

    Unless you have a special use for the computer, you don't need a big SSD.
    SSD are very fast but still expensive. On the other side, HDD are cheap but slow.
    I have a fast (2052 MB/s) and small (128G) M.2 SSD for Win 7 and programs and a WD Gold HDD for data. The two work together very well. I've moved \Users to D: so all data files are on the HDD.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 661
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #15

    Unless you have a special use for the computer, you don't need a big SSD.
    Yes, this is for specific use (X-Plane Ortho4XP terrain data, to be precise!) On an external HDD there is so much data being read, it causes micro-stutters. I don't have an internal HDD - in this case, the cost of the 2TB Evo860 was well worth the large gain in performance.

    Thanks.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 565
    Windows 7 Ultimate x32 With Sp1 + Vista Ultimate x32 with Sp1 & Sp2 !!
       #16

    Sir,
    I needed all the available space on the 2TB SSD - there's no room for another partition!
    Referring the thread :
    SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation - Windows 7 Help Forums
    1.If you go through, the thread says that initially make a 100gb partition for installation. Once the installation is done, you can choose whether to have a single partition all over the disk or have partitions on it. It says that directly installing OS on such big disks was found problematic.
    2.To further explain : Actually, you can just leave it to windows installer to make partitions for the installation. In win 7 case, when we choose to install it over an unpartitioned & unallocated drive, it makes two partitions i.e. 100 mb system reserved partition (active) & the rest for main installation.
    3.If you follow the thread, you have the choice to select the size of both the partitions. It says to make system reserved partition 200mb If you have a plan to do multiboot on the drive. I think the 200mb size instead of 100mb doesn't cost much !
    4. Besides, the thread also gives you a choice/way to not have System reserved active partition at all !
    5. I will be back soon ! ...
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 661
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #17

    Hi. Thanks for posting.

    But we are at crossed purposes. I know I can make a 100GB partition, but I needed the whole 2TBs for the data (the reason I bought the drive in the first place). I originally thought that I would have enough space to partition the drive and use 100GB or so as a 'backup' Windows 7 boot installation, but having transferred the necessary data files, I hardly have any space left at all on it.

    As I say, I have space in the PC for one more SSD and if I see another 2TB Evo860 at a good price, I may get another one. But for now the only option is to use that E partition, but I am very wary now of doing anything 'risky' and am wondering if the advantage of having a backup boot drive is really worth it!
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 565
    Windows 7 Ultimate x32 With Sp1 + Vista Ultimate x32 with Sp1 & Sp2 !!
       #18

    Sorry, some misunderstanding !


    Hi,
    Sir,

    ((There was some communication gap & misunderstanding between us ! I thought you wanted to install windows 7 a fresh on the new 2 TB SSD and asking how to initialize & go about it on a disk as big as 2 TB. Further it confused me to understand that you want to dedicate it for the installation & no other partitions i.e. Totally Opposite! Even i was surprised a little about this derailment !))

    Let's get back to the task. I understand that you wanted to use the new 2TB ssd for 'clone + data' but now you find that the data is too much that you can't even spare a 100 Gb on it ! Actually, in present situation 78 GB is sufficient/good enough and we have that space on E: !

    It would have been better to go with system image but you say you are having problems with it. So, we would go for cloning both the partitions 'system reserved' & The 'C: windows'. And avoid even the boot repair part. You would be able to find its success in less than half an hour ! That's too without touching/harming the present working status.

    So, If we want to go easiest & safest, back up/remove any data from E:. You need not touch X:. Make two partitions out of E:. with NTFS format. The first partition 6gb i.e. for cloning System reserved / Recovery. The next partition to clone C: windows. During the cloning drag the partitions from source to destination one by one the two. Then shut down the PC. Detach disk 1 and restart the PC. Now you should have an entry of windows 7 i.e. the cloned one. Boot into it
    & just make sure that its working fine and you are done !

    Once done you can boot into anyone as required and desired without separating any disks but from one time boot menu OR You can make sure to boot always into one by changing the boot device order.

    Anything else ?

    Thanks & Regards. ...
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 661
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #19

    OK, that's clear. Many thanks for the replies. It might be a week or so before I can get round to carrying this out, but it should be fairly straight forward.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 565
    Windows 7 Ultimate x32 With Sp1 + Vista Ultimate x32 with Sp1 & Sp2 !!
       #20

    Hi.
    @martinlest : Sir, what's the status ?

    Thanks & Regards. ...
      My Computer


 
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