Solved Are Repair CDs usable for multiple Disk Images?

[NutBustr]

G'day folks,

For my first post here on 7 Forums, I'd like to start out with something really basic (I'll get to my other open issues in due course):
I've just started setting up my new Dell Inspiron laptop and, after creating my two User Accounts (an Admin and the one I'll use for most my computing), I did a System Image and created a Repair CD. I've since partitioned my 1TB hard disk to create a separate Data (E) partition, which brings me to my question: If (when) I create a newer System Image backup with my changes, do need to burn another Repair / Recovery CD? If so, is it possible to create the bootable Repair / Recovery to a USB thumb drive (as I really dislike building stacks of useless CDs)?

 

[samuria]

Welcome to the forum. If your using a third-party image tool they let you create bootable USB to boot from to restore your image you should create compressed images after major changes

 

[Megahertz07]

Welcome to the forum.
As the disk image it's a compressed copy of your disk. When you do any change to the disk, the image gets out of date.
You didn't mention what program you used to create the image. Some can update the image without having to create a new image from scratch.
And if you created a bootable disk, it is also possible to create a USB flash disk.

Use Macrium Reflect Free Edition - Macrium Reflect Free

 

[NutBustr]

Oops, forgot to say - I used the Windows System Image & Repair CD utilities. I have since installed Norton Security and BackUp and plan to use that to keep backups of my data and user files (though I'm having problems setting Windows up to store all that on the data partition per Herr Schroeder's excellent directions).
I'm reading through the Backup & Restore threads now and need to go take another look at Macrium. As of now, I don't want to do a lot of changing on this machine until I get comfortable with backup/backout/ restore options...

 

[AddRAM]

You do not have to create another repair disc, you didn`t do anything to windows, you just shrunk it to create a data partition.

But if you reimage, say tomorrow, it will put the drive back to the way it was before you created your data partition, so make that new image asap.

I just put in a usb stick and it does not show up when trying to create a system repair disc, only the cd/dvd drive.

But apparently you can create one.

How To Create Windows 7 Repair USB Drive

Create a USB Memory Stick with System Recovery Tools in Windows 7

How to create a Windows rescue USB stick | TechRadar

Personally, I wouldn`t want to waste a usb stick just to create a startup repair tool, you don`t need more then 1 disc.

You don`t need Norton to do backups for you, I just copy and paste then verify.

 

[NutBustr]

Thanks AddRAM! I'll consider this issue resolved - unless none of this works.