Created System Image using DriveImage, put onto DVDs

[beautiful]

Hello, So I used DriveImage XML to backup my C: Drive. all the stuff is in a folder in C: Drive. That folder with all the backup data (image) is a compressed 7GB.

How do I put this 7 GB folder onto DVDs in such a way that if I have to restore the Win7 computer, I can do so?

 

[SIW2]

You would need some sort of bootable version of DriveImage program , preferably on the same dvd's .

Do they have a downloadable boot image of some kind?

You might be better using one of these - they are free versions:

Backup & Recovery Free Edition

Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

 

[beautiful]

Does Macrium Reflect Free edition do compressing, too?

 

[SIW2]

Yes, Macrium is similar to DriveImage in that it uses xml files, however, it is much more sophisticated.

Not knocking Drive Image - they have doing it free for a long time and respect to them for that.

D/l Macrium and the first thing to do is run off the boot disc ( select the Linux option).

Boot the cd and make sure it sees all your drives and is working fine. It's very unlikely it won't , but thre are always some machines that any boot cd will have trouble with.

The other one, Paragon is actually better in that it has an enormous number of features. You can also restore from within windows using Paragon ( still run off the Paragon boot cd and test it - just in case you need to restore and you can't get into windows)

 

[karlsnooks]

Lads,
I keep telling everyone-Windows 7 has a marvelous Backup and Restore program. It is free. It is easy to use. It works!

I have used this several times, just recently, since I was testing out some other things and wanted to make sure that I could 100% restore. Works like a champ!

 

[SIW2]

Hi karl,

Did you image just one or two partitions on the Hd - then try restoring?

Did you find it wipes all the partitions on the Hd and restores only the ones you imaged, and only to the exact same locations on the drive?

Less importantly, do you not also find it isn't very quick , and the backup images are very large ?

 

[whs]

With all due respect to Karl, I would not mess around with the Windows imaging. As far as I can tell, he was lucky. It sometimes does work, it sometimes does not. And you cannot mount the images that are large and take a long time to make. Plus you cannot mount the images - only Win7 can. So you fly blind.
A while ago I posted this tutorial for free Macrium. You will see it is super simple to use, does a good compression (nearly 50%), is fast and most importantly works all the time. I restored already about 10 times for trial and for real and never had a problem. If you follow the tutorial, you will be in business in a few minutes.
As you can read, I have used and tried many imaging programs - but none can match Macrium in ease of use. Just one note - free Macrium does not do differentials (the paid version does) , only full backups. I personally prefer that. I never did differentials even with programs that have that capability because if you lose one in the chain you lost it all.

 

[karlsnooks]

Let me repeat and repeat and repeat. Win 7's Backup and Restore works. It is easy to use, It is free. It is reliable.

Now to your question. I tried all different combinations of backing up partitions (and restoring). Not a single effort failed.

In the last three days, I've been testing different scenarios of backup and restore, of enlarging, of shrinking, of deleting, and of creating partitions.

What I did was first I would make a backup, Then I'd do my experimentation. When time came to restore, I'd do a restore. A couple of times, afterwards I had to so a system repair from the the Recovery Disk but this was due to my changing of partition sizes and locations.

I always use DiskPart to create, delete, grow, shrink, format, make active, assign drive letter to partitions.

I have also used ImageX to create and apply WIM files.
When it comes to requirements that will involve anything more than a simple grow of a partition or no change to partition size, then I work with WIM files.

 

[whs]

Let me repeat and repeat and repeat. Win 7's Backup and Restore works. It is easy to use, It is free. It is reliable.

I am glad it works for you. But what about all these other poor guys where it did not work. And how do you mount the image files and look at them or copy individual files/folders.

And this is the time it took to image my whole C drive. Try this with Win7.

 

[karlsnooks]

First to set the record straight, I make no comments on products which I've never used.

There are those who can mess up anything. I've written manuals, taught courses and no matter how simple and straight-forward the explanation there is always a percentage who will have troubles and there is also a percentage who never have problems and most of us fall in between.

Now to your question as how do you view the files backed up by Backup and Restore.

Backup and restore saves into a VHD file. That VHD doesn't come up and bite you but rather is, let us say, will hidden. This is a definite shortcoming, however, with the approach of Microsoft to many things, I believe they are afraid that we would harm ourselves if accessing the VHD was easy. I strongly disagree with MS's overly protective attitude.

UH OH. I will give the location info in the next post since I don't have a free USB port right now for connecting the external usb drive which I use for backups. I'lll send this off and be back in a couple of minutes. Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

[whs]

First to set the record straight, I make no comments on products which I've never used.

I can only agree with you. I very rarely comment on a product that i did not at least try out - unless there is a well documented record regarding this or that particularity.

Now to your question as how do you view the files backed up by Backup and Restore

But this is an important function for me. I lose files all the time and then I recover them from my images of which I keep plenty. This is ever more important as I have disabled the shadows.

 

[SIW2]

Hi KARL,

I am glad you tested it so thoroughly.

Perhaps you would be good enough to answer the following:


1. What happens if you image only one ( of several ) partitions on a disk.

Then restore the image.

What happens to the partitions you did not include in the image ?

2. What if you want to make an image of , for example the first partition a disk , then restore it to the third partition ?

3. What happens if you restore an image to disks of different types/sizes ( particularly a smaller disk) ?

Let me repeat and repeat and repeat. Win 7's Backup and Restore works. It is easy to use, It is free. It is reliable.

Now to your question. I tried all different combinations of backing up partitions (and restoring). Not a single effort failed.

In the last three days, I've been testing different scenarios of backup and restore, of enlarging, of shrinking, of deleting, and of creating partitions.

What I did was first I would make a backup, Then I'd do my experimentation. When time came to restore, I'd do a restore. A couple of times, afterwards I had to so a system repair from the the Recovery Disk but this was due to my changing of partition sizes and locations.

I always use DiskPart to create, delete, grow, shrink, format, make active, assign drive letter to partitions.

I have also used ImageX to create and apply WIM files.
When it comes to requirements that will involve anything more than a simple grow of a partition or no change to partition size, then I work with WIM files.

 

[karlsnooks]

siw2,
I apologize for the delay in replying. Something came up which took up some time plus I've spent a good bit of time doing partial and full backups and restores.

When you use MS's Backup & Restore, you need to choose Custom Backup to selectively backup/restore. Now I can write for a long time but best would be that you simply try out Backup & Restore and see what all of your options are. If you've made a backup and in the meantime increased or decreased the size of the partition then MS will try to fulfill your resizeing. You may find that afterwards, you need to use your recovery cd/ufd to repair but all will be there. I've done it as part of my testing. With that said, my preferred approach when I need to put Win7 on another partition or different size partition is to use imagex to create a WIM file and use imageX to apply a WIM file. For the backup/restore operations to Joe NormalUser wants and needs then MS's Backup and Restore is ideal, free, and works like a champ.

For sophisticated cases, then I recommend that one familiarize themselves with the power of WAIK (Windows Automated Installation Kit).

Of course, for partition operations alone, then I'm a great fan of DiskPart. DiskMgmt.msc is good but there are some things that can only be done with DiskPart.

 

[MilesAhead]

Hello, So I used DriveImage XML to backup my C: Drive. all the stuff is in a folder in C: Drive. That folder with all the backup data (image) is a compressed 7GB.

How do I put this 7 GB folder onto DVDs in such a way that if I have to restore the Win7 computer, I can do so?

Also I would keep an eye out for USB 2.0 external drives to get cheap very soon. They should start dumping, er, discounting them heavily, when the flood of USB 3.0 stuff arrives. Backup to USB drive is much less stressful. You start a wizard going and go make something to eat. When you're done, so is it.

 

[SIW2]

Thanks Karl,

They were rhetorical questions.

Imo , Windows system image is very limited. The control provided in Server 2008/R2 is much better, curious that MS decided to limit it so much in 7.

I recommend people use a 3rd party app. instead . Even some of the free ones are much more flexible.

 

[whs]

Karl, you seem to know your stuff and it is encouraging that you vote for Win7 imaging. Maybe all those reports we are getting about failed images or restores are user errors. Nevertheless, I vote with SIW2. I found the other options more useful. But I have only used Ghost, Paragon and Macrium. I did try Acronis too.
I just come back from a neighbor where we had to get stuff off her old XP because she forgot about it when we had reinstalled her XP (which was getting delapidated after 5 years). I had taken a Macrium image of the old system before we shredded it. So I just made an image of the new system, pulled the old one back in, recovered the stuff, pulled the image I just took from the new system back in - all of that between dinner and dessert without any hassle at all.

 

[miche]

Hello, So I used DriveImage XML to backup my C: Drive. all the stuff is in a folder in C: Drive. That folder with all the backup data (image) is a compressed 7GB.

How do I put this 7 GB folder onto DVDs in such a way that if I have to restore the Windows 7 computer, I can do so?

OK guys, I read all your answers but I kind of got lost and didn't really get if the question got answered.

How do I create a bootable DVD (Win 7) with that bunch of files I generated (see pic) with Drive Image XML?
I wouldn't like to start over with another tool but rather use what I already generated (I installed a lot of applications by now so it's not a "fresh install" anymore).

Is there a way to use the tools you mentioned with what I already have?
What about AIK?
Download details: Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK)
Would that do the trick?...any pointers?

Thanks for your help,
m