Solved Image your system with free Macrium

[lehnerus2000]

Macrium is the same. The default setting gives a slightly bigger file than maximum but takes a lot longer to back up. I haven't compared restore times but I would expect something similar.

I get ~3 GB/min when imaging/restoring from within Windows (using Default compression).

It seems to be slower when I restore using the Linux Recovery Disc.

Obviously hardware will have an effect on the time (i.e. how fast your HDD/SSD is).

 

[whs]

A full Macrium restore of the OS only (20GB image) takes a bit less than 15 minutes on my system.

 

[Stephanie]

I got rid of a few apps I don't use and now Macrium takes just over 12 mins to reinstall my OS

 

[Britton30]

I have only used the Macrium WinPE to restore with and ~20GB took 12 minutes last time, to an SSD.

 

[whs]

I have only used the Macrium WinPE to restore with and ~20GB took 12 minutes last time, to an SSD.

That's about the right time. I got similar times with 20GB images and the SSD - from an external USB attached disk. But if the image is on an internal disk, it is faster.

 

[lehnerus2000]

I have an internal backup HDD that I store backup HDD images on (as well as keeping backups of the backup HDD images on external HDDs).

That would explain why my backup speeds are higher.

 

[whs]

I have an internal backup HDD that I store backup HDD images on (as well as keeping backups of the backup HDD images on external HDDs).

That would explain why my backup speeds are higher.

Definitely, an internal disk or an eSata disk as backup medium will give you best performance. A USB3 attached disk, although faster as per the specifications, is really slower than eSata in real life. And a USB2 attached disk is constrained by it's 480Mb transfer rate.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Granted, an internal disk will be faster, but one that is kept externally is safer. An e-SATA connected external disk is the best of both worlds; speed plus safety. I cheated; when I built my desktop, I installed a 3.5" hot swap bay in the front panel (the case already had a 2.5" hot swap bay installed) and all I have to do is just plug a bare drive into the bay, run the backup, shut down Macrium Reflect to ensure nothing is being written to the HDD, then remove the HDD and put it away (I have an antistatic foam "eggcrate" in a drawer to keep my local backup drives in). I get the speed of an internal without having to horse around with an external dock, e-SATA cable, and PSU with the safety and portability of an external drive.

 

[whs]

I cheated; when I built my desktop, I installed a 3.5" hot swap bay in the front panel

That was sneaky and is certainly the best of all worlds.

 

[Stephanie]

I got rid of a few apps I don't use and now Macrium takes just over 12 mins to reinstall my OS

That is from external HDD to SSD (comp spec in - My System Specs)

 

[mjf]

Most ext HDD I come across and now buy are USB 3. I typically Image around 50GB and it takes ~9-12 min depending on whether I'm writing to inner or outer tracks (ie. how full the HDD is). You do get up to around x3 speed factor with USB 3 and is what I would recommend. Unfortunately I still have USB 2 HDDs

 

[Britton30]

The image I restored was from an eSATA enclosure with a SATA 6GBs HDD, by the way.

 

[Tews]

Does Macrium have an option to boot to restore before loading the OS.. ( like Acronis )

 

[kado897]

The paid for versions do.

 

[whs]

Does Macrium have an option to boot to restore before loading the OS.. ( like Acronis )

From the WinPE CD yes because that is independent of the OS. But an installed Macrium needs the OS to run and with that you cannot restore the OS anyhow - just data partitions.

 

[kado897]

There is a Windows boot menu option with the paid versions. You don't need the PE disk, it loads the PE environment from the HDD.

 

[Tews]

ok, thanx folks, I'll give that a shot

 

[whs]

Sorry Tom, I did not even know that. I never owned the paid version. But Keith saved the day. He knows sooo much.

 

[Tews]

Sorry Tom, I did not even know that. I never owned the paid version. But Keith saved the day. He knows sooo much.

Indeed!

 

[kado897]

Lol