Imaging with free Macrium

   Information

This tutorial shows imaging with free Macrium Version 5.0. If you are still using Macrium Version 4.2, go to this Vimeo site where the tutorial of that version is stored.

The Video does not show the recovery part because I have no setup to screen capture it. But Keith (Kado) made this excellent recovery tutorial with text (but no sound) that he captured from a virtual partition.

   Warning

Note that the external disk to which you image must be formatted in NTFS. A disk that is formatted in Fat32 will accept an image, but the recovery programs cannot restore that image. You can, however, mount (open) a Fat32 image as VHD.

   Note

The production of the WinPE recovery CD (which is highly recommended) may take up to 3 hours because Macrium needs to download the 1.7GB WAIK (Windows Application Installation Kit). For your convenience I have uploaded a ready made .iso of the WinPE recovery disc. That can be downloaded in appr. 8 minutes which clearly beats the WAIK download. Once you downloaded and unzipped the folder, you can burn it directly to a CD with e.g. ImgBurn.

Here is the link to my Skydrive site.

Here is an alternate link from FileSwap (courtesy of Gary - Britton30)

I draw your attention to the fact that this WinPE CD can also be used to make images. That may be convenient in case you do not want to install Macrium on your PC.

This video tutorial explains the full cycle of the imaging process which is:

· Initial setups
· Image definition
· Image scheduling
· Image production

The imaging program that was used for this tutorial is free Macrium. But the basic principles are the same for other imaging programs although the user interface will be different.

This video runs for appr. 7 minutes.
There is a related thread on the Vista forum which gives a brief introduction to Macrium followed by a discussion.
You can download the free Macrium edition from here.

Note: If you have a problem with the loudness of the sound output of the video, check the "Loudness Equalization" box in your Playback device. It is under the 'Enhancements' tab.

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Create a System Image Backup in Windows 7
• How to Do a System Image Recovery in Windows 7
• How to Backup User and System Files in Windows 7
• How to Restore Backup User and System Files in Windows 7
• How to Restore your System with a Broken Windows 7 System Image
• How to Create a Bootable Rescue USB Flash Drive for Macrium Reflect

 

[meltie]

opened up the MBR "configuration settings" file. Below is it's contents. Does this help?

; English HP 12/02/02
; V1.9e Modified System Lock Message - added Boot Switches
; v1.9g UseSmallMBR=1 / STR_START=""
; v2.0d
; line feed before "Press any key..." etc.
; ShowRecoveryPart=1
; SwapPart=0 04/04/02
; v2.2b1 Replaced HP by tag %BRANDNAME% in STR_NO_PASSWORD (section [BootLoader])

[PEImage]
Verify=1
LeaveFreeSpace=300
Absolute_Size=0
ImageSize=8000

[BootLoader]
RecoveryPartition=1
;QuickplayPartition=1024
RecoveryPartitionOnStartOfDisk=0
; Boot loader timeout for "\nOperating system found.\nPress 'R' to display System Recovery options.\n"
TimeOut=0
; answer key for "nNo operating system installed or partition corrupted.\nPress 'R' to perform a full System Recovery.\n"
ANSWER_FullRestore="R"
; answer key for "\nOperating system found.\nPress 'R' to display System Recovery options. "
ANSWER_SHOW_MENU="R"
; answer key for "Press 'F' to format the hard drive and perform a full System Recovery."
ANSWER_DESTROY_HD="F"
; answer key for "Press 'R' for standard System Recovery options."
ANSWER_BOOT_PE="R"
; answer key for "Press 'Q' to Quit."
ANSWER_BOOT_XP="Q"
; answer key for "\n\nPlease confirm with 'Y' to format drive and install a new operating system.\n"
ANSWER_YES="Y"
; Error strings
STR_CD_READ_ERR="\nCD/DVD read error!"
STR_HD_WRITE_ERR="\nHard drive write error!\n"
STR_ERROR="\nNon-System disk or disk error\n"
STR_PRESSAKEY="\nPress any key to continue.\n"
STR_HD_TOO_SMALL="\nERROR: The hard drive is too small for the recovery!\n"
; Menu Strings
STR_HD_ERROR="\nNo hard drive found.\nPC Recovery cannot be continued!\n"
STR_CD_ERROR="\nError! Unable to detect CD/DVD drive.\nPC Recovery cannot be continued!\n"
STR_PT_ERROR="\nNo operating system installed or partition corrupted.\nPress 'R' to perform a full PC Recovery.\n"
STR_ASK_RESTORE="\nPress 'R' to display PC Recovery options. "
STR_MENU_OPTIONS="\nPress 'R' for standard PC Recovery options.\n\nPress 'F' to format the hard drive and reinstall the original factory settings.\n All data will be lost!\n\nPress 'Q' to Quit this menu.\n"
STR_CONFIRM_FORMAT="\n\nPress 'Y' to format the hard drive and reinstall original factory settings.\nPress 'Esc' to exit this menu."
STR_NORMAL_BOOT="\n\nBooting PC..."
STR_RECOVERY_BOOT="\n\nStarting recovery...\n"
STR_COPY_TO_HD="\nPreparing recovery partition - please wait.\n"
STR_CURRENT_SIZE="\nThe current recovery partition size in MB is ";
STR_GET_IMAGE_SIZE="\nPlease enter the new size "
; Startup stuff
STR_WRONG_BLOCK="Error! Could not verify CD-ROM image.\n"
STR_SEARCH_CDDRIVE="Detected CD-ROM as drive "
STR_SEARCH_IMAGE="Detected boot image on LBA "

; Password stuff
STR_NO_PASSWORD="\nThese PC Recovery discs do NOT support this PC model. "
LockSystem=1
SystemPassword="Hewlett-Packard"
LockSystem2=0
; Max 4 chars!
SystemPassword2="****"
;5.0.42
PasswordsOn_HD=2
Use_Harddisk_Lock=0

OEM_Option123=1
OEM_Option007=5B03
OEM_Option008=8906
;IF AskCreateRecoveryPartition=1 THEN the boot loader will ask STR_ASK_CREATE_RP
AskCreateRecoveryPartition=0
;IF asked for Yes or NO, this is the NO letter
ANSWER_NO="N"
;...
STR_ASK_CREATE_RP="\n\n\n\nDo you want to create a recovery partition on the hard drive?\n\n * Press 'Y' to create the recovery partition used for standard PC\n Recovery.\n\n * Press 'N' to bypass creating the recovery partition and always recover\n directly from PC Recovery discs."

;Message for Magneto scenario
STR_REMOVE_USB="\n Warning - You must remove the HP Personal Media Drive or any other external\n media drive from the system before attempting system recovery. Data will be\n erased if the external drive is left in the system. Remove any such device\n and press any key to continue. "
;STR_REMOVE_CD2BOOT="\n Warning - You must remove the HP Personal Media Drive or any other external\n media drive from the system before attempting system recovery. Data will be\n erased if the external drive is left in the system. Remove any such device\n and press any key to continue. "
STR_REMOVE_CD2BOOT=\n Please remove the CD/DVD and press a key to reboot. If the PC boots on the\n hard disc re-insert the CD/DVD !



[MasterBootRecordOld]
UseSmallMBR=1
SwapPart=0
CountMode=5
RecoveryInUserPart=0
;TimeOut for "\nPress F10 to start recovery "
TimeOut=1
;STR_BS_ERROR="\nMissing OS\n"
STR_BS_ERROR=" "
STR_ERROR="\nMBR Error\n"
;STR_PRESSAKEY="\nPress a key.\n"
STR_PRESSAKEY=" "
;STR_START="\nPress F10 to start recovery "
STR_START=" "
QuietCountDown=0
AutoHideRecovery=0
ShowRecoveryPart=1
ScanCode=133

[MasterBootRecord]
; DO NOT TRANSLATE
UseSmallMBR=1
SwapPart=1
;TimeOut for "\nPress F11 to start recovery "
TimeOut=1
QuietCountDown=1
AutoHideRecovery=0
ShowRecoveryPart=1
ScanCode=133
;DoRecoverRP=0
SafebootCompatibleMBR=0
CountMode=1

; TRANSLATE
STR_START="\nPress F11 for Emergency Recovery "

;STR_ERROR="\nMBR Error\n"
STR_ERROR=\nErr1

;STR_BS_ERROR="\nOS Missing\n"
STR_BS_ERROR=Err2

;STR_PRESSAKEY="\nPress a key.\n"
STR_PRESSAKEY=Err3

RecoveryInUserPart=0

 

[meltie]

yikes - I didn't realize how long that was. Sorry everybody

M

 

[meltie]

Mike,

As an added safeguard, another thing I started doing after I discovered the Norton "issue" was to create manual check points each month after first disabling Norton. After, would then re-enable Norton.

After doing this, ALL restores worked.

M

 

[adrianlee]

Macrium Reflect

Hi

Thanks for the prompt response, but does this create a self booting image.

God Bless

 

[profdlp]

Self-booting, no. You'll need to make the recovery CD and boot from that.

By the way. Up until a couple days ago I had used this program solely for convenience. I had also installed it on a friend's machine as a safeguard. (Mostly a safeguard for me, to save time in the event she messed something up and I didn't want to spend a lot of time fixing it.)

To make a long story short, she had tried to install an Adobe add-on for MS Office which turned out to not be compatible. She then tried a registry cleaner to fix it, since she didn't want to bug me. It was like treating a cold with cyanide capsules. Yeah, the cold was gone - but so was pretty much her whole system, too. As a college professor who teaches an online class, she needed her computer working now. I restored an image for her in about half an hour, making us both very happy.

 

[whs]

Prof made the situation clear - I hope. It is a good practice to burn the the bootable recovery CD as the very first step. It is explained in my video tut.
As an imaging newcomer I also suggest you make a trial recovery run with a test partition. Shrink a couple of GBs off C and create a new partition. Copy some files into there and then image that test partition. After that delete a file from the test partition.
Now do the recovery with your image and see whether your deleted files are back. If yes, the recovery worked and you have learned something. After that you can delete your test partition and merge the space back to C.

 

[CarlTR6]

Self-booting, no. You'll need to make the recovery CD and boot from that.

By the way. Up until a couple days ago I had used this program solely for convenience. I had also installed it on a friend's machine as a safeguard. (Mostly a safeguard for me, to save time in the event she messed something up and I didn't want to spend a lot of time fixing it.)

To make a long story short, she had tried to install an Adobe add-on for MS Office which turned out to not be compatible. She then tried a registry cleaner to fix it, since she didn't want to bug me. It was like treating a cold with cyanide capsules. Yeah, the cold was gone - but so was pretty much her whole system, too. As a college professor who teaches an online class, she needed her computer working now. I restored an image for her in about half an hour, making us both very happy.

Exactly why I preach against registry cleaners.

 

[whatdoesitwant]

raid 10

Does macrium work with raid boot partitions, provided i supply the necessary intel drivers? Has anybody tried this?

 

[SIW2]

Macrium doesn't support software raid.

Otherwise , drivers can be added to the winpe boot disc - not the Linux one.


http://www.macrium.com/webhelp/Adding_Drivers.asp?nohead=y

 

[shaggydabbydo]

Just to double check, attached is a screenshot of what Macrium shows me my Acer TravelMate (Vista, practising on this machine before my Windows 7 one arrives) has drive/partition wise.

Regarding this Active/Inactive thing, do I go down the "Do NOT MARK AS ACTIVE and DO NOT REPLACE MBR" route, or something different.

 

[mjf]

On this machine it looks like C: is (active, system, boot). It appears you have no separate system reserved partition.
You would restore C: as active and not replace MBR unless you knew it had been damaged.

Probably a different situation on your new PC.

Note: The MBR Macrium refer to is the real MBR and it is the first 512 bytes of your disk. It contains partition tables etc. Normally it is static in nature and doesn't need to be changed. It is not movable and does not exist on any partition.

 

[whs]

As mjf says, you must mark C as active when you restore. Replacing the MBR is a matter of choice - I always do. But any of your other partitions would not be active. Nor would it have any MBR.

 

[mjf]

Further to the mbr replacing. As WHS does you can choose to replace.

 

[shaggydabbydo]

As mjf says, you must mark C as active when you restore. Replacing the MBR is a matter of choice - I always do. But any of your other partitions would not be active. Nor would it have any MBR.

Thanks whs and mjf, got it

 

[bulajap]

Windows 7 Ultimate and Image/file recovery

I plan on buying a new computer with Windows 7 Ultimate ( I currently have Windows XP). Do I need an external program like Macrium or Acronis True Image or does Windows 7 Ultimate have all of the tools in these external programs built into it?

thank you

Joe

 

[eldinv]

I plan on buying a new computer with Windows 7 Ultimate ( I currently have Windows XP). Do I need an external program like Macrium or Acronis True Image or does Windows 7 Ultimate have all of the tools in these external programs built into it?

thank you

Joe

Hello -

Windows has a built in program for imaging. But if you go over most of the material here; most of us prefer Macrium.


Thanks to WHS, nice tutorial.


Best regards,

Eldin

 

[whs]

I plan on buying a new computer with Windows 7 Ultimate ( I currently have Windows XP). Do I need an external program like Macrium or Acronis True Image or does Windows 7 Ultimate have all of the tools in these external programs built into it?

thank you

Joe

The problem with the Windows 7 imaging is that it always plays an act on you. You never know what it is doing and at the end you are always stunned. Besides it is very retarted when it comes to functions and options.

I have used and tried about 10 imaging programs (including the win7 one) in the last 4 years. My bottom line is the Macrium is the easiest to use, the fastest, the most reliable and I always know where I am with it. And it is free.

That cannot be said for many others - and especially not for Win7 imaging. But some people use it and were even able to recover. Others were less lucky. With Macrium I recovered about 50 times (many for demo in my classes) - and it has never failed.

 

[mjf]

I plan on buying a new computer with Windows 7 Ultimate ( I currently have Windows XP). Do I need an external program like Macrium or Acronis True Image or does Windows 7 Ultimate have all of the tools in these external programs built into it?

thank you

Joe

I use Windows imaging (primarily) and Macrium and have a good level of knowledge of both products.
I have reimaged with the Windows product well over 10 times (I've lost count actually). These are not little test partitions, these are full blown system restores. It has never let my down even to new HDDs.

When Windows imaging lets me down and I cannot explain it I'll call it a dog. For some it has met the "dog" criterion and MS do need more work on the product.

I also use and understand Macrium well. It's a good solid basic product.
You always have the option to try the two (like I do) and hedge your bets. You will never know which is a "dog" until you personally restore your full system from a disaster.

To call Windows imaging "retarded" (a poor choice of words) fails to realize it's intent. It is intended for the average user as well who knows nothing about "MBRs", "100MB system reserved". To use Macrium with confidence you do need to understand these concepts or else you're winging it.

 

[whs]

LOL, I was sure mjf would rebutt. He is fortunate because he gets along with Win7 imaging. And he has one good point - try them both, or a few more even. Go by your own judgement, not ours.

@mjf, just for your info, I made many real system recoveries too - not just the little class excercises.. I srew up my system on average once per week and rather than chasing the problem, I just restore the latest image. That's why I image so frequently. For the data I rely a bit more on the shadows. You get a lot of data partition shadows into relatively little space. And since I install and uninstall stuff relatively frequently, I get a good collection.

It is intended for the average user as well who knows nothing about "MBRs", "100MB system reserved". To use Macrium with confidence you do need to understand these concepts or else you're winging it.

This is a fair point, although it is not quite as simple for the uninitiated as they think. I see that all the time with the people that use it. One of my instructor colleagues teaches the "average" users to use Win7 imaging. I could tell you many war stories how the average user gets along with it.

 

[mjf]

@mjf, just for your info, I made many real system recoveries too - not just the little class excercises.

LOL, I knew you'd bite.

Joking aside I do take my comments seriously. 99%+ of people (a guess) who use Windows for work and play don't visit these sort of forums and before Windows 7 they wouldn't know what an image was it it bit them.
So big tick for MS for including it - just make it more robust.