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

 

[whs]

what is the easiest and best all in one cloning, imaging and backup ( files) program?
I soon plan on getting a new computer with Windows 7 64 bit.

I am not familiar with cloning or disk imaging and would like something that combines all of the functions that is easy to use.

Please advise... thank you

Joe

Joe, follow this tutorial. Cannot be easier.

 

[bulajap]

Thanks

Many thanks......

Do I need any other backup software for Windows 7 64 bit or is Macrium Free all I need?

 

[SIW2]

That'll stir up a debate.

Depends what you like, really.

Ther are several - all have pros and cons.

My favorite is Paragon, it is the most technically advanced - everybody has their own preference.

Hard Disk Manager Suite – complete system management | PARAGON Software Group - disk partitioning, resize partition

If you only want to make disk images - (not separate file and folder backup) the free versions of Macrium, or Paragon may be all you need.

 

[bulajap]

Paragon Hard Disk Manger Suite

SIW2,

does the Paragon Hard Disk Manager SUite have disk cloning and imaging? I did not notice that it did in the description when I clicked on the link....

thanks

 

[SIW2]

does the Paragon Hard Disk Manager SUite have disk cloning and imaging?

Yes.

 

[mjf]

There is some magical myth about cloning. Imaging will give the same end result in a much more flexible and efficient manner.

Treat imaging programs like a pet dog. Everyone has there favorite but all can turn on you and bite you one day.

I recommend the use of two separate imaging programs especially when you are getting to know them. I use Windows imaging on a regular basis and restored many time with it, but still keep Macrium images. Neither have bitten me (yet).

 

[mickey megabyte]

+1 on two separate backup progs.

belt and braces

if both fail, then well, the gods must have decreed it. :devil:

=======================================

i wonder if "they've" "invented" a patron saint of imaging yet?

upon reflection, he must be a paragon of virtue - st acronis, perhaps?

(sorry, shouldn't post after a bottle of red)

 

[whs]

+2, Plus put the images of the 2 seperate imaging programs on 2 seperate disks. That is all you can do for the gods of imaging.

 

[mickey megabyte]

2 seperate disks?

2 seperate computers on two separate continents

 

[eldinv]

Hello -

some keep their data on a separate partition so when imaging just the OS partition, I find Macium to be the fastest and easiest.

Those who wish to also backup folders or data files, Windows backup works fine.

Best if you find a program that does differential backups so when you back up your folders or data files it will only backup the data that chances over time.

This will save time and your backups won't have redundant data.


Best regards,

Eldin

 

[Bellzemos]

Does Macrium Reflect Free Edition support USB 3.0 drives? Have you read the review from Softpedia? It made me a little uncertain wether to use this software or not, what do you think? Macrium Reflect Free Edition 4.2 Build 3141 user reviews - Softpedia

Edit/PS: I've read that one cannot resotre the Macrium HDD image on another HDD (different than the one that the image was made of), that'd be quite a drawback - is that true?

 

[SIW2]

I've read that one cannot resotre the Macrium HDD image on another HDD (different than the one that the image was made of), that'd be quite a drawback - is that true?

No, it's not true - it's complete rubbish.

Where did you read that?

There is an old saying - believe nothing that you hear and only half of what you see.

There does appear to be an issue with usb3.0 - they will soon correct that, I expect.

 

[whs]

a) +1 regarding the rubbish
b) You can Image with USB3 but the Linux restore program does not support USB3 - there you have to use USB2. I have done that a couple of times.

 

[SIW2]

Yes, you can use usb2 with their winpe disc as well.

However, it is supposed to be able to support usb 3.0 - that isn't working properly yet.

It may be to do with the program they use to install drivers to their winpe 2.1 image, as it seems to work ok if you do it manually - at least it then recognizes the drives .

Whether you actually get usb3 speeds on restore is another matter.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

I don't know if this was covered, in this thread but can you use a USB Stick to create a boot drive as you would with a DVD with Macrium ?

Could someone explain what is the difference if any between Macrium and DriveImage XML I did a search but wasn't able to find any relative information.

 

[whs]

With free Macrium, a USB drive is not supported for the recovery program.

No idea what DriveImage XML does. It is a different program. There are many imaging programs and they all have their fans.

 

[SIW2]

They are different programs.

The confusion is because they both use .xml format for their imaging.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

alright. I guessed their were different.

 

[Heyyou]

Hi whs,

Good note about not marking the o/s partition active during restore - if you have the 100 mb system partition.

It won't matter if you tick replace the mbr code - windows will boot fine - it is standard code that works with any o/s.

It won't matter if you tick replace the mbr code - windows will boot fine - it is standard code that works with any o/s.

Unfortunately that is not my experience. I did click the MBR replacement box (but kept C as primary, not active) and got "NTDLR missing". Once I checked not to replace the MBR, things worked.

Please excuse my ignorance, but I don't know what MBR or NTDLR stand for. Can you please post? Some times figuring out what the abbreviations mean is harder that learning a procedure.

 

[whs]

It would have been easy to Google it. But here it is:

MBR = Master Boot Record
NTDLR = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTLDR