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]

Thanks Keith. That sounds promising. Good to know that a prior resizing of the partition to image is no more required.

I wonder why they are showing "Disk space management" only for their paid versions. http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

 

[SIW2]

I think Disk space management means automatic deletion of older images - presumably you can choose how many, or how long they are kept.

Most imaging apps. have something like that don't they?

I have got so used to Paragon, I just assume the others have similar features.

 

[kado897]

Yes. Disk space management is the automatic deletion of old images.

Actually you don't need to use the boot disk. You can do the restore to the new disk from within a running Windows, or do a clone but for some reason that seems slower than a backup and restore.

 

[whs]

Hmm, that makes sense. So at the end they say nothing about the ability to dump a larger partition image into a smaller partition. That makes Keith's experiment even more valuable.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

Hmm, that makes sense. So at the end they say nothing about the ability to dump a larger partition image into a smaller partition. That makes Keith's experiment even more valuable.

Where is disk space management, maybe I'm overlooking it in the program but I can't find it ?

 

[kado897]

If you have the paid version it's in Advanced Options.

 

[mjf]

My suggestion, and I've done this, would be to clone the 1T to the 500GB which will automatically resize the unused space to fit the 500GB. I did this and cloned a 500GB drive with 32GB of data to a 80GB drive.
I think an image would include the 1TB in total, but I may be wrong.

I think this may be the case for the free version as well.
All you need to do to be safe is reduced your source OS partition to something under 500GB before making the image then resize the partition back to its 1TB. Partition Wizard will do this easily.
When performing an image restore I would only have your new HDD connected. Note that both your 1TB and 500GB will have the same disk signature and cannot be connected at the same time (disk signature clash).

Do you suggest I tick both the system reserve and the OS partition. When ever I restored I just restored the OS image and didn't have to worry about that system reserve.


Best regards,

Eldin

Yes. This is what Macrium will do if you select the option "Create an image of the partitions required to backup and restore Windows"
Generally you don't need to reimage the System Reserved partition but it is so tiny I think it is a bit silly not including it. It is needed for a new HDD. Of course you can do away with it as suggested but generally I don't see the point.
I never clone but use a system image restore to transfer to a new HDD. Every image allows you to create a new HDD at the point in time the image was made.
I ha

 

[Phone Man]

Wolfgang, thanks for the WinPE ISO. I see you updated it again a few days ago because of this update.



Thanks,
Jim

 

[Britton30]

I found it out tonight when doing some imaging.
I can't download the .iso. When I sign into Live and click either the file title under Name or the link in the upper right, nothing happens.

 

[mjf]

Wolfgang, thanks for the WinPE ISO. I see you updated it again a few days ago because of this update.

View attachment 226295

Thanks,
Jim

This raises the question could older images be questionable? I like to keep some older images back to when I did a clean install.

 

[kado897]

Wolfgang, thanks for the WinPE ISO. I see you updated it again a few days ago because of this update.

View attachment 226295

Thanks,
Jim

This raises the question could older images be questionable? I like to keep some older images back to when I did a clean install.

I don't believe it is the image that is the problem otherwise they would have said.

 

[whs]

@Jim, You are very welcome.

@Gary, Yes, there seems to be a little problem - looks like a connection problem. I had to try a few times before it started downloading. But then it worked. I right click on the file > Download.

@Mike, I assume it works on older images, but I have not tried it. But in any case, I always keep my older WinPE discs - just in case.

 

[SIW2]

There is one here: https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=B0A22789320E3247&id=B0A22789320E3247!345

The .iso is inside the single rep.7z file.

It has one or two minor little extra functions.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

Cloning in Macrium isn't as it should be, I cloned a windows partition from the source to the target and when I tried to boot windows into the target drive I got this error;

The Boot failed because a required device is inaccessible (Status: 0xc000000e)

The boot priority is set as the target drive.

 

[SIW2]

I had a problem with macrium cloning , too.

It kept booting into the original.



I now use the "copy partition" in Paragon - perfect.

 

[mjf]

Cloning in Macrium isn't as it should be, I cloned a windows partition from the source to the target and when I tried to boot windows into the target drive I got this error;

The Boot failed because a required device is inaccessible (Status: 0xc000000e)

The boot priority is set as the target drive.

One possible explanation is that the cloning operation is copying the disk signature (in the MBR) of the drive you are cloning from. When both drives are connected you will get a disk clash and the 2nd (cloned) drive will go offline.
What happens if you disconnect the first drive and leave the cloned drive then try to boot?

 

[mjf]

Rescue ISO

I thought at one stage the free Macrium allowed you Rescue ISO directly. I use the WAIK but can only burn a CD/DVD or use a USB. I can make the ISO from the DVD but I thought you could do it directly?

 

[Britton30]

Cloning in Macrium isn't as it should be, I cloned a windows partition from the source to the target and when I tried to boot windows into the target drive I got this error;

The Boot failed because a required device is inaccessible (Status: 0xc000000e)

The boot priority is set as the target drive.

Is part of the OS on another partition?

 

[JerometheGiraff]

Cloning in Macrium isn't as it should be, I cloned a windows partition from the source to the target and when I tried to boot windows into the target drive I got this error;

The Boot failed because a required device is inaccessible (Status: 0xc000000e)

The boot priority is set as the target drive.

One possible explanation is that the cloning operation is copying the disk signature (in the MBR) of the drive you are cloning from. When both drives are connected you will get a disk clash and the 2nd (cloned) drive will go offline.
What happens if you disconnect the first drive and leave the cloned drive then try to boot?

When I disconnect the first drive and leave the cloned drive, I get the error I posted. I was informed I have to restore a image of the partition or the drive because of UUID. Cloning doesn't work as it should.

 

[kado897]

Are you using the latest version of macrium. The previous version had a problem with writing the mbr correctly.