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

 

[ThrashZone]

Thank you Thelma
It's just a tad confusing in the source and destination part creating an image
It's also the same in the restoring the image it seems

But once you get past that it's pretty easy default settings are good
I've been restoring these images at boot so it's a x-p like display of the reflect program recovery not shown here and yes for some odd reason the source and destination is reversed so that does need to be changed otherwise you'd over wright the image with what ever is on the messed up hdd/ sdd install

Luckily I do know the difference in source and destination

The second image I created
I used image disk instead of image this partition because there was the 100mb system reserved partition as well as C drive
I believe that is the way it's supposed to be done instead of the imaging each separate partition

First image there is only C drive so I could use mini tool to reduce the size of the C drive partition and just create an image of that partition all that you have to do is make sure that partition is the only one that has a check mark on it click on it and use the Actions listing under it and use image this partition follow the next screens... and search for and select the destination partition or disk folder where the new image will be place in.

Both these images are for a nuclear system restore kind of last resort to avoid reinstalling windows from scratch
The second one was on a system I've used for ever so it's not quite as clean as the clean install and loading programs/ updates and not a lot of other third party stuff so the image was only about 60-75gbs space used on a 100gb partition.

Indeed if you get stuck some where please say where

 

[kado897]

It's really quite consistent Mike. The Source is where you are copying from and the destination is where you are copying to.

So for a backup the source is the disk and the destination is the folder for the image file.


and for a restore the source is the image file and the destination is the disk where you are restoring to.


Oh and BTW there is a button on the left of the main screen which sets up a backup of all partitions Windows needs.

 

[thelma]

Mike and Keith, , thanks booth for your explications. This I am definitely going to try in the new year.

As I start with all this from absolute zero, I always first write down all the important words, even things like disk and drive and system and partition. Look up and write behind them the full explication. Then understand the meaning of what they do in the hole picture. Took me ages to find out what actually a motherboard is, now I know.

And from there on I read the instructions and explication, it works well for me. Moots confusing for me are still files and zip files and coping or sending or storing or finding them back.

For a long time I always confused Internet explorer with Windows explorer, an apple and a pear, but when you are dyslexic it looks the same. I have never really done a system backup and find Macrium Reflect terribly complicated, but I will get it under control I am sure .

Step by step, and with the help of some friends

Do understand what a backup is the other way around from a restore.

It's all very interesting!

 

[ThrashZone]

Yep I used the image disk on the Acer image because the disks were close to the same size and it is a fail safe restore anyway
Once I get a 1-2 tb hdd and a new enclosure I'll get into space saving a little more

 

[ThrashZone]

For what it's worth Thelma these were my first 2 images so don't feel like the lone ranger

 

[mjf]

I have V5 on most of my PCs. I have V6 (free) on one and I think the default check boxes are a little more confusing. What I have noticed is that running the V6 restore pe 5 CD takes a long time to get to an interface screen. However, the V6 restore has always gone fine.

 

[ThrashZone]

Kind of interesting I tried to image win-10 pro last night and I did not get the prompt to create the recovery disk first after opening the program for the first time as I did on win-7 pro and home premium :/

Wonder what's up with that ?

 

[kado897]

Is this installed on Win10 or from bootable media? If the former it should prompt you.

 

[ThrashZone]

Yes reflect was installed on win-10 but never gave the prompt

I selected create recovery cd but it seemed like it was writing the entire image to the cd so there was no way it would write a 75gb partition to it
There was a driver messed up it said I uninstalled on that and gave up for the night so I might try again tonight
I also uninstall reflect and see If I can cleanup it's install a little so nothing is remaining
But yes it acted differently for an odd reason I suppose it might be because the hdd I was using was connected with usb instead of sata like the first in win-7 ?

Might have to wait until I get another 2.5" hdd to image too this one was a larger 300gb hdd.

 

[kado897]

I image to USB attached drives with no problems. It sounds like your install or at least the PE part was corrupted. I always create my recovery "disk" on a USB stick. It seems more reliable than DVD. There have been some bug fixes recently in the Win10 PE creation area so it may be a bit flakey.

 

[ThrashZone]

What is the smallest flash drive that can be used which yes I'd prefer a flash drives too
I think I have a 1gb unused :/

 

[kado897]

The PE is quite small less than 500MB.

 

[ThrashZone]

Perfect
I can hardly ever find use for that small of a flash drive

 

[kado897]

I'm surprised you can still get them that small.

 

[ThrashZone]

I got it a while back to flash my lcd t.v. and never had to use it
It's a lexar.

 

[ThrashZone]

Got to use the Acer image in a real need situation Christmas eve
Updated to gpu tweak ll seems like a innocent thing to do right
Oops got a bsod so fast it only flashed and never booted again
Used the WinPE disk and guess what the external never came online

So i have to get another esata external from Fry's :/
Had to get what they had turns out it has some pretty bad reviews mostly from people using it on a raid... which I would not do anyway Enterprise 4x
Amazon.com: Hornettek Enterprise 4X USB3.0/eSATA 3.5-Inch 4 Bay Enclosure (HT-3402U3): Computers & Accessories
Got it for 89.us
Had to rig my 2.5 hdd in it but it did work so I might keep :/

Anyway it did work so all is good

 

[Sanday]

Thanks but my system is ok I don't want to restore

I wil try your way but now what I want
Is just to know exactly how to take the all Windows 7 original backup files
And move them all from partition d that is full to external drive
And then contine to backup and update the old backup in the new drive without any third party
Just the original Windows 7 backup
Can all the backup files moved as stand Alon to new drive or even new computer?

 

[whs]

If you made the backup with the Windows facilities, it will be very tricky if you move the files because the system will not automatically find them.

If you make a backup with Macrium, that is no problem.

 

[BabaG]

can macrium transfer a windows partition to a different position on another drive? whenever i've tried to clone my w7/64pro partition to anywhere but the same starting sector on another drive it becomes unbootable.

i want to clone my w7 partition from its current position on a 250gb ssd to a position farther down on a 500gb ssd, leaving space ahead of it to expand the partition that precedes it. whenever i try this, it becomes unbootable. in other words, on the 250gb drive w7 starts at the, roughly, 120gb point. i want to clone it to the 500gb drive, starting it there at, roughly, the 200gb point. haven't been able to do that while keeping it bootable.

thanks,
BabaG

 

[whs]

Don't clone but use imaging.