Solved Questions About Macrium Reflect Image Restore

[tephen04]

Hello, everyone!

First, I want to apologize if this questions were already asked by other people here, and I repeated it. I just can't find the answer that will set my mind free before I restore my back up image. So, sorry for my "noob"-ness.

Anyway, while I already can do the imaging of my HDD and its partitions and I know some about it, I will only do the Restore for the first time now. Before doing it, I want to be sure what will I do and what may be its effects. Searching the web for the answers of this questions seems to be a failure, so I am begging for your help.

QUESTION 1: When I restored an image of one of my HDD to another HDD (a new one), but I will NOT remove the original HDD, will it affect the installed applications that was duplicated due to restoring the image?

QUESTION 2: In case I restored the backup image (example, image of D:/, not system image) to a new HDD (example E:/), then after restore completion, I swapped the drive letters thru Disk Management, will it create an error or corruption to my files? Or worse, will my applications not run anymore?

Hope you can help me with these items, so that I can safely restore my failing HDD to my new drives.

Thank you in advance.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

QUESTION 1: When I restored an image of one of my HDD to another HDD (a new one), but I will NOT remove the original HDD, will it affect the installed applications that was duplicated due to restoring the image?

QUESTION 2: In case I restored the backup image (example, image of D:/, not system image) to a new HDD (example E:/), then after restore completion, I swapped the drive letters thru Disk Management, will it create an error or corruption to my files? Or worse, will my applications not run anymore?

I don't understand question 1, perhaps you can rephrase it.

Question 2:

I've never heard of any problems caused by swapping drive letters. D is D and E is E and F is F, regardless of whether they are new drives, old drives, Seagate, Western Digital, etc.

 

[whs]

Q1 - if you restore to another HDD, you will have to change the boot order in the BIOS in order to operate from that new HDD. Then the old HDD will figure like a data disk and not be effected.

Q2 - changing drive letters can always create problems. It is not recommended.

 

[tephen04]

Thank you guys for your replies!


What I mean in QUESTION 1 is that if I restored my back-up image of E: to my new HDD but that E: drive where my back-up image came from is not removed from the system, will it affect the files inside the restored HDD since there was a duplication of those files. I think Sir whs already answered this question so thanks.

In QUESTION 2, I mean if in case I restored a back-up image of E: then restored it to new HDD (which will have different drive letter since E: is already used, for example F:/), and then SWAPPED those drive letters thru Disk Management (making the original E: to F: and the new HDD from F: to E:/), will there be a corruption on the files restored?

Sorry if I cannot express myself better since English is not my main language.. but I hope you can get what I want to say. Thanks in advance.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Thank you guys for your replies!


What I mean in QUESTION 1 is that if I restored my back-up image of E: to my new HDD but that E: drive where my back-up image came from is not removed from the system, will it affect the files inside the restored HDD since there was a duplication of those files. I think Sir whs already answered this question so thanks.

In QUESTION 2, I mean if in case I restored a back-up image of E: then restored it to new HDD (which will have different drive letter since E: is already used, for example F:/), and then SWAPPED those drive letters thru Disk Management (making the original E: to F: and the new HDD from F: to E:/), will there be a corruption on the files restored?

Sorry if I cannot express myself better since English is not my main language.. but I hope you can get what I want to say. Thanks in advance.

Question 1: I don't see any problem with that. The backup image, before it is restored, is just a file with an mrimg extension. For instance, xxx.mrimg. When restored, there would be hundreds or thousands of files.

Question 2: I'm not sure I understand it, but I don't think that is a problem either. After the first restoration, you might have a file whose path is E:\pictures\cat.jpg. The second restoration might give you a file whose path is F:\pictures\cat.jpg. You should be able to swap those drive letters, although you would have to temporarily use another drive letter such as P: so that you don't SIMULTANEOUSLY have two drives with the same drive letter.

 

[tephen04]

Thank you for your reply, Sir ignatzatsonic!

In QUESTION 2, what if it is an installed application and not just a data file? Since after restoration, the path will change (since the original path was currently used, and it will assigned another drive letter that was not used), so if I try to run the application, it will not run, right? Then, if I swap the drive letter during this time, will I create a problem to that application?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'm still not sure I understand your meaning, but:

I've never personally had a problem with applications and drive letters.

I've made images and restored images and never had an app fail to run as needed.

If I make an image of C and later restore it, I expect it to be C and it is.

 

[tephen04]

Alright, I think I am safe now after reading your third statement. I will restore the image into my new HDD now, and if I encountered some problems, maybe I can ask you again for support?

EDIT: I think, in your 4th statement, the restored image of C: will be C: again only if you restored it in the same drive or partition, not in different drive. I just thought..


I will marked this as SOLVED.


Thank you very much, SevenForums guys!