System Image with Ubuntu Dualboot?

[chromium]

Hello im planning on making a system image of my windows 7 hdd(365gb partition). I currently have ubuntu installed on another 100gb partition, and the bootloader is grub2.

When i make the system image will the fact that ubuntu's bootloader is being used instead of win7, affect how the system image is made? If i restore it will it boot properly?

also ive read that windows system image is unreliable. Is this true? if so, does anyone have any better suggestions on how to backup my whole win7 drive?

Thanks

 

[Mark Phelps]

First of all, Ubuntu's boot loader is ONLY being used to boot Ubuntu; it can not boot Windows -- only the Windows boot loader does that. GRUB hands off control to the Windows boot loader.

Second, if Win7 came preinstalled on your PC, there is likely a small partition containing the Windows boot loader files. IF that's the case, when you make an image backup, be SURE to include that small partition, as well. You need that partition in order to boot Windows.

If you later restore Windows using the same tool that you used to image it, then no, that is not going to affect Ubuntu in any way.

I don't use Windows System imaging; instead, I use Macrium Reflect -- the FREE version will do image backups and restores.

And finally, MS insists on using the word "drive" when they actually mean "partition". You don't have a Windows 7 "drive" -- because if you did, there would be no partitions on that "drive" containing anything else. Instead, you have (likely) a Win7 boot partition, and a Win7 OS partition.

 

[chromium]

If I use macrium will it backup Ubuntu as well?
I want a backup only of my win7 partition.

 

[whs]

With free Macrium you can image (backup) any partition. It does not matter what the content is (Windows, Ubuntu, Data, whatever). But as Mark said, do not forget to also backup the small 100MB system partition (if you have it). That you need to image only once as long as you do not add/delete an OS.

 

[chromium]

so basically i just need to backup my windows 7 partition and the 100mb partition.
As long as i do this, it will boot properly if i restore despite the fact that ubuntu's grub is my current bootloader?

 

[Kaktussoft]

post screenshot of disk management with all fields visible. Do it in win7

 

[chromium]

-The C: partition is windows 7
-The 953 MB is a swap partition for ubuntu
-99.08 GB parition is ubuntu

 

[Kaktussoft]

View attachment 265277

-The C: partition is windows 7
-The 953 MB is a swap partition for ubuntu
-99.08 GB parition is ubuntu

Thanx for screenshot. Are you sure grub is the main bootmanager which continues to windows bootmanager if you select "windows" in grub menu?

 

[chromium]

I think grub is the main bootloader. When i boot up my pc, it goes to grub. If i choose windows, it directly boots windows. It doesnt go into another windows bootloader.

Heres the output of the bcdedit command:

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {bootmgr}
device                  partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {globalsettings}
integrityservices       Enable
default                 {current}
resumeobject            {83f1add9-73c9-11e2-9ab2-877cfe5d3724}
displayorder            {current}
toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}
timeout                 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {current}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence        {83f1addb-73c9-11e2-9ab2-877cfe5d3724}
recoveryenabled         Yes
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {83f1add9-73c9-11e2-9ab2-877cfe5d3724}
nx                      OptIn

Thanks again

 

[Kaktussoft]

I think grub is the main bootloader. When i boot up my pc, it goes to grub. If i choose windows, it directly boots windows. It doesnt go into another windows bootloader.

Heres the output of the bcdedit command:

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {bootmgr}
device                  partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {globalsettings}
integrityservices       Enable
default                 {current}
resumeobject            {83f1add9-73c9-11e2-9ab2-877cfe5d3724}
displayorder            {current}
toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}
timeout                 30
 
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {current}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence        {83f1addb-73c9-11e2-9ab2-877cfe5d3724}
recoveryenabled         Yes
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {83f1add9-73c9-11e2-9ab2-877cfe5d3724}
nx                      OptIn

Thanks again

So grub is in MBR and jumps to partition 3 (or maybe 4?) to load grub menu. If you select WINDOWS it jumps to "system reserved" the active partition and starts win7 bootmanager. You don't see it because it has only 1 entry (win7) which starts automatically.

Use macrium reflect free as backup. MBR will be backupped automatically.

The restoration of the MBR is controlled by a restore option, under WinPE, select the Advanced Options link on the final page to view this option.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Take the winpe ISO from http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html
It can backup/restore ext2/ext3/fat32/ntfs. It can resize partitions on restore. What filesystem have both linux partitions?

 

[chromium]

i dont want to backup/restore the ubuntu and swap partitions.
I only want the windows 7 partition backed up, and i was wondering if i only backup this partition(and the 100mb system reserved)will it not boot properly if i restore because of how ubuntu is the main bootloader?

 

[Kaktussoft]

i dont want to backup/restore the ubuntu and swap partitions.
I only want the windows 7 partition backed up, and i was wondering if i only backup this partition(and the 100mb system reserved)will it not boot properly if i restore because of how ubuntu is the main bootloader?

grub is in MBR! So if you don't replace the MBR bootcode.... it's fine.
MBR bootcode is not replaced on restore... and if it is... it restores as it was backupped.

But if you do a "startup repair" in win7.... it replaces the mbr bootcode!!

 

[chromium]

i dont want to backup/restore the ubuntu and swap partitions.
I only want the windows 7 partition backed up, and i was wondering if i only backup this partition(and the 100mb system reserved)will it not boot properly if i restore because of how ubuntu is the main bootloader?

grub is in MBR! So if you don't replace the MBR bootcode.... it's fine.
MBR bootcode is not replaced on restore... and if it is... it restores as it was backupped.

But if you do a "startup repair" in win7.... it replaces the mbr bootcode!!

oooo i see. Thanks for you help.

 

[Kaktussoft]

You can always use https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
2nd option.

this will fix it in case you made a mess