Image backup in Windows dual boot PC (7/10)?

I have tended over the years to use Windows' own image backup, which I have found no less reliable than any 3rd. party software I have used (like Macrium).

I use Windows 7 far more often than 10 on my dual boot PC, but gradually that is changing... unfortunately. Still much prefer Windows 7, but obviously that's becoming less and less viable as time goes on.

My question is, on such a dual-boot PC, will an image of the Windows 10 drive (on a different physical disc from Windows 7, all SSDs BTW) made in Windows 7 work as a boot partition if it were restored via Windows 7 to the same location? Or would it be unbootable for some reason? Seems to me that an image is an image is an image, but...

O/S = Win7 x64 & Win10 Pro

Thanks.

It you have a current config that is working, then a properly created image with a properly executed restore should be indistinguishable from the original, with maybe the exception of a different sized disk. Bottom line - should work flawlessly.

'Properly created' is the key. Is one made of Win10 by Win7 'properly created'? Will it back up and restore the boot element?

if it were restored via Windows 7 to the same location?

Yes.

In theory, it should work. It's always worked fine for me when I used it (in desperation when someone else had no alternative ), and that same Win 7 imaging util is still present in Win 10 but Microsoft themselves are suggesting that other solutions be used.

Bottom line - feel free to try it, but I would suggest NOT formatting or erasing the original disk until you have tested the restore on the new disk.

Better yet, pull down the free version of Macrium Reflect!

martinlest said:

I have tended over the years to use Windows' own image backup, which I have found no less reliable than any 3rd. party software I have used (like Macrium).

I agree with hsehestedt, as long as you back up and restore all the required partitions I see no reason why it shouldn't work.

However, I would question your confidence in the reliability of Microsoft's own system imaging. Have you actually done many restores? I have, and its most common failing is that it cannot find and recognise your system image.

Google search: windows cannot find a system image on this computer site:microsoft.com

Over the years I've hit that bug many times, there's no obvious cause. I use Macrium now, that's been 100% reliable.

It's many years since I had to restore an image (hope I am not invoking PC demons by saying so, malevolent devils that they are).

I have been let down by Macrium in the past (not a valid image, or some such thing, even though I would have tested it after creation), as well as having restored an image successfully via Windows. When I have Win10 as I want it I will probably use Macrium and Windows 7 to make two image backups. Thanks.

Do tell: I'm curious about what sort of issues you encountered with Reflect.

TIP: When first making images on a new machine, I always make sure that I'm doing verifications at the outset until I have confidence all is working. Also, every 6 months or so I actually do a test restore to another HD to make darned sure the backup and restore process is working. That's a holdover from my working for a major storage company. I saw far too many people who never actually tested their backups and then when they needed them they realized that they had lost business critical data.

Bottom line - if you are starting a new backup / imaging scheme, test it!

martinlest said:

It's many years since I had to restore an image (hope I am not invoking PC demons by saying so, malevolent devils that they are).
I have been let down by Macrium in the past (not a valid image, or some such thing, even though I would have tested it after creation), as well as having restored an image successfully via Windows.

I routinely restore at least two or three images a month, sometimes a lot more. If you look at System Two in my specs you'll see why. I also image all my other machines regularly, and have restored images on most of them at one time or another. For about three years I used Microsoft's own imaging exclusively, but when Microsoft broke it in 32-bit Windows 10 version 1803 I switched to Macrium. I've been using Macrium Reflect v7 for more than two years now.

What version of Macrium did you have problems with, and how long ago? I started with v7.1 and am now on v7.2, it hasn't let me down yet.