Macrium Reflex brand new user - totally confused

[QUOTE=Bree;2051145]Congratulations! Yes, testing that you can boot the Macrium recovery USB now (instead of when you are in a panic, trying to do a restore) is a step many forget to take.

Bree, 100% of the patience points go to ignatzatsonic. He has been, and is being, a wonderful partner in this.

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[QUOTE=ignatzatsonic;2051313]Good job! I think.
I was just being creative to see if you noticed. Dang you're good!

It should have taken noticeably longer to start the PC from the flash drive than it normally does from the hard drive—maybe a minute or more. Did that happen?
It did take longer than usual...but I'm not sure it was a full minute.


You say "I went to the boot menu via F10, and moved my USB drive to the top of the boot order definitions."
My searching a couple of days ago indicated F9 or Escape for an HP to get to the boot menu.
Furthermore, my preliminary searching says that F10 on an HP takes you into the BIOS, not the boot menu.
Yep, I used F10 (googled around until I found an HP support article that said to use F10 to go the BIOS page). I thought it and the Boot Menu were essentially the same.


I don’t think you can move anything from a boot menu. You choose the item you want to boot from in the menu, but you don’t “move” anything. The boot menu should appear as a very simple list of items on a single page. The choices will likely be cryptic and a bit confusing, so nothing wrong with poking them all to see what happens and gain familiarity.
I didn't go there.


The BIOS would be much more ornate—with color, a bunch of tabs, lots of choices and navigation.
Yes, that's what I saw, I selected the BOOT OPTIONS TAB and then saw UEFI BOOT ORDER. Using the F5 and F6 keys, I rearranged the options until I got USE FLASH DRIVE to the top of the order. Then I rebooted with my Rescue USB Stick in, and it booted into the Macrium screen. Assuming that it worked, I then went back into what obviously now was the BIOS and rearranged them until they were back in their original positions (I'd made note of what they were before I changed anything). Then I rebooted again and my Windows screen/system displayed just like always.



You don’t have to go into the BIOS to use Macrium.
Is it usual to have Macrium come up when I boot from the BIOS like I did, or should I have seen a different screen?



Choosing the boot device from the menu is a one-time thing…..just for that single boot attempt. Changing from within the BIOS is permanent---for all future boot attempts, unless you go back into the BIOS and change again.
Which I did. I assumed it would stay on USB FLASH if I didn't put the order back the way I found it.



So, just confirm what you have done.
Hope that explains it. Looks like I took the longer, more complicated route.



You need to think about restoration. It’s more confusing than making an image. And potentially dangerous if you choose the wrong destination. You can walk several steps into it with no danger. That might give you some confidence about what you’d have to do in a jam.
I know I will need to for it to be for an actual test to be proven, but it seems like the Restoration process is similar to "there be dragons".

Question(s)
How can I do a print screen of the BIOS page? All I know is the Windows/PrtScn, which obviously doesn't work prior to getting into Windows.

Have you had enough of me, or do you want to help me tip-toe down Restoration Road?

way2ob2se said:

How can I do a print screen of the BIOS page? All I know is the Windows/PrtScn, which obviously doesn't work prior to getting into Windows.

I find a digital camera or a phone can be useful there.

see comments;

way2ob2se said:

Yep, I used F10 (googled around until I found an HP support article that said to use F10 to go the BIOS page). I thought it and the Boot Menu were essentially the same.

Definitely different, as you now know.

I rebooted with my Rescue USB Stick in, and it booted into the Macrium screen. Assuming that it worked, I then went back into what obviously now was the BIOS and rearranged them until they were back in their original positions

OK, I'll assume you are back to the original choices as they were days ago.

Is it usual to have Macrium come up when I boot from the BIOS like I did, or should I have seen a different screen?

Not sure I'm following you, but if you set the first boot item as the Macrium recovery flash drive, you didn't then boot "from the BIOS".

You booted from the flash drive after you left the BIOS and should have in fact arrived at the Macrium screen, not your standard Windows desktop.

That's exactly what would have happened if you had simply chosen the flash drive from boot menu rather than using the BIOS.

Have you had enough of me, or do you want to help me tip-toe down Restoration Road?

I've got some opinions on restoration, but get this BIOS/boot menu/USB recovery media stuff out of your hair first.

Use F9 or possibly Escape and see if you can bring up the boot menu and boot from that same USB stick.

Some of the choices on the menu will likely fail to boot at all.

Play around with it for a few attempts until you know what choice has to be made to force a boot to that USB stick.

Leave the BIOS alone at least as far as Macrium is concerned.

Get accustomed to the boot menu as it is a handy thing to understand above and beyond Macrium.

ignatzatsonic, thank you so much for your help. I'm marking this as closed, since I seem to be somewhat on the right track. I am in the midst of an ongoing migraine and won't be back on the computer until it passes, usually in a week or two.