Macrium clone or image --

He just told me he couldn't get the Macrium to work for him, I have Windows back on the system - I'll go from there. Thanks again.

So I can be the first to suggest it: if you get the laptop back with a fresh install of Windows, make a Reflect image of it to your HP drive before attempting to restore your pre-failure image. Martin

Thanks Martin - you know now I'm afraid to use Macrium. He had to install windows10 twice, as the recovery attempt failed and in fact, wiped out the hard drive so he had to do it again. Any idea why that might have happened?

Seems odd that a computer repair guy was not familiar with such a program - he says he has used Revo - he also said Carbonite was good.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts on this sticky wicket.
Patrice

patriceltic said:

Thanks Martin - you know now I'm afraid to use Macrium. He had to install windows10 twice, as the recovery attempt failed and in fact, wiped out the hard drive so he had to do it again. Any idea why that might have happened?

Too many possibilities!

patriceltic said:

Seems odd that a computer repair guy was not familiar with such a program - he says he has used Revo - he also said Carbonite was good.

I am a bit surprised, but since in the main he will be helping people after a disaster, rather than preparing them for one, maybe imaging is not his thing (although encouraging people to do so ought to be). Revo is an uninstaller (AFAIK), so not relevant, and Carbonite a data backup solution, but not (apparently) a system backup.

You should not fear using Reflect, it has saved my (and many others') bacon a few times. But its user interface is a bit daunting, what with all the faff about schedules etc, which have to be skipped over just to make an image. If you don't use Reflect, how will you cope with the next disaster? I am impressed that you used it in the first place, its unfortunate that the recovery process has been so difficult. You definitely need to get over the posting images hurdle in due course.

If I don't attempt recovery and just image the new WD Hdd with it, I should be ok? Seems as though that would be ok. I'll let you know.

Daunting interface -- key word -- Regards,

I do have to add the following - it didn't help me in the last disaster - how do I know it will help me in my --I'm sure-- future disaster...

Hello Denis --Do not have local guru installed in neighborhood...I see on windows10 - - "create a recovery drive" They are not talking about Macrium I'm sure -- Can I create such on my HP external drive?

patriceltic said:

Hello Denis --Do not have local guru installed in neighborhood...I see on windows10 - - "create a recovery drive" They are not talking about Macrium I'm sure -- Can I create such on my HP external drive?

Creating a recovery drive will not back up your current system. A recovery drive is simply a USB flash drive that will let you re-install Windows, complete with the drivers for your system. It's used for a clean install, it will not back up your data nor any external programs you install.

Macrium Reflect has never failed me. I've probably restored 6 or so times from backup images I created - as well as just copying specific files from mounted backup images.