A challenge for the pro's. Can you help identify a reg key please.

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  1. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #21

    System imaging (in Macrium = 'Back up Windows') only images the partition set necessary to restore Windows (possibly several for Win 10 on UEFI). Thus it does not include any other data partitions.

    Provided you are aware of which partitions are included in a system image (and I had a problem with this with Aomei in coming to Win 10 at that time) and you then image your other partitions as well, then you should be covered.

    'Disk Backup' - if by that you mean file-based selective backups, some use that in addition to maintain ongoing current backups whilst disk imaging tends to be run more periodically.

    Factors to consider:
    1. how do you manage the storage space taken up by disk imaging (Macrium can do this for you quite neatly)
    2. how long does it take to create a backup (imaging takes longer than specific file backups but is much faster for SSDs than HDs
    3. how much new data are you creating and how critical is it

    Finally your backup location should ideally be physically remote from your PC.

    (Noted on the VSS related problem - naturally restoring an image of Windows is done from the imaging program's boot medium, so this would not arise then. But did the problem arise in creating or restoring the image? Noted the idea of mounting the image to identify this. What is worrying is there was no indication of failure during the process. I assume the files/folders concerned were not on C: (?) )
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  2. Posts : 1,871
    W10 pro x64 20H2 Build 19042.610
    Thread Starter
       #22

    Well Macrium said to exclude VSS and that works. AOMEI are saying you should always use VSS and so I would have imagined that was a default setting that was already enabled. I tried AOMEI 'out of the box' and it worked.

    Haven't got AOMEI installed at the moment (I kept returning to a clean base image to try all this stuff on) but I always use partition mode because I only want to image the C drive. My other partitions have stuff on them that needs to be up to date and unchanged and so I don't normally image those.
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  3. Posts : 93
    Windows 10
       #23

    I did a System Backup (It says below that it backups Windows and create a image of the system partition)

    It backups 3 things named: *: , C: , and some other that says *:recovery so for what I understand it just saved a copy of my current installed Win10 and all it's configuration and this 3 original partitions that Win10 automatically created on the installation.

    I never try anything fancy with Windows and it's partitions I just installed it and leave it alone so I guess System Backup can restore Windows 10 for me just fine right?

    So for example anniversary update mess my Win10 installation can this system image I did be used to restore everything in case system restore is not enough?

    How about in a case I can't even boot to Win10 can I just format the HD make a boot disk and restore my Win10 like nothing happened?
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  4. Posts : 1,871
    W10 pro x64 20H2 Build 19042.610
    Thread Starter
       #24

    dalchina said:
    (Noted on the VSS related problem - naturally restoring an image of Windows is done from the imaging program's boot medium, so this would not arise then. But did the problem arise in creating or restoring the image? Noted the idea of mounting the image to identify this. What is worrying is there was no indication of failure during the process. I assume the files/folders concerned were not on C: (?) )
    Hi dalchina, only just seen this... hadn't turned the page.

    It sounds to me as though the problem is in the creation of the file. What is worrying is that these programs (such as Windows own, Macrium, and I'm going to throw Acronis in there too) claim to image and restore a drive 'exactly as it was' and yet they don't. OK, so Macrium have the 'disable VSS option' and Acronis has a 'file exclusions' list that is easily alterable. Windows has no user options at all.

    I thought the whole point of VSS was to snapshot the drive at an exact moment in time and then allow an exact copy to be made. Seems some are more exact than others :)
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  5. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #25

    Needhelpwithwin said:

    How about in a case I can't even boot to Win10 can I just format the HD make a boot disk and restore my Win10 like nothing happened?
    Make sure you create the boot medium for the imaging software- that's essential to address this case so you can restore your images to
    - a non-bootable system
    - a replacement disk when your HDD or SSD fails

    Note: If you have relocated user folders to, say, D: then you will naturally wish to image D: additionally.
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  6. Posts : 1,871
    W10 pro x64 20H2 Build 19042.610
    Thread Starter
       #26

    Needhelpwithwin said:
    I did a System Backup (It says below that it backups Windows and create a image of the system partition)

    It backups 3 things named: *: , C: , and some other that says *:recovery so for what I understand it just saved a copy of my current installed Win10 and all it's configuration and this 3 original partitions that Win10 automatically created on the installation.

    I never try anything fancy with Windows and it's partitions I just installed it and leave it alone so I guess System Backup can restore Windows 10 for me just fine right?

    So for example anniversary update mess my Win10 installation can this system image I did be used to restore everything in case system restore is not enough?

    How about in a case I can't even boot to Win10 can I just format the HD make a boot disk and restore my Win10 like nothing happened?
    Yes, make a boot disc or bootable USB according to AOMEI's instructions and test it. You shouldn't need to format anything when restoring, the program will do all that is needed.

    Although it can be useful to have a full system image (I.e. a disk image backing up all partitions) for normal use you probably need only back up the C drive.

    This shows the partitions I back up (ticked) and I know AOMEI has a similar interface to this. I don't want to alter the contents of any other of my partitions on a restore because they contain up to date files and data I use.

    A challenge for the pro's. Can you help identify a reg key please.-capture.jpg
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  7. Posts : 93
    Windows 10
       #27

    The boot disk for AOMEI image can be made inside the program later right? It's that Windows PE thing?

    Sorry but I really just want to make a complete image of my system to restore in case of problems but this system backup vs disk backup confuses me Can I just keep this system backup or do I need to do a disk backup too? What's the better one?

    I noticed now that system backup saves 3 partitions and disk backup saves 4 partitions! But the one that system backup skips is a empty one!

    Will windows 10 miss it when restoring or it just created this useless partition for installation purposes?
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  8. Posts : 1,871
    W10 pro x64 20H2 Build 19042.610
    Thread Starter
       #28

    A disk backup is everything. That will be the slowest to run and take the most space.

    I think 'System Image' in AOMEI is just the partitions needed for Windows to run, so essentially the same as the one described below.

    A partition backup allows you to select which partitions you want to backup and be able to restore. If its just Windows you want to do this for then just backup the C drive. When you restore, only the C drive gets re-instated. All the others are left as they were.

    The boot disk for AOMEI image can be made inside the program later right? It's that Windows PE thing?
    Yes, I imagine so although I've never done that with AOMEI.
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  9. Posts : 93
    Windows 10
       #29

    Thanks! I did a disk backup too just to see how it is and it's a lot bigger than the system backup but I guess I will stick with disk backup in case my HD get messed up or something so I can always restore every bit of it as it is now right?

    Well I say disk backup is better cause I THINK those Win10 created partitions are important! Are they?
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  10. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #30

    Hi, I can't comment on the size difference, but you can now choose either differential or incremental imaging based on your base image.

    These are
    a. faster
    b. smaller (being changes from the base)

    Of these incremental is the smaller, but restoration relies on every single image being valid, whereas differential requires only one differential image and the base image for restoration.

    Not all free imaging program versions provide both options.
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