So Macrium Reflect I can use to make images. But one cannot boot with an image, I assume, so I need...sorry, I have completely lost the overview (I obvioulsy didn't even had)...One program, install it, create its boot disk.
But why download a boot disk if you create a bootable USB-Stick with such a program? And how do I know which bootable disk to download?One boot disk- downloaeven nd iso, create.
Sorry for my misunderstanding
Why not read about Macrium? There are youtube videos, lots of articles on their site.
All disk imaging programs operate in basically the same way.
There is a tutorial here and a video.
Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect Windows 10 Backup Restore Tutorials
Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues Windows 10 General Tips Tutorials
Windows 10 instructional videos by Ten Forums members Solved - Page 69 - Windows 10 Forums
Many thanks for the links.
Yes, I did read but I got / was confused by the many programs / files in the other thread...and so...so I only can use a single program, Macrium Reflect, create a rescue disk / medium (on an external USB hard disk, e.g. WD 5 TB Elements or a USB-Stick) and that it is? I do not need to download anything else?
You can use as many different disk imaging programs as you wish. However, that would be confusing.
You can run Macrium as an installed program and create and possibly restore images (depends on destination being in use).
You can create a bootable medium from that, and boot your (possibly unbootable) PC from that and create and restore images.
You need large enough external storage for your various disk image sets.
I would like to use a single program, if it would be enough.You can use as many different disk imaging programs as you wish.
So is this right:
I only can use a single program, Macrium Reflect, create a rescue disk / medium (on an external USB hard disk, e.g. WD 5 TB Elements or a USB-Stick) and that it is? I do not need to download anything else?
I schedule Reflect Free to backup to an external hard drive and also manually backup to another external drive which is stored in a separate location. I have my first clean install of windows with all working programmes archived as a further safety measure. Note you can mount any Reflect image as a drive and easily recover any files or folders you need rather than doing a full image recovery. Consider also the use of File History.
Alright, so always keep an image of a first clean installation of Win (after it is set up to ones needs) and an image of the actual state.
OK, a good idea. But if Win does not start anymore wouldn't it be better to recover the full image because there might be broken (and missing) files (not being recognizable, only by check by content)?Note you can mount any Reflect image as a drive and easily recover any files or folders you need rather than doing a full image recovery.
So in total I did that (according to the tutorial, hope I got it right):
The data / files Macrium Reflect copied to the USB-Stick need 257 MB.
And I made an image:
The image:
So now I have a bootable USB-Stick. And now I do not need any further recovery CD/DVD, a repair CD/ DVD, files to download or anything else.
Is that enough? Or is there anything else to do?
So if Win does not start anymore, one plugs in the rescue media, e.g. a USB-Stick which repairs / starts the OS / programs and if it runs well one can leave it or if it does not work properly then one could or should restore the image (stored on an external hard disk) of C: either completely or the missing / broken files to get the state of the drive / OS like it was before the problem occurred?
The Macrium Reflect rescue drive, by itself, has very little OS repair capability. The only repair function is the Fix Winodws boot problems utility on the restore menu to fix problems with the boot files (BCD) that keep the OS from loading. If something gets messed up in the Windows OS itself, and not the boot files, then you restore your last image that was working and that takes you back in time to when the image was made. Then you have to figure out what action broke the OS after that and make sure to stop that action before it occurs again. It could have been a program you installed - or more of a problem, a Windows update.
I notice your 5TB external hard drive looks like it is about completely full. Are you getting a second external hard drive? There is a fairly easy way to create a small FAT32 partition on the external hard drive, then you copy the files and folders from the rescue USB flash drive to the FAT32 partition on the hard drive and now you can both boot the computer from the external hard drive right into the imaging program (Macrium Reflect), and restore the image from it - eliminating the need to keep the rescue USB flash drive. All my important computers have an SSD for the main OS, and a second hard drive for backup images permanently installed. The second hard drive installed has a small FAT32 partition with the rescue drive copied to it, so if the main OS on the SSD crashes, I can boot the computer from the second hard drive and restore an image without having to connect anything external to the computer.
Restoring an image when your PC is unbootable.if Win does not start anymore, one plugs in the rescue media
You boot from the Macrium rescue disk you created and run Macrium.
Your images should be on a separate external storage medium.
Using the Macrium program you select the image which you previously created on the separate external storage medium and restore that to your internal disk. That replaces the relevant partition, assuming the disk and image are sound.
Using Images as a backup
Yes you can mount images and copy files from them.
However, if you have an unbootable PC or unresolvable error it is extremely unlikely this will help you fix that.
Last edited by dalchina; 23 Sep 2017 at 10:48.
@Enter - one thing I noticed on your screenshots.....it appears you did not choose to verify your backup image. There is an option to do so when you make the image. Or you can verify it afterward. I have had virtually no issues with the backup image not being valid, but it's still a good thing to do. Should you ever need to restore that image, it's the wrong time to find out it's no good.
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