Recovery software help

patriceltic · 23 Jan 2019

The following is from the Macrium knowledge base: "Windows cannot boot from a USB connected drive. This is a restriction imposed by Windows." I have created a backup on my HP Pocket external drive - usb connection - from reading the above, looks like it is a worthless effort.
And then another mystery - at least for me it is, "If you clone your system disk to a USB connected external drive then, to boot your clone, the physical disk must be removed from the USB caddy and attached to your Motherboard SATA port" -- I Don't get this at all.

So, is it true - I cannot connect my pocket drive via usb connection and backup or restore? Does anyone have a clue about this? Thanks.
I use win7 on a desktop and win10 on a laptop. I have made backups of both systems on an external drive but it looks like I cannot do that. Can anyone shed some light on this. Thanks very much.

Caledon Ken · 23 Jan 2019

Hi patriceltic

With Macrium you would backup your system creating a system Image. You would also create Macrium Boot media.

Then you would boot from the boot media and restore the system to the drive. This is when Windows won't boot at all or your drive is physically dead and has been replaced.

Have a look at the tutorial.

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect

Macrium also allows you to add a boot entry to you regular boot menu. Say your windows C: partition was acting up. You boot from your regular storage drive into Macrium and then select the Image or specific partition from your backup to be restored.

Yes if you clone device the assumption is you would install drive. For this I use a drive caddy/enclosure and raw disks. I get the kind that is toolless, plugging the drive in to caddy is kind of like plugging a cassette into a player.

This is an example, takes 3.5 and 2.5 storage drives.

https://www.canadacomputers.com/prod...item_id=029841

Ken

patriceltic · 23 Jan 2019

Thank you so much for info. To clarify - I can use my HP pocket external drive with a usb connection? I have created a system image and it is on the HP drive. I will look at the tutorial but I do know how to create the image. Thanks again.

Bree · 23 Jan 2019

patriceltic said:

To clarify - I can use my HP pocket external drive with a usb connection? I have created a system image and it is on the HP drive...

You can create a Macrium system image on an external usb drive. This image can be restored to your PC's internal drive by booting from the Macrium recovery media. You can put multiple system images on an external drive, space permitting. These could be images of the same PC on different dates and/or images of several different PCs.

What you cannot do, and what that Macrium knowledge base article was talking about, is to CLONE your internal drive to an external usb drive and expect to be able to boot from it while connected by usb. Cloning is only useful if you intend to remove the drive from its usb enclosure after cloning in order to install it internally in the PC.

You can clone to a hard drive installed in your computer or to a hard drive installed in a USB hard-drive Caddy.
Important - Windows cannot boot from a USB connected drive....

Cloning a disk - KnowledgeBase v7 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase - KnowledgeBase v7 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase

For purposes of restoring your system should your hard drive die and has to be replaced, or to the same drive should windows become corrupted, then you should create an image of your PC's drive on the external usb drive, not a clone....

...I use win7 on a desktop and win10 on a laptop. I have made backups of both systems on an external drive...

That sounds like you are talking about making images of your PCs to the external drive, so you seem to be doing it right. Just make sure you make the Macrium recovery media on a usb stick so that you can boot from it and restore the images should you need to.

patriceltic · 23 Jan 2019

Thanks for clarifying all of that. I have not cloned any of the systems. Only created images. My boot device is a Verbatim jump drive - that's the same as a usb stick, correct? Also, since it is all about booting to start up system, I guess I could do the backup right on the Dell rather than an external drive, correct? I'll get this one of these days...

Thanks so much again.

Caledon Ken · 23 Jan 2019

Look at the tutorial. You want to create Macrium boot media, DVD / USB stick / CD

On the left hand side it is under Other tasks.

When you boot Macrium is started and you then recover.