Doktor Avalanche

mettelus
The free version of Macrium Reflect will only allow full restores (cannot extract files from the image), which is fine for this use. One thing I did notice when restoring an image to test it was that the C: drive required a reformat first, it seems to have issues with the boot partition unless that has been formatted.

To create a master boot record boot off windows CD media and go to the command prompt.

Type fdisk /MBR.

You may need to use BCDEDIT command as well depend on what the situation is.

It sounds to me your boot partition was created on a previous version of Windows and is effectively useless. You should get rid of it (be careful though to boot off your OS partition, google on how to do this, be careful!).

Macrium has a post on this issue and a script to supposedly repair, but seemed like the MBR was off limits to it (i.e., that repair script failed). The solution I chose was to simply use the Win7 DVD to boot and perform the format, but backed out of the installation. I then booted from the DVD created by Macrium Reflect (very important step to create this DVD), and the image restoration had nothing existing to compete with.

FYI formatting does not actually create a MBR, FDISK /mbr (from admin command prompt) does it and it won't wipe your hard drive (just boot record). Takes a second.

slartabartfast
You can still do a system image backup in Windows 10 without using any other application.
 
http://www.nextofwindows.com/how-to-create-and-restore-a-system-image-in-windows-8-1-and-10
 

I'm still on Windows 7 there slart.

jimusic

slartabartfast
You can still do a system image backup in Windows 10 without using any other application.
 
http://www.nextofwindows.com/how-to-create-and-restore-a-system-image-in-windows-8-1-and-10
 

I'm still on Windows 7 there slart.

Even better, the built in image backup in windows 7 is easier to understand and mount as a virtual disk so you can restore single files. 
 
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/4241/how-to-create-a-system-image-in-windows-7/
http://www.howtogeek.com/125704/how-to-extract-individual-files-from-a-windows-7-system-image-backup/
 
 

slartabartfast

jimusic

slartabartfast
You can still do a system image backup in Windows 10 without using any other application.
 
http://www.nextofwindows.com/how-to-create-and-restore-a-system-image-in-windows-8-1-and-10
 

I'm still on Windows 7 there slart.

Even better, the built in image backup in windows 7 is easier to understand and mount as a virtual disk so you can restore single files. 
 
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/4241/how-to-create-a-system-image-in-windows-7/
http://www.howtogeek.com/125704/how-to-extract-individual-files-from-a-windows-7-system-image-backup/
 
 

Ok thanks Man, I'll check out the links.
 
Meanwhile, how about reliability though?

Although the MS backup isn't very simple if you need to restore the entire OS partition. It's possible but a lot more complex than Acronis. You need to boot off a disk for that away from the current operating system (Acronis has an excellent recovery disk easy to create).
 
Also don't know about compatibility with Windows images when you decide to update the operating system, certainly windows backup won't handle non windows filing systems either.

Doktor Avalanche
Although the MS backup isn't very simple if you need to restore the entire OS partition. It's possible but a lot more complex than Acronis. You need to boot off a disk for that away from the current operating system (Acronis has an excellent recovery disk easy to create).
 
Also don't know about compatibility with Windows images when you decide to update the operating system, certainly windows backup won't handle non windows filing systems either.

Good to know. Thanks Dok. I'm feelin' better already! Lol
 
I do have the original Windows 7 install disk kept in a safe.
 
Would I need to create a separate disk for the back up that's specific to Acronis, or Paragon, or Macrium, or will the Microsoft original OS disk do?

For acronis you just create a recovery disk from the app. Easy.


For Windows 7 restore see here:
http://www.howtogeek.com/...-from-an-image-backup/

Win 8.1 and win 10 backup is better than win7 backup I believe.
http://m.windowscentral.c...full-backup-windows-pc

Acronis is just more flexible, faster and (IMHO) simpler.

Doktor Avalanche
For acronis you just create a recovery disk from the app. Easy.


For Windows 7 restore see here:
http://www.howtogeek.com/...-from-an-image-backup/

Would a CD be enough space, or do I need a DVD - [I don't have any more blank ones right now, but I have lot's of blank CDs]?