Macrium Disc Image

I am attempting to enter the modern age by doing the following ( My Win 10 DAW pc is new Dec 2017 and has been offline due to win updates hosing my previous DAW).
 
Sonar 8.5 --> Macrium Disc Image --> Upgrade win 10 to Pro --> Upgrade to Cakewalk Bandlab --> Go back online for G.A.S. and other mandatory options.
 
I switched to metered connection to keep updates temporarily off my back, downloaded the macrium executable and am studying how to image. Dealing with health issues has rendered this somewhat daunting mentally, so I have some basic questions in the last days of this helpful forum.
 
My question is this:
 
I see I have to create a restore disc (DVD) and then create a disc image. Is there anything I should be advised to do outside of just using the defaults in this, any special settings or boxes to check that people have found necessary? The process appears to be quite deep and capable of all kinds of things. I just want to start regular series of images for the inevitable day something goes wrong. I have never used this software before.
 
Thanks!

Macrium Reflect Free is reliable and relatively easy to use.  Main points to keep in mind:
 
1. Image file backup to an image file archive drive (internal SATA or USB) works well when Windows is running.
2. Restore to a system drive must be done by booting system from the recovery media (CD or USB thumb drive) with backup archive drive attached (either internal SATA or USB drive).
3. Always create the recovery media after installing Macrium, and perform a test boot. The Macrium rescue media creation wizard will download and build the Windows PE recovery environment on your rescue media, and download any necessary drivers automatically.
4. Make sure that you can locate any backup image files that you have created so that they are available for restore if needed.
 
Backup, backup, backup... 

JonD & abacab
 
Absolutely invaluable advice, thanks so much! I am adding this info to my reference library under backups so I have a permanent record of this thread.
 
I do keep this machine offline and will keep it offline now until I get to Win 10 PRO. Just to set up the metered connection and get Macrium, gave windows almost enough time to download 1803. I got a notification that I should download and update immediately which I will not do...yet.
 
But here's what happened. My very first step after installing Macrium, was to create a rescue disc. The screen came up and said "WIM file not found, press click to build". I pressed build and got a "Failed".
 
Failed to generate Win PE VIM: The VIM could not be mounted.
 
The log entry gave two error messages.
 
Error 183: Cannot create a file when that file already exists
 
Error 50: The request is not supported
 
I googled the error numbers and "VIM not found" as well as searched the Macrium site. Nothing. I tried to join the forum but the free version gave me a license key which was not supported on registration. I couldn't find anything in the Knowledgebase.
 
But searching the help file gave this: Press CNTR and then can skip this step. The Build button has a dropdown which says Skip.
 
So I did that, and got the rescue media on DVD ( I have so many lying around) and then did my fist image of the C:// drive to a WD external 1 Tb HD. This way I can keep two at a time.
 
So I don't know if it worked or not. I do not know how to test it by booting into the rescue disc. Is it as above, set the DVD as the boot option in the BIOS?
 
Thanks again, I feel much better now! Just have to test the Rescue disc and hope it worked.

Just remember that image is useless until you have a working rescue disk.  You will need to adjust your boot priorities option in your BIOS to boot from a CD or thumb drive.
 
The rescue environment will let you locate a backup image file on an attached drive, and restore that to your intended target drive.  It's always recommended to test to make sure that you can find everything you will need, but stop short of actually proceeding with the restore.

Well the rescue disk did not boot into windows, so it failed. Macrium will not create a rescue image, etc for me on my pc. I'm screwed from the git go. Fireberd suggested starting over, uninstall and reinstall, etc. It's my only hope. Since I have terminal cancer, I have to try and be productive, not fighting all this techie nonsense, Microsoft, macrium...just to record. I'm about at the end of wanting to do this anymore...maybe one more try...I was looking forward to learning Bandlab with my new pc, new interface, all new...Well, what will be, will be...

robbyk
 
Well the rescue disk did not boot into windows, so it failed. Macrium will not create a rescue image, etc for me on my pc. 
 

The Macrium rescue disk is not intended to boot directly into Windows. It uses a cut down version of Windows as a graphical utility to allow you to select a previously created Windows image and restore that to your hard drive.
 
So multiple steps are required to restore an image.
 
1. Have a Macrium image file on a backup drive that was created while Windows was in a known working state.
2. Boot the system from the rescue disk (that loads the rescue environment and gives you access to your drives).
3. Restore the good image file to your hard drive while running from the rescue disk.  The restore utility reads the image file from your image backup disk (not the rescue disk), and writes it to the target drive (your hard drive that you want to fix).

robbyk
OK fireberd's advice worked! Halleluiah! I reinstalled and created a boot drive, this time connected. It built or mounted the VIM (unlike the first time) and then successfully created the disk (DVD) image!

 
That is not your image, that is just a bootable WinPE OS, for the recovery environment.
 

 
I tried then to test boot, but it went right back into windows. I'm sure it worked though so I must be doing something wrong.

 
You need to tell your Dell BIOS to boot from DVD prior to looking at the hard drive for a Windows boot.  I do not have a current Dell computer, so I am unable to provide a step by step procedure for that.  Suggest the Dell forums or tech support for that part.  Your BIOS will continue to load the Windows OS from the hard drive until you override that.
 

On my Dell, there apparently is no going into "anything" at startup via F8 or whatever. Apparently, you have to be in windows, go to Settings / Recovery / Advanced Startup. Then it restarts and you select CD / DVD. I did that and it went right into win 10 as normal.
 
Was either necessary? abacab, is that what you are saying, have the disc image (external HD)?

You need to boot from the bootable rescue disk (which does NOT contain your image), then tell it to restore a good image from your external HD to your internal HD.

abacab

robbyk
OK fireberd's advice worked! Halleluiah! I reinstalled and created a boot drive, this time connected. It built or mounted the VIM (unlike the first time) and then successfully created the disk (DVD) image!

 
That is not your image, that is just a bootable WinPE OS, for the recovery environment.
 

 
I tried then to test boot, but it went right back into windows. I'm sure it worked though so I must be doing something wrong.

 
You need to tell your Dell BIOS to boot from DVD prior to looking at the hard drive for a Windows boot.  I do not have a current Dell computer, so I am unable to provide a step by step procedure for that.  Suggest the Dell forums or tech support for that part.  Your BIOS will continue to load the Windows OS from the hard drive until you override that.
 

On my Dell, there apparently is no going into "anything" at startup via F8 or whatever. Apparently, you have to be in windows, go to Settings / Recovery / Advanced Startup. Then it restarts and you select CD / DVD. I did that and it went right into win 10 as normal.
 
Was either necessary? abacab, is that what you are saying, have the disc image (external HD)?

You need to boot from the bootable rescue disk (which does NOT contain your image), then tell it to restore a good image from your external HD to your internal HD.

Oops I misspoke, after reinstalling the macrium software, I meant to say I successfully created a rescue boot on DVD, unlike before. That is the build worked and I watched it mount the VIM. My disk image created at another time is on a WD external drive and all apparently went well there.
 
Now my issue is how to boot to a DVD. F2 (according to the manual) takes me to the Bios. I went there and there is only one extra option, boot to an onboard NIC 4 or 6(whatever that is), same as a advanced startup. That just boots back into windows. A You tube (official Dell) suggests I have to create the DVD option in the BIOS first from a command prompt but many people report it doesn't work. Tenforums helpfully suggests trying F12 which is not listed in my manual and see if that will give a one time option to boot into a DVD. I'm going to try that soon today.
 
So I'm stuck on this right now, but I'm sure all is well, but I will not risk updating to win 10 pro and receiving updates until I'm sure. Updates have taken out enough of my pcs now.

So F12 brings up a new menu, this despite that Dell support for my pc (which has expired) clearly states in the support manual F12 will bring up one start up in the upper right. Below is what I get.
 
UEFI Options:
    Windows Boot Manager
    Onboard NIC (IPV4)
    Onboard NIC (IPV6)
Other Options:
    Bios Setup
    Diagnostics
    BIOS Flash Update
    Device Configuration
    Peripheral Device Settings (OPROM) <-greyed out
    Change Boot Mode Setting
    Support Assistant OS Recovery
 
I checked Change Boot Mode Setting and there is nothing there important.
 
I have one option, do the rescue media over, this time using a flash drive. I already have a flash drive rescue created the day I got the pc, so it should be able to do that, but maybe not. To use that, you must click recover which will automatically reinstall windows rather than boot into it via F12. I found one article stating that Dell does not support booting into DVDs, but I don't know if that is correct or not.
 
I found one other Dell support ticket via google that asked my exact same question. The dell support agent simply referenced a doc which had nothing to do with booting from a DVD or Flash. There were no other entries on that so the OP probably figured he wouldn't get a correct answer and left.
 
I can't believe my misfortune in this. In settings / recover on my pc, it clearly states click here to boot into a DVD or Flash drive but all I get is the NIC (4 or6) options. I'm beyond frustration so I'm going to forget about this for a time.
 
Still many thanks to all who offered help in ther waning hours of this forum. Everyone here is a great bunch of guys. abacab you have helped me on other issues before too. many, many thanks!

The boot device priority is set in the BIOS.  You need to access "BIOS Setup" to change that on any computer.
 
Here is a generic procedure, and so it may not appear exactly like this in your PC, but the concepts will apply:
https://www.lifewire.com/change-the-boot-order-in-bios-2624528
 

abacab: thanks again so much, yes I go into the BIOS via F2 at startup (F2 and F12 are my only options, F12 is supposed to take me into one time boot according to the manual but it doesn't) and my only options for Boot Option Priorities in F2, the BIOS are:

Boot Option #1 Windows Boot Manager
Boot Option #2 Onboard NIC IPV4
Boot Option #3 Onboard NIC IPV6
 
I've tried all three with the DVD Macrium Rescue Disk inserted and they all bring me immediately right back into windows.
 
I don't know what NIC IPV4 & 6 are, but they have a DVD and Flash drive icon next to them in Advanced Startup in windows (a link under Settings). If I go in thru this link (as opposed to the BIOS), I get the same options as above and they all restart immediately back into windows.
 
Incidentally, my total time online during this week of activity is about 15 minutes. Enough time for Microsoft to demand I download the updates (1803). Yesterday I got a BSOD upon startup after leaving sleep mode so I am not in a good position now.
 
I sincerely appreciate your and everyone's help but I am not sure I can crack this cookie open and I may have hosed my pc (essentially brand new, barely used, maybe 40 hours) by trying to create a rescue disk and allowing Microsoft in the backdoor.
 
Your help has been a super help over the years, you are a great guy!

haydn12
Do you have your flash drive inserted when booting?   If it was setup for UEFI boot, then it should appear as a UEFI Flash Boot device.     You may need to setup legacy mode to boot from a flash drive or DVD.  After image is restored, change the BIOS back to UEFI.  This is hard to explain as there are a few settings that have to be changed in the BIOS to get this to work and I don't have a Dell computer in front of me.
 
Jim 

Jim
 
No I made a rescue boot via DVD. There is apparently no option to boot into a DVD or flash drive via either F2 (Bios) or F12 (some list of things).
 
Sounds like good advice but I do not recall seeing anything about legacy in either F2 or F12.
 
Thanks so much though and I'll look into it further if my pc is not hosed, which it may be.