How to create system-image of EUFI/Windows install?

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by Katinka1, Feb 22, 2017.

  1. Katinka1

    Katinka1 MDL Novice

    Dec 16, 2016
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    I've always used Clonezilla to backup MBR based Windows installations. No problem. Now I'm not sure if Clonezilla can create a image of UEFI/Windows installations. Which have multiple partitions which are needed for correct system of said Windows install.

    Information is scarce. Creator of Clonezilla.. is weird.

    Is it possible or not. Or should I look for another solution?
     
  2. Tito

    Tito Super Mod / Adviser
    Staff Member

    Nov 30, 2009
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  3. sebus

    sebus MDL Guru

    Jul 23, 2008
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    #4 sebus, Feb 23, 2017
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2017
    You backup each partition into wim. You can restore whatever you want to wherever you want in any disk layout

    If Windows there is NO need for any external backup utilities (maybe only Dism++ for convenience)

    NOTHING beats wim format!

    sebus
     
  4. JBenal

    JBenal MDL Addicted

    Nov 2, 2009
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    Macrium Reflect Free will do it for you. I've been using it for years for MBR and UEFI/GPT disks. Backup and restores easy and flawless.
     
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  5. OldMX

    OldMX MDL Addicted

    Jul 30, 2009
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    I'd go with cold images, nothing beats Clonezilla, 100% reliable.
     
  6. Katinka1

    Katinka1 MDL Novice

    Dec 16, 2016
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    Is there a difference between "Backup" and "Image" of a disk?

    Aomei Backupper standard only offer two backup options; Backup and Clone.
     
  7. meomeo031

    meomeo031 MDL Novice

    Feb 21, 2017
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    If you want to backup only OS without other data, and this can be easily achieved with a third partition. For example, you can use free AOMEI Backupper to “Backup System”, this is one of its features.
     
  8. GodHand

    GodHand MDL Addicted

    Jul 15, 2016
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    Acronis being on that list is sinful. That software was coded for a pretty GUI but absolutely mediocre backup and restoration viability. Macrium Reflect, on the other hand, is hands-down the best backup software I've ever used and I use the paid versions on all my laptops and desktop, and their enterprise server version on my Dell Windows Server 2016 Datacenter. Just the ability to write an easy PShell script to run consecutive backups of a major scale with a single task entry is great, not to mention their SSD features, Delta restore, the incorporation of TRIM into backups and restores, as well as the abilities to properly backup self-encrypting drives and redeploy backups to new hardware without a hiccup is worth its weight in gold. The paid version is generally for those who aren't entirely about point-and-click and like to do more advanced backup and restore functions. It's free version is better than my full version of Acronis TrueImage 2017 that came with one of my SSDs. Not to mention, Acronis' support is horrendous whereas Macrium's support always corrects an issue extremely quick.

    Macrium Reflect's free version is a perfect permanent backup tool, and to add icing on the cake, you can also download their free viBoot that allows you to mount backups as virtual machines, make changes to them and apply the changes within the backup, run a differential backup of the changes, or convert the backup to VHD/VHDX format, mount it and boot from it (or whatever you want to do).

    Acronis' GUI is definitely nicer, and I prefer its file and folder backup ease to Macrium's, but as far as everything else, Macrium is bar-none one of the best backup solutions out there. And yeah, Acronis' backups are a bit smaller than Macrium's backups, but with Macrium's Synthetic Full Backup option, it ends up being smaller than Acronis' non-synthetic backups.
     
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  9. JBenal

    JBenal MDL Addicted

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    Well said. I've tried other backup solutions but I always come back to Macrium. It's probably the best free program of any type available for Windows. Much credit to the Macrium folks for a great product.
     
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  10. PhaseDoubt

    PhaseDoubt MDL Expert

    Dec 24, 2011
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    [FONT=&quot]Over the last couple of decades, I've used most, if not all, of them. I definitely have my druthers, and others have theirs. My experience is they all worked well so long as you understood the limitations, features and benefits of each one of them. [/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]Use what you like and let others do the same … undoubtedly, we all have our reasons for our choices.[/FONT]
     
  11. GodHand

    GodHand MDL Addicted

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    #13 GodHand, Apr 1, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2017
    Clonedisk is indeed a great no-nonsense backup tool that will get the job done for the average user.

    And I'm not someone who's very privy to most backup software, either. I have literally tossed the most extreme hardware changes at Macrium (SATA-to-SAS SSD Opal 2 self-encrypting enterprise drives with a completely different server mainboard, too), and it has re-deployed server backups, including all my shielded virtual machines, MySQL databases and the like to the new hardware with no problems, and initiates SSDs' TRIM capabilities during deployment to boot. Acronis has problems restoring software BitLocker encrypted OS' in various scenarios, not to mention it installs a bunch of junk background tasks to a point Acronis had to release a separate program to "clean" TrueImage off users' systems.

    You have not tried even close to all of them. I can tell you that just from what I'm often contracted out to do for federal and state agencies; however, I do agree with your comment on using what you like, but ignorance is not bliss, particularly if you are backing up data that is important to you.
     
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