Author Topic: cloning or imaging which is best for restore in the even of hdd failure (Read 42589 times)

Samson · « **Reply #25 on:** July 15, 2017, 06:15:59 am »

Test it out, you can just close it without actually making any changes to your system...you should be able to see the image (if you have made one) on your external HDD.

jraju · « **Reply #26 on:** July 15, 2017, 06:20:56 am »

As a user of program,
what would be first screen , when your pendrive starts rescue disk? Will it guide automatically to select or not to select so that i could go for the process or exit out of it.
Normally contr q would quit any thing running on screen.

Samson · « **Reply #27 on:** July 15, 2017, 06:31:14 am »

It will boot up into a windows environment, a cut down version of macrium reflect, with normal windows controls. Just do it, and with your external HDD attached open the restore tab and you should see the image that you have made. Then just close the program, it will be obvious how.

jraju · « **Reply #28 on:** July 15, 2017, 06:40:40 am »

Hi, thanks for valuable suggestions samson

Samson · « **Reply #29 on:** July 15, 2017, 08:45:20 am »

A few more tips for you

I keep backup images for different machines in their own named folders (ie the name of the machine as the folder name eg on my external HDD I have a folder named "DELL Laptop", "DELL PC" and another named "HP PC") the images for each machine go into their own named folder. It helps to be organised.

Also, when taking an image you can add a comment, to act as a memory jogger eg after the recent XP updates in June I added a comment "Post XP updates". I don't know about you but I have a memory like a sieve and need reminding of things later down the road

jraju · « **Reply #30 on:** July 15, 2017, 08:33:47 pm »

Thanks for the extra tips
pl say the fix for exclamation in xp machine

jraju · « **Reply #31 on:** July 15, 2017, 09:09:54 pm »

HI, please say, can i use p.e 3-1 for windows 7 also. samson please also tell where i could write comments as in your fig. i am using the sameversion . I just ignored the updates, when alerted with your able guidance, i have taken the c: drive backup withrescue disk and also checked in the laptop. i just exited once i saw the backup file and restore option menu.

Samson · « **Reply #32 on:** July 16, 2017, 03:20:10 am »

Yes PE 3.1 is fine for Win7 and XP. If your Win 7 machine does not have the option to boot from USB, then create the rescue media on CD.

You can add comments during the backup process you will see "advanced Options" in the bottom left hand corner of the window as you go through the back up process.

You do not have the same version as me, mine is 5.3 build 7299

Don't worry about the exclamation. It simply means that the rescue media does not have the driver for your wireless NIC, you don't need it for the backup/ restore process, so ignore it. it is fine.

Remember to back up the data in other partions on the drive or do a backup selecting the whole drive/ all partitions.

Quote from: jraju on July 15, 2017, 09:09:54 pm

i just exited once i saw the backup file and restore option menu.

You are the first person that I have known to get "excited" by backing up, that is a good thing

Edit: My bad, I misread "exited" for "excited"
I did n't think anyone would get excited by backing up

jraju · « **Reply #33 on:** July 19, 2017, 01:20:37 am »

Is there any provision to treat the pendrive as hard disk in older machines?

Samson · « **Reply #34 on:** July 19, 2017, 03:12:17 am »

Not sure what you mean?

If there is no option in the BIOS to boot from USB, then create the rescue media on CD/ DVD. It takes a bit longer to load up but works just fine.

jraju · « **Reply #35 on:** July 20, 2017, 07:01:09 am »

Hi, I asked this query, as my pc's dvd drive is not functioning.

Samson · « **Reply #36 on:** July 20, 2017, 08:45:01 am »

Is this relating to creating the rescue media?...And am I correct in now thinking that your PC has no option to boot from USB and a dead DVD drive?

You have a few choices here...

With USB thumb drive plugged in, try searching the boot options, it might show up then.

Check again in the BIOS for settings to enable booting from USB, may involve a BIOS update.

Replace the dead DVD drive.

jraju · « **Reply #37 on:** July 20, 2017, 11:09:24 pm »

Hi, Samson, your last resolution, to replace dead dvd is the only option, i think so. In laptop, i was given the chance to boot from usb and so it was easy to check . But in pc, older hardware, bios updated, there is no provision to boot from usb, nor usbdoes it show in any other menu, even though there is entry usb 3.0 supported in one of the menu.
Thanks, but is there any alternative to recognize the usb drive in bios?

jraju · « **Reply #38 on:** July 21, 2017, 01:19:25 am »

Hi, Samson, Is it enough if i create a single rescue disk for both my pc and laptop? I ask this becasue my OS is different in different devices. Desktop has windows 7 and laptop windows xp sp3. Moreover, if i click yes in the create rescue disk in windows 7, it first list out the list of drivers in windows 7 machine, and when i click yes in laptop, it listed those present in the laptop. Is the rescue disk is machine specific?
If so, could i just use the same pendrive having rescue disk to recover for both the devices.
Will it ask for windows key on recovery, pl give your solutions

Samson · « **Reply #39 on:** July 21, 2017, 03:57:42 am »

In most cases a single rescue disk will work on multiple machines. I am not sure what you want from me here, but the simplest solution in your case will be to.....

Use the USB pendrive that you have created for your son's laptop on that machine. You have tested it and it worked right?

Replace the CD/DVD drive on yours and create the rescue media on CD/ DVD and use that on yours.

You will not have to enter any Windows key, as you are restoring an activated image, not reinstalling the OS.

I have no idea what options are available in your BIOS, is this the Intel D915GAV board?
Latest BIOS is EV91510A.86A.0482.2006.0222.2350 February 23, 2006 I suggest you ask here https://communities.intel.com/community/tech/desktop

You may want to think about changing your signature

jraju · « **Reply #40 on:** July 21, 2017, 07:02:45 pm »

Hi, Samson, please see the error message and motherboard. I told you about hdd failure and replacement in my previous posts.The verification completed and every process is successful in laptop os and other backups using macrium reflect.
Please give solution to the error. I will try to repair or replace the dvd drive

jraju · « **Reply #41 on:** July 21, 2017, 09:04:06 pm »

Hi, i enclosed the second try error. Now it is in 7%, hash value is incorrect?, the other error writngs are same

Samson · « **Reply #42 on:** July 21, 2017, 09:49:02 pm »

Verification failure is caused by the fact that the data that is written to your backup drive cannot be read back reliably.

See this Knowledge base article http://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Understanding+Image+Verification+Failures
"Errors of this type are symptomatic of a computer system with a marginal hardware problem. The most likely suspect is your backup media - but memory and motherboard faults can also cause this issue."

First thing I'd try is plug the external drive into a different USB socket, try a socket at the rear of the PC.

I have never had a verification error so can offer little help.

Remember that any image that you do manage to create will be useless unless you have the ability to boot from resccue media.

jraju · « **Reply #43 on:** July 21, 2017, 09:54:40 pm »

Hi, Samson, I will try another usb port.
I know the value of verification from your post, but what is hash is incorrect. It is the same program , mac ref that is writing the image from the one from computer in its own form. In laptop, i did not have this problem. So, i will try verify and then only try to check with rescue disk.
Glad that you never experienced this error.
The image creation is 100 percent success, but the process of verify is having problem.

Samson · « **Reply #44 on:** July 21, 2017, 10:06:41 pm »

Quote from: jraju on July 21, 2017, 09:54:40 pm

Hi, Samson, I will try another usb port.

Be sure to try one at the rear, that connects directly to the motherboard.

Quote from: jraju on July 21, 2017, 09:54:40 pm

but what is hash is incorrect. It is the same program , mac ref that is writing the image from the one from computer in its own form.

The article I linked to explains this.

Maybe best to ask here https://forum.macrium.com/Forum3.aspx

jraju · « **Reply #45 on:** July 29, 2017, 05:51:59 am »

Hi, Samson, i took backup all the drives of laptop. I even took backup of d: drive of pc, with robocopy to maintain the original date as it was created. But i am getting errors or progress stops at 5% whenever i click for backup of OS drive. i get some files stored in the ext.hdd , one temp files and another backup file, and xml file in a separate macrium folder.
First i had the problem of recognizing of ext. hdd in explorer, but not in list disk or disk management. So , i got crc error. I have used chkdsk /r both in pc as well as in ext.hdd. The ext.hdd chkdsk took almost 8 hours to check as it is 1.3tb.After that, when i tried the backup, it shows progress bar upto 5 and then stops there, no not responding but running in task manager. What would have been the issue. I tried to delete the previous backup file and temp file and xml file in the concerned folders, but still i could not take a backup.
I need to take the backup, as a few days back, there was error in booting with an alert to insert the dvd and choose repair. i could not log on safety mode, nor could be able to do anything. i even had to search for my OS dvd. Once i found it , i could not start the boot process with pen drive, as it was not recognized.
i repaired the dvd disc and used plop.iso (linux based) and could get the boot priority menu on top of my screen and then selected the pendrive and opted for repair. Oh, almighty saved me from total loss of data.
After this incident, i now know the importance of backup and would ask you , how to further proceed in the matter.

Samson · « **Reply #46 on:** July 29, 2017, 09:18:14 am »

Way too much information J, I am confused, I have no idea which machine we are talking about here, Laptop, PC both?

Let's deal with each machine separately. Start with which machine and which software Macrium or Robocopy? I can't help with Robocopy. I don't use it.

If all else fails you could just use Windows 7 built in back up if this is your desktop PC giving problems?

I don't know why you are messing about with using a Linux bootable CD in order to boot from the USB flash drive, just create the Macrium recovery CD

Quote from: jraju on July 29, 2017, 05:51:59 am

First i had the problem of recognizing of ext. hdd in explorer, but not in list disk or disk management. So , i got crc error. I have used chkdsk /r both in pc as well as in ext.hdd. The ext.hdd chkdsk took almost 8 hours to check as it is 1.3tb.After that, when i tried the backup, it shows progress bar upto 5 and then stops there, no not responding but running in task manager. What would have been the issue.

CRC errors may mean the external HDD is failing/ faulty. Seagate? Test with SeaTools http://www.seagate.com/gb/en/support/downloads/seatools/

jraju · « **Reply #47 on:** July 29, 2017, 10:59:40 pm »

Hi, To make it clear Samson,
I took OS backup of laptop using mac.ref of your version and then copied all other drives. I tested the recovery usb, by booting laptop to check whether it is booting. No problem with laptop as i have usb boot option there.
Then , i tried to take the back of pc, with mac.ref. Since download contain much files. I just moved the files from mydoucments and download folders from c: drive to D drive to reduce the size of c: drive. Then i tried, when the error came.
I already ran chkdsk on pc and ext hdd on my pc, which took hours for ext.hdd and about 2 hours in the pc hard disk. no problem was deducted and if at all, it would have been fixed with me opting chkdsk /r.
Now, my problem is , can i reformat the ext.hdd drive by moving the files stored in it to my pc in a folder in D drive. It was preloaded with some files. I am afraid that if i delete those, i may loose the easy connection.
Can i just copy the mmring backup file of laptop to the D drive and then format it?
I did diannosis with DST driveshort test which passed. I then opted for fast fix all test, in the hope that it would fix, but it failed at 77 percent on two counts.
Regarding robocopy, i just copied using it to copy files from d.drive on pc to my ext.hdd. drive, with success rate of 100 percent , fastly.
I could use the recovery usb (macrium rescue) on pc, only after taking the backup.
when i had the crc problem, my pc went out of order and i could not boot. I used plop.boot a linux program, to boot from pendrive, usb. The option is not there in my pc, which is having older hardwares. i used plop boot iso to retrieve my computer by going to the repair my computer in install window options. I just clicked repair instead of install option in the starting windows install screen. Now, i could boot my computer and view all the files.

Samson · « **Reply #48 on:** July 30, 2017, 04:01:09 am »

Yes, you can copy a macrium image file to another drive. I do not know about any program files from the manufacturer on the external drive though.

DST failed fix suggests the drive is faulty/ failing. Reformatting may not fix this.

jraju · « **Reply #49 on:** July 30, 2017, 05:41:17 am »

Hi, Samson, It is new hard disk i bought from amazon and I also registered the information in seagate site for warranty purpose.
You mean reformatting for quick format? pl. Anyhow i am going to do that. If the back up could not be read or the disk has any issue, as you say, the process of taking up of backup is useless. So, i have copied the image file to the d drive of pc and also necessary files.