How to back up Windows 10 partition properly???

[Trancit]

Sorry for being a bit offtopic, but here are many clever people and perhaps you´ve got a solution for me... :-)

I never had any problems with Windows 8, using a bootstick and backups made with the free version of dixml: https://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm ...

But for the Win 10 installation I had to change to UEFI system and now, if I restore the C: drive with my previous method, the PC doesn´t boot anymore and says "Insert bootable medium"

The change to UEFI made 2 more partitions, which I haven´t had before:

"Recovery" partition and an "EFI" partition...

The only method I´ve found so far (which works), is the hidden Windows included one from Windows 7, which seems to save the EFI partition together with Drive C:
But to be honest, that´s not the method I would like to use in the future...

Please can somebody tell me how to do it properly with a third party software (dixml would be my favourite), which provides as well a method for a bootstick to recover the system if needed???

Thx in advance :-)

[emarsk]

The EFI partition is a specially flagged partition formatted with a regular FAT filesystem that contains your bootloaders (you can have as many bootloaders as you want now). The highest priority bootloader then boots whatever OS from whatever partition is instructed to.

For me, the easiest way to backup is to boot a live Linux from USB and use GParted to clone both partitions onto an external drive. There are more efficient methods, but this is what I'm sure I won't forget how to recover from.

I backup my data differently, btw, using rsync.

[karbomusic]

You should probably build a "Recovery drive (including system files)" to a USB stick, then boot to that after installing the cloned drive which should allow you to rebuild whatever is needed to boot to the new drive.

[Trancit]

Originally Posted by emarsk

The EFI partition is a specially flagged partition formatted with a regular FAT filesystem that contains your bootloaders (you can have as many bootloaders as you want now). The highest priority bootloader then boots whatever OS from whatever partition is instructed to.

Up to here, I can follow... more or less (I don´t know, what bootloaders are :-) )

Originally Posted by emarsk

For me, the easiest way to backup is to boot a live Linux from USB and use GParted to clone both partitions onto an external drive. There are more efficient methods, but this is what I'm sure I won't forget how to recover from.

I backup my data differently, btw, using rsync.

Ok, and here it´s getting quite confusing to me, if I have a look into that manual with setting flags and all this stuff...
Is there no easier way???

[Trancit]

Originally Posted by karbomusic

You should probably build a "Recovery drive (including system files)" to a USB stick, then boot to that after installing the cloned drive which should allow you to rebuild whatever is needed to boot to the new drive.

I can follow you up to the "Recovery drive"...

But when it comes to "rebuild whatever is needed to boot to the new drive" my brain gets very empty suddenly...

[karbomusic]

Originally Posted by Trancit

I can follow you up to the "Recovery drive"...

But when it comes to "rebuild whatever is needed to boot to the new drive" my brain gets very empty suddenly...

I could be making the wrong assumption but here is what I thought you needed..

1. You have made OS image backups with DriveImageXML (I use that too).

2. You want to restore that to the same or new drive and boot from it.

3. You are having issues booting to the recovered drive because there are one or two hidden partitions that DriveImageXML doesn't/can't backup.

My suggestion may be too late but... If you had created a recovery drive on a USB stick around the same time you made the DriveImageXML image, you could insert that and boot to it, it's UEFI bootable. Once that boots there should/may be a way to tell it to fix the install (where the install is really the cloned/restored drive).

The old way was to use a recovery CD and/or the recovery console to do the same basic thing - fix the boot record etc. I've not used what I'm suggesting though I think it is the right path. I just imaged my OS drive the other day 'and' built a recovery USB image for booting but... I have not tested a full restore yet so I'm guessing a little bit here. I will be testing soon because I have to move my OS to a larger HDD as I'm running out of space.

[Trancit]

Ok, here is what I did before...and try to achieve now...

1.I install my windows on drive C: (primary not hidden partition on my disk, which have a second partition as well (beside the hidden recovery and efi partitions))

2. during the installation process, I make several backups of drive C: to another harddisk using dixml... i.e:
2.1. untouched windows installation, then
2.2. windows personalized to my wishes,
2.3. before an important installation
2.4. after everything is setup the way I want...

3. I have a prepared boostick (USB) with windows 8, from which I can start dixml in case of emergency

4. If I restore now drive C: with the i.e. latest backup and restart the computer to boot from this partition, it says: Insert bootable medium...
And this never happened with the same method and windows 8...

5. I look like a big question mark and say: F*ck Windows!!!! and have to make a fresh install of windows...

[karbomusic]

Originally Posted by Trancit

5. I look like a big question mark and say: F*ck Windows!!!! and have to make a fresh install of windows...

Still sounds like it's possible the boot record etc. needs to be rebuilt/reset. It's a particular sector where the OS looks and that is often not retained with a backup image. Guess what the first thing Windows does during an install? It creates the MBR. That's sometimes as simple as the fixmbr command in your scenario where you are in a restore operation.

https://neosmart.net/wiki/fix-mbr/#What_is_the_MBR

https://neosmart.net/wiki/fix-mbr/#F..._in_Windows_10

Step #1 for the windows 10 fix is why I mentioned the recovery USB created by Windows...

1.Boot from the original installation DVD (or the recovery USB)

[emarsk]

Originally Posted by Trancit

Up to here, I can follow... more or less (I don´t know, what bootloaders are :-) )

The basic is that bootloaders are what boot the OS, no need to go further than that. Just know that you need a healthy EFI partition to boot a UEFI computer.

Originally Posted by Trancit

Ok, and here it´s getting quite confusing to me, if I have a look into that manual with setting flags and all this stuff...

Don't let the amount of stuff explained in its manual scare you, GParted is a hell of powerful piece of software, but its interface is actually quite intuitive (and the manual is very step-by-step oriented, anyway): to clone a partition, select it, "copy" it from the menu, select the external HD from the list, select empty space on it, "paste" from the menu.

[emarsk]

Originally Posted by karbomusic

Still sounds like it's possible the boot record etc. needs to be rebuilt/reset. It's a particular sector where the OS looks and that is often not retained with a backup image. Guess what the first thing Windows does during an install? It creates the MBR. That's sometimes as simple as the fixmbr command in your scenario where you are in a restore operation.

https://neosmart.net/wiki/fix-mbr/#What_is_the_MBR

https://neosmart.net/wiki/fix-mbr/#F..._in_Windows_10

Step #1 for the windows 10 fix is why I mentioned the recovery USB created by Windows...

UEFI machines don't use the MBR anymore, though, they use the boot managers installed in the EFI partition.

[karbomusic]

Originally Posted by emarsk

UEFI machines don't use the MBR anymore, though, they use the boot managers installed in the EFI partition.

Makes sense but the recovery image still knows what to do, at least it should.

[Juan D'Fall]

I use Acronis True Image. I do a full disk image of my C drive and a standard backup of my data drive. I backup to a pocket sized USB 1TB drive. As far as I know, it handles all types of systems. There is plenty of information on their web site and the help files within the program are extensive. You just need to read up on it. We can advise you as best we can, but there is no substitute for thoroughly reading the available information.
Jim

[emarsk]

Originally Posted by karbomusic

Makes sense but the recovery image still knows what to do, at least it should.

I don't know. Maybe it doesn't?? I re-read the thread and it looks like Trancit is using a Windows 8 USB stick to recover a Windows 10 partition.

[karbomusic]

Originally Posted by emarsk

I don't know. Maybe it doesn't?? I re-read the thread and it looks like Trancit is using a Windows 8 USB stick to recover a Windows 10 partition.

It should, it does essentially what Windows does with an install, creates/fixes up MBR/EFI whathaveyou. The only difference is it is aware of the OS that is already on the disk. I don't know if this fits the OPs scenario but if he restored an image over and it won't boot, this is the very first thing to try before going deeper.

[cassembler]

Originally Posted by karbomusic

It should, it does essentially what Windows does with an install, creates/fixes up MBR/EFI whathaveyou. The only difference is it is aware of the OS that is already on the disk. I don't know if this fits the OPs scenario but if he restored an image over and it won't boot, this is the very first thing to try before going deeper.

+1 to this

[Trancit]

Originally Posted by karbomusic

It should, it does essentially what Windows does with an install, creates/fixes up MBR/EFI whathaveyou. The only difference is it is aware of the OS that is already on the disk. I don't know if this fits the OPs scenario but if he restored an image over and it won't boot, this is the very first thing to try before going deeper.

Ok, but how??? how to create/fix MBR/EFI...

Not as important as the first question but: why is that necessary... I don´t touch the EFI partition... I just restore the C: partition of the drive...
Why does this break the EFI???

[karbomusic]

Originally Posted by Trancit

Ok, but how??? how to create/fix MBR/EFI...

Not as important as the first question but: why is that necessary... I don´t touch the EFI partition... I just restore the C: partition of the drive...
Why does this break the EFI???

In windows, search for "Create recovery drive" and follow the instructions. Also see link I posted above earlier: https://neosmart.net/wiki/fix-mbr/#F..._in_Windows_10

[Trancit]

Thx...

As True Image was mentioned here... I remembered, that I got a copy of True Image 2013... will test this as well :-)

[hopi]

https://www.aomeitech.com/aomei-backupper.html

I have gone to using this program and like it a lot

I got the lowest cost paid version for its bit of extra features

admittedly I'm on win 7 but a buddy uses it on win 10

If you use the full image back up it offers, you should get the c drive with everything and anything on it ready to restore even to bare metal...

clear and simple to use and actually quite fast

[Trancit]

Acronis works... What I noticed: Every working method saves the EFI partition together with the system partition...
Seems, that they have to be both restored to work properly...

[karbomusic]

Originally Posted by Trancit

Acronis works... What I noticed: Every working method saves the EFI partition together with the system partition...

Exactly and if they don't you have to resort to what I was suggesting to rebuild it. Glad you got it sorted.