Tom AZ Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Anyone know if a Macrium Reflect Image restore is computer/hardware specific -- or if it will restore back to any HD on any computer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators DennisD Posted July 21, 2010 Moderators Share Posted July 21, 2010 (edited) Computer specific Tom. It would be so useful if it wasn't. You can restore to a different partition to the one Imaged, but it has to be on the same drive: Select the destination for the restored partition. By default, the original location will be highlighted and selected. You can however restore to any partition or groups of adjacent partitions on the same disk. From the Macrium guide. Edited July 21, 2010 by DennisD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomaly Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Computer specific Tom. Not true Dennis. You can restore from one computer to another with Macrim even if the hard ware is different. Here is the tutorial on how to do it from Macrium http://www.macrium.com/blog/2008/07/15/HowToTransferWindowsXPToDifferentHardware.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators DennisD Posted July 21, 2010 Moderators Share Posted July 21, 2010 I did actually know that, and I learned it on here from another member (after asking the very same question), who knew quite a bit about the process. There has to be a bit of work done to get the Image to recognize the different architecture etc., and things can go wrong. I've no problem with the contradiction, as it can obviously be done, but as it isn't a straightforward restore to another hard drive, I'll stick with my answer that a Macrium Image is computer specific, which it technically is. If it wasn't, it wouldn't need the jiggery pokery to make restoring to another hard drive possible. EDIT: Found the previous discussion mentioned above, re the difficulties of restoring a Macrium Image to another computer. http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=24279&view=findpost&p=148144 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Andavari Posted July 21, 2010 Moderators Share Posted July 21, 2010 About the only thing you could do with a Macrium image from another computer I'd think would be to mount it so you could then manually copy files from the image to another Windows installation, i.e.; documents, pictures, music, etc. - that is if it lets you do such a thing on another computer. What Dennis pointed out is true since Windows has the hardware ID knowledge which is the same reason why it isn't wise to go about changing too many hardware components at the exact same time without rebooting several times, unless one likes calling Microsoft to get their Windows re-validated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomaly Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 What Dennis pointed out is true since Windows has the hardware ID knowledge which is the same reason why it isn't wise to go about changing too many hardware components at the exact same time without rebooting several times, unless one likes calling Microsoft to get their Windows re-validated. Which is why Macrium wrote up the tutorial. The tutorial seems long and complicated but thats only because they explain whats going on behind the scenes with Windows. Actually doing the image is very simple. Most of the tutorial is explaining why it's a problem with windows to move an install from one machine to another. Not an issue with Macs by the way. It' super easy to clone a install and move it to another machine and even run it off a external HDD if you want. I have done a clone the way that tutorial explains it. My machine needed to go in for what I thought might be a mother board issue. I was concerned that when I got it back I would not be able to restore my Macrium image since the mother board would be different. I followed the instructions in the tutorial and made an image before sending the machine in and making the image was very simple. I only had to change a setting in Device Manager. Fortunately when my machine came back it didn't need a knew mother board so I never needed to restore with the tweaked image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom AZ Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 One of my reasons for asking was that I just recently heard about Paragon's Adaptive Restore technology, which seems to address this very issue. However, after Dennis' experience with Paragon's imaging software a few years ago, I sort of lost confidence in their products. Sure wish Macrium could figure this one out and add it to their Reflect product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomaly Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 One of my reasons for asking was that I just recently heard about Paragon's Adaptive Restore technology, which seems to address this very issue. However, after Dennis' experience with Paragon's imaging software a few years ago, I sort of lost confidence in their products. Sure wish Macrium could figure this one out and add it to their Reflect product. Why don't you try out Paragon for your self? One persons problems may not be yours. Did you read the Macrium tutorial it may be all you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc1 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Anyone know if a Macrium Reflect Image restore is computer/hardware specific -- or if it will restore back to any HD on any computer? I have very limited experience with imaging. My system (IBM/Lenovo) is about 5 years old and I have prepared a few images using a program that came pre-installed (IBM Rescue and Recovery). Fortunately, I have never had to restore from those images; I am only assuming they have been successfully made. I'm tempted to install Macrium given the many kudos that it receives here. But, I try to avoid redundant programs on my computer, so I'm still debating what to do. In any event, I have a question about Macrium that is prompted by Tom AZ's post. If Macrium Reflect is used to create an image of one's computer, and if the hard drive on that pc has to be subsequently replaced, can that image be easily restored to the new drive on that same computer using Macrium's "standard" procedures? Or would the special tutorial mentioned in Anomaly's post need to be followed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomaly Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 In any event, I have a question about Macrium that is prompted by Tom AZ's post. If Macrium Reflect is used to create an image of one's computer, and if the hard drive on that pc has to be subsequently replaced, can that image be easily restored to the new drive on that same computer using Macrium's "standard" procedures? Or would the special tutorial mentioned in Anomaly's post need to be followed? Yes that's what it's made for. To recover from total HDD failure. It will restore your image on to the new drive with no special tutorial needed. The "standard procedure" you refer to is all you would need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators DennisD Posted July 22, 2010 Moderators Share Posted July 22, 2010 Fortunately, I have never had to restore from those images; I am only assuming they have been successfully made. I'm tempted to install Macrium given the many kudos that it receives here. But, I try to avoid redundant programs on my computer, so I'm still debating what to do. Just in case you missed some recent posting about Macrium Chris, make sure you verify any Image after making it, again after carrying out any defragging which includes it, and again before attempting a restore, and make a new one every month or so to keep pace with all the interim changes made to your computer. Whether to try it or not only you can decide really. If you have the disk space to spare give it a try by installing it and make an Image, while keeping your current software and Image. That's the only way to see how user friendly it is, how long it takes to Image your drive, how large an Image it makes, how convenient it is being able to mount the Image as a drive to copy out files (dunno if your current app can do that) etc etc. And you can always check the recover and restore process right up to the actual last click before setting it away as shown in this post: http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=25993&view=findpost&p=158002 Another plus for me is the modest size of the Macrium install. (26.6mb for me) compared to something like Paragon Backup & Recovery Free Edition which is a 103mb download. And of course, quite a few folk on here use it which means advice based upon experience is readily available. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc1 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Thanks Anomaly and Dennis. I appreciate the answers. Dennis, I plan on giving Macrium a test run when I have a free weekend. (Don't want to rush through it.) It's good to know there's support here if I've got follow-up questions. Take care. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom AZ Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 Just found this on Macrium's site. Apparently, ReDeploy is a relatively new plugin product which easily allows you to migrate your backup image to new hardware. It does so by creating a different type of WindowsPE Rescue disk, which includes additional info and drivers. The price seems reasonable, but it only works with a commercial version of Reflect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomaly Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Just found this on Macrium's site. Apparently, ReDeploy is a relatively new plugin product which easily allows you to migrate your backup image to new hardware. It does so by creating a different type of WindowsPE Rescue disk, which includes additional info and drivers. The price seems reasonable, but it only works with a commercial version of Reflect. Yes I seen that to and it looks interesting. Moving from one machine to another is something that is made more difficult than it needs to be. I blame MS for that. Doing this on a MAC or Linux is a breeze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators DennisD Posted July 23, 2010 Moderators Share Posted July 23, 2010 Thanks Anomaly and Dennis. I appreciate the answers. Dennis, I plan on giving Macrium a test run when I have a free weekend. (Don't want to rush through it.) It's good to know there's support here if I've got follow-up questions. Take care. Chris Chris, I omitted something important in my post above. The point of going through the Restore process is to make sure the Rescue CD actually works. The sequence of photographs I did was to show the entire process after booting with the CD. Don't leave that to chance as Rescue CD's can fail for the simplest of reasons. I even make a back-up of the Rescue CD, and test them both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc1 Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 Chris, I omitted something important in my post above. The point of going through the Restore process is to make sure the Rescue CD actually works. The sequence of photographs I did was to show the entire process after booting with the CD. Don't leave that to chance as Rescue CD's can fail for the simplest of reasons. I even make a back-up of the Rescue CD, and test them both. Dennis, I really like the concern you have for those of us who come to this forum for advice and help. You're a good man. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators DennisD Posted July 24, 2010 Moderators Share Posted July 24, 2010 We all do our best to help as you know Chris, but I think it would be poor manners not to reply to a compliment, so thank you. It's very kind of you to say that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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