Backup image as iso files

SIW2 · Aug 13, 2023

Inspired by Bree, I decided to try image backup to dvd.

I hadnt used the dvd method before, so it was an interesting experiment.

I am too lazy to dig out a physical dvdrom drive so I created it as iso files instead ( strictly speaking they are udf ).

They are much smaller than a regular system image. They contain files with .vhd extension, but It is not clear how MS have done this. Assuming they were joined, I am not sure the resultant single file could be mounted.

Seems to work fine

It asks to insert the final dvd

so mount the final iso

there it is mounted

clcik retry so it scans again

As expected it is ready to go

glasskuter · Aug 13, 2023

SIW2 said:
Inspired by Bree,

@Bree comes up with neat ideas that are always inspiring.
I could use the excuse that I have no DVD drive any more to try this, but in truth I'm in an extreme computer slump, lazy, and don't have a DVD drive.
I really admire you guys who still have the motivation.

SIW2 · Aug 13, 2023

don't have a DVD drive.

I didnt use a physical dvd drive.

glasskuter · Aug 13, 2023

See, I'm in such a slump and uninterested in all things computer right now I didn't even think about doing it that way. I think it's time for me to be put out to pasture. Will somebody throw me a carrot ever once in a while as I'm grazing, alone and lonely. :plead:

SIW2 · Aug 13, 2023

Here's how it is done

It shows as a dvddrive and windows system image will write to it

Bree · Aug 13, 2023

SIW2 said:
Inspired by Bree, I decided to try image backup to dvd.
I hadnt used the dvd method before, so it was an interesting experiment.

SIW2 said:
I didnt use a physical dvd drive.

That is an ingenious way to get Backup & Restore to apply its compression. An interesting experiment, but I'm not sure I could recommend it as a reliable or convenient way to image a system

SIW2 · Aug 13, 2023

works fine for me.

As far as I know native vhd doesnt support compression ( compaction is different ), I expect they have done something else. Paragon has a format called .pvhd. I think what happens there is they create some compressed image file, then put it in a vhd wrapper/container.

I dont know what MS does I haven't been able to look inside those files except the small one which contains the esp.

They haven't just split the normal vhd into chunks, there is something else going on.

hsehestedt · Aug 13, 2023

This is a cool discussion. I like this thinking

I do have one question / observation:

I notice that you are choosing to create a Virtual DVD image. Is there some reason that you are not creating a Virtual Blu-Ray image instead? That would allow you to have far fewer ISO image files. Or is this just so that you could burn them to standard DVD media rather than Blu-Ray media if you ever decide to burn to physical media?

SIW2 · Aug 14, 2023

Just recreating the standard save image to dvd. I expect bigger iso files would also work.

I might try fitting in one when I get a few minutes. Dont know it that would result in several vhds of the same size, or if it will make bigger ones.

SIW2 · Aug 14, 2023

Surprise. The 20gb iso has just two vhd. One is the esp, the other is the main image.

The vhd doesn't mount.

hsehestedt · Aug 14, 2023

@SIW2, thanks for the information and taking the time to test this. I'll have to play with this myself. I also noticed your use of of KernSafe TotalMounter. I used to use another similar program, but some of your screenshots indicate that this might be a more flexible program than what I was using.

Thanks again.

SIW2 · Aug 14, 2023

It is the only program I know of that can create writeable virtual dvd drive.

SIW2 · Aug 14, 2023

The big iso seems ok.

mounted in winpe

bmrui

query with wbadmin

hsehestedt · Aug 14, 2023

SIW2 said:
It is the only program I know of that can create writeable virtual dvd drive.

There is another one that I have been using for many years. It's got a heck of a lot more options and some very advanced features. It might be worth checking out if this is something that you use frequently.

The only thing I find lacking is the inability to emulate the very latest Blu-Ray formats (like 100GB triple layer discs), but that's a fairly minor complaint.

My only other gripe is that they sent out a newsletter YEARS AGO saying that a new major version was about to be released. It is "in the starting gates". Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, that new version was never released.

Still, it is a very impressive program.

Virtual CD - Virtualize All of Your Optical Media

Virtualize your CDs, DVD, HD DVDs and Blu-ray Discs and get the fastest possible access to your data, both locally and over the network

www.virtualcd-online.com

One more recommendation:

There is a free program out there called "Paragon Netburner". If you have a physical burner or even a virtual burner, you can use this to share it as an iSCSI device on the network. So, it will look to your local system like you have a CD / DVD / Blu-Ray drive attached locally, but it is really on another system remotely. But any burning software can use it as if it was a local device.

https://www.softpedia.com/get/CD-DVD-Tools/Data-CD-DVD-Burning/Paragon-Net-Burner.shtml

SIW2 · Aug 14, 2023

This is strange

looking at the big file with a .vhd extension shows only this small file inside

extract that small file

it says this and more of the same in different languages.:

It is not a normal vhd. Cant look at it properly with anything I have tried so far.

SIW2 · Aug 15, 2023

Haven't found any information on what this supposed vhd format actually is.

SIW2 · Aug 20, 2023

To update the thread, I tested a restore from the 4 dvd sized "iso" files.

johnlgalt · Aug 20, 2023

Great work on this SIW2. Are you going to try to test a restore from the Big .ISO as well?

SIW2 · Aug 21, 2023

I couldnt get any other tools to work with these dvd-vhd files. Now trying raw copy. It is the vhd out of Big.iso . It appears to be working.

These dvd-vhd files are a mystery.

disk management shows uninitialized after the attempted restore

diskgenius shows something different

SIW2 · Aug 21, 2023

diskgenius has fixed it. no need to reinitialize the disk.

click Correct, then click Save

Now the disk is ok in diskmgmt

However raw copy doesnt seem to have done the job of restoring the odd vhd. You can see partition I showing as raw.

So far the only way to restore these dvd-vhd is with MS bmrui or wbadmin. Havent found a 3rd party program that understands what they are.

Backup image as iso files

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