Macrium Reflect Restore

NavyLCDR · Mar 23, 2022

The only problem with wiping out the current OS to do a test restore is if the backup image did get corrupted somehow, now you have nothing. That's why we keep multiple backup images - either backup once per week and keep 3 or 4 past images - or do current backups to more than 1 device such as external drive + NAS. Ideally, 1 device containing backup images will be off-site, for really, really, important data - that way a fire or flood won't destroy your computer AND you backup too.

cereberus · Mar 23, 2022

Bree said:
It's actually very easy to use viBoot to make a VM - far easier then setting one up from scratch in either Hyper-V or VirtualBox.

When viboot creates its virtual hard drives, it uses a technique called differencing virtual hard drives (see tutorials in tenforums for more info).

One limitation of viboot is it creates a brand new vm which is always unactivated.

Another minor limitation is that you cannot save the vhd independently of viboot interface as you cannot copy differencing vhds.

However, there is a little known "trick" to get round these two limitations.

The "trick" is to use the Edit disk function in Hyper-V (I think you can use powershell commands as well) and select the viboot differencing disk and use "merge" option selecting to merge to a new vhd.

This new vhd can then be used just like any other self created vhds e.g. renamed, attached as a vhost dual boot vhd, attached to an activated vm etc.

Then you can delete the viboot created vm but now you have a manipulable copy of the original viboot vm.

Haydon · Mar 23, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
The only problem with wiping out the current OS to do a test restore is if the backup image did get corrupted somehow, now you have nothing. That's why we keep multiple backup images - either backup once per week and keep 3 or 4 past images - or do current backups to more than 1 device such as external drive + NAS. Ideally, 1 device containing backup images will be off-site, for really, really, important data - that way a fire or flood won't destroy your computer AND you backup too.

Thanks, what I meant was buying a dedicated SSD for doing the MR test restores, in addition to the multi (3) backup media that I already have.

It is this additional SSD that made me suggest to @Wynona to also use an additional SSD for her students to restore to.

glasskuter · Mar 23, 2022

When one teaches, one has to consider what kind of students they teach and not make any lesson too complicated for novice users to understand. I don't know where @Wynona teaches, but I volunteered at our local senior center a number of years ago. The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was to get them to overcome their fear. Their biggest concern was that they would mess something up. At the end of every class I stressed "And remember, fear is the worst enemy of learning. There is nothing you can do to Windows that you can't recover from, one way or another."

IMO it would depend on how advanced a class was as to what and when I would include something in a lesson. With every group, I had to shuffle lessons around because each group was different. I certainly would not discuss VMs with backups if the course schedule was at a point they didn't even understand what VMs were yet. VMs would be a lesson all their own and much later in the schedule than backing up would be. I found my seniors very receptive to learning new things, but they had different levels of experience and it was sometimes very hard to not overwhelm any of them by trying to cover too much at one time. That's the quickest way to make people feel isolated.
Just my opinion.

Wynona · Mar 23, 2022

glasskuter said:
Maybe I'm missing what you are saying but wouldn't a visual make it more effective. If they can see it, they'll believe it.
Let them each make a file, take a funny photo if they have a camera, install a program, whatever.
Make a backup. Physically delete the file, photo, or program and clean recycle bin so they can verify it's actually gone.
Restore the backup so they can see what was deleted has returned.

Yep. Someone here already suggested that, and I'll probably have them do it.

Wynona · Mar 23, 2022

glasskuter said:
I don't know how you teach but, when I taught at the senior center, I actually planned my lesson with an outline, and made written step by step tutorials (in large fonts) that I passed out before we actually went over whatever that days' lesson was about. It seemed to keep me and the class on track. They could follow along as I went over it, make their own notes, and have something they could refer back to later. They considered it a security blanket.

They saved them all as did I so they were already prepared the next time I taught a similar class, or if a member lost his and wanted another copy. I haven't taught in a number of years and I really miss it. Health issues won't let me any more.

I create tutorials and email them to my students. I also take a few for those who didn't get around to printing and bringing them to class.

I create my tutorials with illustrations showing what to do next. I use use Screenpresso with arrows and boxes, etc.

Their 350 sheet capacity notebooks are quite full.

Wynona · Mar 23, 2022

Haydon said:
Thanks for liking my suggestion @Wynona

That suggestion actually came from my own circumstance. I am still evaluating MR as one of my backup and restore tools, but I am beginning to like it more and more. If I decide to adopt it as a tool in my toolbox, I will buy a dedicated external SSD to test restore to it, test boot from it, surf the web a little with it, etc. at least once in a while and who knows, it may bail me out one day although I hope that will never be the case

What's really amazing is that I gave my students a choice between Macrium and Aomei and they chose Macrium. They've probably been doing a bit of their own research!

Ghot · Mar 23, 2022

@Wynona headed off to tutor...

Wynona · Mar 23, 2022

Ghot said:
@Wynona headed off to tutor... :)

View attachment 25152

I think I'm a bit taller than that!

Ghot · Mar 23, 2022

Wynona said:
I think I'm a bit taller than that!

Wynona · Mar 23, 2022

glasskuter said:
When one teaches, one has to consider what kind of students they teach and not make any lesson too complicated for novice users to understand. I don't know where @Wynona teaches, but I volunteered at our local senior center a number of years ago. The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was to get them to overcome their fear. Their biggest concern was that they would mess something up. At the end of every class I stressed "And remember, fear is the worst enemy of learning. There is nothing you can do to Windows that you can't recover from, one way or another."

IMO it would depend on how advanced a class was as to what and when I would include something in a lesson. With every group, I had to shuffle lessons around because each group was different. I certainly would not discuss VMs with backups if the course schedule was at a point they didn't even understand what VMs were yet. VMs would be a lesson all their own and much later in the schedule than backing up would be. I found my seniors very receptive to learning new things, but they had different levels of experience and it was sometimes very hard to not overwhelm any of them by trying to cover too much at one time. That's the quickest way to make people feel isolated.
Just my opinion.

My students are eager beavers in that they want to learn everything there is to learn about computers. In fact, they're ready to take on Windows 11, but I want to wait until the Taskbar situation is fixed. No choice and that's not good.

Not one of them has expressed any fear of messing things up. They know if they mess up, I can help them fix it.

I have a dedicated computer at the Senior Center and use a 40" TV as a monitor so everyone can see my screen. I also use a mouse highlighter which changes color when I click. I use every visual aid I can find.

My teaching methods are simple; each lesson is hands on, since each one brings his/her laptop computer to class. Those who didn't have laptops went out and bought one. They've bought their external drives for backing up their computers.

1. I create a tutorial geared toward simplicity and to the point.
2. I tell my students to ask questions.
3. We go step by step from the tutorial.
4. If someone can't figure something out, I go to them and their computer and "show and tell".
5. If something in the tutorial isn't clear enough, we talk it over; the tutorial gets revised and sent out again.
6. Our more advanced and technically savvy students help those less knowledgeable.

Wynona · Apr 1, 2022

Well, life has a way of moving my plans around . . .

So, a couple more questions:

The students and I have decided we want to use an external drive to restore Windows 10 to. Since most of us have Windows 10 on our laptops, will there be a problem with Windows 10 on both the SSD drive and the external drive?

I'm getting ready to start the process but need to be sure of my steps which would be:

1. Boot the computer with Macrium's Rescue Media
2. "Fix boot" so that the external drive will boot
3. Restore Windows 10 onto the external drive
4 (Hopefully) I will get a dual boot menu

OK, tear my thoughts apart and put 'em back together correctly?

I really appreciate all of the help I've had through this process.

NavyLCDR · Apr 1, 2022

I'll have to do some checking/experimenting, but I don't think you can transfer Windows 10 that was installed on an internal drive to an external USB drive and boot it.

Wynona · Apr 1, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
I'll have to do some checking/experimenting, but I don't think you can transfer Windows 10 that was installed on an internal drive to an external USB drive and boot it.

I don't want to transfer; I want to restore the backup to the external drive, then boot from that.

cereberus · Apr 2, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
I'll have to do some checking/experimenting, but I don't think you can transfer Windows 10 that was installed on an internal drive to an external USB drive and boot it.

The way I have done it before is to install Windows To Go of standard iso using Rufus WTG option, then restoring backup (C drive only) overwriting C drive on external drive. Then you need to set boot order to boot from external drive.

Haydon · Apr 2, 2022

Don't you need a separate license key for a Windows-To-Go installation?

Wynona · Apr 2, 2022

Haydon said:
Don't you need a separate license key for a Windows-To-Go installation?

I will soon find out. :)

Haydon said:
Don't you need a separate license key for a Windows-To-Go installation?

Since Windows to Go will be almost immediately eliminated (the restore will overwrite it) we won't actually be using it.

What we will be doing is to install Windows to Go on the external drive, restore our Macrium image to that external drive; thus, eliminating Windows to Go.

cereberus · Apr 2, 2022

Haydon said:
Don't you need a separate license key for a Windows-To-Go installation?

It is not true WTG, which has been withdrawn. Rufus creates a usb bootable version of Window which is pretty much same thing (differences are subtle and not of direct relevance here). I am ignoring the EULA licence technicality thsat each installation needs a licence, as we all know that digital licences work differently.

If you boot from usb drive on a pc with digital licence or embedded bios key (for same version as installed on USB drive), it activates automatically.

If you boot from usb drive on a pc without a digital licence or embedded bios key (for same version as installed on USB drive), it does not activate, and you would need a licence key to activate it.

cereberus · Apr 2, 2022

Wynona said:
I will soon find out. :)

Since Windows to Go will be almost immediately eliminated (the restore will overwrite it) we won't actually be using it.

What we will be doing is to install Windows to Go on the external drive, restore our Macrium image to that external drive; thus, eliminating Windows to Go.

Only restore C drive.

pietcorus2 · Apr 2, 2022

Safety and security has its price........in lots of time !
Making two or three OS-backups with different backup-software ; Macrium ( my favorite ) , AoMei , Todo .
This every 5 days and keeping them on several external HDDs. If one fails , the other will succeed .
Started this in Win10 , now in Win11, never had to format and the upgrade to 11 went fine also............

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