I have desktop system that is only used for testing purposes. I install and test lots of software, play around with Windows configuration and system files, infect my test system with trojans to test the efficiency of an antivirus software, and many more! Because I mess around with my test system so much, I had to restore Windows at least once a week, or sometimes even up to a few times!
Reinstalling Windows is a time consuming task and I never like doing that. Fortunately I’ve known about Norton Ghost many years ago and I’ve been using it to create an image of my hard drive, so I can easily restore everything back to the original clean state within minutes. However, Norton Ghost is not free. There are other freeware that is able to create disk image but I am never satisfied with it, so I am stuck with Norton Ghost for nearly 10 years…
I think I am going to make a change starting from today because I discovered a very powerful disk imaging software which is FREE!
Macrium Reflect is a backup and disk imaging software program for Microsoft Windows developed by Paramount Software UK Ltd in 2006. It creates disk images and file backup archives using Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service to ensure ‘point in time’ data accuracy. This means that you can create a full backup of your hard drive through imaging even when you’re logged on in Windows.
There are 2 versions of Macrium Reflect. The free and full version. The free version can only be used on Windows XP and Vista. You’re able to create disk or partition images and access them from Windows Explorer. It has a scheduler where you can create backup from the defined time. Finally it can also create Linux Rescue CD or BartPE Rescue CD, which has network support so you can save the created image to another computer. You can directly burn the Live CD from the software.
As for the full version, it has all the features in free version plus the following: Windows Server 2003 compatibility, File and Folder backup and restore, Differential disk images and backups, Incremental disk images and backups, VBScript Generator, Email notifications, Run programs before or after backup, Shut down PC after backup, Windows system event log support, Windows PE 2.0 Rescue CD with RAID support, Windows boot menu, Technical support by email and forum access.
Although it’d be nice to have all the features in the full version, the free version is good enough to help me easily restore Windows within minutes.
Let me take you through a simple step-by-step disk imaging with Macrium Reflect FREE Edition. Let’s say Windows is installed at C: drive and D: would be your CD/DVD drive. I’d advice you to create another partition (E: drive) to save the backup image.
1. Run Macrium Reflect
2. Click Backup from the menu bar and select Create Image.
3. Create Backup Wizard will appear. Click Next, and select the partition that you want to backup. Select C: drive and click Next.
4. Now select Local Hard Disk and browse to E: drive. Click Next
5. Click Finish to begin imaging.
When the imaging completes, you should have a file with random letters and numbers with the extension .mrimg at your E: drive. That’s the image of your C: drive.
Next, you’ll have to create a Rescue CD.
1. Run Macrium Reflect
2. Click Other Tasks from menu bar and select Create Rescue CD.
I’d prefer to use Linux, so select Linux and click Next.
3. Put in a blank CDR disc into your CD/DVD drive and click Finish.
When your Windows system goes haywire or refuse to boot up, then you will have to start your PC using a rescue CD. Just boot up your computer with the Linux Rescue CD that you just created. Follow the on-screen instructions from Restore Wizard to recover partitions from your saved image file.
When your computer has a system or software that is hard to configure and get it right, it’d be best to create an image of your partition as a precaution. Whenever the system or software doesn’t work and you can’t get people to help you to fix it, the easiest way to fix it yourself is by restoring from the image that you created while it is still working. There you go, no need to use Norton Ghost because Macrium Reflect can do the job.
[ Download Macrium Reflect FREE EDition ]
ray I hope this is going to work for me thou I have not tried any restore program except win restore.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
thanks so much, I’d really appreciate your help.
Hi all,
with this software can we restore with bootingggggggg!!!!!!!!! Please any body help
WOW!!!!! Great job Guys
Hi, I made image, which has 4.6 GB. Then I bunt DVD Rescue CD (I chose Linux) and size is only 8MB. Did I something wrong??? Or I have to boot from this DVD and use the image from Hard disc????
Thank you
I used Macrium for a while, and it looks good for basic stuff.
But for me it is a must to be able to restore the image to different size hard drive. Macrium seems not to be possible to restore to smaller hard drive, of course when the actual used data can be easily stored.
sorry for the duble post , your guild is realy good too makes it very easy to use this program
realy nice tool , comparing the time it takes to run vs norton ghost is great , i am runing both at the same time to back up my windows and it takes this took 30 minutes when ghost needs between 4 to 6 hours to do the same thing and this tool is much more user friendly , thx alot
how to install Xp os in 10 pc at a smae time by using norton ghsot
Help please. Hi i want to U/G my hard drive. I have a 120gb in my laptop. Just bought a Western Digital 250, formatted it and copied an image of my c/ drive to it via USB. How do I now make this my primary drive and be able to put it in my laptop? hope this makes sense
G
if i used the ghost……..is it possible to use my ghost to the computer of my friends, what will happened then??? is it possible that my friend computer, get the same as what i have in my computer?? ,,,, coz i have another partition for my videos and picture, i have all my programs in drive C: and drive D: for my videos and my pictures,, is it possible that my ghost that i created, copy all that i have and when my friend used my ghost, is it possible that all my videos and pictures can get also??
sorry for my bad english>……waheheh
Thanks Raymond
q FDP, o titulo e Como criar Full Windows Backup por imagiologia sem usar Norton Ghost, e ele ensina a criar um disco de resgate para restaurar o linux
Thank You. Hello dear, thanks for ur helpfull.
i wana ask if there a bootable option in there?
can i boot from CD with image it make auto recovery then restart ?
thanks
mi sembra davvero un ottimo programma……adesso lo scarico e lo provo!!
Hi Ray,i wanted to ask you about this software i have just downloaded it and what i want to do is to do what you do with your drive create an image of my 80gb hard drive which has only got 15gb used space to another external 80gb mini hard drive.So when i get a Trojan that i can’t get rid off i just use the copy on my external hard drive.Its says it will take about 4 hours to copy over 15gb to my external will it be the same the other way round when i try to install from external to internal?
Hello dear, thanks for ur helpfull.
i wana ask if there a bootable option in there?
can i boot from CD with image it make auto recovery then restart ?
thanks
u can try farstone RestoreIT for quick backup and restore , u dont need any cd for that and it runs as a pre-os
Hi
I have tried several times…but cant get rid of it…
plzz help me
Hi all..
First of all thanks Ray for this article…atlast I have found an article to backup ur disk other than Ghost..
Everything is fine..but when I am going to burn the image file it\’s showing that the media I have inserted is not empty at all.
Norton Ghost is installed in my PC and there is no problem with the blank DVD…
Can anyone help me out from this..
Wow, very helpful and useful tutorial, thank you so much.
Estuve 17 horas buscando un soft para este propósito, conocía el ghost de DOS del año 2003 y quería algo así de sencillo compatible con ntfs sin FAT, en aquel momento lo hacía teniendo una partición fat de 200mb con el ghost y un dos irrompibles que me salvaban siempre, pero ahora ya no hago eso. Tengo XP y acabo de reinstalarlo entero, me bajé el ghost 14 y es una porquería. Muy diferente al viejo y sencillo ghost. Usé el SAVEPARTITION pero me da un poco de miedo, no lo conozco, así que seguí buscando porque el SAVEPARTITION no me permite grabar un cd de recuperación.
GRACIAS!!!!
@fox_unleashed Acronis does have some problems to recognize certain SATA controllers, but only on really new laptops. May be solved in further versions.
Just I’ve a question. Acronis and Macrium Reflect can both take an image of the drive currently running. But the saved information, in case you’ll restore the backup, will be restored not in Windows environment. I mean that when you will boot on the Windows you’ve just restored, it’s just like you shut the power down of your computer, and re-start it days after, because the computer was not closed and programs were running while backing up the drive. Isn’t that weird or risky to prefer to do a image of the drive while Windows running instead of properly shutdown it and boot on the Acronis CD or Norton Ghost ?
Acronis True Image is the best in terms of feature (Image Load, Startup Recovery Manager, Bootable Rescue Media for CD/FDD/Flash Disk, Dynamic Partition Size when restoring) but if ure dealing with laptop SATA drive, the only imaging software that will recognize it (as far as know) is Norton Ghost. Happened to me once with a TOSHIBA L45-S7423.
I hope Acronis can fix this problem ASAP because i need the Startup Recovery Manager (Its a great feature that will allow you to start Acronis software just before the Windows boot only by pressing F11 (No boot CD required) so if ur Windows unable to boot u just simply reboot & press F11 (its also can be password protected both Image File & Startup Recovery Manager), an easy & secure software maintenance.
If you want a serious software to backup your PC then take a look at acronis.com. I`m surprised you guys don`t know about this but it`s the best of the best.Norton Ghost 14.00 has been released for quite a while and it`s a good software but acronis is the best.
NEVER HEARD OF MACRIUM REFLECT.
Anyway, just came across this wonderful site today that informed me of the lovely macrium software. I actually went ahead and purchased it. Doesn\\\\\\\’t seem like there\\\\\\\’s any catches like what the dixml does (like a partition has to be the same exact size as it was before). What if I can\\\\\\\’t remember what it was in order to format at the exact same? ; ) Anyway, I backed up my entire 15 gigs of c drive in about 10 minutes time into an image file. I had it verified, and i can browse through the backup no problem. The program lets you mount the image onto a virtual disc it can create for you temporarily to allow you to do this. I recieved an email in only about 15 minutes time showing ordering info, order number, liscence number (and yes it did work), and contact info again, etc. So, this is a fully legit program \\\\\\\’vendor?\\\\\\\’. You pay for it, they give it to you. I\\\\\\\’m just going to wait for mine to come in the mail otherwise though. I don\\\\\\\’t want to overuse the drive i made the image on. ; p Anyway, I\\\\\\\’ve said enough. Very delighted I found this site. it will help me out in plenty of other ways as well! Peace!
Can it recognize and backup a SATA drive from laptop? i\’ve tried Acronis TrueImage Corporate Workstation 8 and it cannot recognize a laptop SATA drive and it can\’t recognize AMD based PC hard drive, my SATA drive can\’t be detected. So i\’ve tried Acronis TrueImage Enterprise Server 9 and it work on my AMD PC, but it wont work for my customer TOSHIBA Satellite laptop SATA drive. I\’ve tried oldschool Norton Ghost for this problem and it amazingly can detect it. But norton ghost doesn\’t have password and can\’t be installed so it will run on boot time just before windows boot.
SQL database server it installs? Can anyone else confirm this?
hey raymon!!
i have gone from proxy website from there i can open this website but problem after install it have to register from web but coz of my ISP block this website i\\\\\\\’m not able to use this good software can you suggest me how to unblock this proxy to access this website
tks a lot for yur help
Hey manish!!
tks for your link but sorry to say that one also didn’t work for me but i somehow download by download.com and I install in my comp. there is still one problem when finished installation have to register the software and they said need internet connection and i have connection but they said you are not connect to internet and can’t register the software so still i’m not able to use this excellent software help me up guys!! :-(
and one more thing from my computer can’t open official website of this software.. it will come like The webpage cannot be found
VERY GOOD IDEA!!! Ive always wanted to make an image of my C drive, but never successful, because Norton Ghost basically sucks. I hate it. Too difficult to use too. This looks and sounds easy. Thanx Ray!!
Hey, Rejan, here are the direct links.
32 Bit (Vista, XP): macrium.com/download/setupfree.asp?OS=x86&DLSource=000000
64 Bit (Vista x64, XP x64): macrium.com/download/setupfree.asp?OS=x64&DLSource=000000
DriveImage XML does the same job, and it\’s free!
hey raymon!!
tks for let us know good software but i’m not able to download whenever i click the link then it will come page can’t be display
plz help me on this as i’m so excited to use this software
nice article Ray, first time to try it.
If you had told this two days ago;everybody could have downloaded the full version from giveawayoftheday.com
didn’t like it , ill stick with Ghost
hey Ray , i like your site very very much , and i was wondering if you knew a free remote control software that supports remote sounds such as the shareware “logmeiin pro ”
??????
thanks
The pay version for Windows Server 2003 is only $39.99?
Can it be trusted like other similar products that cost more $$$ ?
What is the best deal on Server 2003 image backup product?
Thanks Raymond, although I may not use it!
Question in the same catagory:
On my desktop, the time changes automatically once in a while, what could be the problem you think?
Do you think if I should use the suggested software to save myself from any future coming surprise? i.e. system crash.
How does this compare to DriveImage XML from runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm?
Thanx alot for this Raymond. You are really the best person for us. However i still have a small question. I have 2 partitions (C:=40 Gb for OS and Programs and D:=120Gb for my data). If i start backing up only the C: partition, then how much is CD/DVD size i need. Sorry if it sounds not smart, but i never tried Norton Ghost or anything like that before. Thanks n Regards.
hey ray
thanx 4 this software but it is not my blank dvd n i dont know why
i have changed 5 dvds but still it is not taking it
nice one ray… :D u got me there!!
Raymond > ok thank you for your fast answer. In my case, what is the best way to reinstall Windows to my new hdd without the d
@Tangomouse: Not everyone has license for using Ghost :P And yes, I am using VirtualBox.
@capo: I don’t think it’s possible because you’ll most probably get a blue screen after trying to boot the SATA hard drive that you cloned from the IDE drive.
@Only: I never really had any experience with Dell laptops and the hidden partitions.
Ray, is that possible to create a full image of the HD? or something like that because with a laptop from dell there are 2 secret partitions a fat (EISA 110 mb) and a fat32, the mediadirect one is a fat32, and c: ntfs
Raymond,
I have a quick question;
At the moment, I have an old hdd ide and I’d replace it by a new Sata hdd.
Then, can I clone my ide hdd and copy everything (windows system to the new hdd ?
After I just have to remove the old, reboot the pc et voil
Good artical ray.. but u can do all of the above in ghost ,and as for using a extra pc for testing i would “do” use Vmware machines ,windows installs in mins and u can have as meny different os`s as u choose..
Download PRO-Version from the Macrium-Homepage and register it with:
Macrium Reflect
You just hit the spot. Have been looking for an alternative to Ghost for ages. What is your experience so far in your weekly restores, Raymond?. Anything you miss from Norton Ghost?.
If the disk images are reliable, I guess there’s not much to complain about this software.
That’s right Solaris. This was featured in GiveAwayOfTheDay yesterday.
Thanks Raymond
Thats a great software.
Was this yesterday’s giveawayoftheday?
wow awesome article Raymont .. you are the one Ray ;)
WOW! this is great!
Nice articel