Windows 10: A challenge for the pro's. Can you help identify a reg key please.

All I'm saying is that AOMEI doesn't give the error I'm seeing with both Windows and Macrium. There might be some other issue I haven't noticed (although I hope not).

Fwiw, AOMEI has a very easy to use interface. Yes, you just install the software (reboot after initial installation even though it doesn't request it) and away you go. I use disk images all the time for various reasons and you have to be confident they will work correctly.

 

Thanks for replying. Hmmm... so that sounds like it would certainly help with diagnosing the issue, although as a user, whichever stage it fails on is still an issue with the product in question I guess.

 

More......

I commented on this problem to Macrium and shortly afterwards received a nice reply suggesting to try again but this time with a 'VSS option' selected as shown in the image below.

After trying this a couple of times I can tentatively say that this seems to overcome the issue and that the problem is not present when now making images and restoring them.

Full marks to Macrium for responding so swiftly.

 

Good result... but doesn't actually explain the phenomenon...

 

I think VSS is a feature of Windows which is designed to help the process of backing-up the operating system while you're still using the operating system.

I suspect the problem stems from a file or registry key being locked for access, because you're still using Windows at the time, in such a way which prevents Macrium and presumably Windows' own System Image from backing it up.

I also bet that if you booted from a Macrium recovery drive, and ran the backup while not using Windows, you wouldn't have the problem

 

I enquired further and again Macrium were very helpful. This is part of their reply and in response to this, I confirmed to them that the issue is indeed present in W10's own utility.

 

If the problem is related to VSS that's why AOMEI works OK cause it comes with it enabled by default: Use VSS


and sorry dalchina I forgot to quote Mooly post cause it was him that said AOMEI had no problems and it made me choose this program to make my images *Smile


So Mooly since your image on Windows 10 worked OK using AOMEI and you are more used to this stuff I guess I can use AOMEI to make my images without problems right?

Little question about the backup mode: Should I use System Backup or Disk Backup?

 

System imaging (in Macrium = 'Back up Windows') only images the partition set necessary to restore Windows (possibly several for Win 10 on UEFI). Thus it does not include any other data partitions.

Provided you are aware of which partitions are included in a system image (and I had a problem with this with Aomei in coming to Win 10 at that time) and you then image your other partitions as well, then you should be covered.

'Disk Backup' - if by that you mean file-based selective backups, some use that in addition to maintain ongoing current backups whilst disk imaging tends to be run more periodically.

Factors to consider:
1. how do you manage the storage space taken up by disk imaging (Macrium can do this for you quite neatly)
2. how long does it take to create a backup (imaging takes longer than specific file backups but is much faster for SSDs than HDs
3. how much new data are you creating and how critical is it

Finally your backup location should ideally be physically remote from your PC.

(Noted on the VSS related problem - naturally restoring an image of Windows is done from the imaging program's boot medium, so this would not arise then. But did the problem arise in creating or restoring the image? Noted the idea of mounting the image to identify this. What is worrying is there was no indication of failure during the process. I assume the files/folders concerned were not on C: (?) )

 

Well Macrium said to exclude VSS and that works. AOMEI are saying you should always use VSS and so I would have imagined that was a default setting that was already enabled. I tried AOMEI 'out of the box' and it worked.

Haven't got AOMEI installed at the moment (I kept returning to a clean base image to try all this stuff on) but I always use partition mode because I only want to image the C drive. My other partitions have stuff on them that needs to be up to date and unchanged and so I don't normally image those.

 

I did a System Backup (It says below that it backups Windows and create a image of the system partition)

It backups 3 things named: *: , C: , and some other that says *:recovery so for what I understand it just saved a copy of my current installed Win10 and all it's configuration and this 3 original partitions that Win10 automatically created on the installation.

I never try anything fancy with Windows and it's partitions I just installed it and leave it alone so I guess System Backup can restore Windows 10 for me just fine right?

So for example anniversary update mess my Win10 installation can this system image I did be used to restore everything in case system restore is not enough?

How about in a case I can't even boot to Win10 can I just format the HD make a boot disk and restore my Win10 like nothing happened?

 

Hi dalchina, only just seen this... hadn't turned the page.

It sounds to me as though the problem is in the creation of the file. What is worrying is that these programs (such as Windows own, Macrium, and I'm going to throw Acronis in there too) claim to image and restore a drive 'exactly as it was' and yet they don't. OK, so Macrium have the 'disable VSS option' and Acronis has a 'file exclusions' list that is easily alterable. Windows has no user options at all.

I thought the whole point of VSS was to snapshot the drive at an exact moment in time and then allow an exact copy to be made. Seems some are more exact than others *Smile

 

Make sure you create the boot medium for the imaging software- that's essential to address this case so you can restore your images to
- a non-bootable system
- a replacement disk when your HDD or SSD fails

Note: If you have relocated user folders to, say, D: then you will naturally wish to image D: additionally.

 

Yes, make a boot disc or bootable USB according to AOMEI's instructions and test it. You shouldn't need to format anything when restoring, the program will do all that is needed.

Although it can be useful to have a full system image (I.e. a disk image backing up all partitions) for normal use you probably need only back up the C drive.

This shows the partitions I back up (ticked) and I know AOMEI has a similar interface to this. I don't want to alter the contents of any other of my partitions on a restore because they contain up to date files and data I use.

 

The boot disk for AOMEI image can be made inside the program later right? It's that Windows PE thing?

Sorry but I really just want to make a complete image of my system to restore in case of problems but this system backup vs disk backup confuses me *Sad Can I just keep this system backup or do I need to do a disk backup too? What's the better one?

I noticed now that system backup saves 3 partitions and disk backup saves 4 partitions! But the one that system backup skips is a empty one!

Will windows 10 miss it when restoring or it just created this useless partition for installation purposes?

 

A disk backup is everything. That will be the slowest to run and take the most space.

I think 'System Image' in AOMEI is just the partitions needed for Windows to run, so essentially the same as the one described below.

A partition backup allows you to select which partitions you want to backup and be able to restore. If its just Windows you want to do this for then just backup the C drive. When you restore, only the C drive gets re-instated. All the others are left as they were.

Yes, I imagine so although I've never done that with AOMEI.