6 replies to this topic

[Rootman]

I have just gotten a new laptop, Windows 8.1 64 bit with UEFI boot on a GPT disk. For YEARS now I've backed up and restored my MBR legacy PCs with a personally made Windows PE and Ghost32. This no longer works. What works with the UEFI / GPT and will reliably backup and restore the OS on a 64 bit OS? I tried AOEMI which seems to support it but can't get it to work. As a test I installed a spare disk and then installed Windows 64 using UEFI / GPT and then used AOMEI to back it up. It backs up fine but if I test it by simulating a complete disk failure (or a NEW disk) by blowing off ALL the partitions it will restore and NOT boot and come to the Windows error screen. I've tried to let Win 8.1 repair the disk from the DVD OS install but it fails. Does anyone have a WORKING OS backup utility they can recommend? At this point I am seriously considering just getting another copy of 8.1 and install it in legacy / MBR mode and use it instead of the stock UEFI / GPT mode. It's only a 1tb disk, so there is no issue with legacy boot on it.

[Wonko the Sane]

It is UEFI, not EUFI (second time).

 

Any "dd-like" tool will make a working image, that can be restored at will.

If you want to make an image skipping blank sectors, etc., the easiest would be to make an image of the (protective) MBR, an image of the first 2048 sectors and rewrite a temporary partition table MBR with the values of your GPT partition(s).

The disk will become to all effects a MBR disk and you will be able to image it with whatever tools you are used to on MBR disks. 

 

Wonko

[venerence]

You can use macrium reflect, which supports uefi + gpt backup and restore.

 

http://www.macrium.c...eflectfree.aspx

 

The free edition works fine, just won't do differential or incremental backups, or dissimilar hardware restore, without paying for it.

[pscEx]

You can use macrium reflect, which supports uefi + gpt backup and restore.

 

http://www.macrium.c...eflectfree.aspx

 

The free edition works fine, just won't do differential or incremental backups, or dissimilar hardware restore, without paying for it.

I fully agree. I use reflect (paid 'Standard' version) on a Lenovo S540 with customised partitions.

 

Peter

[Rootman]

Yes, after actually paying for AOMEI and being sorely disappointed when thrashing it on a test machine, It would not faithfully restore the image. It also had terrible issues with trying to restore a SYSTEM backup to the same disk or space on a disk with more than the OS partitions. It has a long way to go. I just wish I hadn't popped for the software so fast. I just got a new laptop and one thing I do with every new PC is back it up before I even run it.

I finally tried the Macrium and WE HAVE A WINNER!

I was able to backup and restore a PC and it booted right out of the box like it should. I backed it up from within the OS, restored it from the PE media it helped create.

Booted just fine. I backed up and restored it via the PE disk from UEFI mode AND MBR mode and it ran fine too.

With AOMEI I always had to run a Windows repair to get it to boot.

One thing I noticed with AOMEI is that if the PC was UEFI you HAD to boot AOMEI in UEFI mode to get a good backup. Macrium does it right.

This is one company that's going to get an order tonight.

I just wish I had a Winbuilder script for the FULL version that would run from PE. I see the FREE version, which I may implement.

I can use the Macrium built PE disk OK but most of my backup media is encrypted using TrueCrypt, so I either have to get TC to work on the Macrium PE disk or Macrium to work on my own PE disk.

Thanks guys!

[Rootman]

Just an update.  I bought the reflect and tested it pretty thoroughly. I am still impressed as hell.  I was able to setup the Macrium Free Winbuilder script on my PE and it works very well.  That way I have TrueCrypt and other goodies I typically use.

 

I am especially impressed to the fact that no matter HOW it's backed up, through off OS PE booted UEFI or MBR, or IN the OS - it always restored a bootable fully functioning OS when restored.

 

Good stuff.

[jeenypawl]

UEFI boot is now supportable on Microsoft desktop systems too. If an operating system can be installed on a GPT hard drive, then it implies that the computer supports UEFI boot. Backing up an UEFI boot system drive is exactly the same as backing up BIOS boot. AOMEI data backuper and restore software can be used for this purpose.

You can also try CloudBacko Sopftware for UEFI+ GPT Backup and Rerstore Software. This software is very easy and realiable to use. Check this out at least one time. http://free.cloudbacko.com/?r=1d