cloning with Macrium Reflect Free

I've been using Macrium Reflects (free version) to do
some cloning of single-partition Windows 7 OSes from
one drive to single partitions on another drive. The
copy of the OSes go well, but there seems no way to
tell Reflect to include the boot sector or the MBR as well.
I've had to resort to using the Win7 installation DVD
to run various repairs or bootrec.exe to supply the MBR
or boot sectors. Is there a way to signal Reflect to do
this as part of the cloning?

*TimDaniels*

Timothy Daniels wrote

I've been using Macrium Reflects (free version) to do
some cloning of single-partition Windows 7 OSes from
one drive to single partitions on another drive. The
copy of the OSes go well, but there seems no way to
tell Reflect to include the boot sector or the MBR as well.
I've had to resort to using the Win7 installation DVD
to run various repairs or bootrec.exe to supply the MBR
or boot sectors. Is there a way to signal Reflect to do
this as part of the cloning?

I just use True Image to clone.

On 08/08/2013 4:17 AM, Timothy Daniels wrote:
I've been using Macrium Reflects (free version) to do
some cloning of single-partition Windows 7 OSes from
one drive to single partitions on another drive. The
copy of the OSes go well, but there seems no way to
tell Reflect to include the boot sector or the MBR as well.
I've had to resort to using the Win7 installation DVD
to run various repairs or bootrec.exe to supply the MBR
or boot sectors. Is there a way to signal Reflect to do
this as part of the cloning?

There's a ready-made option in there called "Create an image of the
partition(s) required to backup and restore Windows". That should do
what you want.

Yousuf Khan

"Yousuf Khan" replied:
Timothy Daniels wrote:
I've been using Macrium Reflects (free version) to do
some cloning of single-partition Windows 7 OSes from
one drive to single partitions on another drive. The
copy of the OSes go well, but there seems no way to
tell Reflect to include the boot sector or the MBR as well.
I've had to resort to using the Win7 installation DVD
to run various repairs or bootrec.exe to supply the MBR
or boot sectors. Is there a way to signal Reflect to do
this as part of the cloning?

There's a ready-made option in there called "Create an image of the
partition(s) required to backup and restore Windows". That should do
what you want.

Yousuf Khan

But I'm not trying to create partition images, I'm creating
partition clones - sector for sector copies of single partitions
that they can be directly booted without having to be
"restored" through expansion from one humongous file as
images are. Ghost and True Image and Casper can do this
plus include the boot sectors, and writing the MBR is given
as an option. But those utilities cost money, and I'd prefer
right now to not spend money.

*TimDaniels*

"Rod Speed" commented:
Timothy Daniels wrote
I've been using Macrium Reflects (free version) to do
some cloning of single-partition Windows 7 OSes from
one drive to single partitions on another drive. The
copy of the OSes go well, but there seems no way to
tell Reflect to include the boot sector or the MBR as well.
I've had to resort to using the Win7 installation DVD
to run various repairs or bootrec.exe to supply the MBR
or boot sectors. Is there a way to signal Reflect to do
this as part of the cloning?

I just use True Image to clone.

Is there a free version of True Image available?

*TimDaniels*

"Timothy Daniels" wrote in message
m...

"Rod Speed" commented:
Timothy Daniels wrote
I've been using Macrium Reflects (free version) to do
some cloning of single-partition Windows 7 OSes from
one drive to single partitions on another drive. The
copy of the OSes go well, but there seems no way to
tell Reflect to include the boot sector or the MBR as well.
I've had to resort to using the Win7 installation DVD
to run various repairs or bootrec.exe to supply the MBR
or boot sectors. Is there a way to signal Reflect to do
this as part of the cloning?

I just use True Image to clone.

Is there a free version of True Image available?

Yes, but it's a rather older version and the last time
I checked needs to be able to see a Seagate drive.

Not that that last is a major problem with now just
3 drive manufacturers around.

Not sure how well it works with Win7 tho.

On 08/09/13 12:35 pm, Timothy Daniels wrote:

I've been using Macrium Reflects (free version) to do
some cloning of single-partition Windows 7 OSes from
one drive to single partitions on another drive. The
copy of the OSes go well, but there seems no way to
tell Reflect to include the boot sector or the MBR as well.
I've had to resort to using the Win7 installation DVD
to run various repairs or bootrec.exe to supply the MBR
or boot sectors. Is there a way to signal Reflect to do
this as part of the cloning?

There's a ready-made option in there called "Create an image of the
partition(s) required to backup and restore Windows". That should do
what you want.

Yousuf Khan

But I'm not trying to create partition images, I'm creating
partition clones - sector for sector copies of single partitions
that they can be directly booted without having to be
"restored" through expansion from one humongous file as
images are. Ghost and True Image and Casper can do this
plus include the boot sectors, and writing the MBR is given
as an option. But those utilities cost money, and I'd prefer
right now to not spend money.

Minitool Partition Wizard Home Edition (free) should do what you want:

http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-...n-manager.html

Perce

"Percival P. Cassidy" replied:
Timothy Daniels wrote:

I've been using Macrium Reflects (free version) to do
some cloning of single-partition Windows 7 OSes from
one drive to single partitions on another drive. The
copy of the OSes go well, but there seems no way to
tell Reflect to include the boot sector or the MBR as well.
I've had to resort to using the Win7 installation DVD
to run various repairs or bootrec.exe to supply the MBR
or boot sectors. Is there a way to signal Reflect to do
this as part of the cloning?

There's a ready-made option in there called "Create an image of the
partition(s) required to backup and restore Windows". That should do
what you want.

Yousuf Khan

But I'm not trying to create partition images, I'm creating
partition clones - sector for sector copies of single partitions
that they can be directly booted without having to be
"restored" through expansion from one humongous file as
images are. Ghost and True Image and Casper can do this
plus include the boot sectors, and writing the MBR is given
as an option. But those utilities cost money, and I'd prefer
right now to not spend money.

Minitool Partition Wizard Home Edition (free) should do what you want:

http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-...n-manager.html

Perce

It looks handy to have - and they will answer questions, and they're
in my time zone (Pacific). Thanks for the info. I'll check it out if I get
burned out from working with Macrium's Reflect.

*TimDaniels*

On 8/8/2013 4:17 AM, Timothy Daniels wrote:
I've been using Macrium Reflects (free version) to do
some cloning of single-partition Windows 7 OSes from
one drive to single partitions on another drive. The
copy of the OSes go well, but there seems no way to
tell Reflect to include the boot sector or the MBR as well.
I've had to resort to using the Win7 installation DVD
to run various repairs or bootrec.exe to supply the MBR
or boot sectors. Is there a way to signal Reflect to do
this as part of the cloning?

Clonezilla ? Gparted ?

"Edward Diener" questioned:
On 8/8/2013 4:17 AM, Timothy Daniels wrote:
I've been using Macrium Reflects (free version) to do
some cloning of single-partition Windows 7 OSes from
one drive to single partitions on another drive. The
copy of the OSes go well, but there seems no way to
tell Reflect to include the boot sector or the MBR as well.
I've had to resort to using the Win7 installation DVD
to run various repairs or bootrec.exe to supply the MBR
or boot sectors. Is there a way to signal Reflect to do
this as part of the cloning?

Clonezilla ? Gparted ?

Are you asking or suggesting? Those 2 utilities would
have copied ntldr and boot.ini in the days of Win98/NT/2K/XP,
and notepad would have easily edited the boot menu, but
the BCD of Vista/Win7/Win8 is another beast, and I don't
know that Clonezilla and/or GParted can handle the BCD
due to the complication of Globally Unique Identifiers.
Have you used those 2 utilities to clone instances of the
recent Windows OSes and to set up the new partition's
boot sector and the boot menu?

*TimDaniels*