Backup/Restore Partitions

In short, I had an issue with a recent Windows Update that messed up all printing capabilities (doesn't show any installed printers, printing from apps causes apps to freeze), as well as just made opening programs extremely slow. I had this happen last fall as well. Anyway, the recovery process has made me question what I truly need as far as "Recovery partitions" go, on my drive as I couldn't boot and attempting to use the default Windows Recovery options during advanced start up didn't work. In the end I was able to restore my image from an Aomei system image backup.

So using the approach of saving a system image backup for my C: partition for windows and robocopy nightly file backup to a NAS for my D: partition (and File History to a external USB) for all my data, and since I couldn't get the standard window recover to work, should I:

1. Try to fix my windows recovery partitions, and if so, what are all 3 of these, do I need them all, and how to fix them (
   1. *: (? not sure what this is..part of recovery or some boot partition...can I delete it?)
   2. *:WINRETOOLS
   3. *:Image (? not sure what this is either)
   4. *ELLSUPPORT (? Is this a more specific version of WINRETOOLS and hence replaces it? Or does it work within concert with WINRETOOLS...how is it even used?)
2. OR Delete them all and just use the system image recovery process (leaning towards this as I

This post from a Windows MVP seems to state as well that option 2 is the currently best advisable way.



Side Rant on Moving from Aomei to Macrium

FYI, I'm also going to move to Macrium Reflect from Aomei. Aomei support is just not that good. It is always an overnight response (for me in the US), and is not that helpful, so follow up questions take a day each for a response, resulting in many days to resolve, which I don't have when my system is down.

They're USB/WinPE method of restore I haven't been able to get to work as they can't tell me how to get the proper drivers installed in the WinPE environment so it will recognize my host NVME SSD.

I then tried booting to an external windows SSD backup instance from the affected PC, then running Restore from there, but it said that the destination drive was in use so it asked me to reboot to continue, it then reboots into some WinPE/alternate OS (which I'm not sure how as it wasn't via an external USB...maybe one of those partitions is an Aomei created one?), but anyway after it boots into this PE environment, it just has a visually distored view of Aomei sofware that says Error.

Additionally, their restore process seems to fail to realize that their "System Backup", creates a backup of the first 3 partitions as shown in the below image (*:ESP, C:, *), however, upon restoring, it makes you select to restore these 3 to a single partition, which seems like a bug, as it then did actually put all 3 of those backedup partitions inside the single C: partition upon restoration, hence duplicating the *:ESP and * partitions. As such, you have to first boot into another windows install from a USB and used Partition Assistant to remove all those partitions (*:ESP, *:ESP, C, *, *) and restored again so it just resulted in the proper 3 partitions.

In the end, I had to take out the affected drive and restore to it from a backup computer running Aomei, but that was plagued by a failed attempt the first time which made the PC unbootable after the 3 hour long process, I had to repeat it.

Tried to understand what this is all about. I can't figure out the real issue.

chadillac said:

So using the approach of saving a system image backup for my C: partition for windows

Click to expand...

All my comments use the terms used by the built-in utility Disk management [diskmgmt.msc]. I don't know what names other utilities use [so cannot interpret your diagram].

You should make a system image of the whole disk not just the C:\ partition [the partition with the OS on it].
You also need an EFI system partition [that is an intermediary between your Uefi & your OS]. Off the top of my head, I cannot remember the equivalent terms for an older Bios-based computer.

You do not have to have a [Windows] Recovery partition.
A [Windows] Recovery partition contains tools such as those you saw during that Advanced startup.
- The fact that that tools were not able to fix whatever it was that was wrong on that occasion does not mean those tools are defective.
- You can move those tools to the OS partition & ditch the Recovery partition without losing any capabilities.
- The Windows InstallationUSB contains those tools as well.
- If you have deleted the [Windows] Recovery partition, it can be rebuilt if you want.
Computer makers might use a term similar to Recovery partition for a 13GB-ish partition that they put on the disk and which contains not just the system image when the computer left the factory but also the maker's drivers & utilities. It also used to be called something similar to Factory image restoration partition.

Your DellSupport partition contains tools Dell put on there for use by its pre-installed DellSupportAssist utility.
You'll be able to find out more about that in their website's Support section.


I cannot go any further because, like Badrobot, I am not sure what else you are asking.


All the best,
Denis

I managed to decipher a couple of parts of it, I think.

the proper drivers installed in the WinPE environment so it will recognize my host NVME SSD.

Click to expand...

The op could borrow my boot media 23v7.iso
Extract the iso to usb stick with usb7ice

(*:ESP, C:, *), however, upon restoring, it makes you select to restore these 3 to a single partition

Click to expand...

?

badrobot said:

Tried to understand what this is all about. I can't figure out the real issue.

Click to expand...

Sorry for the confusion. The net of my question is: If I'm going to go the route of system image backup and restore, do I need those 4 additional partitions that seem to be related to "Recovery"?

chadillac said:

Side Rant on Moving from Aomei to Macrium

Click to expand...

I think you'd be better off making this a separate thread so that it does not complicate understanding the issue[s?] you want help with.
But, if it helps, I would always do multiple image restorations not a single one of multiple partitions [I have been as confused as you in the past so I do one partition at a time to avoid bursting into tears again].
- If I believed there was a fault in my EFI System partition, I would restore that part of the image.
- If I believed there was a fault in my C:\ drive partition, I would restore that part of the image. This is the most common restoration I do.
- If I believed there was a fault in my Recovery partition, I would restore that part of the image.

I think SIW2 might be able to guide you in restoring more than one at once.


Denis

chadillac said:

Sorry for the confusion. The net of my question is: If I'm going to go the route of system image backup and restore, do I need those 4 additional partitions that seem to be related to "Recovery"?

Click to expand...

They are each separate questions.
I could answer many of the questions if you posted a Disk mgmt diagram in which all the text was visible in both the top and bottom halves of the diagram..
Upload and Attach Images and Files in Post - ElevenForumTutorials
And do please repeat & number your questions as well as clarify which partition each is about.

Where forum software wants to replace things like D:\ with some stupid symbol, enclose those things in plain wrappers e.g.
[plain]D:\[/plain]
so they can get through unaltered.


Denis

Aomei system backup will include all the partitions needed by windows. Can restore all at once, or optionally select individual partitions(s) to restore.

SIW2 said:

Aomei system backup will include all the partitions needed by windows. Can restore all at once, or optionally select individual partitions(s) to restore.

Click to expand...

Similarly, Macrium Reflect will do the same.

Try3 said:

I could answer many of the questions if you posted a Disk mgmt diagram in which all the text was visible in both the top and bottom halves of the diagram..

Click to expand...

Here is the DiskMgmt screenshot. In my original post I did post the Aomei version of this as it provided a bit more information for each partition, i.e. giving it a name like *:WINRETOOLS vs Disk Mgmt doesn't provide this.

And do please repeat & number your questions as well as clarify which partition each is about.

Click to expand...

I'm not 100% sure what each partition is about. That was my secondary question in my original post as I was wondering which ones are purely recovery related that I could delete if using system image restores from images stored on external devices vs images stored

1. *: (? not sure what this is..part of recovery or some boot partition...can I delete it?)
2. *:WINRETOOLS
3. *:Image (? not sure what this is either)
4. *D:\ELLSUPPORT (? Is this a more specific version of WINRETOOLS and hence replaces it? Or does it work within concert with WINRETOOLS...how is it even used?)

Where forum software wants to replace things like D:\ with some stupid symbol, enclose those things in plain wrappers e.g.
D:\
so they can get through unaltered.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I was unaware that there are specific character combinations that would be manipulated and what those combinations are. And I don't see a way to edit a post, so not sure how I could fix at this point.

SIW2 said:

Aomei system backup will include all the partitions needed by windows. Can restore all at once, or optionally select individual partitions(s) to restore.

Click to expand...

Yes but this makes it a 3 step process, so the approach I came up with worked the best to restore all 3 in a single, and hence shorter, timeframe. I am just surprised that the UI doesn't allow you to map each source partition to a secific destination partition when there is more than one source. Or at least give a warning of some sort that you will be writing 3 to 1, but maybe I'm just picky because I design software for a living.

This is what I think and I have also noted what I don't understand.

I never keep the system image created by Dell. It is out of date when the computer is delivered.
I rely on making my own system images and on backing up my drivers & downloading any Dell utilities I want from the same Dell support webpages I go to for driver downloads.
then
Clean Install Windows - ElevenForumTutorials
Backup and Restore Device Drivers - ElevenForumTutorials



Denis

Try3 said:

I do not understand why one of these is not labelled as the Recovery partition in the Disk mgmt list

Click to expand...

This might help in that regard.
22H2 Question: fresh install, yet mutiple recovery partitions ? (GPT) - TenForums


Denis

???

I can't make head or tail of this

can you please state clearly ---

1) What's the problem -- i.e system boots / doesn't boot
2) Disk Geometry of Windows system you are trying to boot --i.e Disk layout
3) Disk Geometry of last working system (if you have it)
4) what are you using for creating new target Windows system.

Just answer in one sentence each. Everything else is just pure obfuscation and makes the whole problem much harder to understand -- if one can even understand in the first place.

I'd bet around 35% or more of all Windows problems could be solved if people could just describe in simple terms what their problem is.

Cheers
jimbo