How to recover disk image acronis true image. Recovering a hard drive. Creating a small partition on a hard drive with Acronis True Image

It is believed that on a new computer or on the same, but after replacing significant components, it is better to roll Windows over a new one. But what if you really don't want to lose a finely tuned system for yourself, configure it again, install a bunch of software, and you need to move to another hardware? In this case, you can act in different ways:

To create your own distribution kit on the basis of the established Windows - to untie the components and pack the system into an installation image, as we once did with the example of "Dozens";

Connect a hard drive to a new computer, clone Windows and, if problems arise with its launch on new hardware, try to fix them;

Make a backup copy of the system, restore it on another computer and, again, play with troubleshooting problems that may appear;

To resort to the previous two options, but using technology Acronis Universal Restore.

Friends, I propose to talk about this technology and its application below.

About technology

Acronis Universal Restore is a remedy for errors that may appear when restoring a non-native Windows backup to a PC or laptop due to the presence of inappropriate drivers. The technology was created by the company-developer Acronis primarily for the business environment in order to simplify the deployment of a properly configured operating system on corporate machines. Just like the standard utility for preparing Windows for deployment to other Sysprep devices, Universal Restore unlinks components. But it can also do what Sysprep cannot do - install drivers for hard disk controllers and other components from a custom distribution. And that is, friends, from a custom distribution. Universal Restore is only a technology for adapting Windows to new hardware, but not a 100% working system recovery tool with a database of all kinds of drivers. Only if we indicate the path to the folder where we store the drivers necessary for the operation of a separate filling of the target computer, this technology will be able to help us.

Universal Restore is not a back-up mechanism with an initial decoupling of components, as many believe. Unlinking components and installing drivers on a new computer is carried out after restoring the system from a backup. This technology works in tandem with the Acronis regular backup mechanism. As, however, it can work in tandem with backup or cloning mechanisms from other developers. Or even it can be applied without transferring the system in cases such as changing the mode of the hard disk controller. This technology simply exists in the form of an add-on to Acronis bootable media, which, in fact, binds the user to using the backup mechanism from Acronis.

Well, now let's look at a real example of how this technology works. Using Acronis bootable media, create a Windows backup on the source computer, restore the system on the target computer, then adapt it to the new hardware using Universal Restore.

Preparatory actions

Let me remind you, friends, Universal Restore is only a mechanism for introducing drivers into Windows ported to other hardware. It is our task to ensure the availability of the drivers themselves. You either need to connect the DVD that comes with your laptop or PC motherboard to the target computer. Or place the folder with the distribution kit of the drivers downloaded from the Internet, say, on the same media where the system backup will be stored.

• Note: if you are transferring Windows from an old PC or laptop, where the BIOS was set to the IDE hard drive controller mode, and the new device is in AHCI mode, be sure, friends, take care of the AHCI driver installers. The same goes for the situation of moving the system to a device with a RAID array.

Creating bootable media with Acronis Universal Restore

Backup tools from Acronis, including the Universal Restore add-on, can be found on board various artisanal Live-disks. But the official, it is also honest, it is also a 100% safe way to use this technology is to create a media inside the installed Windows environment and activated Acronis True Image. You can create bootable media with Universal Restore in the environment of the current version of True Image 2018 as follows.

• Note: Friends, in order to create bootable media from Acronis True Image, it is fundamentally important that it be activated. The media created in the trial version of the program will provide access to the Universal Restore add-on, but will be inoperable in terms of creating a backup.

In the True Image environment, go to the "Tools" section, click "Acronis Universal Restore".

We press "Download".

Download the program to your computer using the link that opens in the browser. Install this program. And we launch. This is the Universal Restore Bootable Media Builder.

Follow the step by step wizard.

We leave everything as default.

Selecting components. Two components are of fundamental importance here - True Image (backup software) and Universal Restore technology. It is also important to choose their 64-bit versions so as not to bother with disabling UEFI in the BIOS of computers with this interface active. But you can choose all the components, all this weighs no more than 900 MB.

We choose a medium - a USB flash drive, an optical disc or, in my case, an ISO file.

In the case of choosing ISO, we give the file a name and indicate the path to save it.

At this stage, you can include drivers for IDE, AHCI, RAID controllers in the media in case the system is transferred to a more modern, on the contrary, older computer or with a RAID array.

Let's continue.

The media has been created.

Backing up Windows to the original computer

You can make a Windows backup using Acronis tools both inside the system, using the interface of the installed True Image (described in detail), and using the functionality on board the bootable media. I, friends, will choose the last method.

We start the computer from bootable media. On systems with an active UEFI interface, launch True Image in such an ascetic menu by entering the number 2.

If the normal BIOS mode is active, launch True Image from the menu with a graphical interface.

Selecting disk backup.

We indicate the system partitions: three partitions (usually) for GPT disks and two partitions for MBR disks.

Create a new backup archive and click the browse button.

We indicate the disk partition or media on which the backup will be stored. We give the name of the backup.

In the summary of assigned operations, we check if we have specified everything correctly. And let's start creating a backup.

As a result, turn off the computer and connect its internal disk or removable media to the target computer.

Restoring Windows from a backup on the target computer

Boot the target computer from Acronis bootable media. And, as in the previous case, select the True Image environment. Now go to the "Recovery" section and look for our backup.

We restore it.

We select all system partitions for recovery.

We indicate the destination - the entire disk of the target computer or its separate section.

We carefully check everything and proceed to the operation.

After that, we boot from the Acronis media again. And we adapt to the new hardware using the Universal Restore technology.

Working with Acronis Universal Restore

On UEFI systems, to launch the UEF Universal Restore environment, press number 1.

How to recover non-bootable Windows using Acronis True Image 2016 bootable media from a previously created backup? Creating a Windows backup with settings, drivers, installed programs and games is a reliable way to save the system and data for further resuscitation in the event of a system failure, virus infection, deletion of important files and a host of other problems. Despite the presence of standard functionality for system backup in Windows, third-party software is used for these purposes in most cases. And quite often users rely on Windows resuscitation software Acronis True Image, which has been the market leader in data backup and recovery software for more than ten years. Having made a Windows backup in advance using Acronis True Image, in case of problems with the system, it can be reanimated by rolling back to the state from this very backup. Even if Windows won't boot, True Image rescue media comes in handy.

We will discuss this entire process below in detail: create a Windows backup in Acronis True Image 2016 and restore it using bootable media.

Free trial version of Acronis True Image 2016

In the latest versions of 2015 and 2016, the True Image interface has become simpler and more intuitive than its predecessor versions. The organization and appearance of the program match Windows 8.1 and 10: simple lines and shapes prevail in the design of the interface, and large controls simplify touch control. Acronis even claims superior backup and recovery performance - as much as 50% faster than the competition.

Acronis True Image 2016 is a paid software product. By purchasing the program, we get not only the functionality for backing up Windows, but also a lot of other features:

• Several ways to restore Windows, including Startup Repair by pressing the F11 key;
• transferring Windows to a computer with a different hardware;
• safe Windows sandbox mode;
• other useful functions.

Acronis offers a full-month trial version of True Image for free, with some functional limitations, which do not include Windows Backup and Restore. As well as the ability to create bootable media is not limited. Let's make the most of this free option, and to get started, download this free version of True Image 2016 from the official Acronis True Image website.

To receive a link to download the trial version, you must leave your email address to Acronis. Subsequently, it will occasionally receive letters informing about Acronis products, promotions, discounts, etc.

After installing and launching the program, we can close the login to the Acronis cloud storage account, which is offered from the start, and confirm the use of True Image in trial mode.

Creating a Windows backup

In the True Image window, we need the first section. Click "Whole Computer".

In our case, only the system partition with Windows is backed up, so the further choice will be, respectively, "Disks and Partitions".

In the window for selecting a backup source, tick only system partition C... Click "Ok".

In the window for choosing a backup destination, you must specify the location where the copy of Windows will be stored. The program provides for saving a copy during its creation on:

• local computer space,
• removable media (USB-HDD),
• network resources, in particular, in the Acronis cloud storage.

What's better? Cloud storage from the creator of the program is practically imposed on users, since this pleasure is paid. However, the cloud service from Acronis, or any other web resource are not the most reliable places for storing data if there is no high-speed Internet. And how, in some cases, an inoperative Windows will be able to connect to the Internet? Connecting to local network resources can also be problematic. The most reliable place to store your backups is an additional internal or external hard drive. A non-system partition on the same hard disk where the system partition with Windows is located is not the best storage place, because if this disk fails, you will be left without backups.

In our case, there is no external hard drive, but there is a connected internal HDD, therefore, in the backup destination window, select "Browse".

We will specially designate one of the partitions on the second internal HDD for storing Windows backups and call this partition Backup to make it easier to navigate during recovery. If, when choosing a storage location for a backup in the tree structure of the computer, disk partitions are not expanded, the specific path to the storage directory folder can be entered in the column at the top with the inscription "Save a copy to:"... After choosing the storage location for the copy, click "OK".

Next, we will see a window for starting the process of creating a backup. In the left corner at the bottom of the window there is the "Options" option, this is the Acronis True Image configuration functionality that allows you to set flexible options - for example, set a periodic backup on a schedule or select an incremental backup method, when only changes are made to each next copy. Also in the parameters, you can exclude certain types of files or directories from the backup, configure duplicate copies in an alternative location, select a low priority for Acronis True Image to allocate computer resources for parallel operations, etc.

In our case, we will not resort to additional settings, but we will immediately start creating a backup copy. We press the button "Create a copy". By the way, Acronis True Image allows you to postpone this moment for several hours in the drop-down list of this button.

During the creation of a backup, at any time, you can tick off the computer shutdown and go about your business.

After the operation is completed, the backup copy will appear in the window of the first section of the program. In the same section, you can start the process of restoring from a backup - even Windows, at least individual files.

In our case, we will not start the Windows recovery process inside the installed program. Let's complicate the task and create Acronis True Image bootable media in order to consider the process of recovering non-bootable Windows.

Create bootable media

To create bootable media, go to the "Tools" tab of the program and select Bootable Media Builder.

Since the free trial version of Acronis True Image 2016 is limited to a one-month trial period, this process should not be delayed. By the way, bootable media will allow you to restore Windows, but being created as part of the free trial version of the program, it will not allow you to create a backup, as provided in the full version of Acronis True Image 2016.

We choose the first type of bootable media.

In the next window, you need to select the medium itself - DVD-disc, USB flash drive or ISO-file for storage and subsequent recording on any of the media. If you select a DVD or USB flash drive, Acronis True Image will carry out the burning process itself. Keeping an entire USB flash drive for a rainy day will surely be an excessive luxury for many. It would be more practical for these purposes to allocate a DVD-disc or create an ISO-file, which can, for example, be stored on another computer and at the right time written to a USB flash drive. Plus, Acronis True Image does not know how to create UEFI flash drives, and computers with UEFI BIOS will in any case need software with the ability to create bootable UEFI flash drives.

In our case, we will select the ISO file and indicate the path to save it.

We press the button "Proceed".

Bootable media has been created.

Windows recovery

Suppose that the same rainy day has arrived, and Windows will not boot. We go into the BIOS and set the computer to boot from a DVD or flash drive created in Acronis True Image. The start window of the bootable media will offer several options for further actions, of which you must select launch Acronis True Image 2016 with the appropriate bit depth.

In the recovery window, click either "Refresh backups" so that Acronis True Image finds files of its own format by itself, or using the button "Search for a backup" specify the path to the desired file.

As soon as the backups appear in the Acronis True Image window, open the necessary context menu and click "Restore".

Choosing a recovery method: in our case, we are talking about resuscitating Windows, and not folders and files, so we choose "Recover disks and partitions"... Click "Next".

Selecting items to recover: in this window, tick both the system partition C and the MBR boot record. Click "Next".

In the window for specifying recovery settings, in our case, no changes will be made, and, in principle, something will have to be changed unless Windows is transferred as a separate partition to another connected hard drive. Click "Next".

If several internal hard drives are connected to the computer, then Acronis True Image will ask you to specify one of them to restore the MBR boot record. We indicate and click "Next".

The preparation is complete, we can proceed directly to the Windows recovery process.

The recovery progress window is equipped with options to automatically restart and shutdown the computer after the process is complete. You can use them if necessary.

Recovery completed successfully.

Now we can set the BIOS to boot from the hard drive again and test the reanimated Windows.

Have a great day!

Sometimes there are cases when you need to quickly restore Windows with programs and drivers. Most laptop manufacturers come with hidden partitions and / or recovery discs. With their help, you can restore the system to the state as at the time of purchase. Read more about this in this article.

Despite the many positive aspects, the pre-installed Windows recovery systems have a number of disadvantages:

They are very finicky. They often require the original MBR, a specific partition structure, and the hidden partitions themselves to work; Not only Windows itself with drivers is restored, but also a large number of unnecessary programs, which then have to be removed; Hidden partitions take up quite a lot of space, if you delete them according to these instructions, then you will need to restore them before restoring the system.

The user can face a number of inconveniences and problems. Among them, one can single out the need to recover hidden partitions along with the MBR, and the need to remove many unnecessary programs that came with the laptop, and install programs and updates, and the system configuration itself, and so on.

How can these problems be solved? How can you quickly and without unnecessary headaches get an already configured system, with installed updates and fresh drivers, with all the necessary programs and documents?

Allows you to very conveniently and easily solve these problems. First, we use it to pack all the files from the Windows partition, and then, if necessary, restore the system from the archive (image). As a result, we get everything as it was at the time of packing. Fast and easy. Let's consider working with this utility in more detail.

This utility is used to create backups and restore information, you can download it from our link: Acronis True Image 2017 20.0.5554

To organize a Windows recovery system on a laptop with programs and drivers, you must:

1. Installing and configuring Windows

Installing Windows has already been described in detail on this resource Installing Windows XP, Installing Windows Vista, Installing Windows 7, Installing Windows 8 / 8.1, Installing Windows 10 so I will not dwell on it. After installing Windows with drivers, install and configure the necessary programs. In other words, we bring the system into the form that it should have after restoration.

2. Creating an image of the system partition

At this stage, we, roughly speaking, will copy all the files from the partition of the hard drive with Windows into one archive, which is called the image. This will help us.

Install and run. In the Operations top menu, select the Archive item:

Since we need to create an image of the entire partition, select the My Computer item:

Now we indicate the section where you have Windows installed:

Since we make a backup copy only once, we can safely turn off scheduling and click Next

Important note: Acronis True Image allows you to perform archiving on a specific schedule. It is possible to create a complete image of a partition, as well as incremental or differential images.

Let's consider them in more detail.

A complete image is essentially an archive with all files.
An incremental image is an archive with changes since the last backup.
A differential image is an archive with changes since the creation of the full image.

To recover from a differential image, you need the differential image itself, as well as the full image.

To recover from incremental images, you need the full image and all the incremental images. Differential and incremental images are often much smaller than full images. This is because they only contain changes to the complete image compared to the situation at the time of archiving. If you schedule a backup once a day, for example, then even in the event of a serious system failure, you can get a working system in 10-15 minutes as it was yesterday. A very handy thing.

Since we are imaging the system for the first time, choose Complete:

Here you can select which files you shouldn't write to the image. ... Click Next:

On this tab you can adjust the compression level of the files in the image. On another tab, you can specify the settings for splitting the image file:

Many other settings are also available there. When done, click Next. On this page, you can add a comment to the image:

To start the process of creating an image, click on the Start button:

As a result, you will receive a message like this:

That's all. The system image has been created. Now let's move on to the next step.

3. Creating a disk to run Acronis True Image

or an area on the hard drive to run this program without a disk

Naturally, the utility itself is needed to restore the system from the previously created image. How to start it if Windows does not boot at all?

There is a way to run this utility:

Download the finished utility image Acronis True Image 2016 19.0.6571 BootCD Acronis True Image 2016 19.0.6571 BootCD

and having previously written it to DVD or USB media and boot from it via BIOS. How to create such a disk yourself, read below.

Let's consider these methods separately.

3.1 Burning a disc with Acronis True Image

This is an easier and more reliable method, but it has one very significant drawback: you need a disk and a floppy drive. According to the law of meanness, when Windows crashes on a laptop, the necessary disks from somewhere temporarily disappear :)

Let's consider how to burn such a disc. To do this, start and select the item in the Service menu Create a boot disk:

If other Acronis products are installed on your computer or laptop, you can also burn them to disk. Select on the left and click Next

Select your blank CD / DVD drive:

Important note: this utility also allows you to create an ISO image for later burning or organize a download over the network.

To start recording, click Start

That's all. The disk is ready:

To run the utility, you need to boot from it.

3.2 Creating a small partition on a hard drive with Acronis True Image

This way of running the utility is more interesting. Unlike the previous method, this does not require a disk. The program is written on a hidden partition of the hard drive and is loaded when you press the F11 key at boot time. This method is perfect for owners of netbooks and portable laptops without a CD / DVD drive.

To create a copy of the program on the hard drive, select the item in the Service menu Startup recovery:

Select from the list from which section to "bite off" free space for a small hidden section for the program:

We indicate the volume of the hidden section and put a tick next to Activate:

Important note: in addition to the program itself, backup copies can be stored on this section. It can be made more, as well as assign a password for access. This section is hidden from most programs. Read more about it in the instructions for.

In our case, the password can be omitted:

This page lists all the proposed changes. To apply them, click on the Proceed button:

The system may ask you to reboot:

In this case, all changes will be made when the system boots:

That's all. Now, when loading, such a window will appear prompting you to run

If you press F11, it will boot. To remove the hidden section and return everything as it was, go to the Tools menu, select the item Acronis Secure Zone, click on the Delete button and indicate to which section to attach the hidden section.

4. Restoring Windows with programs and drivers from an image

Let's now consider how to restore the system from the previously created image.

First you need to boot from disk or F11 from a hidden partition. Select Acronis True Image Home from the menu:

After a while, the utility itself will start. Click on the Restore button:

Click (if necessary) on Search for a backup:

We indicate where the image itself is saved:

Select the image in the list below and click Restore:

Selecting an item Recover disks or partitions:

We select the partition of the hard drive in the image that needs to be restored:

Important note: if you ran from disk, then you should check the box next to MBR, if you ran through F11, then uncheck the box next to MBR.

Click on New storage:

We indicate the section to which you are going to restore the image and click Accept. It is very important here to select the section where the system was and from which you captured the image.

Click on Change default settings:

For the system partition, set the type Main and active:

Click on Change default settings:

In the fields Free space before and after the partition set 0:

To start the recovery, click on Proceed:

We wait a bit:

That's all:

The recovery of the system partition is complete. Now all that remains is to reboot the laptop and get a working system.

Used as an alternative to the standard Windows functionality for backup and data recovery, the software product from company Acronis work on resuscitation of the operating system can be carried out in desktop mode, and from removable media, and even in its own recovery environment. Just as you can get to the pre-boot troubleshooting mode of Windows 7 by pressing the F8 key during system boot, you can get to the Acronis Recovery Environment by pressing the F11 key during boot.

The Acronis Recovery Environment will be discussed below. Consider the work of the functional Acronis True Image 2016 in Windows pre-boot mode.

1. Acronis Recovery Environment at Windows Startup

Getting into the Acronis Recovery Environment at Windows startup is much easier than fiddling with the standard system environment. In versions of Windows 8.1 and 10, the moment from the computer self-test to the system boot process is very fast. And the F8 key, as well as the Shift + F8 combination, with the help of which, ideally, the standard recovery environment is supposedly launched, the operating system simply does not have time to perceive. The Acronis loader will also flicker on the monitor screen for a short time, only a couple of seconds, but this time will be enough to press the rescue key F11.

Acronis Recovery Environment at Windows Startup- this is the same functionality that True Image offers on a removable media created in the desktop mode of the program. This is the ability to recover Windows, non-system disk partitions and individual files in the pre-boot mode of Acronis True Image, regardless of the operating system. In the event of a critical failure of Windows, when it stops loading, you can get into the Acronis Recovery Environment without a bootable USB flash drive or DVD, just by pressing the F11 key. And there already to carry out an operation to restore the system from a previously saved backup.

Naturally, Acronis Recovery Environment increases the usual Windows boot time for the very few seconds allotted for pressing the F11 key. But eliminates the need to create and store bootable media. So, many modern PCs and laptops are already equipped without a DVD drive, and the only bootable media in such cases can only be flash drive... If there is no second computer device in the house so that you can quickly create a bootable Acronis True Image USB flash drive, you will have to donate a separate USB flash drive in case of problems with Windows.

Alas, not all users will be able to use Acronis Recovery Environment when Windows starts at a critical moment. Many owners of devices with BIOS new format UEFI they would have to give up its advantages and turn on the regular BIOS if they choose to use a tool such as a third-party Windows Startup Recovery Environment. Perhaps this problem will be resolved in the future.

Acronis Recovery Environment is activated at Windows startup inside the True Image desktop program. Below we will consider the operation of the recovery environment using the current version of 2016 of Acronis True Image as of the date of this writing.

1. Activating Acronis Recovery Environment

Launch True Image.

When using the trial version of True Image 2016, which can be downloaded for free on the official Acronis website and tested for free for a month, press the button.

In our case, there are already two Windows backups stored on a non-system partition of the disk.

Switch to the program section and press the inscription "More tools".

System Explorer will open with individual True Image utilities. We launch the utility.

In the window for activating the recovery environment when booting Windows, click, respectively,.

Recovery environment activated successfully.

That's it - after that, every time you start Windows, we will see the Acronis bootloader window for a couple of seconds with a notification that you can get into the recovery environment by pressing the F11 key.

1. Windows recovery

Having got into the Acronis recovery environment using the F11 key, in case of problems with Windows, we can return it to the state from a previously created backup. Press Enter in the boot menu window.

We get to the start page of the True Image functionality in pre-boot mode. We choose.

In the next window, click "Refresh backups" so that all files on the computer ".Tib"- files of the Acronis True Image backup format - appeared in the table below. If the scan does not automatically find Acronis backups, you can specify the path to them manually using the search button below. After the available backups appear in the table below, select the current one, call the context menu on it and select.

Recovery method for Windows resuscitation - disks and partitions. We press "Further".

We put marks on the boot record MBR, and on the section with Windows ... We press "Further".

We do not change anything in the recovery configuration. Just click "Further".

In the target disk selection window (the disk to which the data will be restored) in our case, only one hard disk is visible. Therefore, you do not need to choose anything. We press "Further".

Windows recovery process has started. We can wait until it completes, or we can use the options to automatically shutdown the computer or restart.

After restarting the computer, we will find Windows in the state in which it was saved when the newly used backup was created.

You can disable Acronis Recovery Environment in exactly the same way as enabling it. We go to the program section, press the inscription "More tools", run the utility from the system explorer. Only now we press the inscription "Deactivate".

Download Acronis True Image 2016 from the official website.

I continue with a small series of articles about how to make a backup copy of the operating system, set up a backup plan and, if anything, restore the system from this copy. There is probably no point in talking about the importance of these actions. But still, I want to remind everyone, and especially novice IT specialists, about the importance of backups. This is especially true for servers. If you are starting to maintain a fleet of machines and servers, the first thing to check is system redundancy. If this is not done, then be sure to configure.

You can read about how to create a backup copy. I wrote about how to create a bootable disk in the last article, it is located. Now I will describe the very process of restoring the system from a backup. This can be done both on the new hardware and on the old one.

How to recover the system using Acronis Backup

And so the boot image is ready now it's time to proceed directly to restore the system from the created archive. To do this, boot from the previously created image and select the Acronis Backup item and the required version of the 32/64 system.

In the next window, select Manage this machine locally.

Now we click to restore data from a backup.

Indicates the path to the backup, the image can be uploaded to a flash drive in the cloud or a local network, in general, choose any option convenient for you, I personally use a local network. By the way, you need to specify not the file but the folder in which it lies.

After Acronis finds the backup in the Backup content item, you need to mark all volumes.

Then the system recovery process will start. It will take some time, you just need to wait a little.

After the recovery is complete, restart the computer. And you can look at the result, if you did everything right, then everything should work out. If you have any questions, write in the comments, I will try to answer and help everyone.