StorageCraft's ShadowProtect

[Robin Bignall]

Is there anyone out there who uses this expensive but excellent product?

I have used it for some years, but I have never had to restore a
partitioned disk and W7 forces your system disk to be partitioned
whether you like it or not.

I want to replace my 300 gig system disk with a 512 gig SSD. I have no
idea how to go about it. Of course, I know I have to boot from the SC
boot disk, and then I have to restore "reserved" and "C:" (or the other
way around), without the system trying to reboot between them, and I
have to then make "reserved" active and bootable. But the precise
details of whether and how SP handles the partitioning and the restores
are a mystery.

Why am I asking here? I have lost my password to the SC forums where
the experts reside, and their "change password" mechanism simply does
not work.

Can anyone help?

 

[Paul]

Is there anyone out there who uses this expensive but excellent product?

I have used it for some years, but I have never had to restore a
partitioned disk and W7 forces your system disk to be partitioned
whether you like it or not.

I want to replace my 300 gig system disk with a 512 gig SSD. I have no
idea how to go about it. Of course, I know I have to boot from the SC
boot disk, and then I have to restore "reserved" and "C:" (or the other
way around), without the system trying to reboot between them, and I
have to then make "reserved" active and bootable. But the precise
details of whether and how SP handles the partitioning and the restores
are a mystery.

Why am I asking here? I have lost my password to the SC forums where
the experts reside, and their "change password" mechanism simply does
not work.

Can anyone help?

Are you sure you can't do it with some other tool ?

Is it a matter of having paid for that tool, and wanting to see it in action ?

Both Seagate and Western Digital, provide tools for copying disks. As long
as one of the disks is Seagate (for the seagate tool) or WD (for the
Western Digital tool), the tool should run.

There are free Partition Manager applications for download on the web.

Free backup utilities (like Macrium Reflect).

Many backup utilities rely on VSS, which is capable of copying Windows 7
"hot", without a reboot. For example, I could use the Windows 7 "System
Image" capability, to backup Windows 7 to an external disk, plug in the
SSD, and restore to the SSD if I wanted. And I'd use the "Recovery Console"
CD that Microsoft tells you to burn, to do the restore of the System Image.

So in terms of performing the basic function, there are plenty of options.

But at this point, do you absolutely insist on the StorageCraft
product, or do you just want to get the job done ?

Some of the SSD manufacturers, will provide FAQ pages or a forum,
filled with details on what things to enable or disable, to
make "optimum" usage of an SSD. For example, you don't defragment
an SSD (and Windows 7 should refuse to do it). It should generally
cost you an evening of research, to learn a few things about
SSDs, before prepping yours.

Yes, you can "just copy it", and it'll work. But you could lose
half the peak performance by doing it that way. And Windows 7 already
knows some of the things necessary to make it work right (if you
install Windows 7 from scratch to an SSD).

Paul

 

[...winston]

Sorry no experience with Shadow Protect but have had satisfactory results
using Acronis, Windows Backup Restore and drive manufacturer tools on
restoring and/or cloning to existing and new drives for Win7.

Fyi...
Regarding Win7 separate system and boot partition
See:
http://www.mydigitallife.info/how-t...m-been-created-during-windows-7-installation/


--
....winston
msft mvp mail


"Robin Bignall" wrote in message

Is there anyone out there who uses this expensive but excellent product?

I have used it for some years, but I have never had to restore a
partitioned disk and W7 forces your system disk to be partitioned
whether you like it or not.

I want to replace my 300 gig system disk with a 512 gig SSD. I have no
idea how to go about it. Of course, I know I have to boot from the SC
boot disk, and then I have to restore "reserved" and "C:" (or the other
way around), without the system trying to reboot between them, and I
have to then make "reserved" active and bootable. But the precise
details of whether and how SP handles the partitioning and the restores
are a mystery.

Why am I asking here? I have lost my password to the SC forums where
the experts reside, and their "change password" mechanism simply does
not work.

Can anyone help?

 

[Joe Morris]

I have used it for some years, but I have never had to restore a
partitioned disk and W7 forces your system disk to be partitioned
whether you like it or not.

All Microsoft systems require that hard disks (system or otherwise) be
partitioned, dating back to the days of MS-DOS.

If you're saying that more than one partition on a disk is required by
Windows 7, that's not correct unless you're using Bitlocker.

Joe

 

[Robin Bignall]

All Microsoft systems require that hard disks (system or otherwise) be
partitioned, dating back to the days of MS-DOS.

If you're saying that more than one partition on a disk is required by
Windows 7, that's not correct unless you're using Bitlocker.

I installed the XP system on a disk with one partition. When I
installed W7 32 system, it divided the system disk into two partitions.
I had no say in the matter. I have no idea what Bitlocker is. I
installed from a M$ W7 Ultimate disk.

 

[Robin Bignall]

Are you sure you can't do it with some other tool ?

I expect I can, but that's not the point.

Is it a matter of having paid for that tool, and wanting to see it in action ?

I've seen it in action over several years and am very happy with it. I
just don't know how to handle a system disk with more than one
partition.

Both Seagate and Western Digital, provide tools for copying disks. As long
as one of the disks is Seagate (for the seagate tool) or WD (for the
Western Digital tool), the tool should run.

There are free Partition Manager applications for download on the web.

Free backup utilities (like Macrium Reflect).

Many backup utilities rely on VSS, which is capable of copying Windows 7
"hot", without a reboot. For example, I could use the Windows 7 "System
Image" capability, to backup Windows 7 to an external disk, plug in the
SSD, and restore to the SSD if I wanted. And I'd use the "Recovery Console"
CD that Microsoft tells you to burn, to do the restore of the System Image.

So in terms of performing the basic function, there are plenty of options.

But at this point, do you absolutely insist on the StorageCraft
product, or do you just want to get the job done ?

StorageCraft. It's my backup tool of choice, I'm not in any hurry, and
I'd rather spend my time learning more about it than something else.

Some of the SSD manufacturers, will provide FAQ pages or a forum,
filled with details on what things to enable or disable, to
make "optimum" usage of an SSD. For example, you don't defragment
an SSD (and Windows 7 should refuse to do it). It should generally
cost you an evening of research, to learn a few things about
SSDs, before prepping yours.

Yes, you can "just copy it", and it'll work. But you could lose
half the peak performance by doing it that way. And Windows 7 already
knows some of the things necessary to make it work right (if you
install Windows 7 from scratch to an SSD).

Thanks for that.

 

[Ken Blake]

Is there anyone out there who uses this expensive but excellent product?

I have used it for some years,

I've never used it and know nothing about. But your statement below
sounds like you are confused about partitioning, so let me explain
below...

but I have never had to restore a
partitioned disk and W7 forces your system disk to be partitioned
whether you like it or not.

Unfortunately the nomenclature is confusing. *All* disks are
partitioned, in Windows 7 and in all other versions of Windows; if if
were not partitioned, it would not be usable. To be partitioned does
*not* mean that the disk has two or more partitions--for example C:
and D:. To be partitioned means that the disk has at least one
partition. So if you have a disk with just C: on it, it *is*
partitioned. C: is your only partition.

But if what you are trying to say is that Windows 7 requires that a
disk have two or more partitions, that is *not correct.

 

[Robin Bignall]

How I wish I had seen that before installing W7U using the m/b
manufacturur's instructions. But doing it now would entail reinstalling
all of my applications again, and I can't face that.

Thanks for that valuable info, which I've saved for future reference.

 

[Artreid]

Whenever I've installed Win7 (Clean) I always see two partitions C: and D:.
So I too have believed that Win7 requires two partitions. Unless, The
drives I have installed too were all, already partitioned to C: and D: and I
missed it.

"Ken Blake" wrote in message

Is there anyone out there who uses this expensive but excellent product?

I have used it for some years,

I've never used it and know nothing about. But your statement below
sounds like you are confused about partitioning, so let me explain
below...

but I have never had to restore a
partitioned disk and W7 forces your system disk to be partitioned
whether you like it or not.

Unfortunately the nomenclature is confusing. *All* disks are
partitioned, in Windows 7 and in all other versions of Windows; if if
were not partitioned, it would not be usable. To be partitioned does
*not* mean that the disk has two or more partitions--for example C:
and D:. To be partitioned means that the disk has at least one
partition. So if you have a disk with just C: on it, it *is*
partitioned. C: is your only partition.

But if what you are trying to say is that Windows 7 requires that a
disk have two or more partitions, that is *not correct.

 

[Joe Morris]

I installed the XP system on a disk with one partition. When I
installed W7 32 system, it divided the system disk into two partitions.
I had no say in the matter. I have no idea what Bitlocker is. I
installed from a M$ W7 Ultimate disk.

You chose to accept the default configuration of two partitions, but that's
not mandatory unless Bitlocker is being used. I'll concede that there is
very little MS documentation on the issue ... and that should surprise
nobody.

Joe

 

[Ken Blake]

Whenever I've installed Win7 (Clean) I always see two partitions C: and D:.
So I too have believed that Win7 requires two partitions. Unless, The
drives I have installed too were all, already partitioned to C: and D: and I
missed it.

See Joe Morris's message in this thread.

 

[KSteele]

Hi Robin,

My name is Kevin Steele and I work for StorageCraft support. I a
working with our systems group to figure out what is happening with th
password reset emails that seemingly random users have not received.
may be able to expedite this if you can provide me the username you us
to log into the forums. With that I can track down your account and d
a manual reset for you until such time as I can get the other proble
resolved.

Also for the SSD question, this document may help you out.

http://tinyurl.com/d9hdayv

Follow this to setup the partitions for the Boot partition and for you
OS partition. It will require reboots, just keep jumping back into th
Recovery environment. Once the partitions are ready, just do th
restore as usual.

Sincerely,
Kevin Steele
Tier III Engineer
StorageCraft Inc

 

[Robin Bignall]

Hi Robin,

My name is Kevin Steele and I work for StorageCraft support. I am
working with our systems group to figure out what is happening with the
password reset emails that seemingly random users have not received. I
may be able to expedite this if you can provide me the username you use
to log into the forums. With that I can track down your account and do
a manual reset for you until such time as I can get the other problem
resolved.

Also for the SSD question, this document may help you out.

http://tinyurl.com/d9hdayv

Follow this to setup the partitions for the Boot partition and for your
OS partition. It will require reboots, just keep jumping back into the
Recovery environment. Once the partitions are ready, just do the
restore as usual.

Thanks, Kevin. I have restored successfully using SP, and have managed
to rejoin the forums after getting a new password. A very recent thread
was about this very W7 problem. You'll see me contributing.