Macrium Software - News and Articles

How to create a Virtual machine from a Macrium image backup

2010-03-16T14:10:57.156+00:00

How to create a Virtual machine from a Macrium image backup

ImgToVhd is a utility that creates VHD files from Macrium backup images. These can then be used to create a bootable virtual machine facilitating quick access to a failed machine whose repair would be time consuming or not possible.

We have created a utility, ImgToVHD to enable the conversion of a Macrium backup image file to VHD files (one per disk). The VHD file(s) can then be used as the storage component of virtual machines from Microsoft (Virtual PC and HyperV), VMWare and Oracle/Sun (Virtual Box).

This enables a previously backed up machine to be reincarnated as a virtual machine. A significant use of this is to quickly regain access to a machine that has suffered a fatal hardware failure.

Please note that this is beta quality software. It is being released to the public for evaluation purposes only. No guarantees are made for its quality or fitness for purpose. Use is not recommended in a production environment.

Feedback is welcomed as this will help us improve the quality and utility of this tool and this blog post. Comments are currently enabled for this post - constructive comments will be helpful to both us and the other users of this tool.

Please take care to ensure that you are not breaking the terms on any licences by running a virtual machine from a backup image.

Get ImgTOVHD

You can download ImgToVHD from here.

Invoke the downloaded msi as per any other installer.

ImgTOVHD Usage

ImgToVHD offers both a GUI and a command line interface.

If you wish to use the command line interface, ImgToVHD --help will emit some instructions.

The ImgToVHD user interface is straight forward.

Firstly, you will need an Macrium image file - a file and folder backup file will not work here. If you wish to create a bootable VM from scratch, and not just add a disk to an already bootable VM, then the image will need to contain an image of both the active and the windows system partition. Typically the system partition is also the active partition.

You will need enough spare disk space to store the resulting VHD file. If you have selected all the partitions from the source image and the image is compressed, then the resulting VHD file size is likely to be rather larger than the source image as VHD files don't support compression and have a larger sparse granularity than the image files. Calculate the sum of the used space of the selected partitions and ensure that you have slightly more free space than this for the VHD file.

Once you have selected a source image, a list of disks will be presented to you. Select from this, the one in which you will to convert to VHD and then you will be presented with a list of partitions. Select as many of these as you require.

There are three options that are best left unselected unless you understand the consequences.

Remap partition table. In the case where not all the partitions are selected or backed up in the first case, this option only include those selected partitions in the partition table. This doesn't effect extended (logical) partitions. If you don't remap, partitions not included in the VHD creation or the original backup will appear as RAW in the disk management console. Remapping can prevent Windows XP from booting.
Reset disk ID. This will definitely result in a non-bootable VHD. It is useful only if mounting the VHD on the machine containing the original disk.
Continue on errors. If there are errors in the source image, and this is checked then the VHD creation process will continue. However, the resultant VHD file is guaranteed to have missing data. Dependent on the location of the errors, the image might or might not be usable.

Once the disk, partitions and options have been selected, hit convert. The conversion process will probably take a significant period of time due to the large volumes of data handled. Now would be a good time to consider a hot beverage of your choice.

There are a number of caveats to be aware of. Of particular significance is the fact that the VM is likely to represent a significantly changed hardware environment from the original machine.

Windows OEM licensed installs, typical for retail machines delivered with the operating system preinstalled, do not allow a change in the motherboard.
The HAL and mass storage drivers might not match the those presented in the virtual environment. This may prevent Windows from booting. See here for further details on how to reconfigure Windows XP. Virtual Box enables some flexibility in the hardware environment so it can be made to match the original hardware.
Don't mount/attach this image on the original machine if you plan on booting from it as Windows will detect the duplicate disk ID and will change it, invalidating the BCD disk references.
The vhd file size must be limited to 127GB if you wish to use it with Virtual PC.
If the vhd is being created on a FAT32 filesystem, the creation process will fail if the created file size is greater than 4GB. This is a due to a limitation of FAT32; though the vhd specification supports splitting across multiple files, ImgToVHD doesn't currently support this feature.

Using the vhd with Virtual Box

Virtual box comes in two flavours, an open source edition (missing RDP and USB support) and a commercial version that is free for evaluation or personal use.

Configuration is quite straightforward. Note the following instructions refer to version 3.14.

From the main window, hit new to create a new VM which will launch a wizard.

Select the OS to match the OS to be virtualised as below.

The next wizard page (not shown for brevity) allows you to specify base memory. Chose a value that matches what is required for your virtualised OS, bearing in mind that there must be enough memory available on your host machine.

To specify the vhd you have created with ImgToVHD as a hard disk, you first have to add it to Virtual Box using the Virtual media manager by clicking on the yellow folder icon.

Click the Add button and select your vhd file, the hit select. Repeat this process for each vhd file you have created.

All being well, you should now have a working VM. Hit the start button and your old machine should now appear in a window on your host.

If it fails to boot, then you might have a kernel/Hal/Mass storage driver miss-match issue.

VirtualBox enables various hardware environment options to be configured. Hit the settings button to edit your VM. Select the system item on the left. Things to try are enabling the IO APIC (motherboard tab) and 1/multiple CPU's and disabling PAE/NX features (processor tab). Also, consider reconfiguring the vhd as a SATA device if that's how the original machine was configured.

Using the vhd with Hyper-V

Hyper-V is a hypervisor based virtualisation system. It only runs on x64 Windows Server 2008 and requires hardware assisted cpu features.

To create a VM, select 'New Virtual Machine from the Hyper-V Manager. Chose location, name and base memory size the new Virtual Machine Wizard.

When you get to the connect Virtual Hard Disk page, select 'Use existing virtual hard disk' and chose your previously converted vhd file.

Complete the wizard and start the VM. All being well, the VM will boot. Unlike Virtual Box, there is no flexibility to change the virtual hardware options - if it doesn't boot, the OS booting options / HAL etc will need to be reconfigured.

Note: If an error regarding incompatible sector size is raised, it does not refer to the VHD file as indicated, but the disk upon which the vhd is stored.

Conclusion

We hope you find this tool and blog post useful.

The intention is for this blog to grow. Specifically, expect instructions for use with VMWare and Virtual PC to follow.

Macrium Reflect Version Comparison Table

2010-02-12T15:10:07.843+00:00

Comparison of the Versions of

Macrium Reflect

The following table compares the free version and the full paid version of Macrium Reflect. (The 30 day Trial version of Macrium Reflect has similarities to the Full version with most features but there are some differences).

Feature	Free Edition	Full Purchased Edition
Windows 7, XP and Vista (32 & 64 bit) compatibility
Disk Imaging
Access images with Windows Explorer
Scheduler
XML backup definitions
Linux Rescue CD
BartPE Rescue CD plug-in
Network support
CD/DVD writing support
Windows Server 2003 & 2008 (32 & 64 bit) compatibility
File and Folder backup
Differential disk images and backups
Incremental disk images and backups
Disk Space Management
VBScript Generator
Email notifications
Password Protection
AES Encrypion
Auto Verify Images
Run programs before or after backup
Shut down PC after backup
Windows system event log support
Windows boot menu
Technical support by email and forum access
Commercial/Business use
Windows PE Rescue CD with RAID support		*
Offline Image Creation		**

*Not available with 30 day Trial
**Windows PE and Bart PE only

How to Backup Files and Folders using Macrium Reflect

2010-02-09T21:33:07.579+00:00

How to Backup Files and Folders
using Macrium Reflect

File and Folder Backup: A file and folder backup is a useful way to backup your working files, personal files and any precious data. Unlike many other backup solutions Macrium Reflect can even backup open/locked files by using Microsoft Volume Shadow copy Service (VSS).

In this tutorial I’ll take you through the steps to create a full backup of your ‘Outlook pst file’ (an e-mail file) and save the backup definition as an XML file for easy re-running and scheduling.

Note: If you wish to backup your Operating System, Do Not use a File & Folder Backup, you must use an Image Backup. You cannot restore Windows Operating System files using a file and folder restore. A File/Folder backup is not suitable for Windows Operating System files.

1.	Start Macrium Reflect and within the 'Backup Tasks' options select ‘Backup files and folders into a…’ to start the backup wizard. The backup Wizard starts. Click on ‘Next’.
2.	In the next window leave the option as ‘Full’ (the other options are Incremental and Differential, but these are covered later). Click on ‘Next’.
3.	You can now choose the folders(s) you wish to back up. Note: Folder selections are recursive. This means that all folders underneath the selected folder are included and any new folders in the future will be automatically included. So, if you backup your 'Documents' folder then any new folders you add underneath 'Documents' will be included when you run the backup again. You can select multiple folders, in this example I have just selected my outlook data folder. Click on ‘Next’ after making selection.
	Note: in selecting the Outlook folder I had to show hidden folders before I could find the Outlook folder as it was hidden. To show hidden folders: Open Windows Explorer: then in Windows 7 or Vista select '*Folders and Search Option' in the Organize* Tab or in Windows XP select '*Folder Options' in the Tools* menu. Now select the View Tab and scroll down if necessary so you can select 'Show hidden files folders (and Drives)'. While you are in this Tab it may help later if you also display file extensions :- Remove the tick against '*Hide extensions for known file types'. Click on 'Apply' and then 'OK' (just 'OK' in XP). Close 'Windows Explorer*'.
4.	Having selected the folders, in the next window we select the files needing to be backed up within the folders. You can use standard DOS wildcard formatting to select files to include and exclude. Multiple selections must be separated by a semi colon. e.g, .doc; .xls Other examples are shown below:

Example	Meaning	Example	Meaning
*.doc	All .doc WORD files	*.jpg	All jpg files
*.xls	All .xls Excel files	.	All files
Letter2010C.doc	File name: *Letter2010C.doc*	.doc; .xls; *.jpg	WORD, EXCEL and jpg pictures
*.pst	Outlook e-mail file	.doc; .docx	All WORD files

	See here for a list of most common file extensions. In wizard window below all .pst files were chosen by entering '.pst'. Normally we leave exclusions and ticks unchanged at defaults but in this case remove the tick against 'Exclude Hidden Files and Folders*' as .pst files were within hidden folders. Click on ‘Next’
5.	The next window enables the destination of the backup to be selected, you need to select one of three options (a), (b) or (c):
(a)	If you select ‘Local Hard Drive’ click on ▼ to get a drop down menu where you can search partitions, external hard drives, memory sticks (flash drives) etc to save your backup, you can also create a new folder there if needed.
(b)	If you select ‘Network’ you can search for another PC or Network Attached Storage etc. to save the backup.
(c)	If you select ‘CD/DVD Burner’ you can select which Drive to save the backup. Leave the Backup file name unchanged. Click on ‘Next’ to finalise backup process.
6.	The next window shows backup selection. Click on ‘Finish’ to start backup. If you have chosen CD/DVD burner you will be prompted to insert disk.
7.	In the next window you should enter an XML file name for the backup definition. Using this XML filename you can easily find it the XML Tab if you either want to re-run the backup without going through the wizard again or want to schedule the backup. Now click on ‘OK’.
8.	The next window below shows progress while backing up the file(s) and folders. When backup is complete click OK to close the small completion window and also close the progress window.
	*File & Folder Backup now Complete* *Now the Task is Complete,* if you wish, you can look at the log, there is a 'Log' Tab in the main Reflect window to check what you have done. In the next tutorial I'll show you how to backup only the files that have changed since this full backup was made, by creating an 'Incremental Backup'. References: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Show-hidden-files http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/hiddenfiles.mspx

How to fix Windows becoming unresponsive when creating a disk image with Macrium Reflect

2009-12-28T22:23:29.482+00:00

How to fix Windows becoming unresponsive when creating a disk image with Macrium Reflect

This article takes through the steps required to repair a broken Windows XP COM+ installation. This may cause problems with Microsoft Volume Shadow copy Service (VSS) and cause your PC to become unresponsive during disk image creation.

Only use this fix if you are running Windows XP and you are experiencing the problem outlined below.

The problem
When creating a disk image with Windows XP, Macrium Reflect hangs (and your PC may become unresponsive) during the initial phase 'Analysing file system on volume C'. The only way to close Macrium Reflect is to end 'reflect.exe' in Task Manager or to shut-down your PC.

The cause
The most likely cause of this problem is a corrupt COM+ database. COM+ provides a layer of interoperability between different areas of Windows. Microsoft Volume Shadow copy Service (VSS) uses COM+ and can become unstable if the COM+ database is corrupt or some of the installed COM+ files are not registered correctly.

Note: Macrium Reflect does not install or modify the COM+ installation or database. Any problems you have with COM+ are pre-existing or have been caused by other software registering or installing COM+ components.

The solution

Download 'ComFix.exe' from here: http://updates.macrium.com/reflect/utilities/comfix.exe
Close all open programs and run ComFix.exe

Select 'OK' to reboot your PC and the COM+ repair will begin when Windows restarts.
Your PC will restart, a restore point will be created and COM+ installation/repair will begin. The Microsoft VSS components will also be re-registered.
After a further automatic reboot, Windows will be repaired and disk images should be able to be created without a problem.

If you receive further VSS errors in the Windows Event Viewer or in the Reflect log Window then please see here.

Resources

http://www.microsoft.com/com/default.mspx

http://www.macrium.com/blog/2008/09/26/HowToTroubleshootMicrosoftVolumeShadowCopyServiceVSSErrors.aspx

How to fix error "Failed To Create Volume Snapshot. 0x8004230f "

2009-08-04T07:50:20.186+01:00

How to fix error "Failed To Create Volume Snapshot. 0x8004230f "

This article takes you through the steps to resolve a Microsoft Volume Shadow copy Service (VSS) problem. The solution involves editing the system registry.

If you receive the following error at the end of your image log then it's likely that Macrium Reflect has a conflict with other imaging software on your PC:

Backup aborted! - Failed To Create Volume Snapshot. Result Code: 0x8004230f

This error often occurs if a product called 'ShadowProtect' from 'StorageCraft' is or has been installed on your PC.

To fix this problem please take the following steps:

If ShadowProtect is installed on your PC then you must uninstall it if you want to use Macrium Reflect.
Remove the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Providers\{24602736-bed9-4619-91b0-243447c6409c}

This key can be left behind after uninstalling ShadowProtect and will cause a VSS error when Reflect creates a shadow copy.
Restart Windows.

For help on editing the registry please see here:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/regedit_overview.mspx?mfr=true

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/136393