Win 7 System Image

[absolute_zero]

ok, so i figured i should know how this works...and use it even...but of course it's not as simple as the dialog boxes would have you believe.

i have a ssd boot drive and all my data is on a raid 1 array (this is where i placed the system image i created). i went looking for it on that drive, no dice. i then used the control panel > recovery navigation to find that windows has no idea where that image i created actually is. somewhere in my looking around i saw that dynamic volumes aren't ideal for system images...which leaves me boned, i guess.

1) do i need a basic disk for system image to work as my backup situation, or is there a better way? does Acronis work on dynamic volumes, or is it inherently inappropriate for disk images?

2) am i wrong in assuming a system image "recovery disk" will not fit on a dvd (seeing as my system image takes >30Gb on the ssd)?

3) how do i get my thirty-odd gigs back on my raid array?

 

[bigdogchris]

A system image created with Windows Backup is just a file. It doesn't matter what type of disk you use to store that file.

A system image for 7 will not fit onto a DVD. Shit XP images barely fit on a single DVD if you install Apps. It could on a Blu-ray though.

 

[absolute_zero]

i did find the system image file, "WindowsImageBackup"...but recovery still doesn't see it (telling me "windows can't find any backups on this computer...") seems like it has to be a dynamic vs basic issue.

 

[MrF]

How is that RAID 1 array set up, software?
Remember that while you restore an OS image, the OS itself will not be up.

 

[absolute_zero]

good point. i'm using intel matrix/rst, i guess that would explain it. Thanks!

 

[CableDude]

A system image for 7 will not fit onto a DVD.

Just spanned a clean install across 2 DVD's, Dumped on Two PC's. No issues.