question about Windows 8 pre-installed partitions
I ordered a new desktop with Win8, but haven't received it yet. In the meantime I'm trying to formulate my backup strategy for when it arrives. My previous machine was Vista, so I have no experience with 7 or 8, but remember reading things back in the Win7 early days regarding hidden partitions or something and partitions that could be deleted if I don't want to use the Windows built-in backup/restore utility.
Sorry to rehash something that's probably been beaten to death in the past, but I have two basic questions:
1. what is the partitioning going to look like when I receive my desktop with pre-installed win8 on it, in terms of partitions I might not know about that are particular to win8 (other than the main C: partition of course). Is there a backup partition that I can delete if I want?
2. when doing backup/restores with something like Acronis, will I simply restore the C: partition like before, or has something changed in the procedure with the newer OSes?
Then one last question. If I use just the basic imaging engine only, can I use TI11 on Win8, or will I be forced to upgrade to a newer version?
thanks.
1. Not enough information to tell.
2. A backup of C only restored to a working drive C is OK, however, if to a new disk, system will not be bootable via the new disk as the restore will have been incoomplete. There are other hidden partitons which must be restored on most systems.
3. V11 does not know about the Win8 architechure. It will not see all partitions.
Suggested things to do.
I am assuming that the Window 8 will have GPT disks which will have hidden partitions--perhaps 2 or 3 not showing in Explorer
.
1. Use the computer supplied backup program and make a backup of the new system direct to DVD (proably about 6 pieces). this will enable you to return to factory fresh even before you login for the first time.
2. Look at your system disk in Windows Disk Management. Print out a copy for future reference.
3. Windows Disk Management and TrueImage may not display all hidden partitions such as GPT partitions. Suggest you download the free Mini-tool partition wizard bootable CD and view you disk from within the PW. You will see all your hidden partitions using this tool. You may want to take a picture of the partition structure with your cell phone, etc.
4. If you are going to use True Image 2013, I suggest you use the Recovery CD and make a copy of your system BEFORE you install 2013 onto your system. This is practical safety and this should be done regardless if you buy other software. Make a copy of your system before any installation makes changes.
5. Suggest you visit the forum of computer maker you are buying. Review some of the postings on their forum so you can see what issues they may have without True Image even involved.
Thanks Grover, that answered several of the questions I was getting at. Specifically the hidden partitions part, that was one of the things I remember from a couple years ago that didn't apply to me then so I forgot all that was said. If I understand you correctly I just need to be able to restore those in the event of a total disk failure, so I need to image those when I get the machine. If I just want to restore the OS, then any Win8 compatible tool can be used to do the restore of just the C: partition alone and I should be OK. I just need a basic imaging engine, so I know of several free ones that I can draw upon for that purpose.
I have a copy of PW already, so I can use that to see all the partitions, do I still need to use Windows Disk Management for anything you've described?
I also need to educate myself on GPT partitions, my last experience is still with the old traditional MBR partition structure. Once I understand that better then the hidden partitions will probably make more sense as well.
Finally, are there any pre-allocated partitions that I can remove to make more disk space if I want to? I seem to recall some 200GB partition that people were removing because they didn't really need it, but I forgot the details about what it contained. If that rings a bell, please explain, if not you've already answered most of my other questions, thanks for reading my mind with the little info I provided.
Your computer may vary. Of the hidden partitins, the GPT will probably be 128 megabytes (not gigabytes), the UEFI system partition will probably be about 100MB. The size of these 2 are not emought to warrant the troubleshooting. Just keep them and have less issues. An you may have a 3rd utilty partition (may or may not be hidden) of 11-20 GB. Some users may not keep this as long as they have it covered via other backups. Unless space is tight, I would keep them all.
Disk Management offers nothing special for viewing if you use PW for the better viewing.
I forgot to mention there is also Windows DISKPART from the command prompt which will display all the partition information.
From the Disikpart ELEVATED COMMAND prompt
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK 0 (ASSUMING 0 IS THE LISTED SYSTEM boot DISK)
LIST PARTITION
Do a google search on the GPT disks (GUID PARTITION TABLE)
OK, just a few last questions and I think I understand.
I assume the reason I can't use my old Acronis on Win8 is because its designed for the MBR partition scheme, so it won't work properly in a GPT environment. Is any GPT based imaging tool sufficient for Win8 backups, or is there something else I need to know based on my particular desktop?
Once I get a GPT based imaging tool, can I use that to backup/restore all of the other partitions, including hidden ones, and be able to restore my entire hard drive in the event of a failure, and not need to burn the DVDs as you mentioned earlier?
Also, I assume the backup process files can be stored on any type hard drive, so if I backup my new GPT partitions to an old external HD that's MBR based, there aren't any issues with that, right?
Windows 8 is just different and version 11 is old. Acronis will have to explain the differences. I am not a technician.
Any program which advertises itself as working with Windows 8 and GPT should suffice. My suggestion of the DVD backups was so you would have a factory fresh backup using software which came with the computer. This recommendation was not meant to imply that other software would not work. Any NTFS disk or flash drive is capable of holding the backups files created if a GPT disk.
thanks much for the info!
There are many differences with Windows 8. ATI 11 is so old that I wouldn't even consider risking my backups by using it for Windows 8.