Disk image program compatible with Win 8

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I have not found one yet, except Paragon, but I have not had success actually making an image with it.  Ghost – no.  Acronis – no.  Anybody find one that works?  I won’t use Windows, because since Windows came to market I have never been able to actually find and/or use a backup image, and it takes a whole external drive anyway.

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I use Image For Windows from TeraByte Unlimited, and it works fine. I’ve read of problems some have had with particular versions of some other software, but TeraByte’s imaging tools are all I’ve ever used, and I’ve had no problems.

It isn’t free (but not expensive, either), but it has proven completely dependable for me. I’ve tested by restoring an image, and it’s all good.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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I use Acronis True Image 2013. Works very well.

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Thanks for the response. Acronis did not work for me. I am going to try Image for Windows.

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I’v had great success with Terabyte Unlimited’s Image for Windows. It runs on Win 8 Pro, will image an OS/App drive while allowing me to continue working in Windows, and install TBIView that lets me drag and drop folders and files from within a compressed image to any folder on any drive. Finally, it includes Image for DOS, which will create a bootable USB that can create and restore images shared with the Windows version, if Windows won’t boot. It has never failed to image or restore.

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I’v had great success with Terabyte Unlimited’s Image for Windows. It runs on Win 8 Pro, will image an OS/App drive while allowing me to continue working in Windows, and install TBIView that lets me drag and drop folders and files from within a compressed image to any folder on any drive. Finally, it includes Image for DOS, which will create a bootable USB that can create and restore images shared with the Windows version, if Windows won’t boot. It has never failed to image or restore.

I think the real question here is whether you have a motherboard that supports UEFI and has Secure Boot enabled. If so, your experience with Terabyte’s software is very useful to know; if not, it’s just one more good product that will do the job IF Secure Boot is not in the mix (and some UEFI motherboards reportedly do not allow Secure Boot to be disabled, making the problem unsolvable in those cases).

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I think the real question here is whether you have a motherboard that supports UEFI and has Secure Boot enabled. If so, your experience with Terabyte’s software is very useful to know; if not, it’s just one more good product that will do the job IF Secure Boot is not in the mix (and some UEFI motherboards reportedly do not allow Secure Boot to be disabled, making the problem unsolvable in those cases).

My m/b is not UEFI and Secure Boot is not available.

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I think the real question here is whether you have a motherboard that supports UEFI and has Secure Boot enabled. If so, your experience with Terabyte’s software is very useful to know; if not, it’s just one more good product that will do the job IF Secure Boot is not in the mix (and some UEFI motherboards reportedly do not allow Secure Boot to be disabled, making the problem unsolvable in those cases).

TeraByte provides a handy free utility that can modify the Windows Recovery Environment, as well as create a bootable USB drive to boot into Image For Windows.

32918-TBWinRE

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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TeraByte provides a handy free utility that can modify the Windows Recovery Environment, as well as create a bootable USB drive to boot into Image For Windows.

Are you saying that TeraByte DOES provide a solution to the problem described in the link in post #15 (i.e., that it can create a Win 8 image that can be successfully restored (preferably by booting from a ‘rescue disk’) on a system with UEFI BIOS and Secure Boot enabled)? If so, that’s indeed the kind of solution which seems to be being requested; if not, it’s not responsive to the material which you quoted.

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Are you saying that TeraByte DOES provide a solution to the problem described in the link in post #15 (i.e., that it can create a Win 8 image that can be successfully restored (preferably by booting from a ‘rescue disk’) on a system with UEFI BIOS and Secure Boot enabled)? If so, that’s indeed the kind of solution which seems to be being requested; if not, it’s not responsive to the material which you quoted.

That was what I intended to say, and what I believe that I did say.[/FONT]

TeraByte provides a handy free utility that can modify the Windows Recovery Environment, as well as create a bootable USB drive to boot into Image For Windows.

TeraByte calls it TBWinRE. Of course, I did make the assumption that one would first have created a drive image using Image For Windows which one would then be able to restore.

If you note the image I included in that post, the utility modifies the Windows Recovery Environment to include the option to boot directly into Image For Windows, should Windows fail to boot fully and default to the Windows Recovery Environment.

The same utility can also create a bootable USB (or CD/DVD) on which the Windows Recovery Environment is installed as well as Image For Windows, and boot into Image For Windows through that method should Windows fail to boot entirely. That may require disabling EFI in order to boot from the USB, then re-enabling EFI after the image has been restored and one is ready to boot into the restored Windows 8. (This same utility will work with Windows 7).

Also note that disabling EFI disables Secure Boot, which also disables booting Windows – but that’s the issue, isn’t it? Windows won’t boot? Once the image is restored and EFI enabled, Secure Boot is also enabled, and Windows will again boot due to the restoration of the image.

TeraByte advertises Image For Windows as

“Compatible with Windows x86 and Windows x64 versions.
Compatible with Windows NT4, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8.
Compatible with Windows Server and SBS versions (NT4, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2008R2, 2011, etc..).”
[/FONT]

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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That was what I intended to say, and what I believe that I did say.

I don’t understand how you think you said it without having mentioned UEFI or Secure Boot at all, but no matter.

Since I haven’t used UEFI hardware, are you saying that as long as UEFI can be disabled on the motherboard you could take an image with, say, the current version of Acronis, then later when you needed to use it to recover disable UEFI on the motherboard, restore the image using the normal Acronis boot disk, and then reenable UEFI on the motherboard and boot up the result? If so, that sounds as if just about any decent current imaging program (note that the OP expressed an aversion to using the Windows imaging facility) could do the job – just not without disabling UEFI around the restore process. I understand that restoring within the Windows Recovery Environment might be more convenient, but given the presumed rarity of the need to restore a partition (or entire disk) wouldn’t think that constituted a very significant difference.

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[bbearren]

I don’t understand how you think you said it without having mentioned UEFI or Secure Boot at all, but no matter.

You mentioned UEFI and Secure Boot in your post, which I quoted in my reply to your post. Since I was answering your question directly, after quoting you, I guess I don’t understand how you missed your own quote. I apologize for any misunderstanding on my part.

Since I haven’t used UEFI hardware, are you saying that as long as UEFI can be disabled on the motherboard you could take an image with, say, the current version of Acronis, then later when you needed to use it to recover disable UEFI on the motherboard, restore the image using the normal Acronis boot disk, and then reenable UEFI on the motherboard and boot up the result?

No, I am not saying that, as the only thing I know about Acronis is the name, and that several here use it. I was speaking in reference to Image For Windows from TeraByte.

I understand that restoring within the Windows Recovery Environment might be more convenient, but given the presumed rarity of the need to restore a partition (or entire disk) wouldn’t think that constituted a very significant difference.

On the contrary, many here do restore a partition (usually OS), including Medico, who by his own account does indeed restore his OS partition from time to time. Not everyone uses only a single large partition. Quite often the signal that a restoration is due is the fact that Windows boots to the Recovery Environment, because discrepancies, disturbances, corrupted files, or whatever have rendered the OS unable to fully boot into Windows.

TBWinRE modifies that very Windows Recovery Environment, so that Image For Windows is one of the menu options. Selecting that option boots the machine into Image For Windows. It does not use the Windows imaging system, it uses TeraByte’s own Image For Windows to restore a previously made image.

The rarer case is when nothing boots, and only a black screen with a useless blinking cursor appears. That is the only time that the TBWinRE USB (or CD/DVD) would need to be booted.

And for Ted no, TeraByte’s Windows rescue disks don’t use Linux, they run under a DOS environment. But TeraByte does sell Image For Linux, and that particular rescue disk does run under Linux.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by bbearren.

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You mentioned UEFI and Secure Boot in your post, which I quoted in my reply to your post. Since I was answering your question directly, after quoting you, I guess I don’t understand how you missed your own quote.

Of course I didn’t miss the quote: perhaps you simply misunderstood what you were quoting. It included a question (not posed to you) along with two possibilities for an answer – all of which you quoted without specifying that you intended your response to apply to only one of those possibilities (the one that specifically included rather than specifically excluded UEFI and Secure Boot).

On the contrary, many here do restore a partition (usually OS), including Medico, who by his own account does indeed restore his OS partition from time to time.

If you’ll reread the quote you were responding to you’ll find that it referred only to the ‘presumed rarity’ of such restorations without in any way suggesting that they did not occur at all. I suspect that I restore partitions with a frequency comparable to Medico’s (more than once per month on average, though due more often to migrating between disks than to any problem), and I would find the additional inconvenience of disabling/enabling a BIOS setting around such restorations negligible.

Not everyone uses only a single large partition.

Of course not. The machine I typically use (including right now) has 8. That’s why I referred to “a partition (or entire disk)” in the passage you quoted.

It does not use the Windows imaging system, it uses TeraByte’s own Image For Windows to restore a previously made image.

Thanks for clarifying that: since I’ve never even looked at Windows’ own imaging facilities and have no acquaintance with TeraByte’s I didn’t know which it was referring to.

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Of course I didn’t miss the quote: perhaps you simply misunderstood what you were quoting. It included a question (not posed to you) along with two possibilities for an answer – all of which you quoted without specifying that you intended your response to apply to only one of those possibilities (the one that specifically included rather than specifically excluded UEFI and Secure Boot).[/quote]
My reply is actually an answer for either. TBWinRE will work in Windows 8 with or without UEFI. And there’s this:[/size]

Are you saying that TeraByte DOES provide a solution to the problem described in the link in post #15 (i.e., that it can create a Win 8 image that can be successfully restored (preferably by booting from a ‘rescue disk’) on a system with UEFI BIOS and Secure Boot enabled)? If so, that’s indeed the kind of solution which seems to be being requested; if not, it’s not responsive to the material which you quoted.

Thanks for clarifying that: since I’ve never even looked at Windows’ own imaging facilities and have no acquaintance with TeraByte’s I didn’t know which it was referring to.

You’re welcome.[/size]

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Macrium 5 and up works with Windows 8. (Both free and Pro)

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I have used Acronis True Image 2013 in two different laptops running Windows 8 without any issues.

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EaseUS ToDo Backup Free works.

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I suspect that just about ANY reasonably recent (post-Vista-introduction) imaging program will work as long as you run it from a CD rather than try to take an image of the system you’re running it on (something I never entirely trust such programs to do reliably). For example, I’ve used an older version of Seagate Disc Wizard (11.0.0.8326, an Acronis derivative) to back up and restore Win 8 Release Previews successfully. Haven’t tried installing it yet on Win 8 Pro (e.g., to be able to mount images temporarily as new lettered drives for ad hoc access to their content), and since I don’t use Restore points it’s possible that they might not be handled correctly (though any differences between Vista and Win 8 may be transparent at the level at which older imaging programs operate).

Sorry I don’t have more experience to relate: I’m posting this in part to see if anyone here has experience that would contradict the suspicions I just presented.

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I suspect that just about ANY reasonably recent (post-Vista-introduction) imaging program will work as long as you run it from a CD rather than try to take an image of the system you’re running it on (something I never entirely trust such programs to do reliably). For example, I’ve used an older version of Seagate Disc Wizard (11.0.0.8326, an Acronis derivative) to back up and restore Win 8 Release Previews successfully. Haven’t tried installing it yet on Win 8 Pro (e.g., to be able to mount images temporarily as new lettered drives for ad hoc access to their content), and since I don’t use Restore points it’s possible that they might not be handled correctly (though any differences between Vista and Win 8 may be transparent at the level at which older imaging programs operate).

Sorry I don’t have more experience to relate: I’m posting this in part to see if anyone here has experience that would contradict the suspicions I just presented.

I think the Windows 8 upgrade wizard didn’t like previous True Image versions and I am pretty sure I read about people being unable to create images with them, from Windows 8. Booting from True Image boot disk always works.

I have done all my imaging (once a week, two computers, more irregular images of another laptop) from within Windows itself and never, ever, had an issue. This happened with XP, Vista, 7 and now 8. I have restored images done in this way without any issues, either.

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Hello, Rui. c/c robhock.

I have used Acronis for years, XP, Vista, W-7 and now W-8, without a fail. I do as you do Rui, boot from it then clone.

The only problem that I ever experienced was due to a CHKDSK required. Once this was done, Acronis proceeded fine. It never said so, it only advised that it could not proceed. An acute mind then did a CHKDSK and the day was saved. Maybe robhock could do this too ???

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I always boot to my Acronis Rescue Disk to either create or restore Images. Acronis True Image 2013 works from within Windows as well, but it seems faster from the boot disk. Plus I just feel safer with my Images when created with Windows shut down. Just my preference.

I create a new Image each month after patch Tuesday so my Images are reasonably up to date. After I create an Image, stored on my Ext HD, I then Restore that Image. This proves to me the Image will work when really needed.

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Acronis True Image 2013 works fine for me (Win8Pro 64-bit). (I have added the Plus Pack and it still works fine).

My Rig: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-Core CPU; ASUS Cross Hair VIII Formula Mobo; Win 11 Pro (64 bit)-(UEFI-booted); 32GB RAM; 2TB Corsair Force Series MP600 Pro 2TB PCIe Gen 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD. 1TB SAMSUNG 960 EVO M.2 NVME SSD; MSI GeForce RTX 3090 VENTUS 3X 24G OC; Microsoft 365 Home; Condusiv SSDKeeper Professional; Acronis Cyberprotect, VMWare Workstation Pro V17.5. HP 1TB USB SSD External Backup Drive). Dell G-Sync G3223Q 144Hz Monitor.

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In 1997, I was introduced to a new backup program from New Zealand, called simply, “Ghost”.
Symantec bought the program and called it “Norton Ghost”. The original program was designed to be run from a DOS boot floppy.
After Symantec modified the program (still the DOS Version) to work with SATA drives and the new MBR used by Win-7, it works just fine for W7 and W8, 32 or 64 bit. (Ghost 11.5)

It’s too big to fit on a 3.5″ floppy disk any more, so I run it from either as Flash Drive or CD.
It’s a simple and completely NO-Nonsense program that just works! It also works well with a mouse, if Mouse.com is loaded during the boot process. (Autoexec.bat)

So here I am in 2013, still using a backup program, initially written in 1997. Cool, Eh?
As was said earlier in another post, if there are errors on the HD, the program will balk with an error message. It may or may NOT say just what the error is.
I just close down the program, boot back into Windows, run CHKDSK /F and when that’s completed, I boot up to Ghost and proceed with my backup. That’s better than backing up errors.

* I can think of nothing worse, than to have your only backup/restore program on your HD when it goes up in a ball of fire and smoke. As a computer tech, I’ve seen that happen way too many times.

YOU MUST HAVE, AT LEAST YOUR RESTORE PROGRAM AND YOUR BACKUP IMAGE FILES ON SOME EXTERNAL MEDIA (that can boot your system), LIKE DVD OR EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE. And, that backup image must include the MBR, directories, OS and everything on your C drive, not just your data files. I back up my own system at least once a week with Ghost 11.5, run from a boot CD.

I have a little batch file that backs up all my data to a flash drive that I leave connected permanently. It only backs up new files or files I’ve updated, so my data backup only takes a few seconds. I run that batch file almost daily.

Cheers Mates!
The Doctor

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I am OP. My problem with Acronis 2013…not a figment of my imagination seems:http://www.ghacks.net/2013/01/18/acronis-promising-fix-for-windows-8-bug/?_m=3n%2e0038%2e768%2elg0ao049xm%2esf2

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I am OP.

Have you found an image program that suits you yet?

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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I would suspect that Acronis will fix that secure boot bug shortly as most new PCs will have this capability. I do not see it because my older laptops do not have this feature. Once fixed, I can see no reason to not use Acronis. It works very well and has restored my Win 8 systems several times already (My playing sometimes fudges things up with my PC, who knew!!! LOL)

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I read in another forum that this is the situation. Most of the Rescue Boot Disks created by Imaging apps use Linux, and it is my understanding that Linux is not allowed at present with Secure Boot. The OP in that other forum did just that, disabled Secure Boot and UEFI, restored his Image, then re-enabled both. It was also stated that Acronis is working on an update to solve this problem and allow the restoration without using this disable work around. I guess I would suspect other developers are working on this as well.

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@DrWho: Interesting. Norton Ghost 15.0 is definitely NOT compatible with WINDOWS 8 (Confirmed by the Symantec Support Desk)

My Rig: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-Core CPU; ASUS Cross Hair VIII Formula Mobo; Win 11 Pro (64 bit)-(UEFI-booted); 32GB RAM; 2TB Corsair Force Series MP600 Pro 2TB PCIe Gen 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD. 1TB SAMSUNG 960 EVO M.2 NVME SSD; MSI GeForce RTX 3090 VENTUS 3X 24G OC; Microsoft 365 Home; Condusiv SSDKeeper Professional; Acronis Cyberprotect, VMWare Workstation Pro V17.5. HP 1TB USB SSD External Backup Drive). Dell G-Sync G3223Q 144Hz Monitor.

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I believe DrWho uses his Ghost 15 from a disk outside the Windows environment. I also use Acronis True Image 2013 (which is compatible with Win 8) from outside Windows by booting to the Rescue Boot Disk and create my Images from here. I just prefer doing these things before Windows boots.

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Medico

it is my understanding that Linux is not allowed at present with Secure Boot

This is no longer true. See http://www.linuxfoundation.org/publications/making-uefi-secure-boot-work-with-open-platforms

However, secure boot is such a hassle, I do not enable it if its available. The enhanced security is not worth the hassle for me. YMMV.

Jerry

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