Image backup through Windows?Yes, it works!(SOLVED)

[Wimsomnia]

Hi,

I use Linux Mint in dual boot with Windows 10.

In Windows, my only back up is a complete image of my C-drive in(Windows itself+software). The rest of my data are backupped otherwise and elsewhere.

Twice I needed it and it worked like a charm, after an hour or 2 my system was completely the same as before.

Now is my question: instead of backing up with a Linux program, wouldn't it be enough to backup an image
of the disk I use for Linux Mint, using my Windows software?

Thanks in advance for any reaction!

[Cosmo.]

Windows cannot make any sense out of a Linux partition. So - no, this is not possible.

[Chemical_Ali]

I have used raw hdd copy to create/restore images of my Linux hdd through Windows.

[Pierre]

that would be possible, as long as the windows program doesn't care
what the source partition is composed of.

ie: that it would copy & restore that partition,
& using that partition as is & without understanding what it is.

a bit like the Linux DD command - which can copy any disk, & without having to understand what it is.

[Cosmo.]

I wonder, how reliable the raw method is. In any case it will most likely be a big waste of space on the backup media (and a waste of needed time), as possibly more than the half of the copy is nothing than empty space.

[Wimsomnia]

Cosmo, I don't have lack of space(NAS 8TB, 2 ext. HDD of 1TB each)
I just want to make my automatic Windows backup of the image enough
and not have to worry about my Linux backup anymore.
In fact, I will win time since it happens automatically on a weekly basis.

Since some of you write it's possible, I'll just try it........

What do I risk? Only my personal settings, I presume,
since all my "important" files are stored on mutiple other drives.

I'll let you all know in a few hours.....

[Cosmo.]

What do I risk?

Don't forget to test the restore.

[Wimsomnia]

It worked!!

What I did:

*took image of the disk using Macrium Reflect

*formatted the disk in Windows Powershell

*put image back on same disk

*booted as nothing ever happened......

One thing was different the first time: the choice you get to boot Linux Mint or Windows was
suddenly a "DOS-looking screen" without time counting down to make a choice.

Before I had a nice blue screen with 2 "buttons" to make the choice in 30 seconds otherwise
Windows would boot as default. After I booted back into Windows and checked the boot
manager(Easy BCD), everything looked normal. After rebooting again my nice buttons
were back. Windows "repaired" that.

So now I can rely on my weekly backups in Windows and not worry about backing up in Linux Mint anymore.
Until I throw out Windows all together, wich won't be very soon, I guess....