How to backup Linux Mint 19.1 in a dual boot system?(Solved)

[Alvin]

I run Linux Mint 19.1 cinnamon in a dual boot system with Windows 7.
1. Do I backup all the HD partitions using, for example, Macrium Free?
OR
2. Could I backup the Windows 7 partitions and the Linux partition, the "ext" partition, separately, and restore the systems separately if I found it necessary?

[ajgringo619]

I use Clonezilla to make a complete image of my Win10/Mint19.1 dual-boot system; never had a problem restoring.

[JoeFootball]

1... backup all the HD partitions ...

+1 for Clonezilla Live. It makes an image of the entire hard drive. If the hard drive ever fails, I just install a new one, and apply the latest image to it.

Joe

[deepakdeshp]

I use Clonezilla to make a complete image of my Win10/Mint19.1 dual-boot system; never had a problem restoring.

+1 for Clonezilla

[Alvin]

The Clonezilla recommendations are very encouraging, but how do I deal with the strong negative reviews posted on my Software Manager's installation area? Almost all report that the Clonezilla menus are incomprehensible. Clonezilla's description as a "hardmetal" something or other is meaningless to me. I am reluctant to try it because it has received so many negative reviews.

[ajgringo619]

Once you get used to the menus, they really aren't that difficult to navigate. The best was to install Clonezilla is on a USB drive, not through Software Manager.

[Hendrick]

@Alvin

If you already have access to Macrium Reflect, then I would advise you to stick with that.
I've been using the paid version for many years now. Linux filesystems (ext4 and others) are supported
and the programs run very fast and reliable. It's also possible to use the program 'stand-alone' by booting
from a CD or DVD or USB device.
The backup strategy I'm using tells the program to backup the entire system once a week. The rest of the
week all backups are in incremental mode.

Hendrick / Amsterdam

[JoeFootball]

Almost all report that the Clonezilla menus are incomprehensible.

I've not read the reviews, but I would say "incomprehensible" is a bit exaggerated. Is it a pretty user interface? Not in the least. It's all text-based, but it does the job. Frankly, I find myself just hitting Enter, as most of the menus are the default selections for me.

Clonezilla's description as a "hardmetal" something or other is meaningless to me.

Perhaps you read "bare metal", which means that it's a complete backup, where it can restore a PC from the bare metal up, such as in a physically irrecoverable hard drive failure where the drive has to be replaced.

I am reluctant to try it because it has received so many negative reviews.

I can't speak for you or anyone else, but for myself, Clonezilla Live has given me years of success. It's admittedly an ugly duckling, but it works as advertised. I'd suggest giving it a go, but I'm certainly not dissuading you from trying something else as well.

Joe

[bob466]

Have a look at this...viewtopic.php?f=42&t=264431#p1434480

I'm running Cinnamon 19.1...I don't Dual Boot but just tick all partitions and you're good...easy.

[Alvin]

Hendrick: Sir, I am very pleased with Linux and intend to remove Windows 7 when I am certain I have all the details covered with the former, such as backing up. I have used Macrium Free gratefully and would continue to use it if the developers were to offer a Linux Mint version.
Regrettably, there is no sign as yet that they intend to do so. Thanks for your reply.

[Hendrick]

@Alvin

I don't have Windows on my system, but nevertheless I'm using Macrium Reflect. Before removing my last Windows version (I think
this was Win8), I made a couple of bootable CDs and USB devices, so that I could use the program in a 'stand-alone' environment.
So the point is that you don't need an active Windows system in order to make use of the program.

Concerning a Linux version: I don't think this will happen. A couple of years ago there was a poll concerning this topic. The results
were not very positive for the Linux community...

Have a good weekend!

Hendrick / Amsterdam

[Alvin]

Hendrick in Amsterdam: I am very pleased to read your statement that one may utilize the Macrium boot recovery disk without the Windows OS partitions on the HDD. I know that the Macrium recovery disk has a bare bones Windows OS of its own, just enough to allow the Macrium restoration to function. That encouraged my belief that I could use the recovery disk as you suggest: just to recover the Linux Mint OS from an external HDD. I do have a remaining concern:

The Linux Mint OS that is on my external HDD is in the "ext 4" partition of a full backup of my entire dual OS. Suppose I completely formatted my internal HDD, and tried to restore only the "ext 4" partition to it thereafter. Would the restoration then function as a full copy of the Linux Mint OS? Would it then boot as Linux Mint as a single OS? Isn't a "grub" file required to inform the booting software? Is that file in the "ext 4" image that is being restored to the internal HDD and would be available when the newly copied Linux OS system is booted?

Alvin

[Hendrick]

@Alvin

It is always possible to restore only one partiton, whether this is an NTFS of Linux filesystem.
After that it depends if you are on a MBR system or on an UEFI system. In case of a MBR system
you would have to reinstall Grub in the MBR and then have it scan your system. You can do
this by booting from a live-DVD. Grub will find the Linux partition and will generate a new config
file for that partition.
In case of an UEFI system you will also need a seperate (empty) EFI-partition, because the MBR is
no longer in use on such systems.
You might search the web for "how to repair Grub" and step by step instructions.

Hendrick

[vansloneker]

The Clonezilla recommendations are very encouraging, but how do I deal with the strong negative reviews posted on my Software Manager's installation area? Almost all report that the Clonezilla menus are incomprehensible. Clonezilla's description as a "hardmetal" something or other is meaningless to me. I am reluctant to try it because it has received so many negative reviews.

Prerequisite for using Clonezilla is that you understand at least a little about hard disks and their partitions. If you don't understand a thing about hard disks and partitions it will be very confusing.

[Alvin]

vansloneker: I understand all I have needed to understand about partitions to use Macrium Free to backup and restore my HDD. Computers and their OSes for personal computers, if well designed, should not require more than a very limited understanding on the part of the user. They are machines for the accomplishment of other tasks with ease. If they require extended study by the user to perform essential tasks, such as backup of its software, then their design is faulty. I find astounding the fact that the developers of Linux Mint have included in its Software Manager a "server edition" of Clonezilla that is not directly usable for the backup and restoration needs of the lay user but designed instead for the backup of a network of several computers.
Choosing between spending my time to acquire your deep understanding of partitions or to improve my understanding of the natural world, I have no hesitation which course to pursue.

[AndyMH]

If you want a simple to use linux based image backup utility try redo. This has been my image backup tool of choice for three years. The problem with it is that it is old and has not been updated since 2012 (it is based on ubuntu 12.04). Some users have complained about not being able to get it to boot from USB and it may not work with newer computers. It can be downloaded from sourceforge:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/redobackup/
Download the iso, burn to CD (or USB) and boot from it.
Just like clonezilla, it is a front-end for partclone, but much more friendly

[Alvin]

AndyMH: Thanks. I shall explore Redo.

[vansloneker]

vansloneker: I understand all I have needed to understand about partitions to use Macrium Free to backup and restore my HDD. Computers and their OSes for personal computers, if well designed, should not require more than a very limited understanding on the part of the user. They are machines for the accomplishment of other tasks with ease. If they require extended study by the user to perform essential tasks, such as backup of its software, then their design is faulty. I find astounding the fact that the developers of Linux Mint have included in its Software Manager a "server edition" of Clonezilla that is not directly usable for the backup and restoration needs of the lay user but designed instead for the backup of a network of several computers.
Choosing between spending my time to acquire your deep understanding of partitions or to improve my understanding of the natural world, I have no hesitation which course to pursue.

I should have said: Clonezilla Live. Clonezilla Live also requires basic understanding of hard disks and partitions. If someone doesn't know what a partition is, how can they make a good clone or image?

I agree about the Software Manager version. But there are more curious choices in Software Manager.

[AndyMH]

If you try redo and it won't boot from usb try:

Code: Select all

isohybrid yourdownloadedredo.iso

Think it is installed by default in mint, more info:
https://wiki.syslinux.org/wiki/index.ph ... =Isohybrid

[Alvin]

Hendrik: I have not found a diskmgmt display in Linux Mint (or the same by another name I could conjur). I went to my Windows7 OS and looked in diskmgmt.msi. My version of Windows does not state MBR or the other HDD organizing method for larger HDDs than 2TB. Since my HDD is only 0.5TB and has only 4 partitions, I assume it is MBR.

Now, returning to Linux Mint 19.1 cinnamon, my other OS, I am not clear on booting from a "live-CD". By "live", do you mean one with Clonezilla-live? I am guessing it could be a bootable USB memory stick as well with Clonezilla-live.

All this is very complicated for a lay person who just wants to have a backup system for his computer. Linux seems to want to expand its use among PC users, yet it is not user friendly in my view.