Disk imaging after changing the partition sizes?

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 20:32:36 -0600, "Bill in Co"
wrote:

I have a 250 GB internal hard drive (drive G:), currently partitioned with a
200 GB partition (the rest is unpartitioned), that I use to keep several
generational image backups of my system (the C: partition on the main
internal boot drive).

Let's suppose I decide I want to enlarge that G: storage partition - perhaps
all the way to 250 GB, to make more room for generational backup images.

My question is, could this potentially present a problem should I ever
decide to restore an older image backup that was made when I had that drive
set up with just a 200 GB partition? Let's suppose I make some new image
backups (to the 250 GB partition), and then restore an older image backup
that was made during the time I had that drive set up as only being 200 GB
(and presumably expecting that).

I'm not sure where that partition information is kept. IF it (and the
partition tables) are also stored within each image backup, I can see where
it could be an issue, since the expected partition sizes would be different
after restore.

I'm not sure I'm explaining (or understand) this very well, but I tried.
:-)

If I understand your question correctly, the answer is no, there will
not be a problem. You're only changing the size of the storage
container where you store your images. Doing so doesn't affect the
images in any way. The images don't know anything about the area in
which they're being stored. Enlarge it, shrink it, move them to an
entirely different hard drive if you like. They happily survive it
all.

"Bill in Co" wrote in message
news:

I have a 250 GB internal hard drive (drive G:), currently partitioned
with a 200 GB partition (the rest is unpartitioned), that I use to keep
several generational image backups of my system (the C: partition on
the main internal boot drive).

Let's suppose I decide I want to enlarge that G: storage partition -
perhaps all the way to 250 GB, to make more room for generational
backup images.

My question is, could this potentially present a problem should I ever
decide to restore an older image backup that was made when I had that
drive set up with just a 200 GB partition? Let's suppose I make some
new image backups (to the 250 GB partition), and then restore an older
image backup that was made during the time I had that drive set up as
only being 200 GB (and presumably expecting that).

I'm not sure where that partition information is kept. IF it (and
the partition tables) are also stored within each image backup, I can
see where it could be an issue, since the expected partition sizes
would be different after restore.

I'm not sure I'm explaining (or understand) this very well, but I
tried. :-)

What Char said. It will not have an effect on the data on the disk.
Since you're making the partition larger, you won't even be touching or
moving the image files.
I suggest that you do NOT defrag the partiton with the image files...
some people report problems with images if they are moved or defragged.
Glen Ventura
MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
CompTIA A+

glee wrote:

"Bill in Co" wrote in message
news:

I have a 250 GB internal hard drive (drive G:), currently partitioned
with a 200 GB partition (the rest is unpartitioned), that I use to keep
several generational image backups of my system (the C: partition on
the main internal boot drive).

Let's suppose I decide I want to enlarge that G: storage partition -
perhaps all the way to 250 GB, to make more room for generational
backup images.

My question is, could this potentially present a problem should I ever
decide to restore an older image backup that was made when I had that
drive set up with just a 200 GB partition? Let's suppose I make some
new image backups (to the 250 GB partition), and then restore an older
image backup that was made during the time I had that drive set up as
only being 200 GB (and presumably expecting that).

I'm not sure where that partition information is kept. IF it (and
the partition tables) are also stored within each image backup, I can
see where it could be an issue, since the expected partition sizes
would be different after restore.

I'm not sure I'm explaining (or understand) this very well, but I
tried. :-)

What Char said. It will not have an effect on the data on the disk.
Since you're making the partition larger, you won't even be touching or
moving the image files.
I suggest that you do NOT defrag the partiton with the image files...
some people report problems with images if they are moved or defragged.

Thanks to both of you. I never heard of that defrag issue - interesting.

The point of confusion for me (still) is as follows:

I thought when you make a system image backup, that backup image also stores
information about the (expected) partition sizes of all drives (partition
tables and perhaps the MBR??) in its backup image too, so that if you resize
the partitions of any connected drive later, and restore an older image, it
could be an issue (regardless of whether you had enlarged or reduced its
size).

Do you see where I'm getting confused? I know I'm missing something here.

I guess a simpler question is, exactly what information about the other
connected drives IS stored in the system image backup, and why is it not a
potential issue in restoring the image if it doesn't match the information
stored in that image about the original partition sizes of the connected
drives. (I would think it could hang up the system after restoring).

So it sounds like you're either implying that the partition tables of all
connected drives and MBR on the system drive are not themselves backed up in
the image, OR if they are, when you restore an image, the partition sizes
are automatically "recalculated" during bootup, from BIOS I guess.

I know I'm not understanding something here very well, however. :-)

"Bill in Co" wrote in message
news:

glee wrote:

"Bill in Co" wrote in message
news:

I have a 250 GB internal hard drive (drive G:), currently
partitioned
with a 200 GB partition (the rest is unpartitioned), that I use to
keep
several generational image backups of my system (the C: partition on
the main internal boot drive).

Let's suppose I decide I want to enlarge that G: storage partition -
perhaps all the way to 250 GB, to make more room for generational
backup images.

My question is, could this potentially present a problem should I
ever
decide to restore an older image backup that was made when I had
that
drive set up with just a 200 GB partition? Let's suppose I make
some
new image backups (to the 250 GB partition), and then restore an
older
image backup that was made during the time I had that drive set up
as
only being 200 GB (and presumably expecting that).

I'm not sure where that partition information is kept. IF it (and
the partition tables) are also stored within each image backup, I
can
see where it could be an issue, since the expected partition sizes
would be different after restore.

I'm not sure I'm explaining (or understand) this very well, but I
tried. :-)

What Char said. It will not have an effect on the data on the disk.
Since you're making the partition larger, you won't even be touching
or
moving the image files.
I suggest that you do NOT defrag the partiton with the image files...
some people report problems with images if they are moved or
defragged.

Thanks to both of you. I never heard of that defrag issue -
interesting.

The point of confusion for me (still) is as follows:

I thought when you make a system image backup, that backup image also
stores information about the (expected) partition sizes of all drives
(partition tables and perhaps the MBR??) in its backup image too, so
that if you resize the partitions of any connected drive later, and
restore an older image, it could be an issue (regardless of whether
you had enlarged or reduced its size).

Do you see where I'm getting confused? I know I'm missing something
here.

I guess a simpler question is, exactly what information about the
other connected drives IS stored in the system image backup, and why
is it not a potential issue in restoring the image if it doesn't match
the information stored in that image about the original partition
sizes of the connected drives. (I would think it could hang up the
system after restoring).

So it sounds like you're either implying that the partition tables of
all connected drives and MBR on the system drive are not themselves
backed up in the image, OR if they are, when you restore an image, the
partition sizes are automatically "recalculated" during bootup, from
BIOS I guess.

I know I'm not understanding something here very well, however. :-)

You stated you are imaging the C: partition (volume), not the entire
physical drive. You could restore that partition to any physical drive.
The image doesn't care about the other partitions. You would only have
an issue if you tried to restore the image to space smaller than the
imaged partition it wouldn't be able to fit in less space than it
takes, but that should go without saying!

Even if you imaged the entire physical drive with possibly multiple
partitions, you could restore that image to any physical drive large
enough to take it. The image would restore the partitions in it at the
same size they were made from. IOW, if you imaged a complete physical
drive, say a 80GB drive with C: and D: partitions on it, and C: was 30GB
and D: was 50GB, then restored that image to a 250GB drive the
partitions would be 30GB and 50GB, and the rest of the drive would be
unallocated space.

It's not brain surgery, it's just rocket science!
Glen Ventura
MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
CompTIA A+

glee wrote:

"Bill in Co" wrote in message
news:

glee wrote:

"Bill in Co" wrote in message
news:

I have a 250 GB internal hard drive (drive G:), currently
partitioned
with a 200 GB partition (the rest is unpartitioned), that I use to
keep
several generational image backups of my system (the C: partition on
the main internal boot drive).

Let's suppose I decide I want to enlarge that G: storage partition -
perhaps all the way to 250 GB, to make more room for generational
backup images.

My question is, could this potentially present a problem should I
ever
decide to restore an older image backup that was made when I had
that
drive set up with just a 200 GB partition? Let's suppose I make
some
new image backups (to the 250 GB partition), and then restore an
older
image backup that was made during the time I had that drive set up
as
only being 200 GB (and presumably expecting that).

I'm not sure where that partition information is kept. IF it (and
the partition tables) are also stored within each image backup, I
can
see where it could be an issue, since the expected partition sizes
would be different after restore.

I'm not sure I'm explaining (or understand) this very well, but I
tried. :-)

What Char said. It will not have an effect on the data on the disk.
Since you're making the partition larger, you won't even be touching
or
moving the image files.
I suggest that you do NOT defrag the partiton with the image files...
some people report problems with images if they are moved or
defragged.

Thanks to both of you. I never heard of that defrag issue -
interesting.

The point of confusion for me (still) is as follows:

I thought when you make a system image backup, that backup image also
stores information about the (expected) partition sizes of all drives
(partition tables and perhaps the MBR??) in its backup image too, so
that if you resize the partitions of any connected drive later, and
restore an older image, it could be an issue (regardless of whether
you had enlarged or reduced its size).

Do you see where I'm getting confused? I know I'm missing something
here.

I guess a simpler question is, exactly what information about the
other connected drives IS stored in the system image backup, and why
is it not a potential issue in restoring the image if it doesn't match
the information stored in that image about the original partition
sizes of the connected drives. (I would think it could hang up the
system after restoring).

So it sounds like you're either implying that the partition tables of
all connected drives and MBR on the system drive are not themselves
backed up in the image, OR if they are, when you restore an image, the
partition sizes are automatically "recalculated" during bootup, from
BIOS I guess.

I know I'm not understanding something here very well, however. :-)

You stated you are imaging the C: partition (volume), not the entire
physical drive. You could restore that partition to any physical drive.
The image doesn't care about the other partitions. You would only have
an issue if you tried to restore the image to space smaller than the
imaged partition it wouldn't be able to fit in less space than it
takes, but that should go without saying!

Even if you imaged the entire physical drive with possibly multiple
partitions, you could restore that image to any physical drive large
enough to take it. The image would restore the partitions in it at the
same size they were made from. IOW, if you imaged a complete physical
drive, say a 80GB drive with C: and D: partitions on it, and C: was 30GB
and D: was 50GB, then restored that image to a 250GB drive the
partitions would be 30GB and 50GB, and the rest of the drive would be
unallocated space.

It's not brain surgery, it's just rocket science!

Well, when I backup the C: partition, it's also backing up the MBR and the
Dell partitions too in that image. It's not solely the C:partition.

So isn't the partition table information and MBR of the main drive (which in
my case has 4 partitions), along with the secondary drive's partition table
information, also saved in that backup image?

Again, the confusion is not over whether or not the partitions are large
enough.

It's over exactly what is and isn't stored in that system backup image, and
if that secondary (backup) drive partition information (also stored in the
backup image) is incorrect after restoring the image backup. (why? since
someone changed it "midstream", so to speak, so it now doesn't match the
(presumably) stored partition info from when it was originally made).