Avanquest Perfect Image V.12 User Guide

User’s Guide
3132 Dwight Road Suite 500

Elk Grove CA 95758-6469
USA
www.avanquest.com
Perfect Image
Copyright ©2009 Avanquest North America, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.
Avanquest is a registered trademark and Perfect Image is a trademark of Avanquest North America, Inc. Windows,
Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer, Windows Vista, and ActiveX are registered trademarks of the Microsoft
Corporation. Adobe, Adobe Reader, and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. UNIX
is a registered trademark of The Open Group. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and
other countries. Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. Zip is a registered trademark of Iomega
Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Companies, names, and data used in
examples herein are fictitious unless otherwise noted. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted,
transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into a language or computer language, in any form by any
means, electronic, mechanical, optical, chemical, manual, or otherwise, for any purpose, without the express
written permission of Avanquest North America, Inc.
AVANQUEST END USERS LICENSE AGREEMENT
The software that is subject to this End User's License Agreement (EULA) is licensed, not sold, to you (the
“Licensee”) by Avanquest North America Inc. (“Avanquest”).
IF LICENSEE DOES NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS EULA, THEN
WITHIN 30 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER ACQUIRING THE LICENSED SOFTWARE, LICENSEE MAY
RETURN IT TO THE PLACE WHERE LICENSEE OBTAINED IT FOR A FULL REFUND (LESS, IF
APPLICABLE, SHIPPING, HANDLING, AND ANY TAXES), BUT ONLY IF LICENSEE HAS NOT
INSTALLED, COPIED, ACCESSED, OR USED THE LICENSED SOFTWARE.
Installing, copying, accessing, or using the Licensed Software constitutes Licensee's acceptance of, and promise to
comply with, all of the terms and conditions of this EULA
LICENSE TERMS
CONTENTS.
The “Licensed Software” includes all of the contents of the files, disk(s), CD-ROM(s), DVDs, or other media for
which this EULA is provided, including:
(1) third-party computer information or software that Avanquest has licensed for inclusion in the Licensed
Software;
(2) written materials or files relating to the Licensed Software (“Documentation”);
(3) fonts; and
(4) upgrades, modified versions, updates, additions, and copies of the Licensed Software, if any (collectively,
“Updates”).
INSTALLATION.
Unless Licensee has purchased a Site License Agreement, Licensee may only install one copy of the Licensed
Software on a single computer. Licensee shall be solely responsible for all expenses incurred in Licensee's
installation of the Licensed Software.
ACTIVATION.
The Licensed Software contains technological measures that are designed to prevent its unlicensed or illegal use.
The Licensed Software may contain enforcement technology that limits Licensee’s ability to install and uninstall
the Licensed Software on a machine to no more than a finite number of times, and for a finite number of machines.
The Licensed Software may require activation as explained during installation and in the Documentation. If any
such applicable activation procedure(s) is not followed, then the Licensed Software may only operate for a finite
period of time. If activation is required, and not completed within the finite period of time set forth in the
Documentation and explained during installation, then the Licensed Software will cease to function until activation
has been completed, at which time functionality will be restored. If Licensee has any problem with the activation
process, Licensee should contact Avanquest customer support.
COPIES.
Licensee may only make one copy of the Licensed Software for backup or archival purposes only, except that the
Documentation may not be duplicated.
TRANSFER.
Licensee may not sell, assign, sublicense, rent, lease, lend or otherwise transfer the Licensed Software or the
License granted by this EULA without prior written consent of Avanquest.
Perfect Image End User’s License Agreement • 3

USE.
The License granted by this EULA is non-exclusive. Licensee may not use the Licensed Software except as
expressly permitted by this License.
PROHIBITED USES.
(1) Licensee may not modify, alter, adapt or translate all or any portion of the Licensed Software;
(2) Licensee may not create any derivative works from all or any portion of the Licensed Software;
(3) Licensee may not reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code
of the Licensed Software;
(4) Licensee may not use a previous version of the Licensed Software after receiving a media replacement or
upgraded version as a replacement to a prior version (in such case you must destroy the prior version);
(5) Licensee may not use the Licensed Software in the operation of aircraft, ship, nuclear facilities, life-support
machines, communication systems, or any other equipment in which the failure of the software could lead to
personal injury, death, or environmental damage;
(6) Licensee may not remove or obscure Avanquest’s copyright or trademark notices, or the copyright and
trademark notices of third parties that Avanquest has included in the Licensed Software;
(7) Licensee may not use the Licensed Software to host applications for third parties, as part of a facility
management, timesharing, service provider, or service bureau arrangement; and
(8) Licensee may not use the Licensed Software in any manner not authorized by this EULA.
CONTENT.
Licensee may use any clipart, photographs, icons, fonts, shapes, animations, sounds, music, video clips, and all
other graphic content (collectively, “Content”) included with the Licensed Software, if any, only as stated in the
Documentation. If the Documentation does not permit Licensee to use the Content, then Licensee may not display,
modify, reproduce, or distribute any of the Content; and even if the Documentation permits Licensee to use the
Content, Licensee may not distribute the Content on a stand-alone basis such as where the Content constitutes the
primary value of whatever Licensee is distributing.
Certain portions of the Content may consist of the copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade names, or other
intellectual property of third parties. These portions of the Content are provided for the convenience of certain users
of the Software who are expressly authorized to use them by their owners. You may not use any third-party
intellectual property without their express authorization. Furthermore:
(1) Licensee may not sell, license, distribute (commercially or otherwise), or make available the Content as stand-
alone images or sounds, or in catalogs, design books, compilations, collections, templates, designs, stock
engravings, products, services, or the like;
(2) Licensee may not sell, license, distribute (commercially or otherwise), or make available electronic copies of
the Content to third parties in any manner, including without limitation, via the Internet, on any tangible media
or by broadcast, that is intended or designed to enable a third party to copy the Content for its own use;
4 • End User’s License Agreement Perfect Image

(3) Licensee may not sell, license, distribute (commercially or otherwise), or make available electronic copies of
the Content that includes representations of identifiable individuals, governments, logos, initials, emblems,
trademarks, or entities that expresses or implies any endorsement or association with any product, service,
entity, or activity; and
(4) Under no circumstances may the Content be used in the production of defamatory, fraudulent, infringing,
lewd, obscene, or pornographic material, or in any otherwise illegal manner.
Licensee is solely responsible for Licensee’s use of the Content. Licensee may only use the Content responsibly, in
a manner consistent with the exercise of good judgment. If Licensee is having difficulty deciding whether
Licensee’s intended use is appropriate, or whether Licensee needs written permission, or whether other legal issues
should be considered, Avanquest strongly encourages Licensee to seek competent legal counsel. Avanquest will not
assist Licensee in making this determination, nor can Avanquest provide Licensee with legal advice as to
intellectual property rights.
If Licensee or Licensee’s attorney determines that Licensee is required by law to obtain written permission to use
portions of the Content, Licensee must request permission for reproduction, redistribution, or modification of the
Content from the appropriate owner of the subject materials (as may be cited in the Licensed Software). If, on the
other hand, Licensee or Licensee’s attorney determines it is permissible to proceed and include Content from the
Licensed Software, Avanquest requires Licensee to correctly designate Avanquest’s trademark(s) when referring to
the Licensed Software in the notice or copyright portion of Licensee's paper, project, or product.
Licensee shall indemnify, hold harmless, and defend Avanquest and Avanquest's suppliers and licensors from all
claims, damages, losses, attorneys’ fees, costs, and lawsuits that arise from, or result from, Licensee's use or
distribution of Content, and/or from any breach by Licensee of this EULA.
SOFTWARE UPDATES.
If the Licensed Software is an Update to a previous version, Licensee must possess a valid License to the previous
version. Any Update provided to Licensee is made on a License-exchange basis such that Licensee agrees, as a
condition for receiving an Update, that Licensee will terminate all of Licensee’s rights to use any previous version
of the Licensed Software. However, Licensee may continue to use the previous version only to assist in
transitioning to the Updated version. Once an Update has been released, Avanquest may cease support for prior
versions, without any notice to Licensee.
CONTENT UPDATES.
Avanquest provides updates to the content of some of its software from time to time, including but not limited to,
virus definitions, URL lists, rules, and updated vulnerability data. These types of updates are collectively referred to
as “Content Updates.” Licensee may obtain any such Content Updates during the initial period provided for by the
applicable software without additional charge. Licensee may purchase a separate subscription for a specified period
of time to continue to receive Content Updates after the initial period expires. Avanquest reserves the right to
designate specified Content Updates as requiring purchase of a separate subscription at any time, and without prior
notice to Licensee, except that any such change will only become effective at the earlier of the expiration of the
initial period provided for by the applicable software, or the expiration of the term of a separately paid for
subscription.
SUPPORT.
Avanquest is not obligated by this EULA to provide Licensee with any technical support services relating to the
Licensed Software; however, Licensee may order additional support services for an additional charge as Avanquest
may offer from time to time during the term of this EULA.

LIMITED WARRANTY ON MEDIA.
Avanquest warrants that the media on which the Licensed Software is distributed will be free from defects for a
period of 30 days from the date the Licensed Software is delivered to Licensee. If Licensee discovers a defect in the
media during this 30-day period, Licensee must then return the defective media to Avanquest within 10 calendar
days of discovering the defect, and Licensee's sole remedy is to have either the defective media replaced, or at
Avanquest's sole option, a refund of the money that Licensee paid for the Licensed Software.
NO WARRANTY ON LICENSED SOFTWARE.
THE LICENSED SOFTWARE (EXLUDING THE MEDIA ON WHICH IT IS DISTRIBUTED) IS PROVIDED
TO LICENSEE “AS IS.” AVANQUEST, AND AVANQUEST'S SUPPLIERS AND LICENSORS, MAKE NO
WARRANTY AS TO ITS USE OR PERFORMANCE. AVANQUEST, AND AVANQUEST'S SUPPLIERS AND
LICENSORS, MAKE NO WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS, OR TERMS (EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED WHETHER BY STATUTE, COMMON LAW, CUSTOM, USAGE, OR OTHERWISE) AS TO ANY
MATTER INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD-PARTY RIGHTS,
MERCHANTABILITY, INTEGRATION, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR
PURPOSE, EXCEPT FOR, AND TO THE EXTENT, THAT A WARRANTY MAY NOT BE EXCLUDED OR
LIMITED BY APPLICABLE LAW IN LICENSEE'S JURISDICTION.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.
IN NO EVENT WILL AVANQUEST, OR AVANQUEST'S SUPPLIERS OR LICENSORS, BE LIABLE TO
LICENSEE FOR ANY DAMAGES, CLAIMS, OR COSTS WHATSOEVER, OR FOR ANY
CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, SPECIAL, PUNATIVE, INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, OR ANY
LOST PROFITS OR LOST SAVINGS, EVEN IF A REPRESENTATIVE OF AVANQUEST OR ONE OF
AVANQUESTÆS SUPPLIERS OR LICENSORS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
LOSS, DAMAGES, CLAIMS, OR COSTS, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY THIRD PARTY. THESE
LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW IN
LICENSEE'S JURISDICTION. THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF AVANQUEST, AND AVANQUEST'S
SUPPLIERS, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS EULA, SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT
PAID FOR THE LICENSED SOFTWARE, IF ANY.
ADDITIONAL TERMS FOR BETA SOFTWARE.
If the Licensed Software that Licensee receives with this EULA is pre-commercial release or “BETA” software
(“Pre-release Software”), then, to the extent that any provision in this section is in conflict with any other term or
condition in this EULA, this section supersedes such conflicting term(s) and condition(s) as to the Pre-release
Software, but only to the extent necessary to resolve the conflict.
Licensee acknowledges that the Pre-release Software does not represent the final product from Avanquest, and may
contain bugs, errors, and other problems that could cause system or other failures and data loss. Consequently,
Avanquest disclaims any warranty or liability obligations to Licensee of any kind whatsoever.
IN APPLICABLE JURISDICTIONS WHERE LIABILITY CANNOT BE SO EXCLUDED FOR PRE-RELEASE
SOFTWARE, BUT MAY BE LIMITED, AVANQUEST’S LIABILITY, AND THAT OF ITS SUPPLIERS, SHALL
BE LIMITED TO THE TOTAL OF FIFTY DOLLARS (U.S. $50.00).
Licensee acknowledges that Avanquest has not promised or guaranteed to Licensee that the Pre-release Software
will be announced or made available to anyone in the future, and that Avanquest has no express or implied
obligation to Licensee to announce or introduce the Pre-release Software. Avanquest may decide not to introduce a
product similar to, or compatible with, the Pre-release Software. Accordingly, Licensee acknowledges that any
research or development that Licensee performs regarding the Pre-release Software, or any product associated with
the Pre-release Software, is done entirely at Licensee's own risk.
During the term of this EULA, if requested by Avanquest, Licensee will provide feedback to Avanquest regarding
testing and use of the Pre-release Software, including error or bug reports.

If Licensee has been provided the Pre-release Software pursuant to a separate written agreement, then Licensee’s
use of the Pre-release Software is also governed by that agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this EULA to the
contrary, if Licensee is located outside the United States, Licensee will return or destroy all unreleased versions of
the Pre-release Software within 30 days of the completion of Licensee’s testing of the Pre-release Software if that
date is earlier than the date scheduled for Avanquest's first commercial shipment of the publicly released
(commercial) software.
SURVIVAL OF DISCLAIMERS.
The exclusions of warranties and liability limitations shall survive the termination of this EULA, howsoever
caused; but this survival shall not imply or create any continued right to use the Licensed Software after termination
of this EULA.
EXPORT RULES.
Licensee shall not ship, transfer, or export Licensed Software into any country or use Licensed Software in any
manner prohibited by the United States Export Administration Act or any other export laws, restrictions, or
regulations (collectively the “Export Laws.”) If the Licensed Software is identified as export controlled items under
the Export Laws, Licensee represents and warrants that Licensee, and Licensee’s employees who will use the
Licensed Software are not a citizen, or otherwise located within, an nation embargoed by the United States
(including without limitation: Iran, Syria, Sudan, Cuba, Libya and North Korea), and that Licensee, and Licensee’s
employees who will use the Licensed Software, are not otherwise prohibited under the Export Laws from receiving
the Software. All rights to use the Licensed Software are granted on condition that Licensee complies with the
Export Laws, and all such rights are forfeited if Licensee fails to comply with the Export Laws.
GOVERNING LAW.
This EULA is subject to, and will be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws in force of
the State of California. Any action arising under, relating to or connected with this EULA or the use of the Licensed
Software will be filed only in an appropriate court located in Los Angeles County, California, and the parties
irrevocably consent and submit to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of such courts for such purposes. This EULA
will not be governed by the conflict of law rules of any jurisdiction, or the United Nations Convention on Contracts
for the International Sale of Goods, the application of which is expressly excluded.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP.
The Licensed Software and any authorized copies that Licensee makes are the intellectual property of, and are
owned by, Avanquest, and by third parties whose intellectual property has been licensed by Avanquest. The
structure, organization, and code of the Licensed Software are the valuable trade secrets and confidential
information of Avanquest and such third parties. The Licensed Software is protected by law, including without
limitation, the copyright laws of the United States and other countries, and by international treaty provisions.
Except as expressly provided in this EULA, Licensee is not granted any intellectual property rights in the Licensed
Software.
RESERVATION OF RIGHTS.
Avanquest reserves all rights not expressly granted to Licensee by this EULA. The rights granted to Licensee are
limited to Avanquest's intellectual property rights, and to the intellectual property rights of third parties licensed by
Avanquest. All rights are reserved under the copyright laws of the United States. Avanquest North America Inc.;
3132 Dwight Road, Suite 500; Elk Grove, CA 95758-6469, USA.

COMPLETE AGREEMENT and BINDING EFFECT.
This EULA constitutes the entire agreement between the Licensee and Avanquest relating to the Licensed Software,
and it supersedes all prior or contemporaneous representations, discussions, undertakings, communications,
agreements, arrangements, advertisements, and understandings regulating the Licensed Software. This EULA is
binding on and made for the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns.
MODIFICATION.
This EULA may only be modified, supplemented or amended by a writing signed by an authorized officer of
Avanquest.
SEVERABILITY.
If any provision of this EULA is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to law, that
provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the remaining provisions of this EULA will
remain in full force and effect.
WAIVER.
No failure or delay by Avanquest in exercising its rights or remedies shall operate as a waiver unless made by
Avanquest’s specific written notice. No single or partial exercise of any right or remedy of Avanquest shall operate
as a waiver or preclude any other, or further, exercise of that, or any other right, or remedy.
U.S. GOVERNMENT USERS.
The Licensed Software and its Documentation qualify as “commercial items,” as that term is defined at 48 C.F.R.
2.101, consisting of “commercial computer software” and “commercial computer software documentation” as such
terms are used in 48 C.F.R. 12.212. Consistent with 48 C.F.R.12.212 and 48 C.F.R. 227.7202-1 through 227.7202-
4, Avanquest will provide to the Government end user, the Licensed Software and its Documentation with only
those rights set forth herein that apply to non-governmental customers. Use of the Licensed Software and its
Documentation constitutes agreement by the Government entity that the Licensed Software and its Documentation
are commercial, and constitutes acceptance of the rights and restrictions herein. The Licensed Software Contractor/
Manufacturer is Avanquest North America Inc. or its applicable licensors.
For U.S. Government End Users, Avanquest agrees to comply with all applicable equal opportunity laws including,
if appropriate, the provisions of Executive Order 11246, as amended, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans
Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (38 USC 4212), and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
amended, and the regulations at 41 CFR Parts 60-1 through 60-60, 60-250, and 60-741. The affirmative action
clause and regulations contained in the preceding sentence shall be incorporated by reference in this EULA.
PROOF OF COMPLIANCE.
Within 30 calendar days after request from Avanquest, or Avanquest’s authorized representative, Licensee will
provide full documentation, and certify under penalty of perjury, that Licensee’s use of any and all Licensed
Software is in conformity with this EULA.
TERMINATION.
If Licensee breaches this EULA, and fails to cure any breach within 30 calendar days after request from Avanquest,
or Avanquest’s authorized representative, Avanquest may terminate this EULA, whereupon all rights granted to
Licensee shall immediately cease. Furthermore, upon termination, Licensee shall return to Avanquest all copies of
the Licensed Software, or verify in writing that all copies of the Licensed Software have been destroyed.
©Avanquest North America, Inc. 2009 - All rights reserved for all media and all countries.

Contents
Getting Started
Installing and Starting Perfect Image 15
Introduction...............................................................................................................................15
Key Benefits and Technical Highlights ....................................................................................16
System Requirements ...............................................................................................................17
Installing Perfect Image ............................................................................................................17
Starting the Program .................................................................................................................18
Creating Recovery Media .........................................................................................................19
A Quick Tour 21
Overview...................................................................................................................................21
Learning About the Program Window......................................................................................22
Viewing Hard Drive and Partition Information ........................................................................28
Exporting Files Using Volume Explorer...................................................................................31
Learning the Basics 33

Overview...................................................................................................................................33
Creating a Backup Image..........................................................................................................34
Updating a Backup Image.........................................................................................................35
Scheduling Backups..................................................................................................................36
Restoring From a Backup Image ..............................................................................................37
Getting Help 39
Overview...................................................................................................................................39
Using Online Help ....................................................................................................................40
Using ToolTips..........................................................................................................................41
Using the Status Bar..................................................................................................................41
Viewing the User’s Guide .........................................................................................................41
Perfect Image Contents • 9

Data Backup
Creating Backup Images 45
Overview ...................................................................................................................................45
Using the Backup Wizard .........................................................................................................46
Making a Hot Backup ...............................................................................................................53
Updating a Backup Image.........................................................................................................54
Backing Up Files and Folders ...................................................................................................60
Incrementally Backing Up Files and Folders............................................................................66
Transferring Files and Folders ..................................................................................................67
Maintaining Backup Images 73

Overview ...................................................................................................................................73
Using the Secure Partition.........................................................................................................74
Viewing a List of Backup Images .............................................................................................79
Checking the Integrity of Backup Images.................................................................................81
Checking the Integrity of Recovery Discs ................................................................................81
Converting a Backup Image to a Temporary Partition..............................................................82
Data Restore
Using the Restore Wizard 85
Overview ...................................................................................................................................85
Starting the Restore Wizard ......................................................................................................86
Choosing the Backup Image for Restoring ...............................................................................87
Choosing a Portion of the Backup Image for Restoring ...........................................................88
Choosing the Disk or Partition for Restoring............................................................................88
Setting the Restore Parameters .................................................................................................89
Starting the Restore Operation ..................................................................................................90
Restoring Files ..........................................................................................................................91
Transferring Files and Folders Back .........................................................................................93
10 • Contents Perfect Image

Restoring from a Recovery Disk 95
Overview...................................................................................................................................95
Starting the Recovery CD .........................................................................................................96
Creating a Backup Image Using the Recovery CD ..................................................................99
Using the Simple Restore Wizard...........................................................................................101
Copying a Disk .......................................................................................................................102
Transferring Files....................................................................................................................102
Fixing Boot Problems .............................................................................................................104
Saving Log Files .....................................................................................................................107
Disk and Partition Management

Hard Drive and Partitioning Basics 111
Overview................................................................................................................................. 111
What is a Partition?................................................................................................................. 111
Types of Partitions: Partition Terminology............................................................................. 112
Bootable Partitions.................................................................................................................. 113
Disk Formatting and Partitions ............................................................................................... 113
Characteristics of File Systems............................................................................................... 116
Partitioning and Booting Information.....................................................................................123
Managing Hard Drives and Partitions 125

Overview.................................................................................................................................125
Updating the Master Boot Record ..........................................................................................126
Cloning a Hard Drive or Partition...........................................................................................127
Program Management
Using Virtual Operations 137
Overview.................................................................................................................................137
Viewing Proposed Changes ....................................................................................................138
Undoing and Redoing Proposed Changes ..............................................................................139
Discarding All Proposed Changes ..........................................................................................141
Applying Partition and Hard Drive Changes ..........................................................................141
Perfect Image Contents • 11

Using the Scheduler 143
Overview .................................................................................................................................143
Scheduling Tasks.....................................................................................................................143
Viewing and Modifying Scheduled Tasks...............................................................................151
Changing Program Settings 157

Overview .................................................................................................................................157
General Options ......................................................................................................................158
Backup Image Options............................................................................................................158
Clone and Backup Options .....................................................................................................159
CD/DVD Recording Options ..................................................................................................159
Hot Processing Options...........................................................................................................160
Virtual Mode Options..............................................................................................................160
File System Conversion Options.............................................................................................160
Copy/Backup Exclude Options ...............................................................................................161
References
Glossary of Terms 165
Index 169
Complimentary Technical Support 173
12 • Contents Perfect Image

GETTING STARTED
Installing and Starting Perfect Image 15
A Quick Tour 21
Learning the Basics 33
Getting Help 39
Perfect Image Getting Started • 13

14 • Getting Started Perfect Image
Installing and Starting Perfect Image
Introduction
The information stored on your computer disks can be many times more
valuable than the computer and software you use. Your computer disks
might contain your favorite music collection, or it might contain important
financial data or results of scientific research.
Perfect Image™ provides you with the most reliable data protection for
your hard disk—the ability to create archive duplications, otherwise
known as backup images. By storing a backup image on external media
you’re able to restore the data any time you need to.
Perfect Image assists planning a schedule in case you need to make a
backup on a regular basis. Scheduled backups can be performed
automatically at a specified time.
Setting up any operation is accomplished by using practical wizards. Each
step of the wizard includes in-depth information to help you make the
right choice. Graphical representations of the data and hard disks help you
gain a better understanding of the operations before they happen and what
the results of the operations will be after they’ve been applied.
Perfect Image Installing and Starting Perfect Image • 15

Key Benefits and Technical Highlights
• Build external recovery media that can help you restore your
computer system, even when the current system won’t start (see
“Creating Recovery Media” on page 19).
• Make a backup of an entire disk, including the service data of the file
system (see “Creating Backup Images” on page 45).
• Protect all your files, including emails, Outlook files, photos, music,
spreadsheets and other documents from damage through the creation
of a backup copy (see “Backing Up Files and Folders” on page 60).
• Only archive changes since the last full or incremental file-based
image. An incremental image is smaller and takes less time to create,
but you will require the initial full image and all of its incrementals to
restore the latest point of this kind of backup (see “Incrementally
Backing Up Files and Folders” on page 66).
• Make such operations as transferring of files/directories or burning of
them to CD/DVD/BR as easy and convenient as possible. (see
“Transferring Files and Folders” on page 67)
• Make backups of dynamic disks, including simple, spanned, striped,
mirrored, and RAID-5 types of dynamic volumes (see “Creating
Backup Images” on page 45).
• Create and manage a Secure Partition in a special secured partition on
the disk for storing backup images (see “Using the Secure Partition”
on page 74).
• Start your computer from a backup image in the Secure Partition if
your operating system won’t boot (see “Using the Secure Partition”
on page 74).
• Manage backup images using the Backup Database (see “Viewing a
List of Backup Images” on page 79).
• Restore to a smaller partition if the data fits in the allocated space (see
“Using the Restore Wizard” on page 85).
• Copy partitions or hard disks using wizards to transfer all on-disk
information, including standard bootstrap code and other system
service structures, to help maintain the operating system’s working
capability (see “Cloning a Hard Drive or Partition” on page 127).
• Schedule a backup operation to automatically create a backup image
at a convenient time (see “Using the Scheduler” on page 143).
• Automatically shut down your computer after a creating a backup
image (see “Using the Scheduler” on page 143).
• Preview your backup settings before applying any changes, using
virtual operations (see “Using Virtual Operations” on page 137).
16 • Installing and Starting Perfect Image Perfect Image

System Requirements
• Windows® XP or Vista®
(Windows Server is not supported)
• Internet Explorer® 5.0 or higher
• 300 MHz Intel Pentium® Processor or equivalent
• 128 MB of RAM (256 MB recommended
• 120 MB of available hard drive space
• SVGA video adapter and monitor
Installing Perfect Image

Before installing Perfect Image, make sure that no other programs are
running. Insert the Perfect Image CD into your CD-drive to start the install
program.
NOTE: If you downloaded the program, locate the file

using Windows Explorer® and then double-click the file to
start the Installation Wizard (see “Using the Installation
Wizard” on page 18).
If the Install program doesn’t start automatically, follow the steps below:
1. Open the Windows Start menu and click Computer (Windows Vista)
or My Computer (Windows XP).
2. Double-click the icon for the Perfect Image installation disc.
3. If the installation doesn’t start automatically, then open the Perfect
Image installation disc and double-click the Install.exe file on the
disc.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish installing Perfect Image.

Using the Installation Wizard
The installation wizard guides you through the installation process. The
steps for installing Perfect Image are listed below.
1. Review and accept the License Agreement.
2. Enter your product serial number.
3. Choose all users or only yourself for access to the program.
4. Verify the install settings and then click Next to start the installation.
During the installation, Perfect Image are installed on your computer.
After the installation completes, you might need to restart your computer
to finish the installation.
Starting the Program

To start Perfect Image, click the Windows Start button and choose All
Programs > Avanquest Perfect Image 12 Server Edition > Avanquest
Perfect Image.

Creating Recovery Media
Having recovery media — either a disc (CD/DVD/BD) or Flash device
(such as a USB Flash drive) — provides you with tools to help you start
your computer when your operating system won’t start on its own.
NOTE: The program CD is also a Recovery CD.
You can create a Recovery disc or Flash drive using the Recovery Media
Builder Wizard (see “Using the Recovery Media Builder Wizard” on page
19).
To create a Recovery disc, you need a CD/DVD/BD drive to burn the file
to your media choice. Perfect Image supports CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R,
DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, BD-R and BD-RE discs. If you inserted a
re-writable disc that isn’t empty, the wizard asks you if you want to erase
the contents of the disc before creating the recovery disc.
To create a Recovery Flash drive, you need a Flash drive (or media card
and reader) with enough space for the recovery files.
For information on using the Recovery disc or Flash drive, see “Restoring
from a Recovery Disk” on page 95.
Using the Recovery Media Builder Wizard

With the Recovery Media Builder Wizard you can create a Recovery disc
or put recovery information on a Flash drive.
To create a Recovery disc:
1. Open the Tools menu and choose Recovery Media Builder, or click
the Recovery Media Builder link in the Tools section of the task bar
to start the Recovery Media Builder Wizard.
2. Click Next to start using the wizard.
3. Choose CD/DVD.
4. Click Next to continue.
5. Choose an option for the recovery files:
• Typical: to create a standard recovery CD/DVD/BD.
• Advanced: to customize the recovery CD/DVD/BD.
• User specified CD/DVD image: to use an .iso image.
• Copy from CD/DVD: to copy from an available disc.
Unless you have specific needs that require using another option,
choose the Typical option.

7. Choose the recording device from the list.
9. Choose the recording speed.
You can also choose to automatically eject the CD/DVD/BD after the
write operation completes.
11. If necessary, insert a blank recordable disc into the CD/DVD/BD
drive and click Next.
The wizard copies the recovery data to the disc. If you inserted a re-
writable disc that isn’t empty, the wizard asks you if you want to erase
the contents of the disc before creating the recovery disc.
12. Click Finish to close the Wizard.
To use a Flash drive as a recovery disk:
1. Open the Tools menu and choose Recovery Media Builder, or click
the Recovery Media Builder link in the Tools section of the task bar
to start the Recovery Media Builder Wizard.
2. Click Next to start using the wizard.
3. Choose Flash Memory.
5. Choose an option for the recovery files:
• Typical: to use standard recovery media files.
• User specified CD/DVD image: to use an .iso image.
• Copy from CD/DVD: to copy from an available disc.
Unless you have specific needs that require using another option,
choose the Typical option.
7. Choose the Flash drive from the list.
Perfect Image warns you that the Flash drive will be erased and all
existing content will be lost.
9. To continue, click OK.
10. Click Finish to close the Wizard.

A Quick Tour
Overview
Perfect Image is an advanced program with several wizards and multiple
tabbed views. Features are accessible through the Menu Bar, Tool Bar,
Task Bar, and Explorer Frame.
The Disk Map in the Explorer frame helps you choose the disk or partition
that you want to back up.
Perfect Image A Quick Tour • 21

Learning About the Program Window
The Perfect Image program window is designed to give you a quick view
of your hard drives and partitions and provides quick access to several
wizards. Each time you open the program, the Disk View appears with
information about selected hard drives and partitions. For more
information, see “Explorer Frame” on page 26.
Menu Bar
Tool Bar
Task Bar
Explorer Frame Map Legend Disk Map Status Bar
Menu Bar
The Menu Bar is located at the top of the program window and contains
menus to access the many features of Perfect Image.
To access commands on a menu, click the menu’s title.
If a command has an arrow on its right, click the command to view its
submenu.
22 • A Quick Tour Perfect Image

Tool Bar
The tool bars are located below the menu bar and contain buttons for
commonly used features.There are two tool bars:
• The main tool bar is the set of buttons on the left.
The buttons in this tool bar give you quick access to the backup,
restore, and clone operations. You can also view Perfect Image help
by clicking the Help button.
• The Virtual Operations tool bar is the set of buttons on the right when
you have Virtual Operations turned on.
You can preview the resulting layout of hard disk changes before you
actually apply them. Virtual operations are operations that are
pending. All pending operations are placed on the list of pending
operations so you can apply them later.
The Virtual Operations buttons are used to undo, redo, view, apply,
and discard pending operations. These button are not available until
you have at least one pending operation. You can find these same
functions in the Changes menu. For more information, see “Using
Virtual Operations” on page 137.
Showing and Hiding the Tool Bars
You can hide or show each tool bar, and change their display options by
opening the View menu and choosing Toolbar.

Task Bar
The Task Bar is located on the left side of the program window and
contains links to program wizards. This list is divided into six sections.
Basic Backup Tasks

• Back up Disk or Partition starts the Backup Wizard to help you
create a backup image of the data on your disk.(See “Using the
Backup Wizard” on page 46.)
• Schedule Backup starts the Backup Wizard with the previously set
scheduling options. (See “Using the Scheduler” on page 143.).
• Back up Files starts the File Backup Wizard (See “Backing Up Files
and Folders” on page 60.).
Advanced Backup Tasks
• Incremental File Backup starts the File Backup Wizard (See
“Incrementally Backing Up Files and Folders” on page 66.).
Restore Tasks
• Restore Disk or Partition starts the Restore Wizard to help you
restore data from a backup image. (See “Using the Restore Wizard”
on page 85.)
• Restore Files starts the Restore Wizard to help you restore backed up
files. (See “Using the Restore Wizard” on page 85.)

• Restore Individual Files starts the File Transfer Wizard to help you
restore specific files to a disk. (See “Transferring Files and Folders”
on page 67.).
Clone Tasks
• One Button Clone Disk starts the One Button Copy Wizard to
quickly copy your hard disk. (See “Using the One Button Copy
Wizard” on page 131.)
• Clone Disk starts the Clone Hard Disk Wizard to help you make an
exact copy of your hard disk (See “Using the Clone Hard Disk
Wizard” on page 128.).
• Clone Partition starts the Clone Partition Wizard to help you make an
exact copy of a partition (See “Using the Clone Partition Wizard” on
page 131.).
Tools
• Manage Secure Partition starts the Manage Secure Partition Wizard
to help you manage the backup images in this hidden partition. (See
“Using the Secure Partition” on page 74.)
• Recovery Media Builder starts the Recovery Media Builder Wizard
to help you create a recovery disk. (See “Creating Recovery Media”
on page 19).
• Check Recovery Disks starts the Check Recovery Media Wizard to
help you verify the integrity and boot-ability of recovery disks. (See
“Checking the Integrity of Recovery Discs” on page 81.)
• Verify Image Integrity starts the Check Archive Integrity Wizard to
help you determine whether or not a backup image is valid. (See
“Checking the Integrity of Backup Images” on page 81.)
• Transfer Files starts the File Transfer Wizard to copy and save files.
(See “Transferring Files and Folders” on page 67.)
News and Documentation
• Perfect Image Help opens the online help. (See “Getting Help” on
page 39.)
• About Perfect Image opens the About window that shows
information about your current version of the software with support
links and contact information.
Showing and Hiding the Task Bar
To hide the task bar, open the View menu and choose Common Tasks
Bar, or right-click in the task bar and choose Common Tasks Bar from
the shortcut menu.
A check mark indicates that the task bar is displayed.

Explorer Frame
The Explorer Frame is the large pane on the right-side of the program
window. There are four tabs at the top of this frame.
Disk View: Properties

The Disk View tab displays information for the selected drive or partition
when the Properties subtab is active. Each time you start Perfect Image,
this tab is selected. The top portion of the frame shows volume, type,
sector, and other information. For more information, see “Managing Hard
Drives and Partitions” on page 125.
In the middle of the Disk View tab, there are several links you can use to
start one of the wizards. Each of these links has a brief explanation and
possible warnings.
For more information, see “Viewing Hard Drive and Partition
Information” on page 28.
NOTE: A Dynamic Hard Drive also appears as a separate

Disk Map bar. For information about creating Dynamic
Hard Drives, see your Windows documentation.
Disk View: Volume Explorer

The Volume Explorer subtab is used for viewing and exporting files.
When you click the Disk View tab and then the Volume Explorer subtab, a
tree-view similar to that of Windows Explorer appears. You can click the
Plus symbol (+) to expand the tree or click the Minus symbol (-) to close
the tree. For more information, see “Exporting Files Using Volume
Explorer” on page 31.
Disk View: Disk Editor
The Disk Editor subtab is used for viewing and editing data on a disk
When you click the Disk View tab and then the Disk Editor subtab, you
can locate data by sector and navigate through sectors using toolbar
buttons. Once you view data, you can edit and save it as needed.
Scheduled Tasks
The Scheduled Tasks tab is used for viewing and modifying scheduled
operations. For more information, see “Viewing and Modifying Scheduled
Tasks” on page 151.
Images
The Images tab is used for viewing and managing a database of backup
images. For more information, see “Viewing a List of Backup Images” on
page 79.

Help
The Help tab displays the Perfect Image online help or the Script Manual.
You can access the help by opening the Help menu and choosing Help. For
more information, see “Getting Help” on page 39.
Legend Bar
The Legend Bar appears below the Explorer frame when the Disk View
tab is active and explains the color scheme used to identify the file systems
of the disks and partitions on your computer. You can hide or show the bar
by opening the View menu and choosing Disk Map Legend.
Perfect Image identifies the following types of known file systems:
• NTFS
• FAT16/32
• Linux Ext2/3
• ReiserFS
Status Bar
The Status Bar is located at the bottom on the program window. When you
place the cursor over an option or link in the Explorer frame, information
about the item appears on the left side. The status of your pending changes
appears in the right side of the status bar if you have Virtual Operations
turned on.
You can switch the status bar off and on by opening the View menu and
choosing Status Bar.

Viewing Hard Drive and Partition Information
In the Disk View tab of the Explorer frame with the Properties subtab
active, a shaded pie-chart gives a graphical representation of the disk
allocation for the drive or partition selected in the Disk Map.
Viewing the Disk Map

The Disk Map is initially located at the bottom of the Disk View tab. This
bar lists each of your partitions by size, disk location, and type.
NOTE: A Dynamic Hard Drive also appears as a separate

Disk Map bar. For information on creating Dynamic Hard
Drives, refer to your Windows documentation.

Each installed hard drive has its own Disk Map bar.
Hard Drive Partition
Legend
TIP: The shaded area of the partition indicates

approximately how much of the partition has been used.
To Move the Disk Map

You can choose to have the Disk Map at either the top or bottom of the
window.
Open the View menu and choose Show Disk Map to view the location
options.
To Show the Disk Map Legend
Open the View menu and choose Disk Map Legend. A check next to the
option means that the option is selected.
Viewing Hard Drive Information

To view information for a hard drive, select the area outside the partitions
in the Disk Map or click the hard drive’s name.
Each partition on the drive is identified by format (color) and size.

Viewing Partition Information
To view information for a partition, select it. The information appears at
the top of the frame.
The partition pie chart is shaded giving you a general idea on the amount
of free space available. The darker shading is the amount of space used.
The light shading is the amount of space available. In the example above,
the partition is slightly more than half used.
Viewing and Changing Disk or Partition Data

You can select a disk or partition in the Disk Map and then click the Disk
Editor subtab to view the actual contents of the disk or partition. By
default, you see the Hex Editor view of the data. You can also view boot
sector information in a non-hex format for easy editing.
The Disk Editor has its own toolbar for working with data.
[insert toolbar screenshot with callouts]
To change data, select it and then type the new data. Click the Save
changed sector button on the toolbar to save your changes.

Exporting Files Using Volume Explorer
The Volume Explorer subtab of the Disk View tab is specially designed
for you to browse and export the contents of partitions. Exporting the
contents creates duplicates of the selected data at another location.
Partitions formatted with FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, Linux Ext2, Linux Ext3,
and ReiserFS file systems are supported.
1. Click the Volume Explorer subtab in the Explorer frame when the
Disk View tab is active.
2. Click the Plus symbol (+) to expand the drives, partitions, and folders
and browse to the location of the file or folder you want to export.
3. Right-click the + or - symbol next to the file or folder and select
Export from the shortcut menu to open the Select a Destination
Folder for the Export Operation dialog.

4. Browse to the location where you want to save the exported file or
folder.
You can create and delete folders or map a network drive using the
buttons at the top of the dialog.
5. Click OK to complete the export.

Learning the Basics
Overview
Perfect Image allows you to backup the entire contents of a disk or
partition on your computer. You can securely store the backup image on
external media, such as a CD or DVD. You can also store the backup
image on another computer attached to your network, on any hard drive or
visible partition on your computer, or in a special hidden partition on the
current hard drive called a Secure Partition.
Not only does the backup image you create contain all of the files you’ve
created, but also contains the exact structure of the directories, information
about file allocation, file attributes, and other related data. A backup
image can be moved and copied just like any ordinary file.
After making changes to files or the file structure on your computer, you
can create a new backup image or update a previously made backup
image. To update a backup image of a partition by saving only data that
has changed, use a Differential Backup.
You can schedule a time for your computer to automatically create or
update a backup image. Setting up scheduled backups allows you to
always have a recent backup image available when you need to restore a
drive or partition.
When you need to restore a drive or partition from a backup image, use the
Perfect Image Restore Wizard.
Perfect Image Learning the Basics • 33

Creating a Backup Image
You can create a backup image of an entire disk or partition on your
computer using the Backup Wizard. You can use any of the following
methods to start the Backup Wizard:
• Open the Wizards menu and choose Back Up Disk or Partition.
• Click the Back up Disk or Partition link in the Basic Backup Tasks
section of the task bar.
• Click the Back Up button in the tool bar.
• Select a partition in the Disk Map and click Create an image of the
logical disk in the Explorer frame.
If you’ve selected an entire disk in the Disk Map, click Create an
image of the entire disk.
The Backup Wizard takes you through the steps of creating and saving a
backup image. The steps include:
1. Choose the disk or partition that you want to back up.

If you’re backing up the entire disk, you can choose to back up the
Master Boot Record (MBR) and first track of the disk.
2. Choose where and when you want to store the backup image.
3. Add comments to the backup image to describe its contents.
4. Confirm the backup settings.
5. Start the backup operation at the time you chose.
After Perfect Image creates the backup image, the image file is stored in
the location you chose.
34 • Learning the Basics Perfect Image

For more information about using the Backup Wizard, see “Using the
Backup Wizard” on page 46.
Updating a Backup Image

Each time you create a new backup of a disk or partition, the entire
contents are saved in a compressed file. Making multiple backups can
require a large amount of disk space in your storage location. To use less
space, you can create a Differential Backup that saves only the changes
that were made since the last backup.
Creating a Differential Backup takes more time than a full backup, but the
resulting backup image can be much smaller than a full backup image.
After you’ve created a full backup image of a partition, you can choose to
create a Differential Backup of the same partition. To start the Differential
Backup Wizard, open the Wizards menu and choose Advanced >
Differential Backup.
After you choose the original full backup image and the partition that you
want to back up, the original full image becomes the base or parental
image used for creating the differential image. Before Perfect Image
creates the differential backup, it confirms that the parental image
corresponds to the partition that you’re backing up by comparing the
location, capacity, file system type, and serial number of the partition.
After Perfect Image verifies the parental image, it performs an exact bit-
wise comparison of the data in the parental image with the data currently
in the partition you’re backing up. The difference between the contents is
saved in a new backup image.
Each new backup image can be saved in the same location as the parental
image or in any other location you choose. For more information about
creating differential backups, see “Updating a Backup Image” on page 54.
NOTE: Differential backups are available only for a

primary or logical partition.

Scheduling Backups
The best way to make sure that you’re making backup images on a regular
basis is to schedule the backup operations. You can schedule backup
operations as frequently as you want, and have them run whenever you
want. For example, you can schedule a nightly differential backup that can
run when you’re not using your computer, and also schedule a weekly full
backup.
Choose when and how often to perform backup operations in the
Scheduler step of the Backup Wizard when you choose to create a
scheduled backup.
You can run the backup operation once, when an event occurs (like when
you start your computer), or at specific time intervals.
Depending on the choice you make, different options are available for
scheduling the backup operation. For example, if you choose to run the
backup once, you can choose the date and time for it to start. If you choose
to run the backup weekly, you can choose the time of the backup, how
many weeks apart each backup should occur, the day of the week when the
backup will run, and a beginning and end date for the scheduled operation.
To view and manage your list of scheduled backup operations, click the
Scheduled Tasks tab in the Explorer frame.
For more information about scheduling backups, see “Using the
Scheduler” on page 143.

Restoring From a Backup Image
You can restore a drive or partition from a backup image, even when you
aren’t able to start your operating system.
• If you have Windows running and you want to restore a drive or
partition, use the Restore Wizard from within the Perfect Image
program.
• If you want to restore a drive or partition without first starting
Windows, use a Recovery disc to start the Simple Restore Wizard.
(See “Restoring from a Recovery Disk” on page 95.)
To start the Restore Wizard from within the Perfect Image program, you
can use any of the following methods:
• Open the Wizards menu and choose Restore Disk or Partition.
• Click the Restore Disk or Partition link in the Restore Tasks section
of the task bar.
• Click the Restore button in the tool bar.
• In the Disk View tab, select a partition in the Disk Map and click
Restore the logical disk from an image in the Explorer frame.
If you’ve selected an entire disk in the Disk Map, click Restore an
• Select a backup image on the Images tab and then open the Images
menu and choose Restore from the Selected Image.
The Restore Wizard takes you through the steps of choosing and restoring
a backup image.

To Use the Restore Wizard
1. Choose the backup image that you want to restore from.
The Browse for Image step displays information about each backup
image you select in the list.
2. Choose to restore a separate partition from a backup image of an
entire disk, if you want to restore only part of the image.
If you’re not restoring from a backup image of an entire disk, then this
step isn’t available.
3. Choose the disk or partition where you want to restore the image.
All contents of the disk or partition you choose will be deleted during
the restore operation.
4. Choose the size of the restore volume, if you’re restoring a partition.
5. Choose the size of the free space on the disk before and after the
restored partition.
6. Click Next to start to restore operation.
For more information about using the Restore Wizard, see “Using the
Restore Wizard” on page 85.

Getting Help
Overview
Help for Perfect Image is installed with the program. The Perfect Image
Help offers many features for finding the information you need. You can
also view ToolTips and status bar help while using the program.
A user’s guide in PDF format is included on the program CD.
In addition, the programs on the Recovery CD have online help available
from within the programs.
Perfect Image Getting Help • 39

Using Online Help
Perfect Image Help opens when you open the Help menu and choose
Help, click the Help button in the toolbar, or click the Perfect Image Help
link in the News and Documentation section of the task bar.
You can also click the Help tab in the Explorer frame to view help. This
tab may show the script manual.
• To view a help topic, click a topic in the Contents tab on the left side
of the help window.
• To view an alphabetical index, click the Index tab.
• To search for a topic, click the Search tab and type the text you want
to find.
• To browse through the topics, click the Browse buttons located at the
top of the screen.
TIP: You can also open a PDF version of the User’s Guide
by opening the Perfect Image 12 Server Edition.pdf file on
the program CD.
40 • Getting Help Perfect Image

Using ToolTips
Perfect Image also supports ToolTips. When you pause the pointer over a
button, a brief explanation appears.
Using the Status Bar

The status bar across the bottom of the Perfect Image window displays tips
for menu items and buttons. It also displays information about pending
virtual operations.
To view a tip in the status bar, move the pointer over a button or a menu
item.
The right side of the status bar tells the status of any pending virtual
operations.
To switch the status bar on or off, open the View menu and choose Status
Bar.
Viewing the User’s Guide

To view the online user’s guide, open the Perfect Image.pdf file on the
program CD.
After the user’s guide opens in Adobe Reader, you can view it on screen,
print the entire document, or print just the pages you need.
For complete information about using Adobe Reader, see the Adobe
Reader online help or contact Adobe technical support.
Perfect Image Getting Help • 41

42 • Getting Help Perfect Image
DATA BACKUP
Creating Backup Images 45
Maintaining Backup Images 73
Perfect Image Data Backup • 43

44 • Data Backup Perfect Image
Creating Backup Images
Overview
You can create a backup image of an entire disk or partition on your
computer. The Backup Wizard takes you through the steps of creating a
backup image.
Each time you create a new backup of a disk or partition, the entire
contents are saved in a compressed file. Making multiple backups can
require a large amount of disk space in your storage location. To use less
space, you can create a Differential Backup that saves only the changes
that were made since the last backup.
You can also back up specific files and folders instead of a full disk or
partition by using the File Backup Wizard. When backing up folders you
can include or exclude file types as needed. For example, you may want to
back up your Documents folder but do not want to include any image or
movie files. Once you create a file-level backup file, you can
incrementally back up that existing archive of folders and files.
Another way to backup individual files or folders is to transfer them to
another location. The File Transfer Wizard helps you do that.
Perfect Image Creating Backup Images • 45

Using the Backup Wizard
You can use any of the following methods to start the Backup Wizard:
• Open the Wizards menu and choose Back Up Disk or Partition.
• Click the Back up Disk or Partition link in the Basic Backup Tasks
section of the task bar.
• Click the Back Up button in the tool bar.
• On the Disk View tab, select a partition in the Disk Map and click
Create an image of the logical disk in the Explorer frame when the
Properties subtab is active.
If you’ve selected an entire disk in the Disk Map, click Create an
Within the Backup Wizard you can schedule backups. To create a
scheduled backup, open the Wizards menu and choose Advanced >
Schedule Backup or click the Schedule Backup link under the Basic
Backup Tasks section in the task bar to start the Backup Wizard.
The Backup Wizard takes you through the steps of creating and saving a
backup image. To start using the Backup Wizard, click Next.
46 • Creating Backup Images Perfect Image

Choosing the Disk or Partition to Back Up
In the What to Back Up step of the wizard, you can choose the disk or
partition that you want to back up.
You can choose to back up an entire disk or a separate partition. If you’re

backing up the entire disk, you can choose to back up the Master Boot
Record (MBR) and first track of the disk. This can be helpful for serious
recovery operations.
Perfect Image can make backup images of dynamic disks, including
simple, spanned, striped, mirrored, and RAID-5 dynamic-volume types.
To backup a dynamic disk, check the appropriate box next to the dynamic
disk. Perfect Image automatically checks all the constituents of the
dynamic disk. If you want to make a hot backup of a locked dynamic disk,
you need to use the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service option. (See
“Using Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service” on page 53.)
If you want to choose additional settings for this backup image, check the
Change backup settings box. (See “To Choose Advanced Backup
Settings” on page 48.)

To Choose Advanced Backup Settings
The Advance Backup Settings step of the Backup Wizard appears after the
What to Back Up step, if you checked the Change backup settings box
before clicking Next.
This step of the wizard allows you to change backup-related settings. All
of these setting can also be changed using the Edit Settings dialog. For
detailed information about settings, see “Changing Program Settings” on
page 157.
Choose a category on the left and then make changes to the settings on the
right by checking or unchecking the box next to the option, choosing an
option from a drop-down list, or entering information in a box. When you
finish making changes, click Next.

Choosing How to Save the Backup Image
The Backup Destination step allows you to choose how you want to save
the backup image.
Chose an option for where you want to store the backup image:
• Save data to the Secure Partition allows you to save the backup
image in your secure partition reserved for backup images. If you
haven’t created a Secure Partition, this option isn’t available. For
information about creating a Secure Partition, see “Using the Secure
Partition” on page 74.
• Save data to local/network drives allows you to choose a location
on your computer or network for saving the backup image.
• Save data to physical partitions allows you to choose a location on
a hidden partition on your computer for saving the backup image. If
you don’t have any hidden partitions, this option isn’t available.
• Burn the data to CD or DVD allows you to save the backup image on
a writable CD, DVD or BD using your drive.
To continue, click Next.

Choosing Where to Store the Backup Image
Depending on your choice in the Backup Destination step, the following
step gives you specific choices for determining the exact location for the
backup image.
• If you chose to save the image in the Secure Partition, choose the
location in the Secure Partition where you want to save it.
• If you chose to save the image on a CD or DVD, choose the
recordable device from the list.
• If you chose to save the image on your computer or network (or in a
hidden partition), choose the location where you want to save it.
Make sure that the destination for storing the backup image is large
enough to hold the estimated size of the backup image.
The name in the Image name box is used for the sub-folder where the
backup image is stored and for the name of the backup image file. If you
want to use a different name, enter the new name in the box. If you’re
saving the backup image on a CD or DVD, you’re limited to using eight
characters for this name.

Choosing When to Start the Backup
The Backup Comment and Mode step of the wizard allows you to enter a
short comment about the backup image and choose when to start the
backup operation.
The text you enter in the Comment box appears as part of the description
of the backup image, helping you choose the correct backup image during
a restore operation.
Choose an option for when to start the backup operations:
• Back up now creates the backup image immediately after you finish
this wizard. Choosing this option and clicking Next opens the Backup
Summary step of the wizard.
• Schedule backup allows you to choose a time when you want the
backup operation to start. Choosing this option and clicking Next
opens the scheduler step of the wizard. For more information about
using the scheduler step, see “Using the Scheduler” on page 143.

Confirming the Backup Settings
The Backup Summary step of the wizard allows you to view and confirm
the settings for the backup operation.
If you want to change a setting, click the link in the heading above the
setting you want to change to return to the appropriate step of the wizard.
• By default you have Virtual Mode turned on. A final step appears to
inform you that the backup operation has been placed in the pending
operations list. Click Finish to close the wizard. To start the backup
operation, click the Apply button in the Virtual Operations toolbar
and then click Yes. (See “Applying Partition and Hard Drive
Changes” on page 141.)
• If you chose to start the backup immediately and you have Virtual
Mode turned off, the backup operation begins immediately.
• If you chose to schedule the backup, a final step appears. Click Finish
to close the wizard. The backup operation will begin at the scheduled
time.

Making a Hot Backup
Perfect Image supports both offline and online backup options.
• An offline backup can be created only when the data is in a consistent
state, such as when the operating system and all programs are
completely shut down. This is the preferred way of making a backup
image, since Perfect Image has exclusive access to the data during an
offline backup and can efficiently create an accurate backup image.
• An online backup (or hot backup) can create an image of the disk or
partition, even when data is being modified. Online backups are
useful for computers that have very little available downtime, such as
servers that are always on. An online backup can take a long time to
produce, since Perfect Image needs to wait until all active processes
have finished to produce an accurate image of all open files and
databases involved in the backup operation.
Using Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service

For Windows XP and later operating systems, Microsoft provides its
Volume Shadow Copy Service utility to provide consistent, point-in-time
copies of data known as shadow copies. Using the Microsoft Volume
Shadow Copy Service utility can create a synchronous snapshot of
multiple volumes. This is the recommended method of backing up SQL
Server 2003, Exchange Server 2003, and Oracle databases.
To use Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service, you need to have a
separate active NTFS partition of at least 300 MB.
If you want to use the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service to create
hot backups with Perfect Image, choose it as your Hot processing
technology selection in the Edit Settings dialog. (See “Hot Processing
Options” on page 160.)
Using Avanquest Hot Processing

Avanquest Hot Processing uses a kernal-mode driver to intercept and
control the disk-write activity of the programs and operating system on
your computer. You can also create hot backups using the Microsoft
Volume Shadow Copy Service.
Avanquest Hot Processing can be used to create a backup image of locked
disks and partitions. However, it can’t be used for locked dynamic disks
and partitions.

Avanquest Hot Processing doesn't require a NTFS partition to run.
CAUTION: Using Avanquest Hot Processing with active

SQL Server 2003, Exchange Server 2003, and Oracle
databases can produce a corrupted backup image.
If you want to use the Avanquest Hot Processing to create hot backups
with Perfect Image, choose it as your Hot processing technology selection
in the Edit Settings dialog. (See “Hot Processing Options” on page 160.)
Updating a Backup Image

Creating a Differential Backup takes more time than a full backup, but the
resulting backup image can be much smaller than a full backup image.
After you’ve created a full backup image of a partition, you can choose to
create a differential backup of the same partition. When creating a
differential backup, Perfect Image verifies the parental image and then
performs an exact bit-wise comparison of the data in the parental image
with the data currently in the partition you’re backing up. The difference
between the contents is saved in a new backup image.
To start the Differential Backup Wizard, open the Wizards menu and
choose Advanced > Differential Backup or click the Differential
Partition Backup link in the Advanced Backup Tasks section of the task
bar.

To start using the wizard, click Next.
NOTE: Differential backups are available only for a

primary or logical partition.
Choosing the Parental Backup Image

In the Browse for Image step, you can choose the original full backup
image.
Choose the backup image that you previously created from the list. You
can reduce the number of images in the list by choosing a filter option
from the drop-down list above the image list.
If the backup image you want isn’t in the list, you can click the Add Image
button above the list to open a browsing window. Locate the backup image
Add Image and then click Add to add the selected image to the list.
If you want to explore your computer or network to find the backup
image, click the Switch to File View link below the list. To return to the
list of backup images, click Switch to Image View List.
When you choose a backup image, a short description of the image
appears in the Image File Details box.
The original full image you choose becomes the base or parental image
used for creating the differential image.

Choosing the Content for the Differential Backup
In the Image Content step, you can choose the partition that you want to
back up.
When you choose a disk or partition to backup, a description of the disk or

partition appears.
Before Perfect Image creates the differential backup, it confirms that the
parental image corresponds to the partition that you’re backing up by
comparing the location, capacity, file system type, and serial number of
the partition.
If you want to choose additional settings for this backup archive, check the
Change backup settings box. (See “To Choose Advanced Backup
Settings” on page 48.)

Choosing How to Store the Differential Backup
Each new backup image can be saved in the same location as the parental
image or in any other location you choose.
Chose an option for where you want to store the backup image:
• Save data to the Secure Partition allows you to save the backup
image in your secure partition reserved for backup images. If you
haven’t created a Secure Partition, this option isn’t available. For
information about creating a Secure Partition, see “Using the Secure
Partition” on page 74.
• Save data to local/network drives allows you to choose a location
on your computer or network for saving the backup image.
• Save data to physical partitions allows you to choose a location on
a hidden partition on your computer for saving the backup image. If
you don’t have any hidden partitions, this option isn’t available.
• Burn the data to CD or DVD allows you to save the backup image on
a writable CD, DVD or BD using your drive.

Choosing Where to Store the Differential Backup
Depending on your choice in the Backup Destination step, the following
step gives you specific choices for determining the exact location for the
differential backup image.
• If you chose to save the image in the Secure Partition, choose the
location in the Secure Partition where you want to save it.
• If you chose to save the image on a CD or DVD, choose the
recordable device from the list.
• If you chose to save the image on your computer or network, choose
the location where you want to save it.
Make sure that the destination you choose for storing the backup image is
large enough to hold the estimated size of the backup image.
The name in the Image name box is used for the sub-folder where the
backup image is stored and for the name of the backup image file. If you
want to use a different name, enter the new name in the box. If you’re
saving the backup image on a CD or DVD, you’re limited to using eight
characters for this name.

Choosing When to Start the Backup
The Backup Comment and Mode step of the wizard allows you to enter a
short comment about the backup image and choose when to start the
backup operation.
Choose an option for when to start the backup operations:
• Back up now creates the backup image immediately after you finish
this wizard. Choosing this option and clicking Next opens the Backup
Summary step of the wizard.
• Schedule backup allows you to choose a time when you want the
backup operation to start. Choosing this option and clicking Next
opens the scheduler step of the wizard. For more information about
using the scheduler step, see “Using the Scheduler” on page 143.
These options are not available if you are backing up to a CD/DVD.

Confirming the Differential Backup Settings
the settings for the differential backup operation.
If you want to change a setting, click the link in the heading above the
setting you want to change to return to the appropriate step of the wizard.
Mode turned off, the backup operation begins immediately.
Mode turned on, a final step appears to inform you that the backup
operation has been placed in the pending operations list. Click Finish
to close the wizard. To start the backup operation, click the Apply
button in the Virtual Operations toolbar. (See “Applying Partition and
Hard Drive Changes” on page 141.)
• If you chose to schedule the differential backup, a final step appears.
Click Finish to close the wizard. The backup operation will begin at
the scheduled time.
Backing Up Files and Folders

You can use any of the following methods to start the File Backup Wizard:
• Open the Wizards menu and choose Back Up Files.
• Click the Back up Files link in the Basic Backup Tasks section of the
task bar.
• Click the Back Up Files button in the tool bar.

• In the Images tab, click the Create File Complement link.
The File Backup Wizard takes you through the steps of creating and
saving a backup image of files and folders. To start using the File Backup
Wizard, click Next.
Choosing the Folders or Files to Back Up

In the Which Folders and Files to Back Up step of the wizard, you can
choose the folders and files that you want to back up.
Open a disk or partition by clicking the Plus sign (+). To back up an entire
folder, check the box next to the folder. To back up an individual file,
check the box next to the file’s name. You can select as many files and
folders as you want on the various disks and partitions.

To choose all the files and folders in a disk or partition check the box next
to the disk or partition. In a later step you can exclude files from the back
up as needed.
Choosing the Backup Destination

In the Backup Destination step of the wizard, you can choose where to
save the backup file.
Open a disk or partition by clicking the Plus sign (+). Select the disk,
partition, or folder where Perfect Image should save the file.
Perfect Image supplies an automatically generated name for the backup
file. If you wish, type a different name in the Image name box.
Including Groups of Files

In the Specify Include Masks step of the wizard, you can either back up
only the files you specified earlier or, by selecting a mask, include groups

of files by file type. For example, you may have selected the Documents
folder but only want to back up your audio files.
• To only include the files you specified earlier in the wizard, select Do
not use include masks.
• To include groups of files, particularly if you specified a folder, disk,
or partition earlier, select Use include masks. Then choose the masks
to apply for this backup.
Check the box next to the file types to include: Readable files, Audio
files, Video files, or Pictures & Photos.
If you click the Plus sign (+) next to the box, you can see a list of the
available extensions for that file type. To remove a file type from the
include list, click Delete filter.
You can rename categories, delete categories, or add additional filters to a
category by clicking the links shown at the top of the category. Click Add
category to add your own category with a mix of include filters
specifically for your needs.

Excluding Groups of Files
In the Specify Exclude Masks step of the wizard, you can, by selecting a
mask, exclude groups of files by file type.
• To exclude groups of files, particularly if you specified a folder, disk,

or partition earlier, choose the exclude masks to apply for this backup.
Check the box next to the file types to include: Executable &
Installations or Auxiliary files.
If you click the Plus sign (+) next to the box, you can see a list of the
available extensions for that file type. To remove a file type from the
include list, click Delete filter.
You can rename categories, delete categories, or add additional filters to a
category by clicking the links shown at the top of the category. Click Add
category to add your own category with a mix of exclude filters
specifically for your needs.

Adding a Comment
The Backup Comment step of the wizard allows you to enter a short
comment about the backup image.
Confirming the File or Folder Backup Settings

the settings for the backup operation.
If you want to change a setting, click the Back button to return to the
appropriate step of the wizard.

• If you have Virtual Mode turned off, the backup operation begins
immediately. Click Finish to close the wizard.
• If you have Virtual Mode turned on, a final step appears to inform you
that the backup operation has been placed in the pending operations
list. Click Finish to close the wizard. To start the backup operation,
click the Apply button in the Virtual Operations toolbar. and then
click Close.
Incrementally Backing Up Files and Folders

If you have a backup image for files and folders, you can update that file
with the File Backup Wizard, which will automatically create a new
image-level file based on the contents of the existing image-level file.
Perfect Image saves the new file-level image file to the same location as
the original file.
To start the wizard for an incremental backup:
• Open the Wizards menu and choose Advanced > Create
Incremental File Image.
• Click the Incremental File Backup link in the Advanced Backup
Tasks section of the task bar.
• In the Images tab, select the file-level image file and then click the
Incremental File Backup link.
The File Backup Wizard takes you through the steps of choosing an
existing backup image file creating and saving a backup image of files and
folders. To start using the File Backup Wizard, click Next.

Choosing the Backup Image to Update
In the Browse for Archive step of the wizard, locate and choose the
existing backup file to update.
You can choose a image shown in the list. Alternatively, click the Switch
to File View link to locate an existing image to choose.
Information about the file-level image file appears in the bottom of the
screen.
• If you have Virtual Mode turned off, the incremental backup
operation begins immediately. Click Finish to close the wizard.
that the incremental backup operation has been placed in the pending
operations list. Click Finish to close the wizard. To start the backup
and then click Close.
Transferring Files and Folders

You may decide to copy important files or folders to a different location
instead of creating a backup image of them. You can use any of the
following methods to start the File Transfer Wizard:
• Open the Tools menu and choose File Transfer Wizard.

• Click the Transfer Files link in the Tools section of the task bar.
The File Transfer Wizard takes you through the steps of copying files and
folders. To start using the File Transfer Wizard, click Next.
Choosing the Folders or Files to Copy

In the Select Transfer Objects step of the wizard, you specify the folders
and files that you want to copy.
Open the Source drop-down list to open a disk, partition, network device,
or other storage device. In the area below choose a file or folder to copy.
Then click the left arrow button to move that file or folder to the
Clipboard list. You may press the SHIFT or CTRL key to select more than
one object at a time.
To remove an object from the Clipboard list, choose the object and click
the right arrow button.
You can use the buttons next to the Source drop-down list to create a new
folder or delete objects in the area below.
a later step you can exclude files from the back up as needed.
Choosing the Destination Type

In the Select Destination Type step of the wizard, you can choose what
type of device will store the files.
• To copy the files and folders to a drive, select Save data to local/
network drives.
• To copy the files and folders to an unmounted, hidden, or unsupported
partition, select Save data to physical partitions.
• To burn the files onto a disc, select Burn the data to CD or DVD.

Specifying a Location
If you selected Save data to local/network drives or Save data to
physical partitions, in the Select Destination path step of the wizard, you
specify the location for copying the files or folders.
• Locate the device in the Look in drop-down list and then select a
device or folder in the area below.
• You can use the buttons next to the Look in drop-down list to add a
new folder, delete a folder, or, possibly, map a network drive.
If you selected Burn the data to CD or DVD, in the Choose a Recorder
step of the wizard, you specify which burner to use. You can also type disc
title of eight characters or less in the Volume label box.

Confirming the Transfer Settings
The Transfer Summary step of the wizard allows you to view and confirm
the settings for the copy operation.
If you want to change a setting, click a link to return to the appropriate

step of the wizard.
• If you have Virtual Mode turned off, the copy operation begins
click the Apply button in the Virtual Operations toolbar. and then
click Close.

Maintaining Backup Images
Overview
You can securely store a backup image on external media, such as a CD or
DVD. You can also store the backup image on another computer attached
to your network, on any hard drive or visible partition on your computer,
or in a special hidden partition on the current hard drive called a Secure
Partition.
NOTE: It is not recommended that you create a Secure

Partition on a USB Flash drive.
Whenever you save a backup image on a CD or DVD, Perfect Image

makes the CD or DVD bootable. The allows you to use the Simple Restore
Wizard to restore your data without first having to start your computer’s
operating system. For information about setting options for creating
bootable CDs and DVDs, see “CD/DVD Recording Options” on page 159.
Perfect Image Maintaining Backup Images • 73

Using the Secure Partition
When you run Perfect Image, it checks to see if you have a Secure
Partition on your hard drive. The Perfect Image Secure Partition is a
special hidden partition on your hard drive, designed for storing secure
copies of your backup images.
You can use the Manage Secure Partition Wizard to create, resize, or
delete the Secure Partition. To view the contents of backup images in the
Secure Partition, use the Image Explorer. (See “Viewing a List of Backup
Images” on page 79.)
To start the Manage Secure Partition Wizard, open the Wizards menu and
choose Backup Utilities > Manage Secure Partition or click the Manage
Secure Partition link in the Tools section of the task bar.
The Secure Partition is typically created in unallocated space at the end of

your hard drive. If you don’t have unallocated space on your hard drive,
you won’t be able to create a Secure Partition. If you want to choose the
location on your hard drive for the Secure Partition, check the Advanced
Mode box.
To start using the Manage Secure Partition Wizard, click Next.
74 • Maintaining Backup Images Perfect Image

Choosing the Secure Partition Task
The Pick a Managing Task step of the Manage Secure Partition Wizard
appears if you have a Secure Partition on your computer. It allows you to
choose task that you want to perform for the existing Secure Partition.
If you don’t have a Secure Partition, this step doesn’t appear.

Choose the task that you want to perform:
• Enlarge the secure partition allows you to increase the size of the
Secure Partition. (See “Choosing the Size of the Secure Partition” on
page 77.)
• Reduce size of the secure partition allows you to reduce the size of
the Secure Partition. (See “Choosing the Size of the Secure Partition”
on page 77.)
• Clean up the secure partition allows you to remove all data from the
Secure Partition. If you want to remove specific backup images, use
the Image Explorer. (See “Viewing a List of Backup Images” on page
79.)
• Delete the secure partition allows you to remove the Secure
Partition from your hard drive and replace it with unallocated space.
• Change system recovery options allows you to change the boot
options for the Secure Partition. (See “Choosing to Boot From the
Secure Partition” on page 78.)

Choosing the Location of the Secure Partition
The Where to Create a Secure Partition step of the Manage Secure
Partition Wizard allows you to choose the hard disk and the location on the
hard disk for the Secure Partition. You can only have one Secure Partition
on a single hard drive.
The Secure Partition can be created as a primary partition or as a logical

drive within an extended partition. You can place the partition at the
beginning, the end, or in the middle of the drive. We recommend placing it
at the end to more efficiently manage the partition size and available free
space on the drive.
Click the drive where you want to create the Secure Partition. If you
checked the Advanced Mode box in the previous step, you can also
choose where you want to place the partition on the hard drive by clicking
the arrow buttons.
The Secure Partition is created in unallocated space on your hard drive. If
you don’t have unallocated space on your hard drive, you won’t be able to
create a Secure Partition.
To choose the size of the partition, click Next.

Choosing the Size of the Secure Partition
The Secure Partition Size step of the Manage Secure Partition Wizard
allows you to choose the size of the partition for the Secure Partition.
You can make the Secure Partition any size you want or need. You’re only
restricted by the available unallocated space on the drive and the capacity
required to store your backup images.
If you don’t have enough free space in a single block on your drive, the
Manage Secure Partition Wizard attempts to redistribute the free space on
your drive by joining all free-space blocks into one united block and
moving partitions, if needed.
If you have a locked partition that needs to be moved or split to make
enough space for the Secure Partition, the wizard will need to restart your
computer to make the needed changes.

Choosing to Boot From the Secure Partition
In the Recovery from Bootable Secure Partition step of the Manage Secure
Partition Wizard, you can choose to start you computer using the Secure
Partition if your operating computer fails to boot.
To start your computer using the Secure Partition, the Secure Partition
must be on a bootable device assigned by your computer’s BIOS.
• To allow booting from the Secure Partition, choose the Allow to start
recovery system from secure partition option.
• Choose how many seconds your computer will wait while the
operating system attempts to boot in the Time to display the
secure partition startup message box.
If the operating system fails to boot before the specified number
of seconds elapses, a message appears allowing you to choose to
start your computer from the Secure Partition.
• Specify a key to press that will allow you to choose to start your
computer from the Secure Partition from the Choose a hot key
for startup from the secure partition drop-down list.
A preview of the startup message appears in the box below.
• To prevent booting from the Secure Partition, choose the Do not
allow to start recovery from secure partition option.
CAUTION: Choosing to start your computer from a

backup image will overwrite your current Master Boot
Record (MBR). This can disable a third-party boot-manager
program that you might have installed on your computer.

Confirming the Secure Partition Changes
In the Ready to Apply Your Changes step of the Manage Secure Partition
Wizard, you’re able to confirm that you want to make the changes.
If you want to check or change any of the options you chose in previous
steps, click the Back button to view the steps.
inform you that the partition operation has been placed in the pending
operations list. Click Finish to close the wizard. To start the partition
• If you chose to start the partition immediately and you have Virtual
Mode turned off, thepartition operation begins immediately.
Viewing a List of Backup Images

You can view a list of the backup images you’ve created using the Image
Explorer. The Image Explorer can be used to view information about any
type of Perfect Image backup image, even an image that is saved in the
Secure Partition.
To open the Image Explorer, click the Images tab in the Explorer frame.
In this tab, the lower portion of the frame displays a list of all the backup
images in the Image Database. You can select an image in the list to view
the properties of the image. You can add or remove images from the
database and refresh the list by clicking the buttons above the list.

The upper-left side of the frame displays the properties of the selected
backup image.
The upper-right side of the frame displays the Volume Explorer that allows
you to view the contents of the partitions on your computer and export
selected files. (See “Exporting Files Using Volume Explorer” on page 31.)

Checking the Integrity of Backup Images
Before performing any restore operations, you should check the integrity
of the backup image to find any possible corruption using the Image
Verify Wizard.
To start the Image Verify Wizard, open the Wizards menu and choose
Backup Utilities > Verify Image Integrity or click the Verify Image
Integrity link in the Tools section of the task bar. To begin using the
wizard, click Next.
Choose the backup image that you want to verify. You can reduce the
number of images in the list by choosing a filter option from the drop-
down list above the image list.
list of backup images, click Switch to Image View List.
appears in the Image File Details box.
Click Next to start the verification of the selected backup image.
Checking the Integrity of Recovery Discs

After creating a recovery CD from a backup image, you should check to
make sure that the disk is error-free using the Check Recovery Disk
Wizard. To start the Check Recovery Disk Wizard, open the Tools menu
and choose Check Recovery Disks or click the Check Recovery Disks
link in the Tools section of the task bar.
NOTE: The Check Recovery Disk Wizard only works with

Recovery discs, such as CDs and DVDs — not with USB
Flash drives.
To start using the wizard, click Next.

Choose the drive for the test. You can also choose to eject the disc after the
operation completes.
Click Next to check the selected recovery disc for errors.

Converting a Backup Image to a Temporary Partition
You can temporarily assign a drive letter to a backup image of a separate
partition to browse the contents like any other drive on your computer.
1. Click the Images tab in the Explorer frame to view the Image
Explorer.
2. Choose the backup image you want to convert.
3. Open the Images menu and choose Mount the Selected Image.
4. Choose a drive letter for the new temporary partition from the Assign
the following drive letter drop-down list.
5. Click Yes to convert the backup image to a temporary partition.
The new partition is read-only, but you can view and copy the files and
folders to a writable location on your computer.
After you finish working with the backup image, you can select the image
and then open the Images menu and choose Unmount the Selected
Image, or you can restart your computer to remove the drive letter from
the temporary partition making it no longer available.

DATA RESTORE
Using the Restore Wizard 85
Restoring from a Recovery Disk 95
Perfect Image Data Restore • 83

84 • Data Restore Perfect Image
Using the Restore Wizard
Overview
You can restore a drive, partition, or file from a backup image, even when
you aren’t able to start your operating system.
• If you have Windows running and you want to restore a drive,
partition, or individual files or folders, use the Restore Wizard from
within the Perfect Image program.
• If you want to restore a drive or partition without first starting
Windows, use a Recovery disk to start the Simple Restore Wizard.
See “Restoring from a Recovery Disk” on page 95.
• If you have copied files or folders to another location and want to
recover them, use the File Transfer Wizard to copy the files or folders
back.
Perfect Image Using the Restore Wizard • 85

Starting the Restore Wizard
To start the Restore Wizard from within the Perfect Image program, you
can use any of the following methods:
of the task bar.
• Select a disk in the Disk Map with the Properties subtab active and
click Restore the logical disk from an image in the Explorer frame.
• Click the Restore Files link in the Restore Tasks section of the task
bar.
The Restore Wizard takes you through the steps of choosing and restoring
a backup image.
To start using the Restore Wizard, click Next.
86 • Using the Restore Wizard Perfect Image

Choosing the Backup Image for Restoring
Choose the backup image that you want to use for restoring in the Browse
for Image step of the Restore Wizard.
You can reduce the number of images in the list by choosing a filter option
from the drop-down list above the image list.
list of backup images, click Switch to Image List View.
appears in the Image File Details box. The details help you determine
whether or not you’ve chosen the correct backup image for restoring.
If you’re restoring from a differential backup, the full image that was used
as the parental backup must be available. If Perfect Image can’t find the
parental image, you’re asked to provide the path to this image.

Choosing a Portion of the Backup Image for Restoring
The What to Restore step of the Restore Wizard appears if you’ve chosen
to restore form an image of a disk that has more than one partition.
This step gives you detailed information about the contents of the backup
image you chose.
If you want to restore only part of the backup image, you can choose the
portion of the backup image that you want to restore from. This allows
you to restore a separate partition from a backup image of an entire disk.
NOTE: If you are restoring a file-level image, you see the

How to Restore Files step. See Restoring Files for details.
Choosing the Disk or Partition for Restoring

The Where to Restore step of the Restore Wizard allows you to choose the
location where the backup image will be restored to.
All contents of the disk or partition you choose will be deleted during the
restore operation.
To restore a dynamic disk, check the appropriate box next to the dynamic
disk. Perfect Image automatically checks all the constituents of the
dynamic disk.

Setting the Restore Parameters

The Restore Results step of the Restore Wizard shows the resulting
configuration of the restored disk or partition.
If you’re restoring a partition, you can enter the size of the restored
partition, and the size of the free space on the disk before and after the
restored partition.

Starting the Restore Operation
The Ready to Restore From the Image step of the Restore Wizard gives
you one last chance to make changes before starting the restore operaton.
restore operation. This cannot be undone.
Before you start the restore process, it’s a good idea to go back through the
steps of the Restore Wizard to make sure that you made the correct
choices.
inform you that the restore operation has been placed in the pending
operations list. Click Finish to close the wizard. To start the restore
• If you chose to start the restore immediately and you have Virtual
Mode turned off, the restore operation begins immediately.
The restore process might take a some time to complete. You might be
asked to restart your computer during the operation.
Interrupting the restore process might cause data loss and instability,
requiring you to create new partitions on your computer.

Restoring Files
You can use the Restore Wizard to restore files and folders from a file-
level image.
You can use any of the following methods to start the Restore Wizard:
of the task bar.
• Select a disk in the Disk Map with the Properties subtab active and
click Restore the logical disk from an image in the Explorer frame.
• Click the Restore Files link in the Restore Tasks section of the task
bar.
After the Restore Wizard appears, click Next to continue.
Specifying the Image File

Choose the file-level image that you want to use for restoring in the
Browse for Image step of the Restore Wizard.

You can reduce the number of images in the list by choosing a filter option
from the drop-down list above the image list. For restoring files you may
want to choose Show file images from the list.
If the file-level image you want isn’t in the list, you can click the Add
Image button above the list to open a browsing window. Locate the file-
Add Image level image and then click Add to add the selected image to the list.
If you want to explore your computer or network to find the file-level
list of images, click Switch to Image List View.
When you choose a file-level image, a short description of it appears in the
Image File Details box. The details help you determine whether or not
you’ve chosen the correct file-level image for restoring.
Specifying a Location for the Files

In the How to Restore Files step you specify where to copy the files.
In the Restore files to drop-down list, specify: Original location or

Specific folder.
• If you choose Original location, you can keep the existing files by
choosing Leave existing files or overwrite existing files by choosing
Replace existing files.
• If you choose Specific folder, you can open a disk, partition, or
network drive by choosing it in the Look in drop-down list. Then
locate and specify a folder for the files.
Use the buttons next to the Look in drop-down list to add a folder,
delete a folder, or map a network drive.
To restore the files, click Next.
• If you have Virtual Mode turned off, the restore operation begins
click the Apply button in the Virtual Operations toolbar.
Transferring Files and Folders Back

You can use the File Transfer Wizard to copy files or folders back to their
original (or any) location.
You can use any of the following methods to start the File Transfer
Wizard:
• Open the Tools menu and choose File Transfer Wizard.
• Click the Transfer Files link in the Tools section of the task bar.
• Click the Restore Individual Files link in the Restore Tasks section
of the task bar.
See “Transferring Files and Folders” on page 67 for details on working
with the File Transfer Wizard.

Restoring from a Recovery Disk
Overview
The Perfect Image Recovery CD can help you restore from a backup
image without first starting your operating system. This can be helpful for
restoring bootable partitions that won’t boot. You also need to use a
Recovery CD to restore your system disk.
The Recovery CD can also help you solve your booting problems by
repairing virus-infected MBRs, changing the order of primary partitions,
scanning the partition surface for errors, and opening a command line for
entering operating system-specific commands.
Perfect Image Restoring from a Recovery Disk • 95

Starting the Recovery CD
When you start your computer using the Recovery CD, you have a choice
of operating systems in which to run the programs on the Recovery CD.
You must make your choice before the 10 second count-down timer
automatically starts in the Linux environment. For most computers, Linux
works fine. However, if you experience problems starting in Linux, you
can restart the computer and choose a DOS option.
NOTE: If your computer doesn’t start from the CD, you’ll

need to change the system BIOS setting that controls the
boot order process. For more information, contact your
system administrator or refer to the documentation that
came with your computer.
The initial startup screen gives you the following list of choices:
• Normal Mode uses Linux as the boot choice. This is the standard boot
environment that works with most computers. (See “Booting in
Linux” on page 97.)
• Safe Mode uses DOS as the boot choice. This is an alternate choice if
Linux doesn’t work properly. (See “Booting in DOS” on page 98.)
• Low-Graphics Safe Mode uses DOS as the boot choice using a less
sophisticated program user interface. This is an alternate choice if
Linux doesn’t work properly and DOS works too slowly. (See
“Booting in DOS” on page 98.)
96 • Restoring from a Recovery Disk Perfect Image

• Hard disk 0 MBR allows you to boot from your bootable hard disk.
• Find OSes on your hard disks searches for and lists any installed
operating systems on your hard disks. This option might cause your
computer to freeze if you have any corrupted partitions.
NOTE: If the Recovery CD was created using the Recovery

Media builder, it directly opens the Simple Restore Wizard.
(See “Using the Simple Restore Wizard” on page 101.)
Booting in Linux
When you choose the Normal Mode option from the initial Recovery CD
startup screen, the Perfect Image menu appears.
Use your mouse or arrow keys to choose the option from the list on the
left. A brief description for the option appears in the pane on the right.
• Perfect Image lets you create a backup image of your hard drive or
partition. (See “Creating a Backup Image Using the Recovery CD” on
page 99.)
• Simple Restore Wizard lets you restore your hard drive or partition
from a backup image. (See “Using the Simple Restore Wizard” on
page 101.)
• One Button Copy Wizard lets you copy the first hard drive to the first
empty hard disk.
• File Transfer Wizard lets you copy files or folders to a hard disk,
partition, or folder.

• Boot Corrector helps fix Windows 2000/XP/Vista boot problems,
such as repairing the System Registry or an infected MBR. (See
“Fixing Boot Problems” on page 104.)
• Network Configurator lets you configure network connections to be
able to save files, folders, partitions, or disks elsewhere on the
network.
• Log Saver starts the Log Saver Wizard. (See “Saving Log Files” on
page 107.)
• View the mounted partitions displays a list of all mounted partitions.
• Start the command Line opens a command line for applying Linux
commands. This option is recommended for experienced Linux users.
• Reboot the computer restarts the computer.
• Power off turns off the computer.
Press Enter to start the selected option.
TIP: If you have problems using the Linux option, use the
DOS option. (See “Booting in DOS” on page 98.)
Booting in DOS
When you choose the Safe Mode option from the initial Recovery CD
startup screen, the Perfect Image menu appears. You can use this option is
you have problems using the Linux option.
These same options are available when you choose the Low Graphics
Safe Mode option.
User your arrow keys to choose the option from the list on the left. A brief
description for the selected option appears in the pane on the right.

• Perfect Image lets you create a backup image of your hard drive or
partition. (See “Creating a Backup Image Using the Recovery CD” on
page 99.)
• Simple Restore Wizard lets you restore your hard drive or partition
from a backup image. (See “Using the Simple Restore Wizard” on
page 101.)
• One Button Copy Wizard lets you copy the first hard drive to the first
empty hard disk.
• File Transfer Wizard lets you copy files or folders to a hard disk,
partition, or folder.
• Boot Corrector helps fix Windows 2000/XP boot problems, such as
repairing the System Registry or repairing an infected MBR (see
“Fixing Boot Problems” on page 104).
• Start the command line opens a command line for applying DOS
commands. This option is recommended for experienced DOS users.
• Reboot the computer restarts the computer.
Click Enter to start the selected option.
Creating a Backup Image Using the Recovery CD

To create a backup image of a hard disk or partition, select the Perfect
Image option to open the Perfect Image window.
Using the Perfect Image window from the CD is similar to using the
program in Windows. For specific information about using the features

and settings in the CD version of the program, open the Help menu and
select Help to view the Perfect Image Help window.

Using the Simple Restore Wizard
You can use the Simple Restore Wizard to restore the partitions or disks on
your computer without first starting the operating system. The Simple
Restore Wizard can help you restore system disks and partitions that won’t
boot properly, if you have a backup image made when the disk or partition
was booting.
You can start the Simple Restore Wizard from a bootable CD/DVD you
created using Perfect Image or from the Recovery CD included with the
boxed product.
• To start the Simple Restore Wizard from a bootable CD/DVD you
created, insert the CD/DVD and restart your computer. The Simple
Restore Wizard automatically starts when the computer boots from
the CD/DVD.
• To start the Simple Restore Wizard from the Recovery CD, you can
either choose the Simple Restore Wizard option from the Linux or
DOS welcome screen, or you can choose to Restore from Image
after starting the CD version of Perfect Image.
After the wizard starts, click Next to continue.
Choosing the Backup Image to Restore From

Choose the backup image that you want to use for restoring in the What to
Restore step of the Simple Restore Wizard.
Enter the full path to the backup image or click the browse button (...) to
open the Select Archive dialog and locate the image.
Confirming the Backup Image to Restore From

View detailed information about the backup image you selected in the
Image Properties step of the Simple Restore Wizard.
Information about the selected backup image appears in the comments
box. The details help you determine whether or not you’ve chosen the
correct backup image for restoring. If you need to choose a different
backup image, click Back.
After confirming the backup image, click Next.

Choosing the Disk or Partition to Restore To
Chose the disk or partition that you want restored in the Select the
Destination step of the Simple Restore Wizard.
restore operation. If you’re restore an entire disk, make sure that you’ve
selected the entire disk in the Disk Map.
Choosing the Size of the Partition to Restore To

Choose the size you want for the partition after the restore operation
completes.
Make sure that the partition size you choose is large enough to hold the
restored data. Expanding or reducing the partition size changes the amount
of free space available on the disk and the partition.
Confirming the Simple Restore Wizard Settings

Confirm the locations of the backup image and restore destination in the
Restore Summary step of the Simple Restore Wizard.
Click Next to start restoring from the backup image.
After the restore operation completes, click Finish to close the Simple
Restore Wizard and start your operating system. Before restarting your
computer, remove the CD/DVD from the drive.
Copying a Disk
You can use the One Button Copy Wizard to clone the first drive quickly.
You must have an available, empty hard disk with enough space for
cloning. When you choose One Button Copy Wizard from the menu, the
wizard first checks to see if there is an available, empty hard disk. If there
isn’t, you cannot proceed.
If the wizard locates an available disk, you can select it to quickly clone
your computer’s first drive.
Transferring Files
You can use the Avanquest File Transfer Wizard to copy files, folders,
partitions, or disks elsewhere. You may want to do this if you have files or
folders that you haven’t backed up recently and want to try to recover

them after a problem occurs. When you choose File Transfer Wizard from
the menu, the Avanquest File Transfer Wizard starts.
After the wizard starts, click Next to continue.
Selecting Items To Transfer

You can transfer one or more files at a time.
Open the Source drop-down list to open a disk, partition, network device,
or other storage device. In the area below choose a file or folder to copy.
Then click the left arrow button to move that file or folder to the
Clipboard list. You may press the SHIFT or CTRL key to select more than
one object at a time.
To remove an object from the Clipboard list, choose the object and click
the right arrow button.
You can use the buttons next to the Source drop-down list to create a new
folder or delete objects in the area below.

a later step you can exclude files from the back up as needed.
Selecting a Destination Type and Destination

You can transfer files to a local or network drive or burn them on a disc.
If you select Save data to any local drive or a network share, click Next
to specify the destination path.
If you select Burn data to CD/DVD, click Next to choose a recorder and
specify a volume label.
Confirming the Settings

In the Transfer summary step, you can review the specified destination,
the size of the transfer, and the path for transferring the files.
After the restore operation completes, click Close and then click Finish to
return to the startup screen.
Fixing Boot Problems

The Avanquest Boot Corrector is able to resolve some of the problems you
might encounter during the boot process. When you choose Boot
Corrector from the menu, the Avanquest Boot Corrector program starts.
Choose an option and then click Next.

For detailed information about using the Boot Corrector program, click
the Help button.
To exit the Boot Corrector, click the Cancel button.

Correcting Windows Installations
The Search for Windows Installations to Correct option searches for
valid Windows installations on your computer. The results are displayed
and you have the following choices:
• Correct the Master Boot Record
• Correct the partition boot record
• Modify partition parameters
• Correct boot parameters (boot.ini, BCD)
Choose from one of the options and then click Next to continue.

Correcting the Master Boot Record
The Correct the Master Boot Record (MBR) option allows you to view
the MBR, update the MBR executable code, and change the order of
primary partitions. Select the hard disk from the drop-down list and then
choose the option you want.
To View the MBR
Click the View MBR option and then click Next.
You can open the Partition Table Entry drop-down list to change the
partition.
To Update the MBR
Click Update the MBR executable code and then click Next.
After the MBR is updated, you can view a report, start over, or close the
Boot Corrector program.
To Change the Order of Primary Partitions
Click Reorder primary partitions then click Next. Choose the partition
from the list and then click the up and down arrows to move the partition.
To save your changes, click Apply.
After the partitions are updated, you can view a report, start over, or close
the Boot Corrector program.
Correcting the Partition Boot Record

The Correct the Partition Boot Record option corrects the partition boot
record for a selected partition and drive. To correct a partition boot record,
choose the drive from the drop-down list and then choose the partition.
Click Next to continue.
Modifying the Partition Parameters

The Modify Partition Parameters option gives you the options to view
the a partition’s properties, change the active status, hide or show the
partition, and change its serial number and ID using the buttons at the
bottom of the window.
Choose from one of the options and then click Next to continue.

Saving Log Files
When you choose the Log Saver option, the Logs Saver Wizard starts.
This wizard helps collect log files created by using the Recovery CD. You
can select a log file or zip log files together and save them to any hard
drive or removable media. These log files can be very helpful to
Avanquest Technical Support to better assist you in the event you
experience problems.
1. Change the Save Status of each log file by selecting log files from
the list and then clicking the Save or Do not Save button. (The button
changes depending on the selected log file.)
You can choose Save all the logs into one archive file to save all the
selected files in a single compressed file.
2. Click Next and choose where to save the log files.
3. Click Next and specify the destination path to save the log files.
4. Click Next to save the log files.
5. Click Finish to exit the wizard.
In the final wizard screen you can send the logs by e-mail if you wish.

DISK AND PARTITION
MANAGEMENT
Hard Drive and Partitioning Basics 111
Managing Hard Drives and Partitions 125
Perfect Image Disk and Partition Management • 109

110 • Disk and Partition Management Perfect Image
Hard Drive and Partitioning Basics
Overview
Perfect Image gives you several powerful tools that can change the
partitioning of your hard drive. This section provides technical
background information about hard drives and partitioning fundamentals
that will help you fully understand the features offered by Perfect Image.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Backup your system before

making changes to your hard drive or partitions.
What is a Partition?
A partition is a basic container for data on your hard drive. Although many
hard drives have only one partition, Perfect Image allows you to back up a
hard drive that has several partitions. Each partition occupies a physically
separate area of the hard drive and operates almost as if it were an
independent hard drive. Because of this, a partition can be given its own
name, or label, can contain its own operating system and file system, or
can simply operate as an additional area for better organization of your
files. In Windows, partitions are assigned drive letters such as C, D, E, etc.
Perfect Image Hard Drive and Partitioning Basics • 111

Types of Partitions: Partition Terminology
Primary partitions: A hard drive can be divided up into a maximum of
four primary partitions. The first partition on a hard drive is numbered
Partition 0; subsequent primary partitions are Partitions 1, 2, and 3.
Extended and Logical Partitions: To provide more than four partitions, a
primary partition can be designated as an extended partition. An extended
partition can be subdivided into several more sections known as logical
partitions. The example below shows a partitioning configuration using
logical partitions to contain different operating systems.
Beginning of Drive
112 • Hard Drive and Partitioning Basics Perfect Image

Bootable Partitions
Some partitions can be made bootable, which means that an operating
system can be started from that partition. A bootable partition is also
known as an active partition. A non-bootable partition cannot initialize an
operating system. The ability for a partition to be bootable is controlled by
the operating system. For example, Windows only allows a primary
partition to be bootable and won’t allow a logical partition to be bootable.
In contrast, other operating systems, like Linux®, can be installed to allow
a logical partition to be bootable.
To start up, every computer must contain at least one bootable partition.
For example, a new Windows system normally uses the first active
primary partition (Partition 0) of the first hard drive in the computer
(Drive 0). It is assigned the drive letter C. To run more than one operating
system on your computer, you typically want to configure a separate
bootable partition for each operating system.
Disk Formatting and Partitions

To understand partitioning, it’s helpful to understand the structure of a
typical hard drive and the formatting process.
Hard Disk Mechanics

A hard drive consists of stacked metallic disks, or platters, that rotate
together on a spindle. Read/write heads (one for each side of a platter) are
mounted on arms that allow them to move in and out quickly and
accurately to reach any part of the surface of each disk. These heads
record and read the magnetic charges that represent your data.
For a new hard drive mechanism to become usable, it must go through
three processes:
1. Physical Formatting (see page 114)
2. Partitioning (see page 115)
3. Logical Formatting (see page 115)
WARNING: Formatting can destroy all data on the drive.

Physical Formatting
The first stage of formatting is physical or low-level formatting. The hard
drive manufacturer performs this operation in their factory. This process
creates a magnetic structure on the hard drive platters that allows data to
be accurately written and retrieved. The example below shows the
elements resulting from the physical formatting procedure: sectors, tracks,
and cylinders.
Sectors: A sector is the smallest part of the drive that can be addressed.
Each sector can hold a defined amount of data, typically 512 bytes (1/2
KB).
Tracks: Tracks are concentric rings onto which data can be written. Each
track has a number of sectors. Every disk surface on one drive has the
same number of tracks, starting with track 0.
Cylinders: A cylinder consists of all the same-numbered tracks on all
platters in the hard drive. For example, in a hard drive that has four
platters, there are eight tracks numbered track 0 (one track 0 on the top
surface, and one on the bottom surface of each platter). All of these track
0s form a cylinder 0. Drives today have thousands of cylinders.

Partitioning
Following the low-level physical formatting by the drive manufacturer,
the hard drive can be divided into one or more partitions. Each partition is
assigned a set of contiguous cylinders, so that each partition corresponds
to a separate physical area of the hard drive. The following example is a
simplified drawing of a drive with four partitions.
The partition process is typically done the first time by the operating
system’s limited partitioning utility, such as Disk Administrator in
Windows XP.
Logical Formatting
Following partitioning, the disk is given a file structure that allows the
disk and the operating system to exchange data. This process is part of
logical formatting, and is performed by the operating system software’s
Format program. After this, the operating system can be installed loading
the operating system’s installation utility.
After a partition has been formatted, it is known as a volume. When using
Windows or DOS operating systems, each partition can correspond to a
drive letter, starting with drive C. Each volume (partition) can also be
given a name, or label, that will help you remember what is in that
partition.
Linux does not use drive letters, but assigns each volume a name, such as
HDA0, HDA1, etc.

Characteristics of File Systems
When partitioning a hard drive, there are two important things you should
know about file systems:
• Operating System and File System Compatibility (see below)
• Operating System and Partition Size Limitations (see page 118)
Operating System and File System Compatibility

Each operating system is designed to work with a particular file system,
which is known as its native file system. Although some operating
systems are compatible with multiple file systems, some are compatible
with only one type of file system. Common file systems and Operating
System system compatibility are summarized below.
File Allocation Table (FAT): FAT is the native file system for DOS and
Windows. For very small partitions under 32 MB, a version known as
FAT12 is used, while larger sizes require FAT16. Although FAT12 uses 12
bits to record drive address, and FAT16 uses a 16-bit drive address, they
are very similar file systems and both are generically referred to as FAT.
FAT32: FAT32 supports 32-bit file records to allow a partition size beyond
2 GB. It can also help reduce wasted space on hard drives.
The FAT32 file system can only be seen by Windows 95 OSR2 and later.
Other operating systems such as DOS, Windows NT, and the first version
of Windows 95 will not see FAT32 partitions. You should also avoid a FAT
conversion if your drive is using disk compression, since the compression
software might not understand FAT32.
High Performance File System (HPFS): OS/2 uses HPFS as its native
file system and is compatible with FAT. Older versions of NT are also
compatible with HPFS.

NT File System (NTFS): NTFS is the native file system for Windows NT,
2000, XP, 2003, and Windows Vista. Windows 95/98/Me, DOS, and most
other operating systems cannot see NTFS file systems. There are also
several versions of NTFS, such that Windows NT cannot understand the
newer versions of NTFS.
Ext2, Ext3: These are Linux file systems. The Ext3 is an enhancement of
the older Ext2 file system. Ext3 is a journaling file system, which is much
faster for consistency checks than Ext2.
Linux Swap2: A Linux Swap file is an extension of the physical memory
of the computer that are generally created during the initial Red Hat Linux
9 setup.
ReiserFS: Another popular Linux journaling file system.
UFS: This is the Unix File System used by many Unix and Unix-like
operating systems. A separate file system must be created on each separate
partition of the disk
Common Operating System an File System Compatibility
Operating System File System

DOS and Windows 3.x FAT
Windows 95 FAT
Windows 95 OSR2, 98, Me FAT, FAT32
Windows NT v3 and older FAT, HPFS, NTFS
Windows NT 4 FAT, NTFS
Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista FAT, FAT32, NTFS
Linux (depends on version) Ext2, Ext3, ReiserFS, Swap
OS/2 FAT, HPFS
Solaris UFS, NFS, VxFS, QFS, FAT

Operating System and Partition Size Limitations
The operating system and related file system support different maximum
partition sizes. The table below shows how each version of DOS and
Windows has increased the maximum partition size.
Limitations
File Maximum Partition

Operating System
System Size
DOS 2.1 and older FAT12 15 MB
DOS 3.x FAT12 15 MB
FAT16 16 to 32 MB
DOS 4.0 and higher FAT 16 2 GB
Windows (all) FAT 16 2 GB
Windows 95 OSR2, 98, Me FAT 32 1000+ GB*
Windows NT HPFS 8 GB
NTFS 1000+ GB*
Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista FAT32 1000+ GB
NTFS 1000+ GB
* Accessing partitions larger than 137 GB requires hardware and BIOS support.
Existing disk partitions can’t be changed without deleting the data within
the partition.
As drive sizes have grown, the operating system, the BIOS, and computer
hardware have also required changes. For example, IDE drives over 137
GB in size require new computer hardware and BIOS to work past this
limit. These only became available in 2002. Perfect Image supports large
drives (beyond 137 GB) when the computer hardware also supports such
drives. Without such support, the disk will be limited to the first 137 GB,
and the remainder of the disk will be inaccessible to the system.

Learning About Partition Types
This section shows you some of the major operating systems you might be
using. The table below outlines some of the considerations for using a
partition type.
File
Windows Benefits Disadvantages
System
95, 98, Me FAT • Compatible with • Limited to 2 GB
DOS max.
95B, 98, Me FAT32 • No real size limits • DOS and NT
can’t see it
NT, 2000, XP, FAT • Compatible with • Limited to 2 GB
2003 DOS max.
2000, XP, 2003 FAT32 • No real size limits • DOS and NT
can’t see it
NT, 2000, XP, NTFS • No real size limits • 95/98/Me/DOS
2003, • Higher security can’t see it
Windows Vista
• Improved stability • More difficult to
fix if problems
occur
• NT can’t see
XP/2003 NTFS
due to version
differences

Dynamic Disk
Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and Windows Vista have the ability to use a
new type of partition called a “Dynamic Disk.” It contains dynamic
volumes created by using Windows “Disk Management.” Dynamic disks
do not use traditional partition tables like primary and logical drives and
cannot be accessed by Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, or DOS operating
systems. Consult Microsoft’s web site for more about Dynamic disks at
www.microsoft.com.
There are five types of dynamic disks:
• Simple dynamic disks use free space from a single disk.
• Spanned dynamic disks are created from free disk space linked
together from two or more physical disks.
• Striped dynamic disks are interleaved across two or more physical
disks.
• Mirrored dynamic disks are fault-tolerant volumes in which the data
is duplicated on two physical disks.
• RAID-5 dynamic disks are fault-tolerant volumes of data that are
striped across three or more physical disks.
NTFS Volume Sets (Fault Tolerance)
Fault Tolerant or “spanning” partitions combine areas of unallocated space
from multiple disks into one logical volume, allowing you to more
efficiently use all the space and all drive letters on a multiple-disk system.
CAUTION: You do not want to delete one of the partitions

that are spanned. If one of the disks containing a spanned
volume fails, the entire volume fails.

Linux
Different Linux distributions might offer more than one choice, or require
one specific file system. The most common types are shown in the
following table.
Linux File
Benefits Disadvantages
System
Ext2 • Optimized for small • Older file system, now
drives and small files falling out of favor
• Very slow consistency
checks
Ext3 • Journaling File System • Journaling is a layer on
• Very fast consistency top of Ext2 (could be a
checks benefit)
• Easy to move from
Ext2
ReiserFS • Journaling File System • Not recommended for
• Very fast consistency partitions under 100
checks MB
• Efficient for small files
• Excellent choice for
large partitions
RAIDs
Hardware-based RAID uses an intelligent drive controller and a redundant
array of disk drives to protect against data loss in the event of media
failure and to improve the performance of read/write operations.
Hardware-based RAID levels 1 through 5 automate redundancy and fault
tolerance at the hardware level. All levels (0 through 5) incur no overhead
on the system processor. Individual data files are typically spread across
more than one disk. It is possible to implement a hardware-based RAID
solution that provides your system with seamless, non-stop recovery from
media failure.
Depending on the configuration, hardware-based RAID generally
provides good performance. It also makes it much easier to manage
multiple disks, allowing you to treat an array of disks as one disk. You
might even be able to replace a failed drive without shutting down the
system.
Perfect Image Installation and the control of multiple operating systems
are compatible with Hardware RAIDs, but not software-emulated RAIDs.

Level 0
This level is also known as disk striping because of its use of a disk file
system called a stripe set. Data is divided into blocks and spread in a fixed
order among all disks in an array. RAID 0 improves read/write
performance by spreading operations across multiple disks, so that
operations can be performed independently and simultaneously.
Level 1
This level is also known as disk mirroring because of its use of a disk file
system called a mirror set. Disk mirroring provides a redundant, identical
copy of a selected disk. All data written to the primary disk is written to
the mirror disk. RAID 1 provides fault tolerance and generally improves
read performance (but might degrade write performance).
Level 5
Also known as striping with parity, this level is the most popular strategy
for new designs. RAID 5 stripes the data in large blocks across the disks in
an array. It differs in that it writes the parity across all the disks. Data
redundancy is provided by the parity information. The data and parity
information are arranged on the disk array so that the two are always on
different disks.

Partitioning and Booting Information
The hard drive keeps track of its partitioning structure and its booting
information on hard drive 0, the first hard drive in your system. The
example below shows a basic hard drive organization, including the
Master Boot Record (MBR) and Disk Partition Table.
Master Boot Record and Partitioning Table
Master Boot Record

The Master Boot Record (MBR) is contained in the first sector of the hard
disk (Cylinder 0, Head 0, Sector 1). It specifies which operating system
starts up the system. When a boot managing utility is used to install
multiple operating systems, it replaces the original boot record with its
own MBR to control the boot process and allows you the choice of how to
boot the system. The old MBR is automatically saved to provide an
uninstall option.
Disk Partition Table

The Disk Partition Table is a hidden part of the hard drive that specifies
how the hard drive is partitioned. Under Windows 95, 98, and Me, the
FDISK utility can be used to view and change the partition information.
Under Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003, and Windows Vista, the Disk
Administrator can also perform limited partitioning.
GUID Partition Table (GPT)

GUID Partition Table (GPT) is the next generation of a hard disk
partitioning scheme developed to lift restrictions of the old MBR:

• Up to 128 primary partitions for the Windows implementation (only
4 in MBR);
• The maximum allowed partition size is 18 exabytes (only 2 terabytes
in MBR);
• More reliable thanks to replication and cyclic redundancy check
(CRC) protection of the partition table;
• A well defined and fully self-identifying partition format (data critical
to the platform operation is located in partitions, but not in un-
partitioned or hidden sectors as this is the case with MBR).

Managing Hard Drives and
Partitions
Overview
The hard drive keeps track of its partitioning structure and its booting
information on hard drive 0, the first hard drive in your system. The
example below shows a basic hard drive organization, including the
Master Boot Record (MBR) and Disk Partition Table.
Disk Partition Table
Master Boot Record (MBR)
Perfect Image allows you to update your Master Boot Record (MBR) and
clone hard drives and partitions.
Perfect Image Managing Hard Drives and Partitions • 125

Updating the Master Boot Record
The Master Boot Record (MBR) is contained in the first sector of the hard
drive. (Cylinder 0, Head 0, Sector 1). It looks at the partition table and
determines which partition is active. The active partition is used to start
the operating system when you start up the system (see “Master Boot
Record” on page 123).
Perfect Image allows you to overwrite the current bootable code in the
MBR. This feature can repair corrupted bootable code on a hard drive
caused by viruses or malfunctions in the boot management software.
126 • Managing Hard Drives and Partitions Perfect Image

Cloning a Hard Drive or Partition
Hard drive duplication is popular among computer users. Many people
clone hard disks just to back up data for security reasons. Perfect Image
can successfully transfer all on-disk information, including standard
bootstrap code and other system service structures, for maintaining the
operating system’s functionality. In the event of a system malfunction, you
can get your computer back on track in minutes, without the
inconvenience of additional configuration.
Another use for cloning your hard drive is when performing an upgrade to
a new hard drive. The capacity of a modern hard drives doubles every two
years, creating new possibilities for software developers. As a result,
programs become more complicated and require a considerable amount of
free space, which can lead you to a hard drive upgrade. Usually, this
means that besides purchasing a new hard drive, you also face a large re-
installation procedure spanning several days of tedious work. However,
this can be avoided by copying the contents of the old hard drive to a new
one proportionally resizing the partitions.
Cloning of hard drives can also be of great use when setting up similar
computers. There is no need for a system administrator to install an
operating system from scratch on every one of them. Cloning the hard
drive also copies all of the configuration information.
Perfect Image also allows you to clone a single partition.

Using the Clone Hard Disk Wizard
The Clone Hard Disk wizard is used to create an exact duplicate of a hard
drive. During this process, Perfect Image moves controlling records of
used partitions, the bootstrap code, and on-disk partitions. You can’t
substitute this process by copying all on-disk partitions.
NOTE: To clone a hard disk, you must have at least one

additional hard drive attached to your computer with
enough available free space to save the copy.
For information on changing the settings, see “Clone and Backup

Options” on page 159.
To Run the Clone Hard Disk Wizard
1. Start the Clone Hard Disk wizard using one of the following methods:
• Open the Wizards menu and choose Clone Hard Disk.
• Click the Clone Disk link in the Clone Tasks section of the task
bar.
• Click the Clone Hard Disk button in the toolbar.
• Select a disk in the Disk Map and click Clone the entire hard
disk in the Explorer frame.
2. Click Next in the Welcome step to begin the wizard.
3. Choose the hard drive you want to copy by selecting it in the Disk
Map.
All partitions from the selected hard disk will be copied to the
destination hard drive.

TIP: Click the Properties icon next to the drive letter

to view details for the partitions.
5. Choose the target disk from the Disk Map.

All data from the source disk will be copied to the target disk.
7. If the target disk has data, you get a warning, and want to continue
with this disk, check the Yes, continue clone operation box and
click Next.

8. Choose from the following copy options:
Clone Options
• HDD raw clone ignores the source disk’s structure and copies all
files, including hidden ones and unallocated space, to the target
disk.
• Partitions raw clone creates an exact copy of the partitions on
the disk including used and unused sectors.
• Perform incremental clone creates a copy of just the changes
that were made since the last related full clone of a hard disk was
made.
Resize Options
• Remove free blocks between partitions doesn’t keep blocks of
free space between partitions on the targeted hard drive.
• Clone data and resize partitions proportionally changes the
size of partitions keeping their relative order proportional and
intact. The option can be useful when upgrading the hard drive to
a larger one.
Verification Options
• Perform surface test scans the surface of the disk prior to
writing. Bad sectors found on the disk are marked as unusable.
TIP: When you click an option, a description of the

option appears at the bottom of the wizard.
10. Review the disk copy settings.

11. Click Next to accept the settings.
12. Click Finish to close the wizard and start the clone operation.
Using the One Button Copy Wizard

Instead of using the Clone Hard Disk Wizard, you can use the One Button
Copy Wizard to quickly clone a hard disk.
To Run the One Button Copy Wizard
1. Select the hard disk to clone in the Disk View tab.
2. Start the One Button Copy Wizard by using one of the following
methods:
• Open the Wizards menu and choose One Button Copy Wizard.
• Click the One Button Clone Disk link in the Clone Tasks section
of the task bar.
3. Specify the disk for the cloned data.
4. Click Next.
Using the Clone Partition Wizard

The Clone Partition wizard is used to create an exact duplicate of a
partition.
NOTE: To clone a hard disk, you must have at least one

area of unallocated space on a hard drive large enough to
save the copy.
For information on changing the settings, see “Clone and Backup

Options” on page 159.
To Run the Clone Partition Wizard
1. Start the Clone Partition Wizard by using one of the following
methods:
• Open the Wizards menu and choose Clone Partition.
• Click the Clone Partition link in the Clone Tasks section of the
task bar.
• Click the Clone Partition button in the toolbar.
• Select a disk in the Disk Map and click Clone the selected
partition in the Explorer frame.
2. Click Next in the Welcome step to begin the wizard.

3. Choose the partition you want to copy by selecting it in the Disk Map.
All data from the selected partition will be copied to the destination
partition.
TIP: Click the Properties icon next to the drive letter

to view details for the partitions.
5. Choose the target disk that contains the target partition from the Disk
Map and then choose the target partition.
All data from the source partition will be copied to the target partition.


7. Choose the location and size of the target partition.
• If you checked the Clone the partition with resize box, you can
specify the size of the partition and how much free space to place
before and after the new partition.
• If you didn’t check the Clone the partition with resize box, you
can choose to place the block of data at the beginning or the end
of the free block.
If you want to change any settings, click the Back button.
9. Review the expected changes on the target disk and click Next.
10. Click Finish to start the clone operation.

PROGRAM
MANAGEMENT
Using the Scheduler 143
Using Virtual Operations 137
Changing Program Settings 157
Perfect Image Program Management • 135

136 • Program Management Perfect Image
Using Virtual Operations
Overview
If you enable Virtual Operations, using the wizards doesn’t actually make
any physical changes to your hard drive. Any wizard you use creates
pending changes, or virtual operations. For these changes to take affect,
you need to apply them. The buttons in the Virtual Operations tool bar
contain the tools you need to view, discard, undo, and redo your pending
changes. Click the Apply button to accept all pending changes and make
the physical modifications to your hard drive. For more information, see
“Applying Partition and Hard Drive Changes” on page 141.
To enable Virtual Operations check the Allow virtual mode box in the
Edit settings dialog. (See “Virtual Mode Options” on page 160.)
NOTE: The Allow virtual mode box is selected by default.

To have changes take effect immediately, clear the Allow
virtual mode box.
To Show the Virtual Operations Tool Bar

Open the View menu and choose Toolbar > Virtual Operations.
A checkmark next to the menu item means that it is currently shown.
If there are no pending changes, the buttons in the toolbar are dimmed.
Perfect Image Using Virtual Operations • 137

Viewing Proposed Changes
Any pending change is stored in a list. To view this list, click the View
Changes button to view the Pending Changes dialog.
The dialog contains a list of both changes that are pending and those that
have been undone.
Choose a hard drive to view in the Disk Map from the View the changes
for drop-down list.
A Disk Map of how the hard drive currently looks and a map of how the
disk will look after any proposed modification to the partitions appears at
the bottom of the window.
TIP: Click the Properties icon next to a drive letter to view

details for the partition.
138 • Using Virtual Operations Perfect Image

Making Changes to the List
At the bottom of the Pending Changes window are four buttons.
• Undo Last removes the most recent item from the pending changes
list. (See “Undoing a Pending Change” on page 140.)
• Redo Last replaces the most recent undone change back to the
pending changes list. (See “Redoing a Pending Change” on page
140.)
• Apply commits all pending changes for processing. (See “Applying
Partition and Hard Drive Changes” on page 141.)
CAUTION: Before applying any changes, you should

backup all important data files.
• Close closes the dialog without applying any of your pending

changes.
You can change the status of items on the View Changes list until you are
ready to apply your changes. All items that are effective and pending are
processed when you apply the changes. Those items that have been
undone are not applied and are removed from the list after the pending
changes have been applied.
Undoing and Redoing Proposed Changes

Your list of proposed changes contains your currently pending changes
and a list of pending changes that you have selected not to apply, or those
that you have “undone.” All pending and undone pending changes remain
in the View Changes list until you either apply the changes or discard all
changes. (See “Applying Partition and Hard Drive Changes” on page 141
or “Discarding All Proposed Changes” on page 141.)

Undoing a Pending Change
Any pending changes on your pending changes list can be removed from
this list and placed in an “undone” list. Undone changes are not applied.
To undo the last pending change, click the Undo button on the toolbar.
This removes the last pending change you’ve done and places it in the
ineffective list.
To undo a specific pending change, click the Undo button’s arrow and
choose the pending change you want to undo.
You can also undo the last change using the Undo Last button located on
the bottom of the View Changes dialog. For more information, see
“Viewing Proposed Changes” on page 138.
Redoing a Pending Change

Any pending changes that you have removed from your pending changes
list can be added back to this list. Redone changes are made effective and
are included when you apply your pending changes.
To redo the last pending change, click the Redo button on the toolbar. This
removes the last pending change you’ve undone and places is back in the
effective list.
To undo a specific pending change, click the Redo button’s arrow and
choose the undone pending changes you want to redo.
You can also redo the last change using the Redo Last button located on
the bottom of the View Changes dialog. For more information, see
“Viewing Proposed Changes” on page 138.

Discarding All Proposed Changes
If you decide that you no longer want to apply any changes, or perhaps
your list of proposed changes is not in the order you want, you can discard
all your proposed changes. When you discard the changes, all effective
and ineffective changes are removed from the list.
NOTE: After you discard your changes, they can’t be

recovered using Undo or Redo.
To discard all pending changes, click the Discard button on the toolbar.
A message appears asking if you want to discard all the pending changes.
Click Yes to discard all pending changes or click No to cancel.
Applying Partition and Hard Drive Changes

When you have Virtual Operation enabled, all the changes that you have
set up have not yet taken effect. All pending changes must be applied
before any real changes occur.
To apply all pending changes, click the Apply button on the toolbar.
A message appears asking if you want to apply all the pending changes.
Click Yes to apply all pending changes and view the processing window.
Clicking No closes the window, but leaves all your pending changes in the
list.

Processing Applied Changes in Windows
Some applied changes don’t require the program to restart. These are
generally minor changes that have a minimal effect on your hard drive,
such as backing up a partition.
Processing Applied Changes at Restart

Some of the processes in Perfect Image require the computer to restart and
process the changes prior to restarting Windows. These are typically
changes that inspect or modify your hard drive or partitions in some way.
If the process requires a restart, a message appears.
Click the Restart now button to restart the computer and start the pending
changes.
CAUTION: If you click Cancel, all pending changes are

removed from the pending changes list.
After the computer restarts, the boot processing window appears.

The boot processing window contains a progress bar and processing times
at the top of the window. The lower part of the window gives a brief
explanation of the processes that are being applied.
CAUTION: Cancelling this operation can cause damage to

your hard drive and affect the ability to boot your operating
system.
When all processes have completed, your operating system restarts and
then restarts Perfect Image.

Using the Scheduler
Overview
The best way to make sure that you’re making backup images on a regular
basis is to schedule the backup operations. Several of the wizards give you
the option of scheduling the time for running the operation.
You can schedule program operations as frequently as you want and have
them run whenever you want. For example, you can schedule a nightly
differential backup that can run when you’re not using your computer, and
also schedule a weekly full backup.
To view and manage your list of scheduled tasks, click the Scheduled
Tasks tab in the Explorer Pane.
Scheduling Tasks
Choose when and how often that you want to perform program operations
in the Scheduler step of a wizard. You can choose to run the operation
once, when an event occurs (like when you start your computer), or at
specific time intervals.
Depending on the choice you make, different options are available for
scheduling the operation. For example, if you choose to run a backup
once, you can choose the date and time for it to start. If you choose to run
a backup weekly, you can choose the time of the backup, how many weeks
apart each backup should occur, the day of the week when the backup will
run, and a beginning and end date for the scheduled task.
If you’re performing an operation that requires automatic logging onto
your computer, click the Specify user name and password link near the
bottom of the wizard. (See “Entering Login Information” on page 150.)
Especially, if the task will be done automatically, check the Generate
unique names for scheduled backups box to preserve existing data.
Perfect Image Using the Scheduler • 143

Scheduling a One-Time Task
If you want to perform the operation one time, choose Once from the
Scheduler drop-down list.
Choose the date and time when you want to perform the task from the Run
the task on drop-down lists.
If you want your computer to shut down after the task completes, check
the Shutdown system after backup box.
If you want to perform the task once when you start your computer or
logon to Windows, see “Scheduling at Startup” on page 145 or
“Scheduling at Logon” on page 146.
144 • Using the Scheduler Perfect Image

Scheduling at Startup
If you want to perform the task after your computer starts, but before you
logon to Windows, choose At System Startup from the Scheduler drop-
down list.
You can choose how often you want the event to trigger the task.
• On every system startup performs the task each time you start your
computer.
• On the next system startup, then delete the task performs the task
the next time you start your computer, and then removes the task from
the scheduler.
• On system startup with the interval of performs the task the next
time you start your computer, and then again after the number of days
you enter in the box.
For example, you can enter 1 to run the task for only one system
startup per day, or enter 3 to perform the task at system startup and
then perform it again at a system start up in three days.
If you want to perform the task when you logon to Windows, see
“Scheduling at Logon” on page 146.

Scheduling at Logon
If you want to perform the task immediately after you logon to Windows,
choose At Logon from the Scheduler drop-down list.
You can choose how often you want the event to trigger the task.
• On every logon performs the task each time you logon.
• On the next logon and then delete the task performs the task the
next time you logon, and then removes the task from the scheduler.
• On logon with the interval of performs the task the next time you
logon, and then again after the number of days you enter in the box.
For example, you can enter 1 to run the task for only one logon per
day, or enter 3 to perform the task at logon and then perform it again
at a logon in three days.
If you want to perform the task when you start your computer, see
“Scheduling at Startup” on page 145.

Scheduling Daily Tasks
If you want to perform the task once a day or a specific number of days
apart, choose Daily from the Scheduler drop-down list.
Choose the date and time when you want to perform the task for the first
time from the Run the task on drop-down lists.
Enter how often you want to perform the task by entering the number of
days in the Every box. For example, you can enter 1 to perform the task
once each day, or enter 3 to perform the task once every three days.
If you want to stop performing the task after a specific period of time,
check the Do not run the task after box and then choose the date from the
drop-down list.
If you want to perform the task on specific days of the week (such as
weekdays only), see “Scheduling Weekly Tasks” on page 148.

Scheduling Weekly Tasks
If you want to specify the day or days of the week that you want to
perform the task, choose Weekly from the Scheduler drop-down list.
Enter how often you want to perform the task by entering the number of
weeks in the Every box. For example, you can enter 1 to perform the task
on the specified day(s) each week, or enter 3 to perform the task on the
specified day(s) every three weeks.
Choose the day or days of the week when you want to perform the task by
checking the box next to each day.
drop-down list.

Scheduling Monthly Tasks
If you want to specify the date of the month that you want to perform the
task, choose Monthly from the drop-down list.
In the Every box enter the date of the month when you want to perform the
task.
drop-down list.

Entering Login Information
If you’re performing a task that requires automatic logging onto your
computer, click the Specify user name and password link near the
bottom of the wizard.
If logging onto your computer doesn’t require a password, choose the Do

not specify a password option. Otherwise, choose the Use the specified
username and password option.
• Enter the username in the User box that is used for logging onto your
computer.
• Enter the password in the Password box, if a password is required for
logging onto your computer.
To return to the Scheduling options, click the Edit scheduling options
link.

Viewing and Modifying Scheduled Tasks
To view and manage your list of scheduled operations, click the
Scheduled Tasks tab in the Explorer Pane.
You can reschedule or disable the tasks in the list to remove conflicts
between the scheduled operations.
To run a scheduled task, right-click the task in the list and then choose
Run Now from the shortcut menu.
To edit the script of a scheduled task, right-click the task in the list and
then choose Edit Script from the shortcut menu. (See “To Open a Script
Task for Editing” on page 154.)
To delete a scheduled task, right-click the task in the list and then choose
Delete Task from the shortcut menu.
To edit a scheduled task, right-click the task in the list and then choose
Properties from the shortcut menu to open the Task Properties dialog.
(See “Using the Task Properties Dialog” on page 152.)

Using the Task Properties Dialog
To view the Task Properties dialog, select a task in the Schedule Tasks list
and then click the Properties button on the Explorer frame toolbar.
General Tab
The General tab shows you macros and paths for performing the
scheduled tasks, and a checkbox for enabling and disabling the scheduled
task.
• Program displays the full path to the program-interpreter of the
macro-commands that describe the scheduled task.
• Script displays the parameters for starting the interpreter (the task
described in macro-language).
• Comments displays a description of the scheduled task.
To disable the scheduled task, clear the Enabled box near the bottom of
the dialog.
To edit the script file, click the Edit button. (See “To Open a Script Task
for Editing” on page 154.)
To change the script file for the task, click the Browse button. (See “To
Assign a New Script File to a Task” on page 155.)

Schedule Tab
The Schedule tab shows the timetable for the scheduled task. You can
change the timetable directly in this dialog. (See “Scheduling Tasks” on
page 143.)
To modify login information, click the Run As button near the bottom of
the dialog. (See “Entering Login Information” on page 150.)
After making changes, click the Apply button to apply the changes to the
scheduled task or click OK to save the changes and close the Task
Properties dialog.

To Open a Script Task for Editing
1. Click the Scheduled Tasks tab in the Explorer frame.
2. Select the task from the Scripts list.
3. Right-click the selected task and choose Edit Script from the shortcut
menu.
The script file opens in your default text editor
4. Edit the script as needed, save it, and close the text editor.
For more information about scripting, click the Script Manual link in the
News and Documentation section of the task bar. (See “Task Bar” on page
24.)

To Assign a New Script File to a Task
Each task on the Scheduled Tasks list has a script file associated with it.
You can modify the script of the task by editing it or by assigning a script
file to the task. (See “To Open a Script Task for Editing” on page 154.)
To assign a script file to a scheduled task:
1. Select the task in the Scheduled Tasks list.
2. Click the Properties button on the Explorer frame toolbar to open the
Task Properties dialog.
3. Click the Browse button to search for script files.
4. Browse to the location of the script file you want to use.

5. Choose the file from the list and then click Open to return to the Task
Properties dialog.
6. Click OK to apply the changes and close the dialog.

Changing Program Settings
Overview
You can open the Edit settings dialog to customize the features and
behaviors of Perfect Image. To open the Edit settings dialog, open the
Tools menu and choose Settings.
When you choose an option from the list on the left, the available settings
for that option are available on the right.
After you finish using the Edit settings dialog, click OK to close the dialog
and save any changes you made.
Perfect Image Changing Program Settings • 157

General Options
General options affect all operations performed by Perfect Image. To view
the general options, click General options in the list on the left side of the
Edit settings dialog.
Choose the options you want to use by checking or unchecking the box:
• Enable data loss protection forces Perfect Image to work in
“fail-safe” mode ensuring a greater level of safety for program
operations by maintaining a journal of the operation’s progress. If you
have a hardware malfunction, power outage, or system failure during
an operation, insert the Recovery CD and restart the computer. Perfect
Image automatically detects the journal and completes the interrupted
operation.
We recommend that you enable this option.
• Try to Access Non-BIOS Disk Cylinders works for Windows 95, 98,
and Me operating systems. With this option activated, Perfect Image
detects the actual disk capacity of a hard drive, instead of using the
disk size defined in the system BIOS.
• Enable Initial Backup reminders backs up the disk’s information
before doing anything to the disk.
Backup Image Options

Backup image options affect backup and restore operations. To view the
backup image options, click Backup image options in the list on the left
side of the Edit settings dialog.
Choose among the following options by checking or unchecking the box
next to the option, choosing an option from a drop-down list, or entering
information in a box:
• Control image integrity enables writing special data during a backup
operation that is used to control the integrity of the data during a
restore operation. Choosing this option can decrease the speed of
backup operations.
• Set image file names automatically allows Perfect Image to
automatically name files for multi-partition backup images.
• Compression level allows you to choose how much compression to
use for each backup. When you chose a compression option, a
description of the compression level appears below the option.
• Enable image splitting allows you to choose to split large backup
images into smaller file by entering the Maximum split size.
158 • Changing Program Settings Perfect Image

Clone and Backup Options
Clone and backup options affect backup and clone operations. To view the
clone and backup options, click Clone and backup options in the list on
the left side of the Edit settings dialog.
next to the option:
• Hdd raw processing creates an exact copy of the disk, including
unused sectors. Choosing this option can increase the time it takes to
make a backup image or clone of a disk.
• Partition raw processing creates an exact copy of the partition,
including unused sectors. Choosing this option can increase the time
it takes to make a backup image or clone of a partition.
• Perform incremental clone creates a copy of just the changes that
were made since the last related full clone of a hard disk was made.
This decreases the amount of time and space required for a disk clone
operation.
• Skip OS auxiliary files allows backup and clone operations to skip
auxiliary files provided by the operating system, such as pagefile.sys
and hiberfil.sys. Choosing this option can increase the speed of backup
and clone operations.
• Skip image files stored in image library omits image files from the
backup or clone operation. Choosing this option can increase the
speed of backup and clone operations.
CD/DVD Recording Options

CD/DVD recording options affect CD or DVD burning operations. To
view the CD/DVD recording options, click CD/DVD recording options in
the list on the left side of the Edit settings dialog.
next to the option, choosing an option from a drop-down list, or entering
information in a box:
• Burn every CD/DVD disk to the end creates a CD/DVD disk that can
be compatible with other programs that you might use to copy the
CD/DVD.
• Recording speed allows you to choose the recording speed to use for
each CD/DVD write operation. When you chose an option, a
description of the recording speed appears below the drop-down list.

• Boot options allow you to specify the ISO file to use on bootable
disks and how you want your computer to boot from a disk. Click
Browse to specify the ISO file.
• ISO image folder allows you to specify the location where the ISO
file is placed when creating a bootable CD/DVD. Click Browse to
specify the location for the ISO file.
Hot Processing Options

Hot processing options affect operations that are performed using Perfect
Image hot processing. To view the hot processing options, click Hot
processing options in the list on the left side of the Edit settings dialog.
next to the option or choosing an option from a drop-down list:
• Enable hot processing allows you to perform backup operations
while the operating system is active.
• Hot processing technology allows you to choose a method for
creating hot backup images.
For more information about creating hot backups, see “Making a Hot
Backup” on page 53.
Use the buttons at the bottom of the pane to change the Operation list
quickly.
Virtual Mode Options

Virtual mode options allow you to enable or disable virtual mode
operation. To view the virtual mode options, click Virtual mode options
in the list on the left side of the Edit settings dialog.
next to the option:
• Allow virtual mode places all operations in the list of pending
operations, allowing you to start the operations at a later time.
• Close progress dialog automatically closes the progress dialog that
indicates the progress of an operation after the operation completes.
File System Conversion Options

With the file system conversion options you can specify a time zone or
language. To view the conversion options, click File system conversion
options in the list on the left side of the Edit settings dialog.

Choose among the following options by choosing an item from the drop-
down list:
• Select a time zone specifies the time zone to use when scheduling
operations.
• Select language for file names determines which language to use for
automatically-generated file names.
Check the Confirm settings before NTFS<->FAT/FAT32 conversion box
to customize the settings for each conversion.
Copy/Backup Exclude Options

You can exclude specific files and folders from Perfect Image operations.
To view the excluded files and folders, click Copy/Backup exclude
options in the list on the left side of the Edit settings dialog.
Click the Add category button to specify a file or folder by name.
Click the Change general backup options to access and change those
options. See “Clone and Backup Options” on page 159.

REFERENCES
Glossary of Terms 165
Index 207
Complimentary Technical Support 173
Perfect Image References • 163

164 • References Perfect Image
Glossary of Terms
Active Partition
An Active Partition is a partition from which an x86-based computer starts
up. The active partition must be a primary partition on a basic disk. If you
use Windows exclusively, the active partition can be the same as the
system volume. In the DOS partitioning scheme, only Primary Partitions
can be active due to limitations of the standard bootstrap.
Bootstrap Code
The Bootstrap Code is a small program that loads the software required to
start up and run the computer.
Cluster
A Cluster is the smallest amount of disk space that can be allocated to hold
a file. All file systems used by Windows organize hard disks based on
clusters, which consist of one or more contiguous sectors. The smaller the
cluster size, the more efficiently a disk stores information. If no cluster
size is specified during formatting, Windows picks defaults based on the
size of the volume. These defaults are selected to reduce the amount of
space that is lost and the amount of fragmentation on the volume. A
cluster is also called an allocation unit.
Perfect Image Glossary of Terms • 165

Extended Partition
An Extended Partition is a type of partition that you can create only on
basic master boot record (MBR) disks. Extended partitions are useful if
you want to create more than four volumes on a basic MBR disk. Unlike
primary partitions, you do not format an extended partition with a file
system and then assign a drive letter to it. Instead, you create one or more
logical drives within the extended partition. After you create a logical
drive, you format it and assign it a drive letter. An MBR disk can have up
to four primary partitions, or three primary partitions, one extended
partition, and multiple logical drives.
GUID Partition Table (GPT)

GUID Partition Table (GPT) is the next generation of a hard disk
partitioning scheme developed to lift restrictions of the old MBR.
Hidden Partitions
The concept of hidden partitions was introduced in the IBM OS/2 Boot
Manager. Operating systems don’t mount “hidden” partitions, preventing
access to their contents.
Hot Processing
Hot Processing is a technology that enables you to run backup and clone
operations without having to reboot the Windows system, which might
interrupt some other process on the computer.
MBR (Master Boot Record)

The MBR (Master Boot Record) is the first track of the hard disk on the 0
sector of the disk. It contains important information about the disk layout:
• The partitioning scheme
• The starting records of the Partition Table
• The standard bootstrap code (or the initial code of boot managers,
disk overlay software, or boot viruses)
Generally, the 0 sector is used for similar purposes in all existing
partitioning schemes.
The capacity of the MBR is not sufficient to place sophisticated boot
programs. This means that the on-boot software uses the entire 0 track of
the hard disk in addition to the 0 sector because it is not included in any
partition. For example, boot managing utilities such as LILO, GRUB, and
Avanquest System Commander are located in the 0 track.
166 • Glossary of Terms Perfect Image

Partition ID
Partition ID, also knows as File system ID, is the identifier of a file system
that is placed in the partition. The partition ID is used to detect partitions
of supported types. Some of the operating systems rely completely on the
Partition ID when distinguishing supported partitions, while others don’t.
The partition ID is saved in appropriate entries of the Partition Table and
uses only one byte of space.
Partition Label
Partition Label, also known as Volume Label, is a small text field (up to 11
characters) that is located in the partition’s boot sector. This value is used
for notification purposes only. It is detectable by any partitioning tool
including DOS’ FDISK utility.
Modern operating systems use other methods to save the Volume Label
within the file system, such as a special hidden file. The Volume Label is
able to contain a relatively large amount of text in multiple languages.
Root Directory
The Root Directory is the top-level directory of a formatted logical drive
and includes other files and directories.
Modern file systems, such as Linux Ext2/Ext3, NTFS, and even FAT32,
have a Root Directory that doesn’t differ from other directories in
properties. This is not the case for old FAT12 and FAT16 file systems.
Secure Partition
The Secure Partition is a special hidden partition on your hard drive
designed for saving backup images. You can access the contents of the
Secure Partition only by using the Image Explorer.
Perfect Image Glossary of Terms • 167

Serial Number
In the DOS partitioning scheme, every hard drive and every partition has a
Serial Number, which consists of 32 bits and is represented by an 8-figure
hexadecimal value.
The hard drive’s Serial Number is stored in the MBR. Its value is assigned
when the MBR sector is initialized by standard disk managing tools from
Microsoft, such as Windows Disk Administrator and FDISK utility.
The hard drive’s Serial Number is not important for most operating
systems and software. Windows NT, 2000, XP, and Vista store hard drive
Serial Number values in the database of assigned drive letters.
A partition’s Serial Number is stored in its Boot Sector (in FAT16, FAT32,
and NFTS file systems). Its value is assigned when the partition is
formatted. The partition’s Serial Number doesn’t play an important role
for most operating systems and software.
Volume Label
See “Partition Label” on page 167.
168 • Glossary of Terms Perfect Image

Index
A changing
pending changes list 139
applying
checking backup image integrity 81
hard disk changes 141
clone hard disk wizard 128
partition changes 141
clone hard disks 127
pending changes 137, 141
clone partition wizard 131
B creating
Recovery CD 19
backups
cylinders 114
creating 34, 45
differential 35, 54 D
hot backup 53
differential backups 35, 54
image list 79
disc
offline 99
recovery 19
restoring 37, 85
discard pending changes 141
scheduling 36
Disk Administrator 123
secure partition 74
disk map 28, 28
updating 35, 54
disk map legend 29
wizard 46
disk partition table 123, 125
basics
disk view 26
hard disks 111
dynamic disk 120
partitions 111, 111
Boot Corrector 104 E
boot problems 104
bootable partitions 113 excluding files/folders 161
C
CD/DVD
recovery 19
Perfect Image Index • 169

explorer frame 26 K
disk view 26
key benefits 16
help 27
image list 26 L
scheduled tasks 26
language 160, 160
volume explorer 26, 26
legend bar 27
exporting
Linux 121
volume explorer 31
Swap2 117
extended partitions 112
log files 107
Ext2 117, 121
Log Saver 107
Ext3 117, 121
logical partitions 112
F
M
FAT 116
managing
FAT16 116
hard disks 125
FAT32 116, 160, 160
manual (see user’s guide) 41
fault tolerance (NTFS) 120
master boot record 123, 125
FDISK 123
MBR 123, 125
file system 160
correcting 106
file systems 116
updating 126
files 161
menu bar 22
Flash drive
Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service 53,
recovery 19
160
folders 161
formatting 114 N
logical 115
NTFS 160, 160
H file system 117
volume sets 120
hard disks
cloning 127 O
managing 125
online help 40
mechanics 113
help 27, 39 P
hot backup 53, 160
HPFS 116 partition table 123
partitions
I basics 115
boot record 106
image list 26, 79
secure backup partition 74
images
creating 34, 45 types 119
integrity 81 viewing backup images 82
restoring 37, 85 pending changes 137
scheduled backups 36 primary partitions 112
updating 35, 54 processing
changes at restart 142
installing the program 17, 18
changes in windows 142
170 • Index Perfect Image

program settings 157 S
program tour 21
scheduling
program window
backups 36
explorer frame 26
daily 147
legend bar 27
login information 150
menu bar 22
logon 146
overview 22 modifying 151
status bar 27
monthly 149
task bar 24
once 144
tool bar 23
startup 145
R tasks 26, 143, 143
viewing 151
RAID 121 weekly 148
recovery sectors 114
CD/DVD 19 secure backup partition 74
Flash drive 19 settings
Recovery CD 19, 81, 95, 96 backup image options 158
Boot Corrector 98, 99 CD/DVD recording options 159
DOS 98 clone and backup options 159
Linux 97 copy/backup exclude options 161
Log Saver 98 editing 157
Mounted Partitions 98 file system conversion options 160
PerfectImage 97, 99 general options 158
Simple Restore Wizard 97, 99 hot processing options 160
recovery media builder wizard 19 virtual mode options 160
redo size limitations 118
pending changes 139, 140 spanning (NTFS) 120
ReiserFS 117, 121 starting the program 18
restore status bar 27, 41
backup image 37, 85 support, technical 173
simple restore wizard 101 Swap2 117
wizard 86 system requirements 17
running the program 18
T
task bar 24
technical highlights 16
technical support 173
time zone 160, 160
tool bar 23
ToolTips 41
tracks 114
U
UFS 117
undo
pending changes 139, 140
Perfect Image Index • 171
update
master boot record (MBR) 126
user’s guide 41
V
viewing
backup images 82
hard drive information 28, 29
partition information 28, 30
pending changes 138
virtual operations 137, 160
volume explorer 26, 26, 31
Volume Shadow Copy Service 53, 160
W
Windows
file systems 119
172 • Index Perfect Image

Complimentary Technical Support
Before contacting Avanquest technical support, please review the user’s

guide or the online help from the Help menu within the program. We are
also pleased to offer you 24/7 access to our complimentary web support at:
http://www.avanquest.com/USA/aq-you/support
Here you can access the latest product updates, extensive FAQs, and other
information about your product. The FAQs might have information and
helpful hints that are more current than the user’s guide and online help.
If the FAQs do not help, you can submit a free email incident from the
FAQ page.
When reporting a difficulty, please include any information that might
help us diagnose the problem. The following details are often the most
helpful:
• The version of the software you are using (check Help > About).
• The version of Windows that you are running.
• The circumstances and sequence of steps that led to the problem.
• The text of the exact error messages (if any appeared).
• A list of other Windows programs that you were running when the
error occurred.
Avanquest is dedicated to quality and fast support. Most email incidents
are handled within one business day.
NOTE: This technical support policy is subject to change

without notice. Support services will be provided according
to the prices, terms, and conditions in place at the time the
services are used.
Perfect Image Complimentary Technical Support • 173

174 • Complimentary Technical Support Perfect Image

Avanquest Perfect Image V.12 User Guide

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Avanquest Perfect Image V.12 User Guide

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

User’s Guide

3132 Dwight Road Suite 500

Copyright ©2009 Avanquest North America, Inc.

Perfect Image End User’s License Agreement • 3

4 • End User’s License Agreement Perfect Image

Perfect Image End User’s License Agreement • 5

6 • End User’s License Agreement Perfect Image

Perfect Image End User’s License Agreement • 7

8 • End User’s License Agreement Perfect Image

Learning the Basics 33

Perfect Image Contents • 9

Maintaining Backup Images 73

10 • Contents Perfect Image

Disk and Partition Management

Managing Hard Drives and Partitions 125

Perfect Image Contents • 11

Changing Program Settings 157

Complimentary Technical Support 173

12 • Contents Perfect Image

Installing and Starting Perfect Image 15

Learning the Basics 33

Perfect Image Getting Started • 13

Perfect Image Installing and Starting Perfect Image • 15

16 • Installing and Starting Perfect Image Perfect Image

Installing Perfect Image

NOTE: If you downloaded the program, locate the file

Perfect Image Installing and Starting Perfect Image • 17

Starting the Program

18 • Installing and Starting Perfect Image Perfect Image

NOTE: The program CD is also a Recovery CD.

Using the Recovery Media Builder Wizard

Perfect Image Installing and Starting Perfect Image • 19

20 • Installing and Starting Perfect Image Perfect Image

Perfect Image A Quick Tour • 21

Explorer Frame Map Legend Disk Map Status Bar

22 • A Quick Tour Perfect Image

Perfect Image A Quick Tour • 23

Basic Backup Tasks

24 • A Quick Tour Perfect Image

Perfect Image A Quick Tour • 25

Disk View: Properties

NOTE: A Dynamic Hard Drive also appears as a separate

Disk View: Volume Explorer

26 • A Quick Tour Perfect Image

Perfect Image A Quick Tour • 27

Viewing the Disk Map

NOTE: A Dynamic Hard Drive also appears as a separate

28 • A Quick Tour Perfect Image

TIP: The shaded area of the partition indicates

To Move the Disk Map

Viewing Hard Drive Information

Each partition on the drive is identified by format (color) and size.

Perfect Image A Quick Tour • 29

Viewing and Changing Disk or Partition Data

30 • A Quick Tour Perfect Image

Perfect Image A Quick Tour • 31

32 • A Quick Tour Perfect Image

Perfect Image Learning the Basics • 33

1. Choose the disk or partition that you want to back up.

34 • Learning the Basics Perfect Image

Updating a Backup Image

NOTE: Differential backups are available only for a

Perfect Image Learning the Basics • 35

36 • Learning the Basics Perfect Image