Advanced Format (AF) drives and Windows 7 System Backup Images
-
שבת 14 יולי 2012 21:21
Does anyone have a definitive answer about whether Windows 7 can reliably make and restore system images on an advanced format drive?
There are several reports I've seen (including, for example, http://community.wdc.com/t5/External-Drives-for-PC/Can-not-create-System-Image-with-Windows-7-Error-Code-0x8078002A/td-p/243958) that suggest that Win 7 system images have a problem with these drives.
On the other hand, there is this KB Article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2510009 that suggests that the "known incompatibility" is with logical sectors larger than 512 bytes:
- If you are using a logical sector drive of a size other than 512 bytes, Windows system image backup and restore operations may fail
So I suppose that means that not only do you have to determine whether your new 2 or 3 TB drive is AF but whether it is 512e AF. Or are all 2 or 3 TB drives these days "Advanced Format 512e"? (In particular, I'm looking at WD Red drives)
כל התגובות
-
יום ראשון 15 יולי 2012 13:48
Windows 7 and up work fine with AF disks. I use a server as a backup target so its about as transparent as it gets. USB disks would be nominally as transparent as a mapped server volume but USB seems to be a bit dodgy at times.
I use disk cloning software too and as all the clone software needs is to copy to >= the source disk. I use clonezilla and Seagate's tools depending on the situation.
clonezilla can be booted from a USB stick making it convenient. Only needs a small USB stick like one of my old 1 GB sticks.
Windows 8 will be able to run on a USB stick but expect to need a much larger capacity USB stick.
Windows MVP 2011-12, XP, Vista, 7 and 8.
Hardcore Games, Legendary is the only Way to Play
Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews
- סומן כתשובה על-ידי LemP יום ראשון 15 יולי 2012 14:16
-
יום ראשון 15 יולי 2012 14:16Thanks
-
יום ראשון 15 יולי 2012 14:23
glad i could be of help, if you have any other issues, start a new thread and you will fine help fast
Windows MVP 2011-12, XP, Vista, 7 and 8.
Hardcore Games, Legendary is the only Way to Play
Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews
-
יום שישי 20 יולי 2012 19:17
Windows 7 backup does not support AF 4k native, they still use an engine based on 512 bytes sectors.
Perhaps MS will change that in windows 8, but with windows 7 you are stuck with 512 or 512e.
Not all AF drive interfaces support 512e, but some WD drives do if formatted with WD external drive formatting utility using "Factory Default" .
See link below:
This is how the drive
appeared out of the box:C:\Windows\system32>fsutil fsinfo
ntfsinfo H:
Bytes Per Sector : 4096
Bytes Per Physical Sector : <Not
Supported>
Bytes Per Cluster : 4096
Bytes Per FileRecord Segment :
4096This is how the drive
appeared after the "Factory Default" format:C:\Windows\system32>fsutil fsinfo
ntfsinfo H:
Bytes Per Sector : 512
Bytes Per Physical Sector : <Not
Supported>
Bytes Per Cluster : 4096
Bytes Per FileRecord Segment :
1024- סומן כתשובה על-ידי LemP יום שישי 20 יולי 2012 19:25
-
יום שישי 20 יולי 2012 19:37
@fg2001:
Thanks for the fsutil hint. This was very useful information.
I have just installed one of WD's new Red drives (2 TB) in an external USB 3.0 enclosure to use as backup. According to WD's spec sheet, all of the Red drives are AF, although the spec doesn't mention whether it supports 512e.
I installed the bare drive out of the box and used Win 7 Disk Management to initialize, quick format it, and assign drive letters. When I checked using the fsutil command you described, I got the second result:
C:\Windows\system32>fsutil fsinfo ntfsinfo g:
Bytes Per Sector : 512
Bytes Per Physical Sector : <Not Supported>
Bytes Per Cluster : 4096
Bytes Per FileRecord Segment : 1024
Clusters Per FileRecord Segment : 0
So I guess it does support 512e. On the other hand, I've decided to use Acronis True Image Home as my backup software, rather than relying on Windows 7 Backup. But it's still useful information to know about.
-
יום שישי 20 יולי 2012 20:19
I use Seagate disks and their 4K sector alignment is transparent as it is managed in the firmware on the drive. WD on the other hand does not do that so it depends on the OS to map files to the 4K sector boundaries.
Windows MVP 2011-12, XP, Vista, 7 and 8.
Hardcore Games, Legendary is the only Way to Play
Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews
-
יום שישי 20 יולי 2012 20:57
XP and older windows requires alignment, vista and newer supports AF, if it is not working you got other problems.
-
יום שלישי 31 יולי 2012 03:37
LemP,
See the link below for an update on AF 4K compatibility with windows 7 and windows 8:
Advance Format, AF, 4K Native, 4Kn 4 KB 4 KB Windows 8, Windows Server 2012
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh848035(v=vs.85).aspx
-
יום שלישי 31 יולי 2012 13:54Thanks for the link. And I have confirmed that both Acronis True Image Home 2012 and Windows 7 Backup will create system images on my WD AF disk.
-
יום שלישי 31 יולי 2012 21:55
If you have any more issues, feel free to get back here
Windows MVP 2011-12, XP, Vista, 7 and 8.
Hardcore Games, Legendary is the only Way to Play
Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews
.png)
