Custom recover Windows 8.1 without affecting Linux?

dusf

New Member
Messages
17
I am clean installing Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu on a friends new laptop and although I have taken Clonezilla images of partitions on my personal laptop should I ever need them I was hoping there was something more user friendly I could install on my friend's laptop. Anarethos Recovery Toos with Media Creator seems to be what I am after but I am not sure if that will mess up the boot settings or even completely remove Linux.

Ideally I am looking for something that can be launched by holding a hotkey down at boot. When launched it will offer to restore the main Windows 8.1 system partition (GPT) with all drivers and programs installed exactly how it is when I hand it over, and if possible offer to restore the Ubuntu /home partion. The crux is that Windows can be restored without affecting Ubuntu.

Is there anything like that out there?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1, Ubuntu 13.10, Debian 7, and Kali 1.0.6
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Zenbook UX32A
    CPU
    Intel i5 3317U
    Motherboard
    Intel® HM76 Express Chipset
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 4000
    Browser
    Firefox and Chrome
    Antivirus
    Avast Free ad Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
Windows won't see boot, root or swap so no issues with those partitions being restored, I assume you are concerned about home if it is formatted as NTFS...? Either way Grub should not be affected.

I do not have first hand experience with the apps you mention but Paragon boots Grub4dos thus you need to be in legacy should you want to restore from that... i.e GPT will not work with that sort of boot - I guess a clean dual install would be the easiest IMO.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    PC-DOS v1.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    IBM
    CPU
    Intel 8088, 4.77MHz
    Memory
    16K, 640K max
    Graphics Card(s)
    What's that?
    Sound Card
    Not quite
    Screen Resolution
    80 X 24 text
    Hard Drives
    dual 160KB 5.25-inch disk drives
Windows won't see boot, root or swap so no issues with those partitions being restored, I assume you are concerned about home if it is formatted as NTFS...? Either way Grub should not be affected.

It would seem it does affect it as I just did a test Windows 8.1 refresh and the laptop now just boots straight into Windows 8.1 without showing the GRUB menu.

I do not have first hand experience with the apps you mention but Paragon boots Grub4dos thus you need to be in legacy should you want to restore from that... i.e GPT will not work with that sort of boot - I guess a clean dual install would be the easiest IMO.

Thanks but I would rather not use legacy technology like MBR if I can avoid it. Yes I could always do a clean dual install but I am trying to make so if there is a major problem I will not have to and instead talk them through over the phone restoring Windows (and Ubuntu's / partition if possible). I can do all of this with Clonezilla but I would need to be in front of the laptop as there are many options etc, I would need to boot off a flash drive.

I am looking for a third party restore solution that runs from a partition on the same HDD, and it restores an image stored on the same HDD.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1, Ubuntu 13.10, Debian 7, and Kali 1.0.6
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Zenbook UX32A
    CPU
    Intel i5 3317U
    Motherboard
    Intel® HM76 Express Chipset
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 4000
    Browser
    Firefox and Chrome
    Antivirus
    Avast Free ad Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
Windows loader does not chainload - you may need to add Grub to the Windows bootlaoder with EasyBCD...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    PC-DOS v1.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    IBM
    CPU
    Intel 8088, 4.77MHz
    Memory
    16K, 640K max
    Graphics Card(s)
    What's that?
    Sound Card
    Not quite
    Screen Resolution
    80 X 24 text
    Hard Drives
    dual 160KB 5.25-inch disk drives

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1, Ubuntu 13.10, Debian 7, and Kali 1.0.6
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Zenbook UX32A
    CPU
    Intel i5 3317U
    Motherboard
    Intel® HM76 Express Chipset
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 4000
    Browser
    Firefox and Chrome
    Antivirus
    Avast Free ad Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
Back
Top