Cloning Hard Drives with Macrium Reflect: Part 2 - Preparing the Windows Installation Files

The trickier part in the creation of a BartPE recovery CD is the preparation of Windows installation files. These files are not found on your computer, but on your original Windows XP CD.

You need to have your original Windows XP CD to successfully create the BartPE Rescue CD. Most Windows XP CDs are purchased with Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2 installed, but the latest available Windows XP version is Service Pack 3. In this case, you need to “slipstream” or integrate the Service Pack 3 package into your original Windows XP installation files.

To prepare the Windows installation files, you need to download the Service Pack 3 package first from the Microsoft website. Follow the steps below:

Step 1. Download the latest Service Pack 3 package here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4

The file name of the package is WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe, and it is around 316 MB.

Step 2. After downloading, copy and paste it to your root C drive, so that it will be accessible as C:WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe

Step 3. Insert your Windows XP installation CD into your optical drive.

Step 4. You are now ready to slipstream/integrate Service Pack 3 into your old Windows installation files. Launch the PE Builder menu: Start -> All Programs -> PE Builder -> PE Builder.

Step 5. Go to Source -> Slipstream

Step 6. Under “Source,” point it to your optical drive (D: for example).

In the Servicepack location, find the path for your WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe file (which is located in C:WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe)

The configuration menu should look like the screen shot below (where D: is the location of your Windows XP CD):

Do not forget to check “Source is readonly.” Leave the output path at its default assignment.

Step 7. Close all open applications and programs except the PE Builder.

Step 8. Click OK. If you see the warning "Directory does not exist… Do you want to create it?," click “Yes”

It will take some time to complete the integration process. If you see a message that the slipstream of integration of Service Pack 3 has been successfully completed, then it’s done; remove the Windows XP installation CD in your optical drive.

Adding the Macrium Reflect Plug-in to Bart PE Builder

Now go to Start -> All Programs -> Macrium -> Reflect. You need to add the Macrium reflect plug-in to Bart PE Builder. To do this, follow the steps below:

Step 1. Go to “Other tasks.”

Step 2. Click “Create Rescue CD.”

Step 3. Select “BartPE” and then click next.

Step 4. Click “Updates” to determine if there is an update available for the plug-in.

Step 5. Since you have installed PE Builder in the root C Drive, this should be used: C:PEBuilder3110aplugin

Step 6. Click “Finish.”

Step 7. If you see the message “Files successfully copied,” then you have successfully add the Macrium Reflect plug-in to PE Builder. Click OK to close.

Step 8. When you go to this path: C:PEBuilder3110aplugin, you should see a new folder named “Macrium” created. This is the plug-in folder created earlier.

Creating the BartPE Rescue CD

Now that everything has been prepared, go to Start -> All Programs -> PE Builder -> PE Builder. This will launch the program.

Insert a blank CD into your optical drive. Configure the PE Builder menu as follows:

C:pebuilder3110awin-slipstreamed is the path of your Windows installation files (old files from the CD copied to your hard drive + Service Pack 3).

Leave the output to BartPE, and then, in the media output, select “Burn to CD/DVD.” Under “Burn using:” select “StarBurn.”

Close all open applications in your Windows system except Bart PE Builder, and then hit “Build.” If a warning appears asking you to create a new folder, just click "Yes." You are also required to agree to the terms and conditions of the Bart PE Builder; just click “I agree” to continue creating the Rescue CD.

Most of the time, you will only see one warning, which is normal. After completion, the CD will be ejected from the drive.

Testing your BartPE Rescue CD

It’s time to test your newly-created BartPE Rescue CD. To do this, reinsert the Bart PE Rescue CD into your optical drive, and follow the rest of the procedure:

Step 1. Restart your computer.

Step 2. Go to your BIOS configuration screen, and set to boot from CD first.

Step 3. Exit BIOS. The computer will then be restarted, and will now boot from CD.

Step 4. Once the CD starts loading, the first thing you should see is the text “Setup is inspecting your hardware configuration.” Then you will see the message “Starting Bar PE.” The Windows XP logo screen will then be shown.

Finally, the Bart PE logo will display, and a warning will pop up: “Network Support is not yet started.” If you need to enable Network Support, proceed, and then select DHCP. It will install Network Components and so forth. Next, if you see the PE Network Configurator, click “Apply” and then OK.

Also, at the bottom left of your screen, you should see “GO.” This is where you will see the Macrium Reflect restoration menus. Go to Programs, and then you will see other restoration-related programs in addition to Macrium Reflect.

In the next part of the tutorial, you will learn how to actually restore the exact disk clone to a new hard disk using the Bart PE restoration CD.