http://www.partition-saving.com
Copyright © 1999-2019 D. Guibouret

Table of contents

  1- License and preface
  2- Introduction
  3- System requirements
  4- Interface features/functions
     a) Textual windows interface
     b) Command line interface
  5- Using the program
  6- Saving an element
     a) Support choice:
     b) Source element choice:
     c) Part to save:
     d) Swap files directory:
     e) File choice:
     f) File size choice:
     g) Compression choice:
     h) Log file choice:
     i) Saving window:
     j) Options file creation:
     k) Examples:
  7- Restoring an element
     a) Backup file choice:
     b) Log file choice:
     c) Destination element choice:
     d) Restoring window:
     e) Examples:
  8- Copying an element
     a) Support choice:
     b) Source element choice:
     c) Part to save:
     d) Destination element choice:
     e) Copying window:
     f) Examples:
  9- Copying a backup file
 10- Verifying a backup file
 11- Updating Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Seven registry
     a) Support choice where Windows is installed:
     b) Element choice where Windows is installed:
     c) Directory where Windows is installed:
     d) Disk choice where partition to update is:
     e) Partition to update choice:
     f) Drive letter of partition to update:
     g) Confirmation:
     h) Example:
 12- Updating Windows Vista/Seven boot configuration
     a) Bootable support choice:
     b) Bootable element choice:
     c) Boot configuration data file choice:
     d) Disk where partition to update is choice:
     e) Partition to update choice:
     f) Boot entry to update choice:
     g) Confirmation:
 13- Updating BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file
     a) Support choice where BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file is:
     b) Element choice where BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file is:
     c) Confirmation:
 14- Fixing disk physical definition into boot sector
     a) Support choice where fixing boot sector:
     b) Element choice where boot sector is:
     c) Correction of first sector value:
     d) Choice of new physical definition:
     e) Giving manual values:
     f) Correction of support number value:
     g) Confirmation:
 15- Replacing a boot sector or a superblock by its copy
     a) Support choice where copying boot sector/superblock:
     b) Element choice where boot sector/superblock is:
     c) Choice of copy to use:
     d) Exploring partition:
     e) Confirmation:
 16- Simulating an element
     a) Use of driver:
     b) Simulating an element:
     c) Remarks:
 17- Creation of files on NTFS drive
 18- Reset bad sectors in filesystem
     a) Support choice where bad sectors shall be removed:
     b) Element choice where bad sectors shall be removed:
     c) Confirmation:
     d) Execution:
 19- Explore a partition
     a) Choice of support where partition to explore is:
     b) Choice of partition to explore:
     c) Exploration window:
     d) View window:
     e) Edit window:
     f) Copy destination:
     g) Copy execution:
     h) Execution in command line mode:
 20- Explore a backup
 21- Change of boot partition
     a) Choice of disk where partitions table is:
     b) Boot partition choice:
     c) Confirmation:
 22- Create files marking drives to use
 23- Load an options or marker file
 24- Options file contents
 25- Mounting a partition
 26- Notes on what elements can be saved
     a) The complete disk:
     b) The Master Boot Record (MBR):
     c) First sectors of disk:
     d) Partitions table (MBR):
     e) Partitions table (GPT):
     f) Partitions (all sectors):
     g) Partitions (only occupied sectors):
     h) FAT (12, 16 and 32) partitions (DOS/Windows):
     i) Ext2fs/ext3fs/ext4fs partitions (Linux):
     j) NTFS partitions:
     k) Boot sector/superblock:
     l) Floppy disks:
     m) DOS/Windows/Linux devices:
     n) Raw files:
 27- Differences between DOS and Windows versions
     a) All versions of Windows:
     b) Windows before Windows 95:
     c) Windows 95/98/Me:
     d) Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/...:
     e) Windows 64 bits:
 28- Differences between DOS and Linux versions
     a) All versions of Linux:
     b) Secured versions of Linux:
     c) Linux 64 bits:
 29- Log file
 30- What is not supported
 31- What cannot be tested
 32- Acknowledgements

1- License and preface

This program may be copied and freely redistributed. It may not be sold in any way, either alone or included in another program. All that is in this package must be kept together in its original form.

This program is offered as-is without any guarantee. No pursuit can be engaged against its author in case of damages due to this program.

This file is the complete version of manual and has many details. If you begin to use Partition-Saving, you can read the HOWTO before to see how to use it, then come back to this file if you need further details.

All remarks are welcome.

2- Introduction

The goal of this program is to achieve saving, restoring and copying of elements of storage device. An element can be a whole hard disk, a floppy disk, the Master Boot Record (first sector of hard disk containing boot code), the partitions table or a partitions. This permits saving hard disk contents to restore it later in case of a problem, without losing time reinstalling and reconfiguring software.
This program allows running the following tasks:

• saving an element (hard disk, partition, floppy disk, device).
• restoring an element that was saved before.
• copying an element.
• copying a backup file created by this program, modifying its size or compression rate.
• verifying created files.
• updating partition definition in Windows 2000 and following registry.
• updating boot configuration data in Windows Vista and following.
• updating BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file.
• exploring a partition.
• simulating elements with created files.
• creating files on a NTFS drive under Windows for use in saving.
• cancelling bad sectors information of a filesystem.
• correcting disk physical definition (first sector number of a partition, heads and sectors per track numbers, disk number) into a FAT and NTFS boot sector.
• replacing a FAT or NTFS boot sector or ext2/ext3/ext4 superblock by its copy in case original one is damaged.
• changing boot partition.

For detailed information about partitioning and this program, please read additional information.

3- System requirements

Hardware:

• 386 or better.
• 4 MB of memory (could work with less, but data compression might not work). Free DOS memory must be at least 300 kB.

• DOS (version >= 3.3) for DOS version.
• any Windows version less 3.1 versions for Windows version (please read chapter 27 to get constraints depending on version).
• any Linux version having a kernel version >= 2.5.4 and glibc version >= 2.3 for Linux version (please read chapter 28 to get constraints).

4- Interface features/functions

Two interface types are available:

• a textual windows interface that presents information in windows that can be navigated with the keyboard or mouse.
• a command-line interface that presents information in a basic way and can be used only with the keyboard.

a) Textual windows interface

Interface can be used with keyboard or mouse. Keys common to all windows are:

• Tab, bottom arrow or right arrow to go from one item to another inside a window.
• Shift+Tab, up arrow or left arrow to go from one item to another inside a window (in reverse order compared to Tab).
• Ctrl+Tab to go from one window to another.
• Alt+Tab to go from one window to another (in reverse order compared to Ctrl+Tab).
• Key assignments are defined to associate moving keys to a combination of keys using the Control key:

  Moving keys	Combination
  Home	Ctrl+B
  End	Ctrl+E
  Down	Ctrl+D
  Up	Ctrl+O
  Right	Ctrl+K
  Left	Ctrl+L
  Page Down	Ctrl+N
  Page Up	Ctrl+P
  BackSpace	Ctrl+H
  Delete	Ctrl+J
  Insert	Ctrl+Y
  Return	Ctrl+M
  Tab	Ctrl+F
  Shift+Tab	Ctrl+G
  Alt+Tab	Ctrl+T
  Ctrl+Tab	Ctrl+W

• Command buttons: to activate them, you have to press Enter key when they are selected, or press Alt+<red letter in button name> (even if button is not selected).
  You can also activate them by clicking on them.
  A button is selected if it has a black background and is flanked by ">" and "<", otherwise it has a green background.
  Example: 
• Entry lines: this is an item that permits entering data. Just press a key to add the character where the cursor is. Delete and BackSpace keys are used to erase characters (respectively, character that cursor is on, and character before cursor). Right and left arrows are used to move cursor and Home and End keys are used to go to begin or end of string. Holding down the shift key while using moving keys will select text that will be erased when you will press a key other than the moving one. By pressing Ctrl+A you select all the text.
  Finally, Insert key is used to switch from insert mode (default mode: cursor is underlined cursor) to replacement mode (cursor is block-cursor) and back again.
  With the mouse, you can move the cursor by clicking where you want it to be, scroll the text by clicking on arrow on left or on right, select the text by keeping button pressed when moving mouse and select all the text by double clicking on it.
  An entry line is selected when it has the cursor that appears in it.
  Example: 
• Listboxes: they are used to choose an item from a list. Up and bottom arrows are used to move from one item to another, Page-Up and Page-Down keys are used to go to begin and end of list. You can also type some characters and the next entry starting with typed text will be selected.
  If right column is a different color and contains a # character, it is because all elements cannot be seen and the # character is used to locate the currently selected item in the list.
  If last line is a different color and contains a # character it is because there were some columns that cannot be seen and the # character is used to locate columns that are displayed.
  With the mouse, you can select an element. If scroll bar appears on right, you can change list position by clicking where you want to be, or by clicking arrows on up or bottom. By double clicking on selected element you will activate command associated to the list (generally Ok button).
  A selected item has a grey background if its listbox is not selected, and has a black background if its listbox is selected.
  In case list allows selecting several items, you can select/unselect items either by range with keeping the shift key pressed with a mouse click or moving keys or by individual item selection with keeping the ctrl key pressed with moving and mouse click or space to select/unselect an item. You can use Ctrl+A to select all items. Ctrl+U and Ctrl+V allow replacing Ctrl+Up arrow and Ctrl+Down arrow in case these ones do not work.
  Example: 
• Checkboxes: these items allow activating/deactivating an option. To change the state of a checkbox, click on it or press Space key when it is selected. A checkbox is activated when an "X" appears between square brackets, it is deactivated otherwise.
  A checkbox is selected when its text is white, is not selected when its text is grey.
  Example: 
• Directory trees: this item allows selecting a directory on a partition. It functions similarly to a listbox. The first line ("\") is the root directory of the partition, subsequent lines are directories on this partition displayed with a tree view in alphabetic order. Directories that have "+- " before their name have some sub-directories that can be displayed by selecting this directory and pressing "+" key or by clicking the "+" before name. Directories that have their sub-directories displayed and that have "-- " before their name can be collapsed by selecting this directory and pressing "-" key or by clicking the first "-".
  Example: 

b) Command line interface

• Lists: a list is displayed with numbers on the left. Enter the item number when you are asked to choose. If the list is bigger than screen size, you will have to press a key to scroll.
• Entering information: you must enter the required information (for example a filename). Delete key allows removing last character (what you have already entered is displayed on next line without the last character and you can continue to enter characters). It is not possible to move the cursor. If a value appears between square brackets, it will be the one used if you hit Enter key. You can modify this default value (as to modify last characters) by hitting Delete key to access its content.
  In case asked item is a filename, if you enter a filename with wildcard characters (as "backup.*") or a directory name, name of corresponding files will be displayed. It is the same when asking for a directory name if you give a name with wildcard characters.
• Choices: they have the form of a question with possible responses given in parentheses (sample: (Y/N)). You must answer by selecting from these choices. It is not case-sensitive.

5- Using the program

Usage:
savepart.exe [-l en|fr|fr_2] [-cm|-nm|-pm] [-f <options file>] [-fp <partition marker file>|-fd <device marker file>] [-ff <drive marker file>] [-fnc] [-ncd] [-ncs] [-nvd|-vd] [-nvf|-vf] [-tds] [-cui|-tui|-tuix|-bui|-buix] [-beep|-beep=<nb>] [-utf8|-noutf8] [-force] [-nocrc] [-noroot] [-hiber=warn|exit|ignore] [-term <terminal>] [-termopt <terminal command execution flag>] [-a|-b|-c|-d|-e|-g|-i|-k|-m|-n|-r|-s|-t|-u|-v|-w|-x|-z]
To use the Windows version, spartwin.exe (32 bits) or spartw64.exe (64 bits) shall be used instead of savepart.exe.
To launch the Linux version, spartlnx.run (32 bits) or spartl64.run (64 bits) shall be used instead of savepart.exe.
In Windows and Linux versions, same options are available, but some of them will have no effect (see below).

  -l: this option allows you to select which language to use. You only have to use this option if the automatically recognised language is not correct. If an error occurs before this option is analysed, the error message will be written with the automatically detected language. Recognised languages are:

• en: English.
• fr: French.
• fr_2: French with others code pages.

  -cm: this option is the default way the mouse is utilised.

  -pm: this option is another way to utilise the mouse that can be used in case the first one does not work (it is default method when using DOS version on Windows NT/XP). Using this method may prevent detecting some double clicks. This option is equivalent to -cm into Windows version. In Linux version, program does not try to install its own mouse handler but fully relies on ncurses one.

  -nm: this option disables the mouse. You would have to use it only if mouse use seems to pose a problem with 2 previous methods.

  -f <options file>: this option allows you to use batch mode. To understand the contents of this file, please read chapter 24.

  -fp <partition marker file>|-fd <device marker file>: this option allows you using another way to designate the partition (-fp) or device (-fd) to save or restore: program searches for marker file you give (by scanning all partitions or devices) and uses the partition/device on which this file is found. To get more information on these options, please read chapter 22.

  -ff <drive marker file>: this option allows you using another way to designate the drive where is backup file: program searches for marker file you give (by scanning all partitions or devices, then all drives) and uses the drive on which this file is found with using the name of this file as base for backup file name. To get more information on this option, please read chapter 22.

  -fnc: this option disables confirm of found partition/drive when using -fp, -fd and -ff options.

  -ncd: this option disables the check that created/read file is not on saved/restored element. It is generally recommended only if DOS drive letter attribution is wrong. This option has no influence in Windows and Linux versions (this check cannot be disabled).

  -ncs: this option disables the check on free size on drive where backup file is created. This is a workaround in case the driver report a wrong free size, but you have to be aware when using this option to not provide a too big maximum file size else saving will fail.

  -nvd|-vd: this option disables/enables the check that sectors are correctly written. It is disabled as default. This speeds up restoring, but may prevent detecting bad sectors on the disk. The check that sectors are correctly written cannot be enabled in Windows and Linux versions (less for floppy disks in Windows 9x).

  -nvf|-vf: this option disables/enables the check that files are correctly written and that sectors are correctly written when using DOS devices access. It is disabled as default. This speeds up saving (and/or restoring), but created files or restored devices may be incorrect because the disk where they are written is damaged. The check that files are correctly written cannot be enabled in Windows and Linux versions.

  -tds: this option enables check of disk size with relying on partitions table content (for disk with extended access) or with searching last cylinder (for disk with standard access). This option is needed only if partitions do not appear on displaying of what can be saved/restored.

  -cui|-tui|-tuix|-bui|-buix: this option allows you to select the user interface:

• -cui: command line interface.
• -tui: textual window interface.
• -tuix: same as -tui but with using extended display mode (43 or 50 lines instead of 25). In Linux version, the whole terminal size is used. In Linux and Windows modes, program will adapt displayed area is you modify terminal size (without allowing it to be smaller than 80*25).
• -bui: textual window interface using BIOS calls to write on the screen. This ensures better compatibility but goes slower. This option is the same than -tui in Windows and Linux versions.
• -buix: same as -bui but with using extended display mode (43 or 50 lines instead of 25). This option is the same than -tuix in Windows and Linux versions.

  -beep|-beep=<nb>: some beeps are generated at regular time when performing backup/restore (see "beep=" option to get more details). Without value, beeps are generated every 10 seconds, else they are generated every <nb> seconds.

  -utf8|-noutf8: forces use or not use of UTF-8 terminal capability in Linux version. The default behaviour is to detect it automatically.

  -force: allows testing all filesystem types on a partition even if they are not compatible with partition type. On restoration forces it even in case destination does not match constraints stored in backup (in this case, there is NO GUARANTEE on result). Constraints that are still checked are that type of support is the same (you cannot restore backup of a disk on a partition), size of sector is the same and that size of support is at least equal to size in backup. Constraints that are not checked depend on what is in backup but can be that physical definition (number of heads, cylinders, first sector) is the same or support is not bigger than maximum size. That can lead to big amount of space unused at end or wrong partition definition leading it to be unreadable or unbootable. Use of some capability of this program can correct some of these problems (as fixing of physical definition). This option shall be used only in case of troubles and when you know what you do.

  -nocrc: avoids program to stop in case of backup file's checksum having an invalid checksum. Depending on used backup options, restore could fail for some other reason (as when file is compressed, decompression algorithm will certainly be unable to uncompress data). As the backup file is damaged, obtain restoration will be corrupted.

  -noroot: avoids program to check if user has administrator's rights. It only avoids a potential warning message telling all support could be not seen in case user does not have administrator's rights.

  -hiber=warn|exit|ignore: what program shall perform if it finds an hibernated operating system. An hibernated operating system does not have flushed content of disk and will not refresh it on startup, so modifying disk could lead to incoherences or corruptions. As default, program searches for such system to warn you in case it finds some.

  -term <terminal>: this option is specific to Linux and Windows versions.
In Linux version, if program finds it does not run in a terminal, it launches itself into a terminal with using the "xterm" command (this mechanism is useful if you double click on program from a file explorer). This option allows setting command to use to create the X terminal in which running program instead of "xterm". If <terminal> is equal to "no", program does not try to create a terminal even if it finds it is not executed into a terminal.
In Windows version, program tries to launch a new console to ensure the mouse quick edit mode is disabled (thus allowing use of mouse). Using this option (whatever <terminal> value is) disables this behaviour.

  -termopt <terminal command execution flag>: this option is specific to Linux version. It allows giving flag used by terminal program to execute a command with arguments. It is "-e" as default that is value for "xterm" program.

  -a|-b|-c|-d|-e|-g|-i|-k|-m|-n|-r|-s|-t|-u|-v|-w|-x|-z: this option allows selecting which action to do:

• -a: fix disk physical definition into boot sector.
• -b: update BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file.
• -c: copy an element.
• -d: copy files created by this program to modify it (compression rate, maximum size, extract occupied sectors only, ...).
• -e: explore a partition.
• -g: change the boot partition in partitions table.
• -i: get information from driver.
• -m: simulate an element with backup files.
• -n: create files on NTFS partition when you are running from Windows NT, 2000, XP or following.
• -r: restore an element.
• -s: save an element.
• -t: verify a backup file.
• -u: update Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Seven registry.
• -v: explore a backup file.
• -w: update Windows Vista/Seven boot configuration data.
• -x: create marker files on partition to save/restore and on partition where to create/get backup files.
• -z: cancelling bad sectors information of a filesystem.

Return code of program can be one of the following:

• 0 if no error has been detected.
• 1 if an error has appeared.
• 2 if user cancels execution.
• 3 if no error has been detected, but there were some bad sectors or errors that do not disallow execution.
• 255 if some exception has been raised.

Remarks:

• -f <option file> cannot be used when copying files.

6- Saving an element

This is the part executed when you use the -s option or select it when the program asks you.

Execution follows the diagram below (if not in batch mode):

            Support choice
                  |
                  V
        Source element choice
                  |
                  V
            [Part to save]
                  |
                  V
        [Swap files directory]
                  |<------------------------+---+
                  V                         |   |
             File choice                    |   |
                  |                         |   |
                  V                         |   |
           File size choice                 |   |
                  +-------------------------+   |
                  V                             |
          [Compression choice]                  |
                  |                             |
                  V                             |
           [Log file choice]                    |
                  |                             |
                  V                             |
            Saving window                       |
                  +-----------------------------+
                  V
        Options file creation
                  |
                  V
                 End

a) Support choice: 

• standard access: with this access mode disk is accessed with its physical definition (cylinder, sector, head). With this access mode sector size cannot been known (it is assumed to be 512 bytes which is most common value) and disk size is at most of 8 GB.
• extended access: this is a new access mode, which has become the standard one. In this case the hard disk is seen as a unique track (it does not care about physical definition). This mode allows use of more than 8 GB hard disk. Nevertheless size reported can be wrong (without any consequence). Sector size can be different from 512 bytes (but this value is still the most common).

b) Source element choice: 

• Support tells you whether the element is directly related to the disk or to a partition. In the case of a partition, support is specifies whether it is a main partition or if it is a partition defined in the extended partition.
• Partition number is the number as given under Linux.
• Drive name is the DOS drive name that corresponds to the partition (if it is a DOS partition). This can be wrong because some new partition type can be defined (for example with Windows95, several new partition types have been defined for VFAT16 and FAT32 partitions).
• In the case of an element related to the disk, element type identifies the element: it can be the whole disk, the master boot record (first sector of disk), sectors that are before first partition and partitions table. In the case of an element related to partition, element type is partition type: this is used to identify the OS installed on it. As this type is not normalised, the list is not exhaustive.
• Size gives element size. By default, it is expressed in GB, except in cases where it is followed by kB or MB.
• Partition name is the label (or volume name). It is given when it can be found. If, for a DOS drive, there seems to be incoherence between drive letter and partition name, this last one is certainly correct and drive letter wrong.

Remarks:

• If you save a main partition of extended type, you will save all partitions defined inside this extended partition (all that have "Extended n <extended partition chosen>" as support).
• If you have only one partition with type 42 (dynamic disk) or 8e (Linux LVM), disk is used with new dynamic partition scheme that is not supported by DOS version of Partition-Saving. You can save the content of this disk with using Windows device into Windows version (in case of Windows dynamic disk).
• If you have a partition with type 44 (GoBack), it is because you use Norton GoBack that has its own partition mechanism. You have to deactivate it in order to be able to save a partition.
• If no partition or only one with ee type (GUID part. table) appears or last one is missing, this can mean partitions table seems wrong. You can use partinfo tool to check it. If problem is due to a difference in disk size depending on used OS, you can use the "-tds" option or use Partition Saving version that runs on the OS used to create these partitions (this second option being better).

c) Part to save: 

• "All sectors": With this choice, all sectors of the partition are saved without considering if they are occupied or not. This makes saving need more space than in following choices, but allows saving a partition even if it is heavily damaged (for example, to save it before trying some radical way to repair it). Constraints are that this partition can only be restored onto a partition with the same format (hard disk must have the same size and physical definition, and partition must have the same size and be at the same place).
• "Occupied sectors": with this choice, only occupied sectors are saved. This has the advantage that saving need less space and allows restoring this partition onto a different partition (it can be on another disk, at another place and have another size), but there are still some size constraints. Disadvantages are that it needs more memory and saving can fail if your partition is damaged (for example, if important sectors are damaged).
• "Element on itself": this choice appears for FAT, NTFS and ext2 partitions. It is the same as preceding choice but allows creating a backup file on the saved partition (which must NOT be done for the 2 previous choices). You can choose this option only if you use the internal program feature to access FAT, NTFS and ext2 partitions (by using partition mounting), not if you have another way to access these partitions. If you choose this option, partition is automatically mounted to be able to access it if that is not already the case. Constraints are that it needs more memory, and you will have to do a scandisk on the restored partition (after having restarted your computer) to correct some potential errors on the size of created files (those you have used for restoration are correct, those on the restored partition are not). For FAT16, FAT32, NTFS and ext2 partitions, this check is automatically activated the next time you boot. For FAT12 partitions, you have to do the check by yourself.
  For FAT and ext2 partition it is better to not overwrite an existing file because it can lead to more errors than creating new files. For NTFS partition there is no such constraint (moreover there is no choice).
• "Occupied sectors without swap files": this choice appears only for FAT and NTFS partitions. With this choice only occupied sectors are saved and the swap files contents are not saved (Windows will reset them at first boot after doing restoration). Swap files can be "386spart.par", "win386.swp", "vmmhiber.w9x", "pagefile.sys", "hiberfil.sys" and "swapfile.sys" on a FAT partition and "pagefile.sys", "hiberfil.sys" and "swapfile.sys" on an NTFS partition. This option allows reducing backup file size, but need more memory than saving occupied sectors only.
• "Element on itself without swap files": this choice is a combination of the two previous choices.
• "Boot sector" (FAT/NTFS partition) or "Super bloc" (ext2/ext3/ext4 partition): this allows saving sectors that describe file system (first one for FAT/NTFS partition, the 2048 first bytes for ext2/ext3/ext4 partition). This option is not very useful unless to prevent against a boot virus.

Remark:

• a window informing you of searching for last occupied sector is displayed between maximum filesize choice and saving window. If you chose one of the two options where only occupied sectors are saved, this window might be displayed for a long time. If you save all sectors, you will certainly not see it because it is displayed too briefly.

d) Swap files directory: 

e) File choice: 

Remarks:

• If a drive does not appear in the drives list, it is because it can't be detected.
• if the selected file already exists, a window is opened to confirm selection (if file is read-only, the window will inform you that it cannot be removed).
• if you save a whole disk, a FAT, NTFS or ext2 partition, you should NOT create the file on the disk or partition you save unless you chose "Element on itself" or "Element on itself without swap files" option in the saving window and you try to access it through mount mechanism. If you have not chosen this option and try to create a file on the partition to be saved, a warning window informs you of this potential problem. It is not displayed if you used the "-ncd" option.
• same remark than previous one for directory creation, but it shall not be used on the disk or partition you save even if you choose to save an element on itself.
• when using automatic naming, file existence is not checked except for the first file, so files will be removed if they exist (for example, avoid calling the first file <name>.<letter>01 because it will be erased when creating second one).
• if you get an error message telling you cannot access a drive because it is saved one and you chose to save it on itself, you have to access it through mount mechanism (it has been automatically mounted as 0: if you did not mount some other drives before).

f) File size choice: 

g) Compression choice: 

h) Log file choice:

i) Saving window: 

j) Options file creation: 

Remarks:

• The contents of this file remain valid only as long as you do not change the partitioning of your hard disk.
• The names of files used to save data are absolute path names. Consequently, if you move these backup files, you will have to modify this options file.
• You can create this file manually.
• The DOS naming convention (8.3: 8 characters maximum for file name and 3 characters maximum for extension) must be used for file names in the options file unless using a file through mounting or with Windows or Linux versions.

k) Examples: 

If you want to save the partition containing the D: drive, you execute savepart.exe -s, then:

• choose the second disk,
• select the first partition,
• choose to save all sectors or only occupied ones (this second option will require less space),
• choose to compress file or not,
• choose path and file name to create (taking into account free space on the various drives, but preferably a drive on the first disk so the savings will go faster, hence on C:, E: or F:), for example c:\disk_d.par.
• if you want to burn the file on a CD you will have to choose a maximum file size of 620 MB.

If you want to save the Linux partition, you must:

• select the first disk,
• choose the third partition

7- Restoring an element

This is the part that is executed when you use the -r option or select it when the program asks you.

Execution follows the diagram below (if not in batch mode):

             Backup file choice
                  |
                  V
             [Log file choice]
                  |
                  V
      Destination element choice
                  |<------------------------------+
                  V                               |
           Restoring window                       |
                  +-----> Backup file choice -----+
                  V
                 End

a) Backup file choice: 

b) Log file choice:

c) Destination element choice: 

• "Dis" column gives disk number on which element is located.
• "Support" column gives support type on which element is located.
• "Num" column is the partition number as it is known with Linux, if the element is a partition.
• "L." column gives DOS drive letter of the element, if it is a DOS partition.
• "Id." column indicates whether an element is identical to the one saved (same physical definition). If so, an "X" will appear in this column, otherwise it is empty.
• "Size" gives element size. By default, it is expressed in GB, unless it is followed by kB or MB.
• Partition name is the label (or volume name). It is given when it can be found. If for DOS drive, there seems to be incoherence between drive letter and partition name, this last one is certainly correct and drive letter wrong.

!!!!! Warning !!!!!: 
Restoring erases all data currently present on the chosen element.
Moreover, you must NOT choose the disk (when restoring a whole disk) or the partition on which the file used for this restoration is located (indeed it would be erased during restoration and thus would no longer be accessible, causing an error and stopping the restoration).
A warning window informs you if the selected file is located on the disk or partition to be restored. This window is only displayed for the first file (for subsequent files, you must NOT access the disk or partition you are restoring) and is not displayed if you used the "-ncd" option.

d) Restoring window: 

!!!!! Warning !!!!!:

• When choosing subsequent files, you must not access the drive corresponding to the disk or partition being restored. Indeed this drive is being written and so the file allocation table is wrong (as if you want to access a file when a drive is being formatted).
• Once the element is restored, restart your computer if you have restored a DOS partition (or a partition that can be accessed under DOS). This is needed for DOS to update information about this partition. This is not needed with Windows and Linux versions (they update the information about filesystem once the program ends).
• If you cancel a running restoration, you must reformat the destination element (or do a new restoration).
• If when saving, you had created the backup file on the saved partition, after having restarted your computer you have to run scandisk on the restored partition to remove errors on the size of the backup file. This check is now needed only for FAT12 partitions (for FAT16, FAT32, NTFS and ext2 partitions, this check is automatically enabled).
• If you restore a partition onto a partition other than the one that was saved and you have Windows 2000, XP or following, you have to update the registry for this partition. For this, please read chapter 11.
• If the partition you restore is the boot partition that is launched using the Windows XP/Vista/Seven multiboot feature and you restore this partition onto a partition other than the one that was saved, you have to update the BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file for this partition. For this, please read chapter 13.
• If the partition you restore is a system partition that is launched using the Windows XP multiboot feature and you restore this partition onto a partition other than the one that was saved, you have to update the BOOT.INI file. For this, you have to boot with the Windows XP CDROM, use console mode and use the bootcfg command. You can also use element exploration to edit the file.
• If the partition you restore is a system partition that is launched using the Windows Vista/Seven boot feature and you restore this partition onto a partition other than the one that was saved, you have to update the boot configuration data file. For this, you have to boot with the Windows Vista DVD, use repair mode and use the bootrec /RebuildBcd command if automatic repair was not done. You can also use the dedicated option of program. For this, please read chapter 12.
• If the partition you restore is a partition used with Linux and you restore this partition onto a partition other than the one that was saved, you have to update the /etc/fstab file and the boot loader if it is a system partition. For this you have to boot with the Linux CD, use the rescue mode and update mount point and boot loader.

e) Examples: 

• choose the file name where D: was saved,
• choose the partition that you want to restore. If you saved all sectors, only partition that contains D: drive will be listed (if the 2 hard- drives have the same format and C: and D: drives have the same size, C: drive can be also listed).
  If you have saved only occupied sectors, partitions containing C:, D:, E: and G: drives might be listed depending on their size (partition containing F: drive won't be listed because it doesn't have the same filesystem type). In this case, the partition that contains D: drive will have an "X" in the "Id." column but others won't (if the 2 hard drives have the same format and C: and D: drives have the same size, C: drive can also have an "X").
• once the partition is chosen, restoring begins. If saving was done into several files, the second file will be asked for when the first one is finished, etc.

If you want to restore the Linux partition, you do the same things as above. In this case only the third partition of the first disk will be listed as it is the only Linux partition (the Linux swap partition does not have the same filesystem).

8- Copying an element

This is the part executed when you use the -c option or select it when the program asks you.

Execution follows the diagram below:

            Support choice
                  |
                  V
        Source element choice
                  |
                  V
            [Part to save]
                  |
                  V
      Destination element choice
                  |
                  V
            Copying window
                  |
                  V
                 End

a) Support choice: 

b) Source element choice: 

c) Part to save: 

d) Destination element choice: 

e) Copying window: 

!!!!! Warning !!!!!:

• Once the element is copied, restart your computer if you have restored a DOS partition (or a partition that can be accessed under DOS). This is needed for DOS to update information about this partition. This is not needed with Windows and Linux versions.
• If you cancel a running copy, you must reformat the destination element (or do a new copy or restoration on it).
• Please read chapter 7.d remarks to know what shall be performed after copy in some cases.

f) Examples: 

• select the second hard drive,
• select the first partition,
• choose to copy only occupied sectors (for the copy to be possible on a partition that has a different format from the original),
• choose the destination partition. The partitions containing C:, E: and G: drives will be listed if their size is compatible. Partition containing D: drive will not be listed, as it is the partition to be copied. Partition containing F: drive will not be listed, since it does not have the same filesystem type.

9- Copying a backup file

This is the part executed when you use the -d option or select it when the program asks you.

This part allows you copying files, modifying their compression rate or maximum size. In case backup files contains all sectors of a disk or a partition, you can copy only a partition or occupied sectors of the partition (such as you can restore obtained files on another partition than the source one).

Execution follows the diagram below:

                       First file choice
Contains all sectors          |    Contains occupied sectors
           +------------------+------------------+
           V                                     |
   Ask for extraction                            |
           |    No extraction                    |
           +------------------------+            |
Extraction |                        |            |
           V                        |            |
   Source files check               |            |
           |                        |            |
           V                        |            |
  Part to copy choice               |            |
           |                        |            |
           +------------------+-----+------------+
                              |
                              V
                  First destination file choice
                              |
                              V
                            Copy
                              |
                              V
                             End

Program begins with asking you the source filename (please read chapter 7.a).

If file contains a backup of all sectors, program asks if you want to extract a partition (in case of a disk backup) or occupied sectors (in case of partition, floppy disk or DOS device backup).

If you choose to extract a part of the file, program asks all backup files to check them. For the remaining part of execution, all these files shall be accessible simultaneously. It is better to avoid using this option in case the saving signalled some bad sectors. Once files are checked, program asks what you want to copy (this is similar to chapters 6.b to 6.d), then performs copy with simulating a saving (as into chapters 6.e to 6.h).

In case you do not choose to extract a part of the file, or if you have no choice, program asks the name and maximum size of the destination file and its compression rate (please read chapters 6.e, 6.f and 6.g), then copy begins. The copying window displays progress for the source file with the upper progress bar and progress for the destination file with the lower progress bar. If several source or destination files are necessary, they will be asked of you when they are needed.

Remarks:

• Only files created by this program can be used with this feature.
• The program checks that the destination file does not have the same name as the source file to avoid the source file being erased before being copied. Nevertheless, it cannot check that the destination file erases another source file other than the one in use, so be careful not to confuse source and destination file.
• You can use any other compression program to do this, but you will have to decompress the files before being able to use them with this program, that is not the case for this option.

10- Verifying a backup file

This is the part that is executed when you use the -t option or select it when the program asks you.

This permits verifying that backup files are valid. This verification consists of checking file headers, size and checksum of data (once they are expanded if they were deflated). If a saving was done in several files, you are obliged to check all files. No data is written on disk or is modified inside the files.

Execution begins with asking source filename (please read chapter 7.a). The checking window shows in the upper progress bar the state of the check for the current file. If saving was done in several files, subsequent files will be asked of you.

11- Updating Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Seven registry

This is the part that is executed when you use the -u option or select it when the program asks you.

Windows 2000 and followings store partition position in the registry in order to preserve association between a partition and its corresponding driver letter. Partition position is composed of two parts and depends on partitions table type:

• for MBR partitions table, it is disk number that is stored into MBR (4 bytes) and offset of first byte of partition on disk (8 bytes),
• for GUID partitions table, it is disk GUID (Global Uniq IDentifier) and partition GUID that are stored into partitions table (16 bytes each).

So if you copy a partition onto another disk (without copying partitions table) or if you move the beginning of a partition (for MBR partitions table), you have to update the information in the registry for each partition that you moved for Windows to be able to still use the same drive letter. In the case of restoring a partition which has not been moved, this is not necessary.

Execution is composed of 2 parts: first, to designate where Windows is installed so that the program can find the registry file; second, to give the partition to be updated in this registry. If you copy the Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Seven partition, the Windows installation that should be updated is the one that was the destination of the copy.

It shall be noticed that this option does not allow to create a new drive letter into registry: you can only assign an already existing drive letter. This is not a problem as the need for this option is to set the drive letter of a source partition to the destination partition when restoring/copying to a destination partition that is not the same than source one.
In case you need to create a new drive letter, you can either use the Windows disk management tool (if it is not for the system partition) or edit registry with booting with a WinPE or BartPE CD.

Execution follows the diagram below:

    Support choice where Windows is installed
                        |
                        V
    Element choice where Windows is installed
                        |
                        V
      Directory where Windows is installed
 +--------------------->|
 |                      V
 |  Disk choice where partition to update is
 |                      |
 |                      V
 |        Partition to update choice
 |                      |
 |                      V
 |    Drive letter of partition to update
 |                      |
 |                      V
 |                Confirmation
 |                      |
 |                      V
 |         Change another drive letter?
 |                  yes |
 +----------------------+
                        | no
                        V
                       End

a) Support choice where Windows is installed: 

b) Element choice where Windows is installed: 

c) Directory where Windows is installed: 

d) Disk choice where partition to update is: 

e) Partition to update choice: 

f) Drive letter of partition to update: 

g) Confirmation: 

h) Example:

12- Updating Windows Vista/Seven boot configuration

This is the part that is executed when you use -w option or select it when the program asks you.

In order to manage boot, Windows Vista/Seven store into a file which partitions are bootable and where they are on disk following a way near the one used to associate a drive letter to a partition. This is similar to the way BOOT.INI works on Windows XP, but file cannot be edited because it is binary.
This option allows you modifying information in case you moved a system partition (either it is copied onto another disk, or its beginning position is modified on disk) and you have Windows Vista/Seven installed on your computer.

Execution follows the diagram below:

                  Bootable support choice
                             |
                             V
                  Bootable element choice
                             |
                             V
               [Boot configuration file choice]
                             |
                             V
           Disk where partition to update is choice
                             |
                             V
                Partition to update choice
 +-------------------------->|
 |                           V
 |              Boot entry to update choice
 |                           |
 |                           V
 |                      Confirmation
 |                           |
 |                           V
 |                  Change another entry
 |                       yes |
 +---------------------------+
                             | no
                             V
                            End

a) Bootable support choice: 

b) Bootable element choice: 

c) Boot configuration file choice: 

d) Disk where partition to update is choice: 

e) Partition to update choice: 

f) Boot entry to update choice: 

The mostly encountered entries are the following:

• Microsoft Windows Vista/Seven (Windows boot loader or any other name you chose): the Windows Vista/Seven installation. Normally this entry shall reference the partition where you installed Windows Vista/Seven.
• Windows resume application: load of Windows when it is in hibernation mode. Normally this entry shall reference the partition where you installed Windows Vista/Seven.
• Earlier version of Windows: managing another Windows version through multiboot. Normally this entry shall reference the partition where the boot of other Windows installation is.
• Windows boot manager: this is program managing computer boot and potential multiboot configuration. Normally this entry shall reference the bootable partition (the one you chose into 12.a and 12.b chapters).
• Windows memory diagnostic: this is program managing memory test. In most cases, this program is installed with boot manager, so this entry shall reference the same partition than this one.

If an entry appears with all its data to 0, this means there was incoherence into its data or program gets a problem to read them. You have to be careful when updating it, it can lead to some others incoherence.

If an entry appears with a name between "{...}", it means program was not able to find its name and it uses the default one depending on entry type. If name is "{Unable to get name}", it is that even entry type cannot be found.

If a window is shown before, informing you that all entries were not read, these entries are not displayed and you cannot update them.

Example:
The screenshot shows the case where Windows Vista was not installed on the bootable partition (this can be deduced because two identifiers appear). If you move the Vista partition, you have to update the 2 first entries, and if you move the bootable partition, you have to update the 3 last entries.
If Windows Vista had been installed on the bootable partition, the 5 entries would have the same identifier and you would have to update all of them if you move the partition.

g) Confirmation: 

13- Updating BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file

This is the part that is executed when you use -b option or select it when the program asks you.

In order to manage multiboot with another DOS or Windows version, Windows XP/Vista/Seven saves the boot sector of other Windows versions into BOOTSECT.DOS or BOOTSECT.BAK file on the same partition and modifies this boot sector to set a new one (this one asks for the Windows version to run depending multiboot configuration). If you choose to launch previous Windows version, it reads the BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK content and run it. Consequently, if you copy to another disk or move the begin of the partition where the other Windows version is, this file needs to be modified to reflect that. This option is for that purpose.

Warning: This option only modifies some parameters in BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK to take into account changes that may have been made in the boot sector; it does not allow creating or completing a BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file.

Execution allows choosing the partition on which BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file is located to update it according to the current boot sector of this element. Execution follows the diagram below:

Support choice where BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file is
                     |
                     V
Element choice where BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file is
                     |<-------+
                     V        |
                Confirmation  |
                     |        |
                     +--------+
                     |
                     V
                    End

a) Support choice where BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file is: 

b) Element choice where BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file is: 

c) Confirmation: 

14- Fixing disk physical definition into boot sector

This is the part that is executed when you use -a option or select it when the program asks you.

This option permits you to change number of heads and number of sectors per track that are stored into FAT and NTFS boot sector.
This can be needed in case you have a problem as "NTLDR missing" or "IO.SYS not found" when booting and when you explore this partition you see these files (if you do not see them, you need to copy them with using SYS program in DOS/Windows 9x case or with using recovery console for Windows NT/2000/...). This error can be generated because physical definition of disk into boot sector is wrong (note: SYS and recovery console allow fixing this error also).

Execution follows the diagram below:

    Support choice where fixing boot sector
                     |
                     V
      Element choice where boot sector is
                     |
                     V
      [Correction of first sector value]
                     |
                     V
       Choice of new physical definition
                     |  Using predefined value
         +-----------+-------------------------+
         |                                     |
         V                                     |
Giving manual values                           |
         |                                     |
         +-----------+-------------------------+
                     |
                     V
      [Correction of support number value]
                     |
                     V
                Confirmation
                     |
                     V
                    End

a) Support choice where fixing boot sector:

b) Element choice where boot sector is: 

c) Correction of first sector value: 

d) Choice of new physical definition: 

• Default numbers: these are values that Partition-Saving uses when it restores a backup on a partition different from the source one. For the DOS version, it is the standard values, for the Windows and Linux versions, it is values defined through partitions table.
• Standard numbers: for the DOS version, they are numbers that are used when accessing disk through standard BIOS access (it is often the values used when booting). For the Windows version, they are either the standard BIOS numbers, either the default numbers used by Windows (it depends on Windows version). For the Linux version, it is values returned by the kernel.
• Extended numbers: for the DOS version, they are numbers that are used when accessing disk through extended BIOS access. For the Windows version, they are either the extended BIOS numbers, either the default numbers used by Windows (it depends on Windows version). For Linux version, these numbers are not provided. These values are often wrong for a boot sector.
• Numbers from partitions table: they are numbers that can be deduced from reading partitions table. These values can often be used for a boot sector (because of multiple ways to detect a disk, these values are often used as reference values when an OS cannot get the ones from BIOS).

Note: using values different from standard numbers for a disk using standard access is certainly a bad idea, because only these numbers shall be correct.

e) Giving manual values: 

f) Correction of support number value: 

g) Confirmation: 

15- Replacing a boot sector or a superblock by its copy

This is the part that is executed when you use -k option or select it when the program asks you.

This option permits you to replace a boot sector for a FAT/NTFS partition or a superblock for an ext2/ext3/ext4 partition with its copy. FAT32, NTFS, ext2, ext3 and ext4 filesystems define a copy of these sectors in order to be able to repair a partition if origin sector is corrupted. You can try to use this option if your partition appears suddenly as of "RAW" type instead of "FAT" or "NTFS" in Windows.

Execution follows the diagram below:

Support choice where copying boot sector/superblock
                     |
                     V
  Element choice where boot sector/superblock is
                     |
                     V
          Choice of copy to use
                     |
                     V
           Exploring partition
                     |
                     V
                Confirmation
                     |
                     V
                    End

a) Support choice where copying boot sector/superblock:

b) Element choice where boot sector/superblock is: 

c) Choice of copy to use: 

d) Exploring partition: 

e) Confirmation: 

16- Simulating an element

This section covers the use of the driver (DRVPART.SYS) and the options "-m" and "-i" for savepart. The purpose of this driver is primarily to allow access to a partition contained in a backup file in order to recover some files.
Note:
Because of option to explore a backup (see chapter 20) that has more capacity, this part is deprecated and will not be maintained in case of major change in backup file format.

a) Use of driver:

• the first gives sector size in bytes. It must be between 512 and 32768 and must be a multiple of 512. If this option is not given, a default size of 512 bytes is used (that is the most common size).
• the second gives the memory size in kB that is allocated for running this program. This must greater or equal to 1024. If this option is not given, a size of 1024 kB is used. If you want to use this option, you must give the sectors size.

Memory allocated by the driver is a memory block which allows temporarily storing sectors requested by others programs. As needed, this size can dynamically be increased/decreased (but never goes bellow the size defined when loading). The worst case of memory use is certainly when a program wants to know free space on the drive (as when you do a "dir").
Memory used by the driver is XMS or EMS memory (depending on what is present). These are standard memory types (you do not need specific hardware) called XMS or EMS depending on the way it is managed. XMS memory is managed by HIMEM.SYS driver (a DEVICE=<location>\HIMEM.SYS line has to be present at the beginning of the CONFIG.SYS file) and EMS memory is managed by EMM386.EXE driver (or some other that does the same thing) (a DEVICE=<location>\EMM386.EXE line has to appear in CONFIG.SYS file just after the one containing HIMEM.SYS). If neither of these two types of memory is present, driver will not be loaded. Note that using EMS memory can limit useful memory size to 32 MB.
Driver can generate following messages when loading:

• "Driver has been initialised. It simulates drive <letter>:.": The driver has been correctly loaded and it simulates a drive having letter <letter>.
• "Parameter for size of sectors is not correct: it must be between 512 and 32768 and be a multiple of 512.": You must modify the first parameter in the line from CONFIG.SYS file to give a correct value.
• "Parameter for allocated memory size is not correct: it must be bigger than 1024.": you have to modify the second parameter in the loading line from CONFIG.SYS file to give a correct value.
• "Memory cannot be allocated: you need XMS or EMS memory.": The driver did not find EMS or XMS memory. You have to add into your CONFIG.SYS file at least the line that allows loading XMS memory.

b) Simulating an element:

• "Memory allocated": memory has been allocated and you can run savepart again.
• "DrvPart driver cannot be found": you have forgotten to load the driver into your CONFIG.SYS file (note: in this case, options to manage drive simulation are not available into savepart).
• "DrvPart driver into memory has not the same version as AllocXMS": versions of DRVPART.SYS and ALLOCXMS.COM are not the same. You must use programs having the same version (it is true also for savepart).
• "An element is currently simulated": you have to stop simulating the element by using "Stop simulating element" button into the window giving information on driver into savepart.
• "XMS memory driver cannot be found": you do not have loaded a XMS driver into your CONFIG.SYS file, so you cannot use XMS memory.
• "Parameter is not correct": given parameter is not correct: it must be a positive integer.
• "Such an amount of memory cannot be allocated": XMS driver does not allow allocating such an amount of memory. If this size is not over memory available into your computer, using a more recent driver or not using EMS memory can solve this problem.

c) Remarks:

• This driver allows simulating only FAT elements or elements where all sectors were saved. In this last case, the fact that it is a FAT element is not checked, but DOS will certainly refuse to access it if that is not the case.
• Files used for simulation must not be compressed.
• All files used have to be always accessible to avoid an error (example: if files are on several CDs, you must have either several CDs readers or copy the files on your hard disk for them to be read simultaneously). First files will be used more often than last file, so put them on the faster support.
• simulated element is set as read-only. So all attempts to write on them will generate an error. If you get an error like "Unable to write on drive <letter>" with letter equal to the simulated drive, you have to answer "Fail".
• This driver can be run only in DOS mode. If Windows is started, it frees used memory and deactivates itself. Under Windows you will get a new drive, but you cannot use it.
• Using the driver will slow your computer and use memory. So it is better to use it only when you need it (so modify your CONFIG.SYS file each time or better yet use a special floppy disk).
• Accessing a simulated drive is a lot slower than accessing other drives.
• The driver will run correctly only for programs that use peripherals in a standard way. Naturally, some specific programs generate errors.
• If a program terminates in an abnormal way, it can leave the driver in an incorrect state (trying to access simulated drive generates an error). In this case, you just have to run and quit any program for the simulated drive to be accessible again.
• The driver can increase memory use depending on its need. If a program uses all available memory (savepart is one when only XMS memory is present), you can get errors when accessing the simulated drive. In this case try increasing the permanently used memory size with the second parameter on the loading line of DRVPART.SYS in the CONFIG.SYS file. Obviously this will take effect only at the next boot of the computer.
• When using savepart, access to simulated drive is deactivated.
• If you want to simulate an element other than the one being simulated, you don't need to run savepart a first time to stop simulating the element, then a second time to simulate a new one. You can directly choose to simulate the new one (it will stop simulating the first one). This implies that it is not possible to simulate several elements simultaneously (even with loading driver several times).
• You cannot run a program that is on the simulated drive. You have to copy it onto another drive first.
• Driver, savepart and allocxms versions must be the same. This is why they all have the same version number. This version number is checked when these programs work together and they do not communicate if versions are not the same.
• Because a new drive is created, the letter assigned to your CD reader can be changed.
• DRVPART.SYS is not needed to run savepart. You only need to use it if you want to use options to simulate an element.

17- Creation of files on NTFS drive

This option appears only when you are running the program under Windows NT and following. It allows you to create a file on a NTFS partition which can be used as a backup file by using partition mounting once you are running from DOS. This is due to fact that the program is not able to create files on a NTFS partition (only to read/write and resize) when it runs from DOS, so files you create here serve as a base. This option asks you names of files to be created until you hit the 'Cancel' button. If you use automatic naming, instead of asking you several files, it asks number of files you want to create.

Remarks:

• You need to create enough files to be able to store saving result. To have an idea of how many files are needed, take the partition size (only occupied part in case you want to save occupied sectors only), divide it by 2 in case you use compression, divide it by maximum size you want files to do then round result up and add 2 to it (3 in case you think you will create the option file).
• Created files are only between 4 kB and 64 kB, so do not be afraid to create too much files.
• You can use files that were created elsewhere (as long as they do not use internal NTFS encrypting and compression feature) without using this option. Their content will obviously be erased when performing saving.
• Remaining free size on drive is given as information. It is wrong in case more than 970 MB is available on drive.

Example:
You want to save a partition with 4 GB data into 680 MB files (to be able to burn them) with using partition. In this case you will have to create: 4*1024 / 2 / 680 = 3.011 => 6 files.

18- Reset bad sectors in filesystem

This is the part that is executed when you use -z option or select it when the program asks you.

This option allows removing that sectors are marked as wrong on a filesystem. It does not allow correcting bad sectors, it shall only be used in case you restore/copy a partition with bad sectors on another hard drive. This is automatically done by program when restoring but in case where source and destination disks and partitions are identical: in this case program thinks it performs restoration on the saved partition and so does not reset bad sectors information.

So this option shall only be used in one case: the one where you got an "X" into the "Idem" column on restoring/copying even when disk is not the same as the source one.

Notes:

• This option is obviously useful only in case you have some bad sectors on a partition.
• In case you restore partition on a disk that still has some bad sectors (as when restoring after resizing a partition), you have to perform a surface test to update bad sectors list of partition.

 Support choice where bad sectors shall be removed
                         |
                         V
 Element choice where bad sectors shall be removed
                         |
                         V
                    Confirmation
                         |
                         V
                     Execution
                         |
                         V
                        End

a) Support choice where bad sectors shall be removed: 

b) Element choice where bad sectors shall be removed: 

c) Confirmation: 

d) Execution: 

19- Explore a partition

This is the part that is executed when you use -e option or select it when the program asks you.

This option allows you navigating into a partition to copy or edit some of its files.
Execution follows the diagram below when used with textual window interface:

      Choice of support where partition to explore is
                         |
                         V
           Choice of partition to explore
                         |
                         V
+---------------> Exploration window
|                        |
|     +------------------+----------------------+
|     |                  |                      |
|     V                  V                      V
| View window        Edit window         Copy destination
|     |                  |                      |
|     |                  |                      V
|     |                  |                Copy execution
|     |                  |                      |
+-----+------------------+----------------------+

a) Choice of support where partition to explore is: 

b) Choice of partition to explore: 

c) Exploration window: 

• on top: current explored directory name.
• on left: directory tree of the partition. You can click on "+" or "-" characters (or hit the "+" or "-" key) that are before a directory name to expand or collapse it. In case you double click or hit Enter on a directory name, it becomes the current explored directory.
• on right: content of current explored directory. This is the list of all files that are part of this directory. This part contains 4 columns:
  • filename without its extension.
  • file extension.
  • file type or file size in case of standard file. File type can be:
    • <DIR>: directory.
    • <LINK>: symbolic link.
    • <BLOCK>: block device.
    • <CHAR>: character device.
    • <PIPE>: named pipe.
    • <SOCK>: socket.
    • <UNKNOWN>: unknown file type (it shall not appear).
  • file modification date.
  In case you double click (or hit Enter) on a directory, it becomes the current explored directory. In case it is on a file, it is edited.
• below the file list: it displays number of selected files and number of files into current directory.
• on bottom: buttons that can be used to perform something. Number before button name is the corresponding function key that can be used to activate it (1: F1, 2: F2, ...). Buttons are:
  • help: it displays some help.
  • sort: it allows selecting which column is used to sort displayed files.
  • select: it allows selecting file with using some matching pattern (as "*.exe" to select all files with "exe" extension). Selection can be done with ignoring or taking into account case and with keeping current selected files to be able to select several files sets.
  • view: it displays selected file into a hexadecimal viewer. Only one file shall be selected to enable this action. In case file contains several streams, it requests which stream shall be viewed.
  • edit: it edits selected file with a simple editor. In case file contains some binary content or is too big to fit in memory, the hexadecimal viewer is used instead. Only one file shall be selected to enable this action. In case file contains several streams, it requests which stream shall be edited. This can be done with using "Enter" key also.
  • copy: it copies selected files to some other directory. In case only one file is selected, it allows renaming it.
  • add: it copies a file from another directory. Only one file can be copied and it cannot be renamed.
  • mkdir: it creates a new directory.
  • del: it removes currently selected files and directories. This can be done with using "Delete" and "Backspace" keys also.
  • exit: to exit program.
  Some of these buttons could be absent in case the explored partition is not writable.

d) View window: 

• go to a byte offset into file by using F3.
• search for text into file. Search can be done either in ASCII mode by using F4 or in binary mode by using F6. Search can be performed with ignoring or taking case into account and with searching from beginning or from current cursor position. In case of binary search, text to search shall be entered in hexadecimal form with a list of hexadecimal numbers between 0 (0 in hexadecimal) and 255 (ff in hexadecimal) separated by spaces (example: 4c 4C 52 12 35 4D) (note: 4c and 4D values are equivalent).
  During search, "Searching ..." is displayed at bottom right and it can be interrupted at any time with hitting the "Esc." key.
• search next occurrence of latest searched text from current cursor position by using F5. Search does not wrap, so it ends at last occurrence.
• quit viewer by using F10.

e) Edit window: 

• on top: edited filename with selected stream name between "{" and "}" in case you do not edit default stream.
• on middle: editing window.
• on bottom left: buttons that can be used to perform some specific actions.
• on bottom right: there are four indicators and current cursor position. Indicators are:
  • if editor is in insert mode (first indicator is set to "I") or in overwrite mode (it is set to "O").
  • if file has been modified since last save: second "-" is set to "M".
  • if some undo action can be performed: third "-" is set to "U".
  • if some redo action can be performed: fourth "-" is set to "R".

• edit the text.
• toggle from insertion mode (underline cursor, default) to overwrite mode (block cursor) (and vice-versa) by pressing the Insert key.
• select some text either with mouse or with pressing Shift key with moving keys.
• copy selected text into clipboard by using Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Insert (last copied text remains into clipboard when editing another file).
• cut selected text into clipboard by using Ctrl+X or Shift+Delete.
• paste text from clipboard by using Ctrl+V or Shift+Insert.
• undo last change by using Ctrl+U.
• redo last change by using Ctrl+R.
• save the file by using F2. The filename where to perform save will be requested each time (so it is a "save as" action). In case file contains several streams, it requests stream where file shall be saved.
• go to a specific line by using F3.
• search for some text by using F4. Search can be performed with ignoring or taking case into account and with searching from beginning or from current cursor position.
  During search, "Searching ..." is displayed in place of cursor position and it can be interrupted at any time with hitting the "Esc." key.
• search next occurrence of latest searched text from current cursor position by using F5. Search does not wrap, so it ends at last occurrence.
• exit editor by using F10. In case file has been modified without being saved, it requests if you want to save it before.

f) Copy destination: 

g) Copy execution: 

• unless using the Windows version, copying to a NTFS partition does not allow creating files, so only already existing files have their content modified (all streams are modified if they already exist).
• copying to an ext2 partition set files permissions to those of source user in case copy source is an ext2 partition, else it is destination directory permissions (less execution flag for standard files) that are set.
• when copying a sparse file from a NTFS or ext2/ext3/ext4 partition, destination file does not keep the information that file is sparse, so it occupies more space than on source partition.
• when copying files from a NTFS partition, additional streams are copied if destination file is on a NTFS partition.
• when copying files from a NTFS or ext2 partition, extended attributes (rights that come in addition to standard ones (EA and ACL)) are not copied.

h) Execution in command line mode:

• Ctrl+P: going back in command history,
• Ctrl+N: going forward in command history,
• Escape: cancel current command execution. In that case, command is considered as having ended in error,
• F1: get general help.

Variables

• "#": number of arguments passed to a script or a function,
• "@": content of all arguments passed to a script or a function,
• "<number>": content of the <number>th argument passed to a script or a function. "0" is script name, "1" is first argument, ... <number> can be up to value of "#" to get last argument.

Error status

• "continue" (default value): continue execution as if there was no error (the "if" instruction can be used to decide what to do),
• "return": end the current function (or script if execution is not in a function) with an error,
• "end": end the current script with an error,
• "exit": end execution of program with an error,
• "goto": go to some label. In that case the error status is set to "continue" and execution continues from this label.

Scripts

Functions

Labels

Current directory

• the one on explored partition,
• the one on the standard filesystem.

• those starting with "e" that are related to the filesystem of the explored partition,
• those starting with "s" that are related to the standard filesystem ("/" on Linux and "A:", "B:", ... on DOS and Windows).

• directories on explored partition are named from explored partition's root directory (so without drive letter or mount point notion, as "\a_dir_in_root_dir" in DOS/Windows case and "/a_dir_in_root_dir" in Linux case),
• directories on standard filesystem are named with drive letter or mount point notion (so "C:\a_dir_in_C" or "0:\a_dir_in_root_dir" in DOS/Windows case and "/a_dir_in_C" or "//0/a_dir_in_root_dir" in Linux case).

scd 0:\a_directory
; From this point both explored partition and standard filesystem current
; directories are "a_directory" on explored partition
ecd a_subdir
; Both are now "a_directory\a_subdir"
scd ..
; Both are "a_directory" again
scd C:\
; Explored partition current directory is still "a_directory" and filesystem
; current directory is "C:\"
ecd a_subdir
; Only explored partition's current directory has been modified to
; "a_directory\a_subdir"

Commands

• commands that are written with the "[es]<command>" format are those that can work on both directory trees (ex: "[es]dir": "edir" works on explored partition, "sdir" works on standard filesystem),
• arguments that are between "[]" are optional,
• arguments that are separated with "|" are a list of choices,
• arguments that are followed by "*" can be given 0 or more times,
• arguments that are followed by "+" can be given 1 or more times.

;----------
asfilename a file with spaces
;----------

;----------
asstring a<20>file<20>with<20>spaces
;----------

;----------
ecall my_script.txt first second
;----------

;----------
ecat file1.txt file2.txt
;----------

;----------
ecd
;----------

;----------
scd system
;----------

;----------
ecp *.txt .
;----------

;----------
ecp a_file.ext 0:\
;----------

;----------
scp to_explored_root.txt \
;----------

;----------
edir
;----------

;----------
sdir -p -tf -td firstdir/* seconddir/*.txt
;----------

;----------
set CURDIR_LIST<edir -s
;----------

;----------
dispsize
;----------

;----------
set COLUMNS=100
set LINES=50
dispsize
;----------

;----------
echo %COLUMNS% %LINES%
;----------

;----------
end
;----------

;----------
end 1
;----------

;----------
exit
;----------

;----------
exit 1
;----------

;----------
expr 3 or 0
;----------

;----------
expr 4 + 5
;----------

;----------
expr aaa - bbb
;----------

;----------
expr aaa < bbb
;----------

;----------
set FIRST<expr 4 + 5
expr %FIRST% * 10
;----------

;----------
fcall a_function
;----------

;----------
set DIR_CONTENT<edir -s
fcall treat_list %DIR_CONTENT%
;----------

;----------
func print_hello
echo hello
endfunc
;----------

;----------
goto label
echo Not displayed
:label
;----------

;----------
help
;----------

;----------
help if
;----------

;----------
if error exit
;----------

;----------
if exist COLUMNS goto set_size
if not exist LINES goto do_not_set_size
:set_size
dispsize
:do_not_set_size
;----------

;----------
func var_management
echo %A_VARIABLE%
set A_VARIABLE=set back to caller
local A_VARIABLE
set A_VARIABLE=no more modified for caller
fcall another_function
endfunc
;----------

;----------
emkdir a_subdir
;----------

;----------
emore file1.txt file2.txt
;----------

;----------
mount
;----------

;----------
emount
;----------

;----------
smount
;----------

;----------
onerror end
;----------

;----------
printcmd exec
[...]
printcmd none
;----------

;----------
quit
;----------

;----------
quit 1
;----------

;----------
return
;----------

;----------
return 1
;----------

;----------
erm -f *.tmp
;----------

;----------
set A_VARIABLE=hello
set A_VARIABLE
;----------

;----------
set A_VARIABLE+<asstring <20>world
;----------

;----------
set A_VARIABLE+=!
;----------

;----------
func shift_args
shift
echo %1%
shift 3
echo %1%
echo %@%
endfunc
;----------

;----------
set A_VARIABLE=one two three four five
shiftvar A_VARIABLE 2
;----------

;----------
etofile out.txt=hello
;----------

;----------
etofile out.txt+<asstring <20>world
;----------

;----------
unset A_VARIABLE
;----------

20- Explore a backup

This is the part that is executed when you use -v option or select it when the program asks you.

This option allows you navigating into the content of backup files such as you can extract some files. It does not allow modifying file content.

Files that can be explored are all those containing either a disk (you have to select a partition), or the backup of a partition with a FAT12/16/32, NTFS or ext2/3/4 filesystem. If backup was made in several files, all files shall be readable at the same time. Files can be compressed or not.

Execution is the same as for chapter 19 but with the a) and b) steps replaced with ask and check of all backup files (similar to chapter 10).

Notes:

• When exploring compressed files, a lot of memory is used to index them to improve access time. More memory you have, better it is. It shall be noticed that available memory can be limited in DOS (as no more than 32 MB with some EMM386 versions), so it is better to run this option from Windows or Linux.
• If you get an "Error: could not allocate page table memory" error, it means that program tries to use too much memory. You can try increasing the free DOS memory size with not loading unneeded drivers, and at least resort use the "max_mem_size" option (see chapter 24).

21- Change of boot partition

This is the part that is executed when you use the -g option or select it when the program asks you.

This option allows you to change the partition used to boot your computer. It can be needed in case you copied the content of your boot partition from one partition to another.

Execution allows choosing the disk where you want to update partitions table then partition you want to set as boot one. Execution follows the diagram below:

    Choice of disk where partitions table is
                     |
                     V
           Boot partition choice
                     |
                     V
                Confirmation
                     |
                     V
                    End

a) Choice of disk where partitions table is: 

b) Boot partition choice: 

c) Confirmation: 

22- Create files marking drive to use

This option allows creating marking files that can be used with "-fp", "-fd" or "-ff" options. These files are some standard empty files or files containing options (with same format than for options file) that are used by program to retrieve a partition on backup/restore. This is a workaround to the fact that drive name can be different depending on used OS (this means that the C:\ drive within DOS can be different from the C:\ drive within Windows). You have to provide a unique file name among all partitions (for a given directory) such as the partition where this file is can be identified.
Running of this option is done in three steps:

• First window allows giving path and name of file marking partition to save/restore. This file can be used with the "-fp" or "-fd" option. If you cancel this window, file is not created and you enter the next window.
• Second window allows giving path and name of file marking partition where backup files are. This file shall have a name different from first one, even if you plan to save partition on itself. It can be used with the "-ff" option. Path and name of this file are used as base for path and name of backup files: these files will be created (or read) into the same directory with modifying extension by a number (as with using automatic naming option) (unless you provide another filename through the "file=" option of options file).
• Third window allows giving maximum size each backup file can be. It appears only if you provided a filename into previous window.

Once these files have been created, you can use the program on another OS with following command line: "savepart -fp <name of first file> -ff <name of second file>. In both cases, name shall not contain a drive name ("marker.par" and not "C:\marker.par"). It will scan all partitions to find these two files and all drives for second file (in case it is on a CD). If it finds only one occurrence of each file, it asks you to confirm the found place (unless you used the "-fnc" option) then perform backup or restore depending on what you request to do. If it does not find one of the files or find one on more than one partition, it does nothing with asking you to fix this first.

Notes:

• It is better to use a DOS naming (8.3, meaning a name of at most 8 characters followed by a dot and an extension of at most 3 characters) for search through drives to work correctly on DOS.
• You can enter into one file some options as for an options file (as an example, program put maximum size you enter into file marking partition where backup files are).
• If you do not provide some options, following options will be used as default: automatic naming, compression with a level of 5, maximum file size of 690 MB, backup of partition without swap files (and on itself if both files are on same partition).
• "-fd" option is similar to "-fp" one (both cannot be used together) but does not search partition to save/restore in the same way (it is as if you choose a device instead of a disk when being asked for a support). It can be used when saving/restoring dynamic disk with Windows and Linux versions.
• If you perform a backup with these files, you can reuse them to perform restoration with using same command line. You can also reuse them to perform another backup (but backup files will be overwritten).
• You can provide only one of the two files if you want. Program will ask you partition to save/restore or backup file name in the standard way.

23- Load an options or marker file

This option allows you to load an options file if you did not used the "-f" option on command line or a marking file if you did not used the "-fp", "-fd" or "-ff" option. Once this option has been used, you come back to the screen to select what you want to perform.

First window requests you what you want to load depending on which option you already provided (so if you used the "-f" option or already loaded the options file, this option will no more appear in list, but options to give marker files will still appear).
If you choose one of the marker file options, you can enter its name without its drive name (as "marker.par", not "c:\marker.par"). Program will not search it at once, but only when it needs it (so do not be surprised if it does not complain at once if it does not find it).
If you choose option to load options file, you can select it. You can see its content to check it with the "View file" button. When loading file through this option, following options are ignored:

• mouse=
• user_interface=

24- Options file contents

The options file allows you to restore (or save again) element you have saved. When using savepart with the -f <options file name> option, the various parameters are read from the file instead of being asked of you. Contents of this file can be partial (not covering all the options, in which case missing parameters will be asked), but in this case some rules described below must be followed.
The options file is a text file that allows options to be specified. Each option must be alone on a line.
If the line begins with ";", its a comment line (it is not analysed).
Option content can be defined with an environment variable. In that case, the environment variable must be given between % (example: file=%CONF%.PAR, %CONF% will be replaced by the content of the CONF environment variable). If the environment variable does not exist, an error will be generated. To be able to give the % character inside option contents, you have to double it (example: file=WITH%%.PAR, the file name would be WITH%.PAR).

Options have <option name>=<option value> format. Name and value of each option are the following:

Remarks:

• When using batch mode, no confirmation is asked when a file must be erased, when element is restored, when registry or BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file is modified.
• If you do not give enough file names (for example, you give only one file name when restoring, and two files were created when saving), or a file is wrong (for example, the files are given in the wrong order or a file name is bad), missing or incorrect file names will be asked, as in normal mode.
• If an option is not valid, the program ends. To verify your option file you can use savepart with "-t" option.
• When restoring, if several files are needed and are stored on removable media (and the program is able to detect this), the program asks to change media instead of displaying an error and asking for next filename.

With taking the partitioning presented in the example of saving a partition, and with assuming the backup of all sectors of the partition corresponding to D: drive, the obtained batch file will look like (assuming that two backup files are needed):

The file below will permit you to save/restore the Linux partition (all sectors of this partition):

If you have two disks where the first one has a partition format that is not recognised by savepart, you can use the following file to force the program to only use the second hard drive:

To modify the registry automatically, you have to give all the options which define the element to be modified and the element where Windows is installed. As an example:

25- Mounting a partition

Mounting a partition allows accessing partitions that cannot be used from OS. Instead of using a drive letter or mount point as for OS, mounted partitions get a drive number that can be used in the same way. As an example, to access DISK_C.PAR file that is on first mounted partition (that has the 0 number), you have to use "0:\DISK_C.PAR" (mount number followed with ":") for DOS and Windows versions or //0/DISK_C.PAR (two "/" followed by mount number) for Linux one.
Mounting process is similar to saving partition choice process: you have to first choose the disk where partition to mount is, then partition itself. Once this is done, and if filesystem on this partition is recognised, this partition gets a drive number that is unique. If you try to mount a partition several times, you always will get the number it was mounted under at first time.
Recognised filesystem are NTFS, FAT and ext2/3/4 filesystems. Mounting a NTFS partition allows modifying its files, but does not allow creating or erasing files. Mounting a FAT or ext2/3/4 partition allows creating files on them (not for ext2/3/4 partitions using binary tree sorted directories). Mounting a damaged partition allows accessing it in read-only mode. On ext2/3/4 partitions, symbolic links are displayed as files, but cannot be read or followed.
When you mount a partition to modify its files, you must let the program end by itself for it to be able to synchronise the filesystem with modifications you perform. For example, do not reboot immediately when saving has ended, but click on 'Ok' button, create (or not) the configuration file and wait for the program to end.

Notes:

• Mounting a partition that is available to DOS by another way is not advised unless you reboot computer after program exiting, especially if you wrote something on it (this can lead to some errors or data lost because DOS is no more coherent with disk content).
• The more partitions you mount the more memory you need. So if you have barely enough available memory, try to avoid mounting partitions unnecessarily.
• When restoring with an options file, this file must be on a drive that was accessible by OS because when it is read, no mounting has been done.
• For files used on mounted partition, the option to disable write checking is not "-nvf" but "-nvd" because writing is performed via the program internal mechanism and not by using OS.
• On ext2/ext3/ext4 partitions, created files take ownership and rights of directory where they are created. On ext3 and ext4 partitions, journal is not updated.

26- Notes on what elements can be saved

This chapter describes some points specific to each type of element that can be saved. It describes in particular restrictions that are checked by program when restoring an element.

a) The complete disk: 

When saving you should not create the backup file on one of the partition of the disk, else you are likely to have incoherence when restoring.

When restoring you should not use files that are on this disk as it is entirely rewritten and so files would be erased before they were completely read (so restoring will end with an error and files will be lost). Restoring is possible only on a disk with a compatible physical definition. For that, it must have the same access type, the same number of heads, of sector per track and have sectors that have the same size. It must equally have the same number or more cylinders (so the disk will have the same size or be bigger). If it has more cylinders, the last cylinders will be not allocated (consequently left empty) and you will have to create a new partition or increase the last one to use them when having MBR partitions table or increase the partitions table when having a GPT one (an easy way to fix the GPT partitions table is to restore the partitions table after having restored disk).

When using the "-tds" option, the disk size can be increased depending on size found through partitions table or in case of hidden cylinders. In case partitions table is of GPT type and appears smaller than disk size, disk size is lowered to match this size, such as disk appears to have same size whichever OS is used (a GUID partitions table is expected to occupy whole disk).

If disk size seems to be incorrect (for example it is displayed as 8 GB when the disk is 20 GB), you should not save this disk because the backup will not be complete (in this example, the last 12 GB will not be saved). This comes from a bad detection of the disk (for example in the way it is accessed). The use of a disk manager program may solve this problem.

b) The Master Boot Record (MBR): 

• boot code used when computer is started.
• main partitions declaration.

When restoring, the only constraint on destination disk is that it must have the same sector size.

It can be useful to save the Master Boot Record to restore it on another disk or in case of a boot virus. This is the same as doing "fdisk /mbr" if you have a boot sector written by Windows 9x/Me. This also allows you to restore a boot loader in case you install an operating system that modifies the boot sector without notice.

Boot code is restored as-is, so if it contains some code specific to the disk format, this format is not updated even if this sector is restored on another disk.

You cannot save the MBR if it is not considered valid (in which case this choice will not be displayed).

c) First sectors of disk: 

When restoring, the destination disk must have the same sector size and have a valid partitions table. If the number of sectors before the first partition is not the same between the saved and restored disks, only the common part (the minimum number of sectors) will be restored.

You may need to save all sectors before first partition rather than just the MBR in the situation where you have a boot loader that uses these sectors to store its program. If this is restored onto a disk other than the original one or on a disk with different partitions, restored sectors will not be modified to take into account this new definition.

You will not see this option if MBR or partitions table is not valid.

d) Partitions table (MBR): 

When saving, the sectors are fully saved but, when restoring, only the part corresponding to the partitions table and disk identifier are restored (so boot code is not modified). Constraints on the destination disk are the same as when saving/restoring whole disk.

When restoring partitions table, you will lose the whole contents of the disk, not because it is overwritten (only sectors of the partitions table are written), but because the way it is organised is modified. It is recommended that the backup file is not on the destination disk because there is a risk that it can be erased (it is a low risk because the file should be too big to be stored in memory and one of the sectors of the partitions table would be where the file is stored).

In case you restore the partitions table to a new disk (not the source one), it is better to avoid keeping both source and new disks in the same computer as they will have the same identifier (Windows will map drive letter to one of these disks, but perhaps not the one you want) or you have to modify the disk identifier of one of the two disks before starting Windows.

e) Partitions table (GPT): 

When saving, the sectors are fully saved and when restoring they are fully written. On contrary to MBR partitions table, restoration can be done on a disk that does not have the same physical definition (it should have the same sectors size and be at least of the same size).

When restoring partitions table, you will lose the whole contents of the disk, not because it is overwritten (only sectors of the partitions table are written), but because the way it is organised is modified. It is recommended that the backup file is not on the destination disk because there is a risk that it can be erased (it is a low risk because the file should be too big to be stored in memory and one of the sectors of the partitions table would be where the file is stored).

In case you restore the partitions table to a new disk (not the source one), it is better to avoid keeping both source and new disks in the same computer as they will have the same identifier (and their partitions also), so that could break EFI disk recognition or you have to modify the disk and partitions identifiers of one of the two disks.

f) Partitions (all sectors): 

When saving be aware to not create backup file on saved partition (for same reasons as when saving whole disk). This is equally true when saving only occupied sectors except when choosing to save a partition on itself.

When restoring you should not use backup files that are on the restored partition (for same reasons as when restoring whole disk). This is equally true when restoring only occupied sectors. Restoring will be available only on a partition that is on a disk that has the same constraints as when restoring whole disk. Moreover partition must be on the same place on disk (it must begin and end at the same place as the saved one). Finally, partition type has to be compatible with type of saved partition. For this, here is the array giving compatibility between partition types:

Saving all sectors of a partition can be useful in the case of a partition for which saving only occupied sectors is not available or in the case where the filesystem is too much damaged for saving only occupied sectors to work or if you do not have enough memory.

g) Partitions (only occupied sectors): 

When saving/restoring occupied sectors of a partition, it is necessary to know how data are stored on it to know if a sector is occupied or not. For this reason, this option is not available for all filesystem, but only for those where I found documentation and that I have, to perform tests. For those filesystems, some checks are done to verify that it will be correctly recognised (if it is not, the window asking you if you want to save only occupied sectors will not be displayed).

Saving/restoring of occupied sectors allows saving space (backup file is smaller), to save time (less data are read) and to do restore on a partition with a different size or that is on a hard disk different from those where was source partition or at a different place. Further constraints are that disk must have the same sector size as the original one and partition types must be compatible. The partition also needs to respect some minimal and maximal sizes (they are described below for each filesystem type). Remarks on where created/read files are located are the same as for a partition where all sectors are saved.

Saving/restoring of occupied sectors keeps data sectors structure as it was defined when saving. If the partition is restored on a partition with a size different from original one, filesystem sectors can be modified to take into account this size change.

Example:
With a FAT partition, suppose there was the following structure (each letter is a sector with its content, number of sectors given is not representative of a true FAT structure):

  RRRRRRFFFF    R: reserved sectors (boot sector and others)
  FFFFDDDD..    F: FAT sectors (sectors that allow to know if clusters,
  DDDDDDDD..       that are groups of sectors, are occupied)
  ........DD    D: data sectors
  DDDDDDDDDD    .: empty sectors
  DD....DDDD

This partition is 60 sectors long. If you want to restore it on a partition that has 120 sectors, you will get following result:

  RRRRRRFFFF
  FFFFFFFFFF
  FFDDDD..DD
  DDDDDD....
  ......DDDD
  DDDDDDDDDD
  ....DDDD..
  ..........
  ..........
  ..........
  ..........
  ..........

The number of reserved sectors has not been modified, the number of FAT sectors has grown because there was more accessible data sectors. The number of data sectors has grown, but their organisation has not been modified (only empty sectors have been added at end).
In this example, it is not possible to restore this partition on a smaller partition because the last sector of partition is occupied. To avoid this problem you have to use a defragmenter before saving in order to get following structure:

  RRRRRRFFFF
  FFFFDDDDDD
  DDDDDDDDDD
  DDDDDDDDDD
  DDDD......
  ..........

In this case, the partition can be restored on a partition with 44 sectors (certainly less, as number of data sectors is reduced and so number of FAT sector will be reduced, and a partition with 42 sectors can certainly be used).

To know minimum and maximum partition size you can use when restoring a partition where only occupied sectors were saved, you can:

• either create the batch file, in which case these sizes are written at beginning of the file into description.
• or run savepart -r with choosing the backup file. When the window where you have to choose the partition to restore is displayed, it will contain a line with minimum and maximum sizes allowed for partition. Then you can cancel restoring to avoid doing it uselessly.

h) FAT (12, 16 and 32) partitions (DOS/Windows): 

Remarks:

• As has been said before, to restore a partition on a smaller partition, the last sectors of partition must not be occupied. For this purpose you have to use a defragmenter in full defragmentation mode. You have to check that the defragmenter put all files at the beginning of the partition (some files are sometimes left at the end, for example the image.idx file created by Norton Image. It can be erased before doing save (be sure to remove its system and hidden attributes), then created again once the saving is done).
• If you restore the partition containing C: drive on a different partition, it may be necessary to make the partition active if it is not already to set it bootable (with FDISK, choose "Activate partition" option). You may also have to update the MBR (either with copying original MBR or with using "fdisk /mbr"). If this partition is the bootable partition and is used with Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Seven multiboot, you have also to update the BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file. It may also be necessary to use a bootable floppy disk with SYS.COM on it, to install system files on the partition (by running "sys c:" from floppy disk).
• If you restore a partition on a different partition, references in the Windows registry that point to the saved partition will be wrong. In case of Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Seven, you can update registry with keeping the same drive letter. For others Windows version, this cannot be done.
• If bad sectors are found under FAT (or boot sector copy for FAT32) when saving, their content is replaced by the content of their copy in the backup file to avoid problems when restoring this partition if it is done on one that doesn't have these bad sectors.

i) Ext2fs/ext3fs/ext4fs partitions (Linux): 

For example, if you have a 3 GB partition with 2 kB blocks, you would not be permitted to restore it on a partition that has more than 4 GB (but you can restore it on a partition having a size between 0 and 4 GB, lower limit will be determined by the number of the last used block).

Remarks:

• I did never try a Linux defragmenter and I am not sure it will do a full defragmentation. Because of the way files are managed, it is highly probable that only files will be defragmented (they are moved so that all their data is stored on adjacent sectors, but are not put at the beginning of the partition). Hence it is very difficult to get a Linux partition with their last sectors unoccupied (so it will be difficult to restore a Linux partition on a smaller partition).
• If you restore the root partition ("/") on a different partition (or if you have compiled a new kernel between saving and restoring), you will need a rescue disk to install your boot loader. Once the rescue disk has booted, create /mnt/disk directory if it does not exist, mount the partition with "mount -t ext2 /dev/<partition> /mnt/disk", then change your boot loader file (e.g. /mnt/disk/etc/lilo.conf) and install it back with "chroot /mnt/disk <boot loader command>" (<boot load command> = lilo for example).
• If you restore a partition onto a different one, don't forget to modify your /etc/fstab file (the file that gives partitions with their mount directory) to take into account this change.
• Ext3fs/ext4fs partitions are recognised as ext2fs partitions if journal is on the same partition. If journal is on a self contained partition, base partition can be saved as an ext2fs one, partition containing journal must be saved with all sectors (it is not important as journal partition is not very big and is swiftly full). Moreover in this last case, you must maintain coherency between the two partitions.

j) NTFS partitions:

Remarks:

• As for Linux, NTFS defragmenter certainly does not group occupied sectors at the beginning of the partition. So it can be difficult to restore/copy a partition on a smaller one.
• In some cases, the program may report that it cannot restore the partition onto another one because of a size problem. In this case, you have to try to restore it on a smaller partition (if it can be done) or bigger. This case will be unusual, involving some full or heavily fragmented partitions.
• Saving/restoring a NTFS partition needs more memory than for others cases. If you have the "not enough memory" error and if you have more than 32 MB memory and use EMM386, you can get more memory by disabling EMM386 (it limits memory size to 32 MB). To perform this, you have to add a "rem " at the beginning of the line concerning EMM386 in C:\CONFIG.SYS file (or A:\CONFIG.SYS file if you use a floppy disk to boot), then restart your computer. Once saving/restoring is done, you can remove the "rem " so that EMM386 will be activated again at next boot.
• If you restore a partition on a different partition, references in the registry that point to the saved partition will be wrong. In the case of Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Seven, you can update the registry while keeping the same drive letter. For others Windows version, this cannot be done.
• If you save your system partition, then restore it onto another partition, you have to update the registry. You may also need to update your boot for this new location to be taken into account (the BOOT.INI file or boot configuration data). You can either use Partition-Saving with choosing to explore the partition and edit BOOT.INI file (XP) or to update boot configuration data (Vista/Seven), or boot with your Windows CDROM (or the 6 floppy disks which are downloadable on the Microsoft website for XP) and choose the repair option. If CD does not perform an automatic repair, tools to use are fixmbr, fixboot and bootcfg for XP and bootrec with /fixmbr, /fixboot and /RebuildBcd option for Vista/Seven. The first one is to update the first sector of the disk (in case this one was never used as a system disk), the second one is to update the boot sector of the partition (this is theoretically not needed), the last one is to configure your boot options (BOOT.INI file). You can type "help <command>" for XP or "<command> /?" for Vista/Seven to get more information on these commands. But despite all this, because of protection mechanism that are set and due to a lack of knowledge about this system, it may not work (but only in the case of a restoring onto another disk, in the case of restoring on a previous version, there should be no problem). A last option that can be tried in this case is to download the "sysprep" utility on Microsoft website and use it before doing the save.

k) Boot sector/superblock:

l) Floppy disks:

m) DOS/Windows/Linux devices:

n) Raw files:

• disk raw file when its content could be partitioned,
• device raw file when it contains only one partition.

27- Differences between DOS and Windows versions

Because of differences between DOS and Windows, the two Partition-Saving versions are not exactly the same. Major differences are given here with taking DOS version as reference.

a) All versions of Windows:

• -bui: becomes "-tui".
• -buix: becomes "-tuix".
• -pm: becomes "-cm".
• -ncd: drive assignment is always done (so option is ignored).
• -nvd: checking disk write is always disabled less for floppy drives in Windows 95/98/Me (it is as if option is always used).
• -nvf: checking file write is always disabled (it is as if option is always used).

Note:
In case mouse seems to not work, it is because console is configured to use quick edit mode. You have to click on the window icon on top left, choose "Properties", "Edit options" tab and uncheck "Quick edit mode" (note: as it is translation from French version, menu and options name are certainly not exactly these ones but something similar).

b) Windows before Windows 95:

c) Windows 95/98/Me:

d) Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/...:

e) Windows 64 bits:

28- Differences between DOS and Linux versions

Because of differences between DOS and Linux, the two Partition-Saving versions are not exactly the same. Major differences are given here with taking DOS version as reference.

a) All versions of Linux:

Device naming is different from DOS/Windows one: it is based on name of device file (as /dev/hda1). Program uses the "/etc/fstab" file to get a list of devices where to search. So in case a device does not appear into list you can add an entry into this file to force its detection (note that device file shall be a block device file).
As for device name, mount point name is not the same: it does not use a "<mount number>:" notation but "//<mount number>" one to know a mount shall be used instead of some local file.
Following options and corresponding ones into options file have described behaviour:

• -bui: becomes "-tui".
• -buix: becomes "-tuix".
• -tuix: size is set to terminal size (if this one is bigger than 80*25) instead au 80*50.
• -ncd: device name assignment is always done (so option is ignored).
• -nvd: checking disk write is always disabled (it is as if option is always used).
• -nvf: checking file write is always disabled (it is as if option is always used).

b) Secured versions of Linux:

c) Linux 64 bits:

29- Log file

This file is created in case you request it either through dedicated option in options file or through checking corresponding option when the backup file is requested. This file will store all error messages displayed by program during its execution (there is no additional message less starting and ending messages).
The file begins with a "Start of execution on <date> at <time>." and ends with an "End of execution on <date> at <time>." if there was no error, "End of execution with error on <date> at <time>." if there was an error that prevents complete execution, "End of execution with warning on <date> at <time>." if there were errors that do not prevent complete execution (as bad sectors) or "Execution canceled by user on <date> at <time>." if user canceled execution. In case you do not get the end message, it means program ends abruptly, so with some error that could have been not logged (as if there is not enough memory).
There is no real need to use this log file in most cases. You should be aware that in case you have a damaged disk, it will store a lot of messages and so become very big (so it is better to create it on a drive where there is a lot of available space).

30- What is not supported

The following situations are not supported for this program:

• partitions for OS's that do not follow partition format as it is described (MBR or GPT).
• disk manager programs (not to be confused with boot manager programs that are supported). These programs allow access to disks of more than 8 GB with standard mode (if you use one, you will probably know it). If only one partition is detected when you know that there were several, there is a good chance that such a program is present.
  Francisco Miranda has reported to me that he has successfully run Partition-Saving with Samsung disk manager. Thanks to him for having tried it and for returning this information back to me. Nevertheless this is only valid for this disk manager, consequently I prefer to let stand this warning for others disk manager.
• extended partition with OS2 cannot be all detected: into extended partition chain, generally only two partitions per node are defined (the two others contain invalid information), but OS2 seems to use all four partitions.
• partitions managed with LVM/LDM (Logical Volume/Disk Management, also known as dynamic disk). Windows version allows accessing Windows LVM and Linux version allows accessing Linux LDM (and so allows saving/restoring them) through devices access.

31- What cannot be tested

The following situations cannot be tested:

• disk with a sector size other than 512 bytes.
• partitions for OS's other than DOS, Windows (9x, XP) and Linux.
• creating backup file on partition which is saved, unless using dedicated option.

• savepart.exe -s only reads the disk physically (writing is done in a file with standard DOS features) unless mounting some partition.
• savepart.exe when used with "-t" option does not write anything on the disk.

32- Acknowledgements

• my father for having asked me for this program (without whom it would never have been written), for having read this document (the French version, any mistakes in this one is due to my poor English) and being the first to test this program.

• DJ Delorie for the DJGPP environment (http://www.delorie.com/djgpp). This includes equally everyone who has helped him create that environment.

• Jean-Loup Gailly and Mark Adler for the zlib compression library (http://www.zlib.net).

• Ralf Brown for all the documentation that he has gathered on interruptions (http://www.pobox.com/~ralf).

• Simon P. Bullen for fortify (a library to permit checking memory allocation).

• Chris Lattner for his website "The Operating System Resource Center" where you can find a lot of information on hardware and software (http://www.nondot.org/sabre/os/articles).

• Régis Duchesne and Richard Russon (and everyone that helped them) for all the documents they gathered regarding NTFS (http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net).

• Markus Oberhumer and Laszlo Molnar for the executable packer UPX (http://upx.sourceforge.net), and Serge Delbono for having pointed out it to me.

• All people that have participated into development of MinGW (http://www.mingw.org) and Mingw-w64 (http://www.mingw-w64.org).

• Brett Stevenson and Richard Ross-Langley for the correction of the English version of the FAQ and the web site homepage.

• Ralph Ball for the correction of the English version of the manual. I have got several offers for this (thanks to those having done this offer), but Ralph is the one that had courage to end it!

• B.D. for having searched and given the format of registry files (I cannot find the whole name of the author).

• Will Rickards for pointing to me that when restoring a partition on a new disk, bad sectors information can be reset.

• Giorgos Kostopoulos for pointing to me problems that can occur in case one of used OS is set into hibernation mode and its filesystem is modified.

• Bob Supansic for the correction of the English version of the HOWTO and to have given me some advice on its presentation.

• Fred Lumsden for the correction of the English version of the additional information.

• bug finders for reporting them to me and helping me to resolve them:
  • Charles M. Tilden (problem on bad detection of hard drive).
  • Daniel Lagunes (bug on reading partitions table for standard access disk with at least two logical partitions).
  • Thibaud Fontanet (failure of detection for some hard disks in V2.21 and hang up of computer when rebooting, the first problem had been reported by Juergen and Ray Schmitz)(for V2.22 bad attribution of DOS drive letter when there was several main DOS partitions on the same disk).
  • Ray Schmitz (problem about accessing the wrong disk in the case of a drive before it is not detected as a hard disk).
  • Volker Beck (the forgetting of code to allow saving NTFS partition with batch mode).
  • Frode Ingebretsen (screen problems with some computers (incompatible BIOS?)).
  • Brian Bell (the inability to restore FAT partitions that have bad sectors when saving).
  • Menno Schoone (the unnecessary asking for option file creation when saving with an option file using the automatic_naming option).
  • Patrick Barny (the first who has helped me with very fragmented NTFS partition, followed by Peter Newman and Kamil Wicher).
  • Sébastien Willemijns, Gershwin Luhur and popfulmail (the unnecessary asking for option files creation when saving with an option file in which given file names were not full pathname). Sébastien Willemijns gives me also some points of amelioration of the interface and finds problem when creating file in Windows XP with the V3.70 DOS version.
  • Ian Stuart Turnbull (some NTFS files cannot be found in case partition goes in a lot of stress and files get allocated into a part that I considered as reserved for filesystem files). He has also confirmed me that the Windows 2000 registry update works, as I cannot test it.
  • Jorge Cesario (a regression in V3.00 and V3.01 versions that does that removable media were no more detected and so files name were asked instead of requesting for media change).
  • Wu Chaowei (bad setting to occupied of clusters that are after MFT0 when restoring a NTFS partition to a different one but with a similar size).
  • Thijs van der Kraan (missing setting of one modification date when modifying a file on a NTFS partition). He also gives me the idea of the "empty_files" option into the configuration file.
  • Dirk F. Kapelle (workaround of a problem in DOS network redirector that removes the distant directory in case this one is empty). He gives me also some points of amelioration of the interface.
  • Patrick Cadro (impossibility to access partition with number between 10 and 19 when saving first partition with Linux version).
  • Gerrit van der Linde (wrong free memory size in case of having more than 4 GB of memory with Linux version).
  • Boris Gjenero (treatment of boot recovery options in Windows boot registry was missing when modifying it).
  • Tamas Pisch (program being too restrictive on disk access leading to unavailability to restore MBR sector).

• All the people who have sent me emails of encouragement, comments, and suggestions for improvements.

Hoping this program will be useful,

D. Guibouret <>