Runtime imaging is image creation for a drive object performed simultaneously with other data read operations from this drive. When R‑Studio for Linux reads data from a certain area of the source (a drive, partition , or region), it writes the data to the target which can be either a dedicated drive or an image file. When the data from this area is needed again, R‑Studio for Linux reads it from the target rather than the source thus reducing access to the source. This is very important for faulty or unstable drives which health may be constantly deteriorating during data recovery operations.

 

R‑Studio for Linux also creates a sector map file during runtime imaging.

To start runtime imaging of an object,

using a plain image file

or right-click the object and select Set Runtime Image on the context menu.

 

Select Plain or another image type in the Image type field, specify the file name and path for the image and sector map files, and click the OK button. Don't select the VMDK image file unless you can disable writing to the drive later. Cloning to a physical drive is not recommended because Windows can write some data to the drive corrupting the imaged data when the image has been completed and runtime imaging is over.

Plain image file requires immediate allocation of disk space equal to the object size, whereas VMDK image file is growing gradually upon imaging progress.

Select the object and click the Stop Runtime Imaging button or this item in the context menu turn runtime imaging off.

using a physical drive

or right-click the object and select Set Runtime Image on the context menu.

 

Select Physical drive in the Image type field, specify the name and path for the sector map file, and click the OK button.

Note: all data on the drive will be destroyed.

Select the object and click the Stop Runtime Imaging button or item in the context o menu turn runtime imaging off.

 

R‑Studio for Linux stores the information about runtime configurations and asks the users whether they want to keep runtime imaging or discard it during its startup.

and this configuration will appear in R‑Studio for Linux .

 

Completing Runtime Image

You may complete the runtime image without browsing through the entire file system on the disk.

or right-click the object and select Complete Runtime Image on the shortcut menu.

Select the necessary parameters of multi-pass imaging and select the OK button.

If the runtime image has not been completed, you may resume it next time you start runtime imaging.

Creating runtime image for individual files

You may create a runtime image containing only individual files rather than all data on the disk.

or right-click on the right pane, and select Save Marked to Runtime Image on the shortcut menu.

Select the necessary parameters of multi-pass imaging and select the OK button.

You may open such images as regular ones.

Such image contains information about the entire file system, but if a non-imaged file is opened, it'll contain only zeros.