GB difference Live vs Recovery = Why?

[CDC9762]

Perhaps I'm mixing imaging programs but isn't a possible cause for differences in live vs non-live image file size being live uses VSS to collect what will be saved in the image file and non-live doesn't need to use VSS since the source drive is static?

How is a Bit-locked drive imaged without unlocking - wouldn't the basic filesystem be unavailable for the imaging program to determine which blocks are in-use?

[admin]

 in WinPE will be larger because BitLocker may not be unlocked in WinPE, 

Thanks for the explanation.

Does this mean that a BitLocker encrypted C drive might or might not be unlocked as part of the process. That is, that sometimes it will be unlocked?

Yes, a BitLocker-encrypted drive may be locked in WinPE. Therefore, it will be backed up in a sector-by-sector mode unless you manually unlock it.

[admin]

Perhaps I'm mixing imaging programs but isn't a possible cause for differences in live vs non-live image file size being live uses VSS to collect what will be saved in the image file and non-live doesn't need to use VSS since the source drive is static?

How is a Bit-locked drive imaged without unlocking - wouldn't the basic filesystem be unavailable for the imaging program to determine which blocks are in-use?

In Windows PE environments, VSS is not available. For BitLocker-encrypted drives that are not unlocked, backups must be performed using sector‑by‑sector mode, as the program cannot parse the file system under such conditions.