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Community Newsletter: Q&A: How to back up and restore my PC to the exact same condition it was...
- 8/30/07 3:39 PM
FREEWARE image backup
by budi83 - 8/25/07 3:28 PM In reply to: How to back up and restore my PC to the exact same condition it was... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
1st:
Most important; partition your C: to what your OS needs.
I have always done this over the years.
C: - the OS
For XP I made a C: partition between 12-15 gigs.
For VISTA it needs to be at least 40 gigs
D: - Program Files
What I usually care about the least, because I store my setups in:
E: - My Documents
This is the largest of them all, and I usually just back it up on an external drive and use the drive's automatic backup.
2nd:
Install only what you need:
your drivers
primary programs ie:windows live mail, windows live messenger, firefox, airoboform password saver, etc.
Setup your mail. change my doc folder location.
Validate Vista, subscription services such as URGE that register your computer installation.
3rd:
Make your backup run fast.
Run the MS disk cleaner, clean your internet cache, turn off MS restore on the C: drive, and defrag.
Doing this my 40 gig Vista backup with all my drivers installed is 3 gig! It would fit on a DVD.
4th:
The best part:
I have been using this freeware program. it is called PING. it comes as an ISO file that automatically creates a bootCD when you extract it with something such as NERO
It is not the fastest backup, and it isnt a pretty interface, but it is free!
I can't recommend Acronis. I have used ver 6 up to 10 over the years.
Many times my restore wouldnt work, and I would find out at the worst times often. Some computers it was fine. Some it wasn't.
My latest try is with my new 9005us HP notebook. It wont run no matter how I configure it.
Which leads to:
5th:
Take the time and restore it back. at least the first time you are using the program that you choose.
The backup part of the program might work fine, but you could find out later that the restore doesn't.
6th
this is optional. Now that I have this pristine Vista, I now install my secondary programs that I will probably be upgrading in a short while and won't want them on the original.
for instance: Quicken 2007, Photoshop CS3,..daa.daa..da.
I use this backup quite often for about a year.
Once again this won't be a big backup because I am installing them on the D:\Program Files. But they are installed in the registry and registered to the OS
This way I can go crazy and install all kinds of crap and in a month or so return to a clean and stable OS with the stuff I need.
This appears more complicated than it looks. Once you get in this habit, the next time MS releases its new OS it will be easy.
Vista has gotten so slow with just a few installs of various programs I have image'd it back at least 4 times already!
Good luck man!
Wally
How to back up and restore my PC to the exact same condition
by aghatch1 - 8/25/07 5:13 PM In reply to: How to back up and restore my PC to the exact same condition it was... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Being able to backup and easily and completely restore your system gives you the confidence to try new programs or different tweaks. This is a procedure every computer user should know how to do thru actual practice. The time and trouble avoided can be extensive with a simple disk restore.
This procedure is also something that the average user often procrastinates learning until it is too late. I have written two beginner guides to make it easier for the person wanting to learn how but not knowing where to start. Although these guides are based on using Acronis True Image Home, the general procedures apply to most imaging software.
I also use the Powerquest Drive Image 7 (discontinued) and Paragon's Hard Disk Manager 8.5 and Karen's Replicator to supplement my backups. I believe in having multiple choices of performing my restores should I have a need. Sometime you do not immediately aware of a problem and retaining older copies of your backups is always a good practice. Backup should be stored in multiple locations should one storage media found not usable. This can be external or internal or network drives, etc. I discourage using DVD as the only storage option. One scratch can render the entire DVD and backup set useless. I do recommend using DVD as an additional storage option after you have your backups already saved on other drives.
I am an average home user and do not have need for a full imaging backup each night--usually weekly or twice weekly for a complete image backup of all partitions. However, I do use Karen's Replicator, to make nightly copies of all my daily emails and any changes to my personal files.
Download my pdf guides for a very easy and detailed step by step procedure guide for creating a backup image and restoring that image.
My Beginner's Guide to creating a basic full disk archive
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/supportfiles/gh-acronis-backup1.pdf
My Beginner's Guide to restoring a basic full disk archive.
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/supportfiles/gh-acronis-recovery1.pdf
My Backup info & procedures
http://206.128.27.142/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/4/t/000072.html[/color]
More info about Acronis True Image functions
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=168165
GroverH
retired
Free Acronis for Seagate drive owners
by UKposter - 8/26/07 7:17 AM In reply to: How to back up and restore my PC to the exact same condition by aghatch1There is a version of Acronis True Image, called DiscWizard, available for free download to owners of Seagate drives. I have not used it personally, nor do I have any Seagate drives, a friend told me about this who has used this software on his Seagate drive. Apparently there are a few variations to the Acronis download version, but it does much the same things, it's available at www[dot]seagate[dot]com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard just replace my [dot]'s with a '.'
One Other Comment
by waytron - 8/26/07 5:57 AM In reply to: How to back up and restore my PC to the exact same condition it was... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
There is one thing has not been mentioned here and I would like to add to this whole discussion. Even though this thread really started out with the question of being able to backup and restore the PC back to a working state with all programs and settings in place, I worry about the fact that no one is mentioning anything about the need to keep multiple backups. Yes, having a single backup is infinitely better than not backing up at all. BUT, I can not tell you how many times I have run into problems restoring data from backups. Here are just a few of the things that can go wrong with a single backup:
BAD MEDIA – All Media such as Tapes, Floppies, CD’s, DVD’s and Hard Drives can fail. External USB Hard Drives can fail too. They tend to be less durable than internal drives. There is a lot of controversy over the actual life of CD’s and DVD’s. It was once thought or assumed that this type of media would last 50-100 years. NO SO. Many people are finding bad media after only a year of storage. I have personally found unusable CD’s that I have burned after only a few months because the reflective coating has started to oxidize. The initial quality of the media and storage conditions play a major role in how long they will last.
BAD BACKUP – Sometime you just don’t know it yet, but your computer could be infected and you backed up the infection. Virus and Spyware infections don’t always surface right away. You computer may have been infected in the morning and you backed it up at noon. The problems start to surface the next morning and you decide to restore from your backup. WHOPPS… Your only backup is infected too.
CORRUPTED DATA – There are many times that data can get corrupted for what ever reason. For Example: You may not have noticed that your Quicken or Quickbooks data is damage because you did not use every function today and the problem only shows up when you run a specific report. There may be problems with any program, but you have not used that software for a week or two. You perform a full backup, overwriting your old backup and now you have a bad backup that you may not know about for months.
It is very important to keep more than one backup and this is especially true of any mission critical data such as that from Quicken, Quickbooks, Peachtree, email and any other databases that your rely on. If something is wrong with your last backup then you can at least go back to one of your previous backups and have most of your data back. You may have to recreate a day or two of data or maybe even a week, but that is a whole lot better that losing everything.
I know you are thinking that this can not happen very often, but believe me when I tell you that it happens and it happens ALL THE TIME.
Dana
Wayland Computer
This is great advice...
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 8/27/07 9:54 AM
In reply to: One Other Comment by waytron
Thanks Dana! I should've mentioned this in the newsletter.
Great point indeed! After all, a backup is only good, if it is a functional backup!
Cheers!
-Lee
Acronis Company Thread !
by eheinsius - 8/28/07 2:42 PM In reply to: One Other Comment by waytronThis thread sure smells like an advertisement thread for Acronis. I have used Acronis, and it does a fine job, but it is not the only software that will do the job. Norton Ghost does a great Job, and is known, and supported much better then Acronis. I had many issues with Acronis, and TechSupport always had the same answer... What till the next relese. I have swithced to Ghost, and have had no issue. I am sure others who have used Ghost will let us know about the problems they might have had, but lets open this thread up, and give more OPTIONS.
Not an Ad
by waytron - 8/29/07 4:20 AM In reply to: Acronis Company Thread ! by eheinsiusIt may sound like and advertisement, but this is what happens when you actually find a product that works and from the postings here, seems to work for most everyone. I have not used every product out there and I am sure open to suggestions, but when you are talking about something as critical as backing up you data, it is not something you want to take any chances on. I am very happy to see a fairly clear consciences about Acronis and it only confirms my own findings. I have used Norton Ghost, Power Quest’s Drive Image, Maxblast and the software that comes with new Seagate drives (I forget the name). I still use an old version of Drive Image for one customer that I already have all their images on file. With the particular way that I use this type of software, I have found Acronis True Image to simply work when others have failed. As far as technical support goes, I personally have not had the need to contact Acronis, which I guess is a good thing. But the last time I tried to call Symantec (Norton) about a problem, I could not get through to talk to anyone.
Dana
Wayland Computer
Backup Plan
by bus - 8/28/07 10:30 PM In reply to: One Other Comment by waytronYour post has got me wondering about how much I assumed people understood about “BAD MEDIA”, “BAD BACKUP”, and “CORRUPTED DATA”. when I wrote my post “QOTW081707 Bus Answer" I failed to make these problem areas clear “. I have been burned by all of them. Your words “any mission critical data” hit home with me. When I build a computer I make backups as I add software and driver changes. I don’t write over the backups I label store and track them with hand written notes which document the testing preformed to confirm acceptability of the change/update. The devices and software I use to make these backups I consider my “Backup System” and the way I store, delete and, manage these backups is my “Backup Plan”. I made statements that eluded to these problem areas but failed to drive home the concept “Backup System versus the Backup Plan”, the plan is how you use your backup system and the system is how you do the backups.
BAD MEDIA=> ”Most computers come able to do this but the media may fail.”
BAD BACKUP=>”Both methods .... are testable with low risk of data loss.”
CORRUPTED DATA=> “The software industry has the view “If cloning was easy who would ever buy another piece of software when it can just be copied”. Because of this view software programs come with built in defense systems to deter pirating. These defenses may also cause problems for disk cloning, backup systems, and some types of programs such as anti-virus and game software. ”
However, eluding to problem areas doesn’t get the job done. I just felt overwhelmed by the topic and now feel that perhaps a forum topic “Backup Plan” is needed. Covering points like:
What is your “mission critical data”?
How often and how many Backups do you need?
Do words like encryption, off-site, and dual systems apply to your backup plan?
What is your “Best Fit Approach”?
Your OS and how to perform backups that work.
Restore or re-build?
Buying with the backup/restore event in mind.
Cloning SATA HDD
by deadkeen - 8/28/07 2:12 AM In reply to: How to back up and restore my PC to the exact same condition it was... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have been using Norton Ghost 2003 for many years because it will boot up from a floppy disk, but now find that - as it is an older version, it does not recognise SATA drives.
I need to convert my IDE (PATA) backup to a SATA backup, and from then on, SATA to SATA obviously - so which is the best cloning software for this? Any help appreciated!
Try Acronis Cloning Software
by MsRRivers - 9/5/07 2:31 PM In reply to: Cloning SATA HDD by deadkeenI have read and heard that Acronis is a good cloning software as it will allow you to duplicate an exact copy of your hard drive including your operating system. It has no reboot feature, and allows you to back up your files, upgrade your hard drive and restore your system and you don't have to reinstall the operating system with necessary upgrades to your hard drive. It is very inexpensive and is a good investment.
Using the System Restore Feature in Windows
by MsRRivers - 8/28/07 12:24 PM In reply to: How to back up and restore my PC to the exact same condition it was... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you're using Windows. Know that Windows has a nifty feature called System Restore. And what it basically does is allows you to restore your system to an earlier time (actually an earlier date). If you are still able to boot up and access your files, you can back up your files to a CD using whatever backup tools you have available. Click the Start Button and in All Programs look for the Accessories folder and click on System Tools. It will ask you want you want to do, in this case, you will want to restore your system to an earlier time, meaning the last time your system worked without problems. You can do this without the headache of having to restore the entire operating system, which I have concluded that it is simply a short cut, but without the hassel.
If you do not have a back up feature on your computer, I recommend Roxio Easy Media Creator which will allow you to easily back up your files without fault. You can use version 8 or the latest version 9, which both work on Vista (if you're using Vista).
TO: BillL
by skip-h - 8/31/07 7:43 PM In reply to: How to back up and restore my PC to the exact same condition it was... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Bill: I hope this gets to you since I am late with an answer, I did not answer last week when you asked, because I missed that issue. I started years ago backing up with 5 1/4 Floppies, then on 3 1/2 in disks, and finally to tape backups. I too wanted to find a backup that would allow me to clone my main drive and to be able to restore it exactly as it was in case of a failure. Nothing worked, my last attempt to restore with a tape backup ran four hours, and then gave me a message that it was unable to restore, the tape (which was a new expensive tape) was stretched.
Later, I found Norton Ghost 2003, so I installed a second hard drive in my computer large enough to clone drive "C" to it, and I used the clone feature in Norton Ghost. As all of us has experienced, my drive "C" went down later, and I pulled it out and put drive "D" in as primary, it booted up with all my programs and data exactly as it was when I had cloned it.
With this success, I then bought removable drawers for my computer, and installed "C" and "D" in the drawers, and I clone "C" to "D" once a week, or more often if I add new programs, and I do not have to worry about trying to reload Windows XP, and all the many programs that I have. I just cloned the drive tonight, 83.377 Gigabytes, and if drive "C" ever fails I will have an exact duplicate ready to switch to drawer one and I will be back in business. I am in hopes that the editor forwards this answer to you. skiph@cox.net
What if you computer is destroyed or stolen ?
by Strangebuttrue - 8/31/07 8:10 PM In reply to: TO: BillL by skip-hSkip-H It was not clear if you removed the drive after cloning. If you are doing an in machine clone that is very efficient unless your machine is destroyed by fire,hit by lightening or someone breaks in and steals your computer. You need to keep your clone drive separate from your computer except when doing the actual cloning. If possible keep clone in a different building. Kids broke into a friend of mines home office and stole everything that looked computer related, disks, CDs Computer etc. His very through backup system was worthless because all the media were gone. Fire and hurricane have the potential to do the same.
If computer is destroyed or stolen
by skip-h - 8/31/07 8:40 PM In reply to: What if you computer is destroyed or stolen ? by StrangebuttrueStrangebuttrue: Sir, you are exactly right, I failed to say that after cloning I remove the drawer with the drive onto which I backed up or cloned the primary drive. I place it in a safe place away from all other computer hardware, in fact when I leave town I take the clone drive with me in the trunk of my car. My intent was to answer the question if there really was a way to make a backup that could truly contain everything on the primary drive. I do not do an image of the primary drive, I actually do a "clone" with Norton Ghost 2003 and I have had to use my backup three times in the last four years, and it was all worth the trouble since I did not have to reload Windows XP and Office and all the other programs. In fact it probably would be impossible to ever reload all that I have on my machine any other way, so I feel I have found the best way to assure that I won't have to worry with reloading. In fact, I have bought on Ebay a exact replacement motherboard in the event my board should fail. I have tried to protect myself from the big problem of having to start from scratch to reload everything.
Thanks for responding, hope I have answered your question.
Skip Henry
skiph@cox.net
The easiest solution to back-up
by 123gary123 - 8/31/07 11:49 PM In reply to: How to back up and restore my PC to the exact same condition it was... by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Avanquest Perfect Image Professional about $50.00 or less makes a complete back-up of your hard drive including the operating system and all other programs. It also auto up-dates all downloaded files. This can be done to an external hard drive. Easy to use and can also be saved to other media.
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