a little nervious over here ...

[masterson]

I am just about to attempt (for the first time) to restore a backup that i created with True Image 9.1 Workstation. This is currently the only machine at this location today and is my sole link to the internet to get help if I screw this up so i'm trying to get prepared in advance. So I'm a bit scared and have a couple of questions.

BACKGROUND:
About 10 days ago, I used TI 9.1 when I reinstalled win xp pro (with sp 2) and made backups at 3 stages:

1) after the initial win xp install and then downloading all the win xp critical updates,
2) and again after installing a single expensive software program,
3) and then again after installing all the other other applications (office, etc.)

I need to go back to stage 2 above. I have three 80 gb SATA hard drives using RAID 5 and created only one partition (C). I have an external 100gb hard drive (E) which is where all the backup files that were created with TI 9.1 are located.

Each time i used the selection "entire disk contents or individual partition". Then it gave me an option for Disk 1 which had 2 check boxes:
-NTFS (C: ) = 149 gb
-FAT 16 = 47mb
and since i didn't know enough at the time I made 2 backups at each of the 3 stages above. One backup with only the NTFS (C:) box checked and another with both boxes checked.

Also I made a Acronis Bootable Disk after each of the 3 stages above.

QUESTIONS:
A) Which of the the 2 backup files created do i restore? The one with only NTFS (C:) or the one that also includes the FAT 16? I have read a few postings on this which talk about the MBR. Is the FAT 16 the MBR and, if so, i guess i need to restore it as well.

B) Should i use the Acronis Bootable Disk that was created after stage 2 above to start the restore or can i just launch TI 9.1 from my desktop right now and select Restore?

C) Can I verify the backup file in advance to see if it actually works? I see a "Pick a Tool" option in TI 9.1 to "Validate Backup Archive".

I Thank everyone in advance for reading this long post and giving any feedback if possible.

[masterson]

opps, i guess when i put the c: in between the ( )'s it created smiles.

[Chutsman]

The Acronis bootable CD will be the same as long as it is made from the same version and build.

Instead of attempting the Restore to the Original drive, do you have another drive on which you can test the Restore?

[masterson]

Unfortunately I don't have another drive to test restoring the backup file to.

Could i go out and buy another external hard drive and connect it either via the firewire or a usb port and try to restore it to that drive. (but i don't know if windows is completely bootable and useable from one of those types of external drives do you?)

The bootable cd was made immediately after i made the backup files using the same version of TI 9.1

I guess i'm still not sure if i should restore the file containing both the NTFS (C) AND the FAT16 or the file with just the NTFS (C). Both files are larger than what i can write to the cd's that i have (700mb) so that's why i put them on the E drive.

[Chutsman]

Yes, buy another drive, but install it in the computer then restore to it. The bootable cd does not change as long as you are using the same version and build of TI. WinXP will not boot from a usb drive.

After you are confident that the Restore feature works, you can then get an external exclosure to put that new drive in to keep your backups or other data. And you will save quite a bit by buying the drive and enclosure separately. There are only two cables to connect - easiest build you will ever do. ;D

[masterson]

I have a dell precision 380 workstation and dell tech support just told me i could put a 4th physical hard drive in the computer (i have 3 SATA 80gb hard drives in a Raid 5 in there already). So I guess i could test restoring the images to a D drive on this 4th hard drive and leave it in the computer.

My quick question to you (since you seem to have more experience in this than I do) is:

Do external enclosures work with all size and types of hard drives. I am still trying to figure out how large and fast of a 4th drive i can go up to in this machine, but I've got 5 other dell machines that i am going to re-build to some extent and they all have different types and size hard drives. I need to get the data off them 1st before doing anything, tho, and i guess using one of these enclosures would work for that.

Someone else mentioned buying one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007MHF1I/sr=8-11/qid=1145036726/ref=pd_bbs_11/002-6291313-0010460?%5Fencoding=UTF8

and forgetting all about these problems.

[Chutsman]

The vendor of an external enclosure will usually have in the description, the largest capacity drive it will take. But if money is no object, that 1T drive at Amazon should fit the bill.