DVD Boot up with image

[procratinatored]

If anyone could help it would be very much appreciated.

I have no problems now of getting Acronis 9 to a DVD boot up stage but have no luck saving the backup of the hard drive images to the DVD boot up disk " DVD ". Man its a pain in the... Can anyone help please.

John

[Tabvla]

Hi John

It is not clear from your post what exactly you are trying to do. This is what I understand.....

1. You have an Acronis boot CD

2. You save your images to your HDD

3. You want to move/copy your images to DVD

Is this correct?

[procratinatored]

Originally Posted by Tabvla

Hi John

It is not clear from your post what exactly you are trying to do. This is what I understand.....

1. You have an Acronis boot CD

2. You save your images to your HDD

3. You want to move/copy your images to DVD

Is this correct?

Tabvla,

Pretty close I will try and define it a bit. I need a boot DVD, not a CD for Acronis that I can put my disk images on. So far I have been able to create a Acronis Boot DVD but I can't get it to do muliti session so I can add my image files.

In short I want to boot Acronis from A DVD and have my disk images on there to load straight from the DVD. Most my images are in excess of 1.5 gig thus the reason I need a DVD and not Cd

John

[Menorcaman]

Hello John,

Check out my reply in this previous thread titled <How to add an image backup to a bootable DVD>.

Regards

[Tabvla]

Hi Menorcaman

I am interested to know why anyone would want to have the image on the boot DVD/CD. What is the thinking behind this? In which typical real-world situations would such a setup be practical and useful?

(As you know, once ATI has booted into the Linux kernel, all the critical components are loaded into RAM and the boot CD can be removed which then makes the drive available for other removeable media).

[Menorcaman]

Hi there Tabvla,

Convenience (one less disk to worry about). If you look at the number of replies (12 pages) and views (65,893 to date) in the thread titled <How to create bootable rescue DVD(s):>, there has clearly been a lot of user-driven interest .

All this user interest prompted Acronis to provide the capability to automatically include the Acronis bootable media components into TI's new imaging direct to DVD feature (still a work in progress ). Combine this with the new "One-Click" restore feature and it becomes a pretty useful, automated, disaster recovery disk (particularly if the image can be contained on 1 single layer or dual layer DVD).

Regards

[Tabvla]

Hi Menorcaman

Thanks for the feedback. Interesting.

In principle I can see how this could be useful in non-critical environments. For example, getting workstations up-and-running after a failure (assuming that all the critical data and software is held on the server).

In practice I am a little less certain of how this could be practically implemented given that currently the vast majority of DVD's are 4.7GB.

[starsfan09]

Originally Posted by Tabvla

I am interested to know why anyone would want to have the image on the boot DVD/CD. What is the thinking behind this? In which typical real-world situations would such a setup be practical and useful?

(As you know, once ATI has booted into the Linux kernel, all the critical components are loaded into RAM and the boot CD can be removed which then makes the drive available for other removeable media).

I've wondered the same thing! Seems like doing this would create unreliable backups.

Originally Posted by Menorcaman

Convenience (one less disk to worry about).

What's one more gonna hurt? LOL! I mean,, people already have to keep up with ONE disc, ...why not add another (the most important) to it.

Even if I did use DVD's to back up to, I wouldn't want to rely on this method of mixing the Boot-up software... with the actual Image file.

[Menorcaman]

Originally Posted by starsfan09

What's one more gonna hurt? LOL! I mean,, people already have to keep up with ONE disc, ...why not add another (the most important) to it.

Even if I did use DVD's to back up to, I wouldn't want to rely on this method of mixing the Boot-up software... with the actual Image file.

Although I believe I have been a major contributer to the above linked thread on bootable rescue DVDs, it was done more out of interest than my own continued need for a bootable rescue image (bought two dedicated external USB hard drives some time ago ).

However, given the interest in the linked thread above, along with the number of requests I've seen for such a feature over the past 2 years (search the forum and trawl through the Acronis True Image Wish-List), there are clearly a large number of users who would beg to differ. Still, different folks, different strokes as they say .

Regards

[seekforever]

Originally Posted by Menorcaman

... However, given the interest in the linked thread above, along with the number of requests I've seen for such a feature over the past 2 years (search the forum and trawl through the Acronis True Image Wish-List), there are clearly a large number of users who would beg to differ. Still, different folks, different strokes as they say .

Regards

Anybody who has read my posts on DVDs know that I rate them at the bottom of the reliability/speed barrel for backup media.

However, there is something mystical and comforting about the little shiny disk with your disk data on it. It looks so secure, so infallible compared to all those electronic boxes, certainly convenient to store and you can put it under your pillow for a good night's sleep.

In some ways it does lend itself well to backups because hard disks don't really fail all that often. If people had to use them to restore their whole disk on a frequent basis they would certainly be out a favor very quickly.

Just my thoughts

[procratinatored]

Originally Posted by Menorcaman

Hello John,

Check out my reply in this previous thread titled <How to add an image backup to a bootable DVD>.

Regards

Thanks for this I will look into it and see how I go. I have read a few replies here and the ones that intest me the most is the question why would you use it. What if your total back up was 5 gig you would be looking at cartiong around more then one disk. If what Menorcaman has suggested works I need to have one disk for each computer instead of 7 and one bootable for each disk.

I weait for Acronis to include this before upgrading.

John

[procratinatored]

Originally Posted by Menorcaman

Hello John,

Check out my reply in this previous thread titled <How to add an image backup to a bootable DVD>.

Regards

Menorcaman

Thanks for that, how simple was it, just applied the update to my version and no problems. Latest patch was 9.0.3677 and worked wonderfully. Putiing 19gig on 3 DVD with a boot up is so much better now I just have to carry 3 disk around to each PC without lugging countless disk around thanks heaps mate.

John

[starsfan09]

Originally Posted by procratinatored

Thanks for this I will look into it and see how I go. I have read a few replies here and the ones that intest me the most is the question why would you use it. What if your total back up was 5 gig you would be looking at cartiong around more then one disk. If what Menorcaman has suggested works I need to have one disk for each computer instead of 7 and one bootable for each disk.
John

This is the Dis-Advantage of using DVD's. You'll either have to "Disc Span" using Regular DVD's, or use "Dual Layer" ...which are very expensive. Even on sale at Best Buy, you'll spend $40.00 for 20 of them. Just add a few more bucks, and you've got enough to buy a 80gb External USB 2.0 HD for your Backups.

With an External HD, (formatted to NTFS)...the Sky is the Limit! Your ATI Backup file can be a Whopping 30gb file. One file -- One smooth process! That's what I love about Externals.

Originally Posted by procratinatored

Menorcaman

Thanks for that, how simple was it, just applied the update to my version and no problems. Latest patch was 9.0.3677 and worked wonderfully. Putiing 19gig on 3 DVD with a boot up is so much better now I just have to carry 3 disk around to each PC without lugging countless disk around thanks heaps mate.

John

Here's something better than carrying around all those DVD's. Get a WD "Passport". It fits in the palm of your hand, and just requires one 3ft cable. It powers itself from the Bus on the computer, so you don't need a Power cable to lug around either.

[Tabvla]

Several posts on this thread make good reading and raise valid points for consideration.

Personally, I cannot see that bootable imaged DVD's would be very practical in the Home or Small Business computing environment.

However, where I can see a very useful application is in the larger business environment which involves many workstations. In such an environment, typically the workstations would have Windows Workstation installed which has a very small footprint. Applications, Data, Emails.... etc would be stored on the central servers so the workstations would only have a minimum of files.

Providing everyone with a bootable, imaged DVD would be a real benefit for the IT staff. If a workstation goes to blue-screen heaven, all the user has to do (even if they are totally non-technical) is stick in the DVD, follow some simple instructions supplied by the IT guys and gals, go and have a cup of coffee and a chat - and before you know it they are up and running again with all their individual settings. And without having to call on the IT department.

Updating the DVD's also becomes very easy and can be centrally controlled by the IT department.

This makes a lot of sense.

[Menorcaman]

Originally Posted by Tabvla

This makes a lot of sense.

Yes indeed. Especially if it's a whole disk image on a single DVD and Acronis One-Click Restore is included as part of the media components. Boot from the DVD, click "One-Click Restore" and Bingo! the system is back up and running without further user intervention. Try doing that with an external USB HD .

Regards

[Tabvla]

If I can find a customer that I can sell this idea to I will buy you a case of beers when I next visit Menorca!

[Menorcaman]

Originally Posted by Tabvla

If I can find a customer that I can sell this idea to I will buy you a case of beers when I next visit Menorca!

You're on!!