FDISR - Export/Import

[ErikAlbert]

Today, I exported Snapshot-03 in pieces of 650mb (=665600kb) to Snapshot-03ES and FDISR created 5 files


1. Snapshot-03ES.arx = 665,600kb
2. Snapshot-03ES.001 = 665,600kb
3. Snapshot-03ES.002 = 665,600kb
4. Snapshot-03ES.003 = 665,600kb
5. Snapshot-03ES.004 = 210,750kb
--------------------------------
Total............... 2,873,150kb, which seems to be correct in size.

I assume that all these files need to be burn on CD's?
I didn't burn them on CD's, that must be a very time-consuming job. Pffft

But I imported the file Snapshot-03ES.arx back into a new Snapshot-04 and after rebooting, Snapshot-04 seems to be OK and complete.

The file Snapshot-03ES.arx seems to be the leader during the import and is probably the first CD in your CD/DVD-drive and then probably Snapshot-03ES.001, .002, .003 and .004.
I didn't really test this, but it's logical that it has to be done this way.

I also did it without splitting and that results in ONE file Snapshot03ES.arx

Since the extension .arx is the same as for "Archived Snapshot", you can use the import function also for "Archived Snapshots", which I've tested also with no problems whatsoever.
Exported Snapshots (.arx) however don't appear together with "Archived Snapshot" in the main menu of FDISR.

Personally, I will never use this, but I guess it will work for users, that love CD's as a backup medium.

[wilbertnl]

Originally Posted by ErikAlbert

Exported Snapshots (.arx) however don't appear together with "Archived Snapshot" in the main menu of FDISR.

Does the exported .arx show in the archives list when you move it to the archive location?
(Refresh the archive list with F5)

[ErikAlbert]

Originally Posted by wilbertnl

Does the exported .arx show in the archives list when you move it to the archive location?
(Refresh the archive list with F5)

You got that right.
My mistake, because I changed the archive folder in the settings for another test and I forgot to change it back.
All arx-files are visible now, also the exported ones, but not the .001 upto .004-files and that's good because that would be confusing.

[Peter2150]

Another excellent and interesting test. Not practical for CD's but for DVD's why not. I agree though and stick with external HD's

Pete

[sukarof]

I assume that all these files need to be burn on CD's?
I didn't burn them on CD's, that must be a very time-consuming job. Pffft

Not really, personally I dont burn CD´s anymore (does anyone burn backups on CD´s still? ), but surely it wouldnt take more than 2-3 minutes/CD with a relatively new burner? Then again, what is time consuming is a relative matter
I have burnt FDSIRarchives to DVD-R and DVD-RW and imported them back without any problems.

[ErikAlbert]

In order to satisfy, the very disappointed member "sukarof", I burned all 5 CD-RW's for real
at the incredible writing speed of 4x (600kb/s - 23m/CD), while I was re-watching the movie "Terminator III" to kill the waiting time.
Meanwhile my wife was lying in bed with tapping fingers, waiting for me and couldn't understand why I wasn't satisfying her instead of male member "sukarof".

1. The burning and verification process was successfull, at least on the outside and lasted 100 minutes machine-time. (NOT including my manual actions).

2. The import of 5 CD-RW's to create the new Snapshot-05 took 39 minutes (NOT included my manual actions)
FDISR asked me nicely to insert the next CD in the expected sequence .arx, .001, .002, .003 and .004

3. Then I rebooted with Snapshot-05 to report all this at Wilders and everything was working fine in Snapshot-05.
So everything has been tested concering export/import.

P.S.: the reason why I used CD's was because I don't have DVD's yet.

[crofttk]

Originally Posted by ErikAlbert

...Meanwhile my wife was lying in bed with tapping fingers, waiting for me and couldn't understand why I wasn't satisfying her instead of male member "sukarof"....

Wow ! It's rare to see that much info around here !

Well, I couldn't resist and I'm in the middle of burning an FD-ISR archive of my laptop's primary snapshot to a DVD+R Double Layer right now, at about 4X. The file is 8,521,020,598 bytes and it looks like it will take around 30 minutes to burn.

Followup to restore and test boot this archive will have to wait 'til tomorrow.

However, it will have to be in daylight hours, since I will be flying home to Pennsylvania in the evening and I don't think I want to have anyone finding out my wife spent tomorrow night tapping her fingers !

ETA: Confirming, it took 30 minutes to burn the arx file and 30 more minutes to verify it. This morning, I restored the arx from the DVD, copied it into my secondary snapshot and booted successfully into it with everything operating nominally. IMO, it's comforting to just put away a "permanently" burned snapshot once in a while -- granted this is only the OS, programs, and system/program customizations with my data on a separate partition.

[aigle]

Hi ErikAlbert! in that case if one uses an external HD instead of CD/ DVD, then I think he should not need ATI to cover a hardware disater.
What u think?

[ErikAlbert]

Originally Posted by aigle

Hi ErikAlbert! in that case if one uses an external HD instead of CD/ DVD, then I think he should not need ATI to cover a hardware disater.
What u think?

Personally, I don't mix image backup and immediate system recovery. I see both separately, which means I will never ditch ATI for FDISR.

If you have everything on ONE partition, usually [C:], than I think you can use FDISR as a replacement for ATI and the maximum of 10 snapshots isn't a problem, because you can have as many ARCHIVED snapshots (.arx) as you want.

If you have more than one partition, for example : system partition [C:] and data partition [D:], then you have a problem IMHO, because FDISR works only for your system partition [C:] and you won't have a backup method for your data partition [D:].
I prefer to have at least two partitions and some members have even more than two according my readings, member "Mrkvonic" is certainly one of them.

You can wait for other replies, but that is how I see it and I won't change my mind anymore, because I'm alot more happy with two partitions, than one partition. It simplifies alot and I don't have to worry about my personal files anymore and I can do whatever I want with my system partition.

[Peter2150]

Erik

I agree with you. I use two external drives for redundancy, and use several imaging progams to get a baseline image to restore. Just that it doesn't matter is if gets old. Then FDISR archives to get current. I also wouldn't abandon the traditonal imaging.

Pete

[ErikAlbert]

Originally Posted by Peter2150

Erik

I agree with you. I use two external drives for redundancy, and use several imaging progams to get a baseline image to restore. Just that it doesn't matter is if gets old. Then FDISR archives to get current. I also wouldn't abandon the traditonal imaging.

Pete

Peter,
Suppose you have only FDISR on your computer and you backup your snapshots on an external harddisk (.arx).
One day your harddisk crashes and you buy another harddisk.
Don't you have to re-install Windows and FDISR manually in order to get your snapshots back?
I'm asking this because "aigle" thinks, he can work with FDISR alone, even in case of the worst scenario.
IMO it depends on how you see it of course. If you have to install Windows and FDISR manually, that's not what I call image restore. What do you think?

[tobacco]

ErikAlbert

aigle is correct in his thinking.With snapshots backed up to an external source and important data if they are separated with a different partition on his primary drive, recovery is as simple as installing windows and FD ISR again.Then creating a secondary snapshot and using it to bring the system back up to speed.Obviously, the prefered method by you and others is faster to get to this end result.And having 2 backups ( image and archives ) leaves some room for error instead of having only one.

[ErikAlbert]

Originally Posted by tobacco

ErikAlbert

aigle is correct in his thinking.With snapshots backed up to an external source and important data if they are separated with a different partition on his primary drive, recovery is as simple as installing windows and FD ISR again.Then creating a secondary snapshot and using it to bring the system back up to speed.Obviously, the prefered method by you and others is faster to get to this end result.And having 2 backups ( image and archives ) leaves some room for error instead of having only one.

In that case I wish "aigle" good luck.

[aigle]

Ya, all I mean if somebody wants to cover two thing by one, especially if one is not doing backups frquently then there is at least a single choice there.

[crofttk]

Yep, it's just a big disconnect on the differences and definitions of "need" and "want", i.e., semantics.

[Peter2150]

Originally Posted by ErikAlbert

Peter,
Suppose you have only FDISR on your computer and you backup your snapshots on an external harddisk (.arx).
One day your harddisk crashes and you buy another harddisk.
Don't you have to re-install Windows and FDISR manually in order to get your snapshots back?
I'm asking this because "aigle" thinks, he can work with FDISR alone, even in case of the worst scenario.
IMO it depends on how you see it of course. If you have to install Windows and FDISR manually, that's not what I call image restore. What do you think?

Absolutely. I'd have to install some flavor of XP, then install my external drive drivers, then install FDISR, and then could get the archives. Acronis or any image is faster.

Technically Aigle is correct you could do that, but to me it doesn't make sense.

Pete

[Peter2150]

Originally Posted by aigle

Ya, all I mean if somebody wants to cover two thing by one, especially if one is not doing backups frquently then there is at least a single choice there.

Aigle

It's true what you say, but FDISR support technically doesn't support use of FDISR for that purpose. Other than that it depends on your time. If time isn't an issue, yes what you suggest is viable, but for me time is an issue, so getting an image recovered and then updating with FDISR is preferable.

I've also learned that in the long run simple is better. To me in this case that equates to Image + FDISR

Pete

[ErikAlbert]

Hey guys,

If you work with system and data partition and you use only FDISR, how are you going to backup your data partition [D:] ?

[dallen]

Not to contradict your conclusion Peter2150 & ErikAlbert, because I agree with you both. However, I want to point out this option:

OS Recovery from Hard Drive Failure

Of course this does not address the issue regarding backing up your data when the data is stored on a separate partition than they OS. However, I do feel that the method discussed in the above article warrants recognition.

[wilbertnl]

Originally Posted by ErikAlbert

If you work with system and data partition and you use only FDISR, how are you going to backup your data partition [D:] ?

Focusing on data backup: maybe it doesn't matter if you anchor data or store it on a data partition.
The advantage of a separate data partition is easy recovery of the system partition with some disk image.

I use syncbackup (http://www.2brightsparks.com/products.html) to synchronize two pc's in a home network and to backup to a external harddisk.

[ErikAlbert]

Originally Posted by dallen

Not to contradict your conclusion Peter2150 & ErikAlbert, because I agree with you both. However, I want to point out this option:

OS Recovery from Hard Drive Failure

Of course this does not address the issue regarding backing up your data when the data is stored on a separate partition than they OS. However, I do feel that the method discussed in the above article warrants recognition.

Well this method requires GHOST, which is also an image backup software.
So it isn't a PURE FirstDefense solution, because GHOST is involved.

I still wonder how you will backup your DATA partition [D:], if you ONLY use FDISR as system restore and as backup solution.
I would like to have an answer.

[tobacco]

I've never used an additional drive but do plan to get one someday.Anyways, maybe i'm a newbie to external drives but couldn't you just copy important data over the same way you do from partition to partition or networked computers?.

[Peter2150]

Originally Posted by ErikAlbert

Hey guys,

If you work with system and data partition and you use only FDISR, how are you going to backup your data partition [D:] ?

One of the reason's I don't partition.

[ErikAlbert]

Originally Posted by tobacco

I've never used an additional drive but do plan to get one someday.Anyways, maybe i'm a newbie to external drives but couldn't you just copy important data over the same way you do from partition to partition or networked computers?.

There is ALWAYS a solution, but some solutions are faster, easier, safer, ... than other solutions.
I don't really need a computer, if I use paper and pencil, but things will go slower without computer.

Users have always copy/paste files on computers from the beginning : on tapes, on floppies, on CD's, on DVD's and on harddisks.
Copy/paste files isn't the same as an image backup. Image backup is a total solution without manual mistakes, can be scheduled and can be done automatically.
Copy/paste is a manual action done by the user and users make mistakes sooner or later.

[Peter2150]

Dallen

I looked at that article of Todd's, and recognize it as a solution. Just not one I am confortable with. I'd rather pop an Ancronis,IFD or whatever cd in boot it, restore the image to a new drive, then refresh snapshot with FDISR. Simplicity. When (I) have start messing with Lite versions of XP, scripts and whatever, I see opportunity for (me) to mess it up.

As for the D: partition. This is why again I don't partition. I hear all the reasons for partitioning, but I haven't done it, and in 5 years haven't had a problem or lost any data where partitioning would have made a difference. This way one disk image, one FDISR refresh. Simple way for simple me.

Pete