Basic Restore Qustion

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by The Sand, Aug 18, 2007.

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  1. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    I did my first restore using Acronis True Image 10 a few weeks ago. I'm a new user - just a home user. I was basically "winging" it and hoping it would work out. It did but I was confused by something. My full image back up has five files that say MyBackup1.tib, MyBackup2.tib, MyBackup3.tib, etc. until MyBackup5.tib. When I restored I "Highlighted" MyBackup1.tib and then moved along until I hit "proceed." When it was done everything was there... all my programs (I even checked to make sure all the data was there too... all my music, pictures, etc.) I thought I would have to keep going... like do "restore" again and then "highlight" MyBackup2.tib, until I had restored all five files that way. Or does Acronis just "know" that when you select "MyBackup1.tib" you want to restore the entire image (from tib1 to tib5.) I Want to make sure I am using the program correctly...

    Thanks,
    Sandy
     
  2. thomasjk

    thomasjk Registered Member

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    TI knows when you have created a backup that either includes incrementals or differentials that they are all one backup. This also applies if you made your backups to a FAT32 formatted drive. The max file size is 4GB and TI automatically breaks up the backup into 4GB chunks and keeps track of them as one backup.
     
  3. GroverH

    GroverH Registered Member

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    Sandy,
    Review my guides below. Perhaps they can add to your knowledge base.
    Also, the "Useful Forum Threads" link contains a wealth of information.

    Grover
     
  4. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    Thanks Tom for the ino... the "help" menu within the program only tells you so much.

    Thanks Gover for the guide info... I'll check that out because I really didn't know what I was doing - I got lucky it worked out so well.

    Happy restoring!
    Sandy
     
  5. HobbitRock5150

    HobbitRock5150 Registered Member

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    I tried it a couple of ways and had the following experience--choosing any .tib file validates for validation checks the whole image when using the Rescue Media, but for some reason TI got cranky in Windows (XP) when I tried selecting MyBackup2.tib for validation; it hung and told me I'd requested something improper of rundll or something.
    Grover, perhaps you can shed some light, since in your guide it says you can select any .tib file (unless I read it wrong).
    But no big deal. As long as I know for sure that it validates or restores the whole image if you select the first split, that's the main thing, and this thread has answered that for me too; thanks.
    I'm a new user too (you can probably tell) and also just did my first restore with Acronis. It wasn't even too far into a new install when I had a program install go bad; fortunately I had just made an image the day before. Preserved my software authorizations and all. I also was "winging it", Sand--I just pointed it at the first part of the image and it did the rest.
     
  6. GroverH

    GroverH Registered Member

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    TI recognizes any tib file as part of a backup set. When you validate one, the entire set is validated.
     
  7. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    Obviously certain posters here have created guides and manuals that FAR exceed the "help" menu within the program... and I thank them for it.

    Since I'm prone to "winging it" when it comes to my computer (my moto is if it's running... screw with it until you break it.) I have a feeling Acronis and my external hard drive will get me out of many a "winging it" jam!

    Sandy :)
     
  8. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    I'm not promoting "winging it" but the main use of imaging apps is getting you out of software problems. I've performed scores more restores for software problems than for hard drive failures.
     
  9. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    Hi Brain... I know using Acronis and my external hard drive will be cheaper than the $65 tech help calls I place to Microsoft (all too frequently.) They are really good too, and very nice - the people from India who work for Microsoft... but that is an expensive habit. So far I've used Acronis twice and being able to restore replaced the phone call to Microsoft that I would have had to make...

    p.s. I have NEVER - and this is true - had the Windows restore feature for either my XP or my Vista actually work. I know people use that feature ALL the time... but for me it has never worked! When things are too screwed up that feature fails...

    Sandy
     
  10. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    I turned off WinXP System Restore ages ago. An image restore is far more effective.

    Enjoy your restores.
     
  11. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello The Sand and HobbitRock5150,

    Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

    In addition to what other posters said, please notice that you can find the detailed instructions on how to use Acronis True Image 10.0 Home in the respective User's Guide.

    Thank you.
    --
    Marat Setdikov
     
  12. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    Thanks Marat... I should have checked the website first for any "guide" available. I basically was going off the "help" within the program...

    Sandy
     
  13. DwnNdrty

    DwnNdrty Registered Member

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    Ditto for this Floriduh bumkin ... :D But then I also have not done any Windows updates since SP2. Maybe that's why my system runs as slick as it did from day 1. :cool: :cool: Boot time is still a lean mean 1 min, 30 seconds on a 1.6Ghz system with 512mb memory.
     
  14. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    You, "haven't done any Windows updates since SP2." Get out! Your boot time is impressive too... But you are probably an experienced "user." If I tried that I'm sure I'd crash and burn... hell, SP2 caused me to crash and burn - that was one of my first tech help calls. Of course Microsoft denies it was SP2 - but it WAS SP2.

    Sandy
     
  15. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    Just to continue with DwnNdrty's comment. I haven't owned a computer for longer than 2 years. I've had 3 HP's in 5 years! They fall apart... I had one HP hard drive physically break (you could hear it trying to spin and failing.) I just recently replaced the ram on my latest HP which is only 2 years old. I don't think I should have had to replace the ram on a computer that old. I thought 2 years was normal "turn around" time for a computer... based on your post - maybe not.

    Sandy (who now owns a Acer:) and am thrilled with it!)
     
  16. shieber

    shieber Registered Member

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    Win Sytem Restore is useful for very limited purposes -- mainly rolling back after updating a driver. For that, it's fadster than restoring an entire image.

    It won't undo software muckups done by program installs/uninstalls or other program woncks -- it really only addresses the system files. But sometimes that's all you need.


     
  17. como

    como Registered Member

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    If you dont want to have your image split into 4GB chunks change your external drive or the partition you save the images on to the NTFS file system, I believe WinXP can do this without losing any data
     
  18. DwnNdrty

    DwnNdrty Registered Member

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    Sounds like you have a "dirty" electrical supply or it's prone to a lot of glitches on the electrical lines. Do you use a UPS (battery backup)? Are you in a part of the world where there is frequent lightning? I recently gave away two 300Mhz systems that were still working after 10 years. My current desktop (1Ghz, 256mb ram) is over 5 years old - sometimes I wish it would crash and burn. :D I cannot find a valid reason to get rid of it. I thought Vista would be it, but I'm not touching Vista until the end of the year. And that desktop is a no-name brand.

    The "speed demon" I mentioned above is a 2.5 year old laptop. The battery, of course, doesn't give me more than 30 minutes now but that's to be expected.

    When I use True Image it is always from the Rescue CD and only do Full Backups. I never do validations but always test my Images by doing a restore to a spare hard drive. I backup my files in the My Documents folder separately using Windows Explorer to simply copy them to an external usb drive, since I like to keep the backup in native format.
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2007
  19. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    This is helpful to know - I couldn't figure out why Windows Restore never worked for me. Based on what you said above, it wasn't capable. I thought I was the only person on Vista forum who couldn't get Windows Restore to actually work...

    Sandy
     
  20. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    How do I change my External Hard Drive to NTFS if I have Vistao_O If it's radically complicated then don't bother responding - I probably won't be able to do it...

    Thanks,
    Sandy
     
  21. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    Yes I have thought about the electrical issue. Somebody else brought that up to me too. Most of my computer problems I have started after we moved to this apartment. Who knows how stuff is wired here...

    That is great you have a computer that old... and it still runs great. You were smart to wait on Vista - I wasn't so smart...

    I validate my backups - I have never "tested" them which is probably a better idea. I had to do my first restore not so long ago and everything was fine. (thank goodness!) How come so many people use Acronis from the rescue CD... why not from Windowso_O

    Sandy
     
  22. DwnNdrty

    DwnNdrty Registered Member

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    If you haven't one, definitely get a UPS for the computer. For the $40 or so it is a worthwhile investment.
    My reason for using True Image only from the CD is that IMHO, there will be less problems. Whenever a piece of software gets updated (not just True Image), you never know if the update is going to "play nice" with everything else you have on your system. And since TI has the CD feature to run it from, I just prefer to take the extra time to shut down and run TI from it.

    Earlier versions of TI had problems with GoBack and InCD. I don't know if version 10 has overcome these. As I said before I still use ver 9.
     
  23. como

    como Registered Member

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    I don't have Vista but on XP I used the convert command from the dos prompt as described here http://www.ntfs.com/quest3.htm I had no problems at all and would expect that Vista has the same command. Try a Google or ask in a Vista forum, just make sure to use the external drive letter and not any other drive letters that you have in your computer.
     
  24. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    Thanks for the info Como. Thanks also for taking the time to add the link. It would be neat to have just "one" tib file. I'm sure I'm not the only here who appreciates it...

    Thanks!
    Sandy
     
  25. The Sand

    The Sand Registered Member

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    Thanks DwnNdrty! I will check out the UPS for the computer. Thanks for letting us know how you use TI - the feedback is helpful for "new users" like myself in deciding how we ultimately want to roll with this program...

    Take care,
    Sandy
     
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