Do I need imaging?

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by mike21, May 20, 2009.

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  1. raakii

    raakii Registered Member

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    U need it definitely.None of the softwares u use is more powerful than image program.Also antivirus helps u protect non system partition,while preventing unnecessary fd-isr update.
     
  2. HAN

    HAN Registered Member

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    I agree. My imaging programs are the most important programs I own, bar none...
     
  3. SourMilk

    SourMilk Registered Member

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    Don't really know if you do (OP). I certainly do. An offline clean image is important to me not just because of malware but hard drive failure. Programs such as Acronis True Image are able to mount an image as a virtual disk allowing you to copy data such as pictures, documents, etc. on completely different hardware even though the OS drivers are incompatible and the image used cannot be restored on a different type of motherboard. There are also some imaging programs that can install on dissimilar types of hardware by bypassing the drivers.

    Important? for me yes.

    SourMilk out
     
  4. mike21

    mike21 Registered Member

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    raakii, thx for advices, but I don't believe there is a malware that forces FD-ISR to perform an unwanted update. This program is so unpopular :'( that I doubt any hacker or virus "developer" takes it into consideration.
     
  5. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Passing MD, yes. But if you run it Sandboxed you are pretty safe. I tested against one of those encrypting malwares, and all the encrypted files were neatly stashed in the sandbox, waiting the delete.

    Pete
     
  6. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    If the data is REALLY IMPORTANT you should backup to an off-site location. Fire or theft makes your data disappear as surly as the HD dying.

    I use iDrive for this and its very reliable in my experience. I also agree that 2 imaging programs are a good idea especially since there are a good number of free programs available. I have had images go bad (and sometimes the imaging program can go bad and require a reinstall - finding out your restore/imaging program is corrupt when you are trying to do a restore is no fun at all).
     
  7. raakii

    raakii Registered Member

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    I refer to fdisr snapshot updates (to recover the os back )not the program.
     
  8. Retadpuss

    Retadpuss Suspended Member

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    In my opinion, having a good backup and backup policy is very important as no security is perfect.

    I use the standard Windows 7 (Vista has one as well) complete system backup - on to an external drive.

    If you dot use Vista (Ultimate I think has it) or Win 7, give Acronis a go.

    I use the standard Win 7 file backup to crate daily, scheduled backups of my docs etc.

    I did use NTI Shadow - which crates a backup of every file when changed - you select the folders it monitors and it will always backup these files, in realtime to your chosen destination. It can be set to keep a number of generations of backups as well - all very good!

    I believe NTI shadow comes free with many Freecom external drives.
     
  9. lodore

    lodore Registered Member

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    vista business and vista ultimate both have full system backup (imaging) bultin.
    If you dont have those versions and you dont mind burning your own media and using commandline you can use the execellent commandline tool called imagex
    its includeed with WAIK

    I didnt know about this before i purchased image for windows so i dont have a use for it. But i have used imagex at college to image and restore before doing some tests.
     
  10. mike21

    mike21 Registered Member

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    I understand what you writing, but I don't understand why do I need an imaging, if, provided that I buy an external HDD, I can do all above simply by sync, without any imaging involved
     
  11. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    That will work fine for data. It will also work fine if your hard drive fails, or gets otherwise trashed, and you have time, to reinstall Windows, reinstall your software, do it all the same, and then you can sync back your data. But if time is critical, and image can be restored, to a trashed disk, or new disk in a few minutes. Time is the issue.

    Pete
     
  12. HAN

    HAN Registered Member

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    Well said Pete. :) I know when I've had bad drive issues to deal with, time was at a premium. I didn't have a few hours to throw at stuff (not really even a few minutes...)
     
  13. Fly

    Fly Registered Member

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    Imaging is also important to remain malware free.

    If I know or suspect that my computer has been infected by something more malicious than, for example, a cookie, I tend to restore a known clean image.
    Just to be on the safe side !

    Another advantage of an imaging setup is that you are able to prevent a corrupted OS. Corruption of the OS will occur over time, especially if you use certain security software. You'd have to handle your data, but other than that, just restore a clean image (and update!) and you're done.
     
  14. mike21

    mike21 Registered Member

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    Well thanks a lot for all your suggestions.

    May I ask then to suggest me a program to "image" to another HD my C:\ and D:\ drives. But I need a program to exclude some huge folders from drive D:\ and all snapshots but current of FD-ISR at drive C:\
    Funds is not problem, as it is the company's PC.

    Also do you recommend better an external HD or internal HD to host the images?

    @Fly: I use FD-ISR as a corrupted OS recovery, if I understand you.

    Thanks in advance for being with me, Mike :)
     
  15. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    I don't know as any of the "imaging" programs allow you to exclude folders. They take the whole partition. As to a good imaging program, my choice would be ShadowProtect.

    Pete
     
  16. pandlouk

    pandlouk Registered Member

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    Parakalo Mike :)
    Macrium Reflect, Paragon Backup, Norton Ghost, Symantec Backup Exec and Acronis can create file level backups; only the directories you want.

    Drive Snapshot is propably the only imaging program that can exclude files/directories while imaging the whole partition.

    Panagiotis
     
  17. lodore

    lodore Registered Member

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    Im sure paragon and image for windows can exclude folders during full imaging. I would think shadow protect desktop can to.
     
  18. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Nope, Shadowprotect can't exclude folders as far as I can see. It actually makes no sense at all to do this. Okay, you take an image and exclude folders. Then when you restore you know have a system without these folders.

    I have a file backup system I also use, and there I pick and chose folders and actually files, I want backed up. But I image, in case the disk goes south, or gets so corrupted it's got to be formatted. That's when image restore is critical, and would you really want your image not to have everything?

    Pete
     
  19. pandlouk

    pandlouk Registered Member

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    Neither IFW nor Paragon can exclude files during full imaging. (only 'PAGEFILE.SYS' and 'HIBERFIL.SYS' are excluded but those are excluded from all the imaging apps)

    The only program that achieves it is Drive snapshot.
    During the imaging the exluded files get replaced by dummie files (have the exact same name but contain all zero's). After the restore the user must execute the batch 'SnapshotDeleteAfterRestore.BAT' that is also restored at the root directory for eliminating those dummies.

    Panagiotis

    edit: I correct myself. Paragon (9 and later) and Acronis also have this ability.
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2009
  20. mike21

    mike21 Registered Member

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    Sorry for late reply, but as I was re-reading this thread I have to say that FD-ISR can do exactly these functions with ease, in fact this is what its made for.
     
  21. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    For most things yes. But if something screws up the partition table or the disk fails, while yes you can still recover with FDISR(assuming you use archives), it will take you a significant amount of time, instead of a few minutes.

    Pete
     
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