n00b needs some help, please...

Running XP Pro, SP2. Recently installed Acronis True Image Corporate Workstation 8.0, build 921.
This PC is used in my home office and I need to be certain that I have up to date backups for when, (not if ), my hard drive decides to take a dirt nap.
If it matters, the specs on this rig: P4, 3.0 GHz, 1,024 MB RAM. I have two hard drives in place. The master is a WD 80GB, and the slave is a WD 40GB. I'm planning on doing a complete format and reinstall on the main disk. What I would like to do afterwards, once I have all my data, files, and programs installed as I like, is to clone that disk on to the 40GB slave. Then set it up so that every night I can auto update my files on to the slave drive in case the master dies a sudden and painful death.
Now, having said all this, it should be evident I am not a computer person. It is used out of necessity, so be gentle, folks...

 

I haven't used the scheduler in Acronis but it should do exactly what you require so if the drive dies you should be able to get another and restore the image to it and lose little or no data and be up and running again with little drama.

I prefer to automatically backup any data that I need to a second drive using a backup program (Handy Backup) that automates the whole thing so I know I'll never lose any but the very most recent data in case of a drive failure and I rely on Acronis in case Windows doesn't work properly but you could certainly use Acronis to update an image each night and all you would lose would be any changes made after the image was last updated.

If I were you I would make sure you can rely on Acronis to restore the image though by at the very least going through the process of restoring an image right up until the last step of restoring it or if you feel game make an image and restore it immediately to make absolutely sure you can rely on Acronis. Putting an image onto a rewritable DVD say once a week would also give you an extra bit of security.

 

Hello Carbo,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis True Image (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/).

Please note that the cloning process is commonly used when you transfer your system to another hard drive (for example when you perform an upgrade of the hardware). In your case it seems that you'd better create an image of your system rather than clone it, especially since you can schedule the image creation process but cloning.

After that you need to decide whether you want to create one full back up and then create incrementals or just create new full back up every night.

If you create full back up and then incrementals you will need more place because you will need to have all the image files (i.e. full back up and all previous incrementals). But in this case you will be able to restore not only the last software configuration of your computer but any previous as well.

If you create full back up every night (removing the previous one) you will be able to restore only the last software configuration, i.e. the state at which your computer was just before the back up was created. However this will require not so much space.

It seems to me that you'd better shedule full back up creation each night. Also please note that if you store the back up to DVDs or CDs you will need to press the "Ok" button in the dialog box just before the image creation starts. It may appear to be inconvinient if you plan to create images in night-time.

Thank you.
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Ilya Toytman

 

Thanks for the replies, folks. One more question comes to mind, though.
My plan is to format both my existing hard drives, do a fresh install of XP Pro, and reinstall my programs and files. The primary drive, (80GB), will be divided into four parts: C for the OS, F for all apps and programs I run, G for my personal files and data, and H for my music files.
Once I have set this drive up, I would like to then copy it, exactly, to the slave drive, (40GB). This slave becomes my backup, along with using my backup program and burning my indisensible files to DVD-RW. I would then like to run a daily backup in the event of a hard drive failure.
Now, when I open Acronis True Image, I click on disk clone. But when I do so I see a message that says I must remove the old hard disk after I move my data to the new hard disk. I'm confused. All I want is a duplicate image.
Thank you.

 

Hello Carbo,

Could you please send a screenshot of the message to support@acronis.com and indicate in the subject of the letter that you want to contact Ilya Toytman? I will tell you the reason why this message appears.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman