Partition image excluding 1 folder?

I want to make a first restorable image of my Windows Vista partition, but exclude 1 very large data folder. Can this be achieved by selecting "Files and Folders" and then unchecking the mentioned folder? Or will the "files and folders" option generally omit some more features than the "entire disk" option does?

Thanks for your patience with an acronis newby,
Tom

 

kicks,

As you are asking a question about data files in the OS partition I encourage you to read this link about separating data from the OS. I don't think TI can image a partition and exclude folders. Other imaging software can do this but I doubt it's much used.

http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/notes.htm#13

 

Hello Tom, welcome to the Forum...

Good advice by Brian K - System and Data should always be separated.

In a multi-disk system it is recommended to store Data on a different disk to the System. In a single-disk system the System and Data should be stored in separate partitions.

Don't get confused between "Imaging" and "File Backups".

The industry norm for the use of these terms usually implies that "Imaging takes a sector-by-sector image of a partition" which means that an exact duplicate of the imaged sectors is obtained.

"File Backups copies the data contained within a file structure which is determined by the Operating System, e.g. FAT or NTFS or Unix", this in turn means that the backup as such has little physical resemblence to the source.

The system partition needs to be "Imaged" in order to create a bootable restore.

T.

 

Many thanks for your kind welcome!

Of course, I do follow the policy to separate OS and data. On this particular machine, however, after installing Vista as second OS into a 100 GB partition (uncautiously created with Partition Magic 8.1), I never was successful to shrink this partition AND to keep the dual boot. That's why I saved data to the Vista partition.

OK, in order to generate a restorable partition image, I seemingly will have to sweep the data first ... to an external disk that I will still have to buy :-( Thought there was a cheaper workaround, alas.

Best regards,
Tom

 

Hi Tom

Before you buy anything, if you post the exact setup of this particular system and provide details of what you would like to achieve I will try to give you some guidelines that you may find helpful.

T.

 

Thank you, Tabvla.

I'll gladly come back to you with details of the unfortunate disk. Should it become possible to split a third partition without loosing access to the XP or the Vista partition (which was the case in previous attempts), my original request would be obsolete. I'll post again in a couple of days.

Enjoy the WE,
Tom

 

With only one partition, when restoring an image how do you prevent your data files from being overwritten?

 

Tabvla, here I am back with the unfortunate partitioning of my main disk. It has 3 NTFS partitions:
XP 25 GB
Vista 100 GB
Data 25 GB

I tried to take 50 GB away from Vista and to add it to Data, but afterwards XP can no longer be started. It makes no difference, if I use Partition Magic 8, the Vista internal partitioning tool or Acronis Disk Director 10. Only a rollback of partition images lead me out of the mess.

If it helps clarifying things, I could additionally post screenshots or files of Disk Director Editor. (But shouldnt I open a new thread in the DD forum?)

Regards, Tom

 

Hi Tom

If you have another disk which is the same size or bigger than your current system disk then you could try "Cloning" the disk with Acronis True Image. During the Cloning process you can adjust the size of the partitions. This would enable you to change the partition relative sizes to the sizes that you require.

If you have spare disk then I suggest that you try this and see if your system will boot from the Cloned disk with the re-sized partitions.

WARNING

Make sure that you select "Keep Data" for the source disk. If you don't you run the risk of losing everything.

As you will be setting up this process using the "Manual" option it is highly recommended that you carefully read the section in the User Guide before you attempt this process. Make sure that you really understand how this process works and what selections you need to make as you work through the options.

T.