Recovering Files/Folders to Another PC.

I'm a road-warrior and my livelihood depends on my notebook, so I've got to have a recovery plan in case it's ever stolen or damaged.

I realize that TI 10 can not restore an image made on my notebook to another notebook, but I was wondering if it would allow me to access my files & folders (in the tib file on my USB drive) so that I could recover them onto another PC? ...or should I use some other software to accomplish this?

 

If TI is installed on the computer, you can restore files from any TIB file. It doesn't matter if it was created on another computer.

So if you laptop gets replaced, just install TI. Then you can restore files or mount/explore an image on your USB drive and copy whatever files you want.

If the TI image is of a Data partition (not a system partition) and you have room on the new laptop, you could restore the entire data partition to the laptop's drive.

 

Thanks MudCrab. If I understand this, all I have to do is install TI 10 on the new laptop and I will then be able to recover any of my data, docs, and photos from the 'entire-disk' image created on the old laptop; correct?

Just as a curiousity, could I also accomplish this (restore the old laptop's files/folders to the new laptop) by using the TI 10Boot CD on the new laptop?

 

Of course, don't wait for when you have to do it, try it now to make sure it will work.

 

That would make good sense if only I had a spare laptop (or for that matter, a spare desktop)! Since my current laptop is working great, a replacement would only be necessitated if mine were ripped off or damaged.

Given the circumstances, I have to place my trust in Acronis (and MudCrab's assurances that my files/folders can be recovered to any new laptop)!

 

In that case I would also have a "plan B" and use something that will copy your files and folders in native format - like XCopy or Karen's Replicator or simply Windows Explorer.

 

Good idea, but why native format? ....why would it be inadvisable to use WinRAR to archive my files and folders onto my USB hard drive (for 'Plan B')?

 

Assuming the image file is intact, you can mount or explore it on any computer with TI installed. You can recover files from Windows or from the rescue cd, but Windows is usually easier.

I realize you won't be able to test this on a (at this point in time) phantom future laptop, but that's how it works. The image files are independent of the computer and the OS.

You don't need a spare drive to test this. Start TI in Windows and mount or explore your drive image. Then browse it and copy a few files out into a temporary directory. If it's a files & folders backup, you can select a few files to restore and restore them to an alternate location.

If you get a little more familiar with how the program works, I think you'll be more confident in being able to get your files back after a disaster.

Also, don't ONLY count on your TI backup(s). It's a good idea to have any files of great importance backed up in several places in several formats (including native).

 

If the files are in their native format you can access them directly without needing any third-party applications.

Zipping, WinRAR, etc. are useful and can be used. I do all the time. The main thing is to HAVE multiple backups with not all of them dependent on ONE program to restore the files.

 

I never make a files & folders backup as I don't see much advantage to that. I just make separate backup images of the C-partition and the D-partition on my laptop.

As I asked DnD, is using WinRAR (or WinZIP) to create archives of my files/folders onto my external USB drive any less reliable than native format?

 

In fact WinRar or WinZip are both a heck more reliable than True Image. I've never had either of those compression programs fail me, nor have I read of anyone having problems with them, unlike with True Image, so go for it.

 

That's good to hear - I have also found WinRAR to be very reliable, not to mention the nicety of compression when you're saving lots of 'stuff' (as compared to using xcopy)!

 

There are also programs that can repair corrupted Zip files (probably also Rar). Something that TI doesn't offer (corruption repair, that is).

 

Why not? I just did a complete system upgrade from an old system to a newer one by creating a TI 10 image on an intermediate system and then restoring it to the new system. I re-activated Windows, did a couple of driver re-installs for my TV card and USB security key, and I was done. This was for my wife's system and I was done while she was out of the house for less than 3 hours - from creating an extra incremental to the full restore and reconfig (and a Windows update thrown in for good measure to handle the new graphics card drivers).

I would think that you could store some TI images on an external drive or multiple DVDs before you go on the road, some incrementals perhaps on a USB key or DVDs, and then be able to piece it all together on a new laptop of your's gets ripped off.

.../Ed

 

Hi (again) Ed,

While you were apparently successful, there are a great number of posts in this forum reporting everything from major difficulties to BSoD's after restoring an image created on one PC to a different PC.

As I replied in your thread where you announced your migration success, I believe that success is the exception rather than the rule. If that task was typically straight-forward as in your case, Acronis would not be marketing their Universal Restore addin to their v9.1 Corporate versions of True Image to facilitate that job. In fact, even when using Universal Restore it's anything but a 'slam dunk'! A quick search of some recent threads herein regarding system migration (and Universal Restore) will support my contention.

Regards, pv