specific backup / clone solutions

Hi I need very specific advice how best to use your product in 2 important areas.
I regularly add replace and change programs on my pc.Eventually I need to reinstall xp and all basic programs such as mobo drivers graphic card drivers and all 120 updates to xp as well as sp2 sp3.This takes a very long time.So I need advice here.
Firstly If I backup to another hard drive...I think the copy/clone drive option may be the best option (please tell me if this is NOT the best option),then I should be able to reinstall xp etc from the backup.It must be bootable without errors. If there is a better way of doing this please tell me.
Secondly I want to use this pc as a games pc so will need to back up all GAMES ,programs and SETTINGS, that again can be reinstalled to a new clean hard drive when I reformat every 4 months or so. What is the best way to do this in conjunction with the first backup question?
Thanking you in advance
Paul

 

You need to use the Backup (not Clone) feature. And use another internal drive as the destination for the Backups, or an external drive if this is a laptop.

Since applications, including games, put entries in the Registry, you should backup the entire drive (check mark against Disk 1).

You can make several Backup Images at various stages. For instance, after you do a fresh install of XP Sp3, plus all updates, make an Image then. After you install your applications make another Image.

After running the system without any problems you should make whole disk backups periodically. Some users like to do differential or incremental backups as well - it is entirely up to you. My preference is for whole disk backups, but then I'm still using a 40Gb drive in both my laptop and desktop, so space is not a problem for storing backups on a 500Gb external drive.

For more info. read the guides that user GroverH has in his signature links.

You should also make the bootable True Image Rescue CD, boot with it and do an actual Restore of your Backup to a spare drive to make sure your Restores will be successful.

 

Basically what he said.

DON"T USE CLONE - Use backup.

1. Start from the begining.
2. Install XP and only the latest minimum drivers. Say Motherboard, sound, LAN, etc. that you need to get your system up. No extra drivers like printers and if you can leave your graphic driver off too because they always get updates.
3. Update XP about a billion times till you get to SP3 and then keep doing critical updates. Now you have been there for about 8 hours and never want to do it again. right? Do one more thing.
4. Reboot your computer and then Defrag your HD.
5. Check one last time for XP updates.
6. Now your at a point where you should NEVER have to go back past this point. Technically (although don't) you could throw your XP disk away and this is your new starting point. That being said make sure you have "activated" Windows XP.
7. Intall Acronis so you can do a full image backup. Ideally you should have an seperate HD in your system. Heck you can get a 1 TB for $85 bucks now.
8. Make a folder on your seperate drive - lets say its D drive and call it Backup and in that folder make 3 new folders called 1. Bootable ISO, 2. Disk Image, 3. System State. (this is just a suggestion so you get the idea).
9. Create Bootable Rescue Media - This is incase you can't even get your computer to boot. Otherwise you would have to load XP again.
10. I prefer to just creat an ISO image and save it to the folder we just talked about. Then you can create as many CD-R's you want. Or you can just make the disk now.
11. Now the Backup. Backup - My Computer - Disk and partitions - choose drive C - no excludes - navigate to your folder called Disk Image - Make a name like C Image 1 - choose FULL BACKUP - default options - make a note like FRESH XP SP3 Install - Proceed and your done. Save this to the backup folder Disk Image.
10. Verifiy the copy when your done. Its also in options.

Now you can always go back to this point in about :30mins if you ever have a problem or install a new HD.

Now make all the changes you want and set up your gaming rig. When your done with all the changes make another backup image just as before. Name it C image 2 or something. Now from a blue screen you can always come back to this point - easily.

Now you have 2 options. Continue from this point and make schedule images to keep track of all the programs you install. OR you could restore image 1 and load different settings and programs. You could have TWO paths if you want. A gaming path of images and a non gaming path of images.

I prefer full backups because HD are so cheap. Give it a try. It is easy to do.

You can make a backup of just your data also. Try the "Try and decide" it lets you install programs to give it a try and then discard any changes if you don't want to keep it. Great for those FREE programs or opening attachments".

Also before long your memory will fade and you wonder "was image 4 the one that was before I installed the game or was that file name image 13". To solve this I keep a diary on a text document (.txt) that I keep track of all changes I make to each image." This really really comes in handing when your trying to decide what image to restore to. I love going back to just before I installed that free 1 year subscription program!


Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the info..the only problem is I cant see what I've backed up. I much prefer to back up as a clone(copy) so I can see what is backed up and is so easy to reinstall? isnt it? I dont want to find a problem later after several backups that I cant retrieve my info and therefore find all the backups useless!
More feedback on this please
Thanks
reptile

 

You need to have the confidence in your backup Images - that what you have backed up is what was on the original drive. That is why for the first two or three images you make, you should do an actual Restore to a spare hard drive.

If you still feel you should do a Clone, then you will need to buy a hard drive for each Clone you make and want to keep ... your choice.

 

Ok guys,
I've followed advice. I hope!
backed up first hdd to second internal hdd, and now I need to test backup out.
So to test this has worked do I restore as follows.
1. wipe hdd which has xp sp3,data files,drivers etc.
2. restore backup to first hdd from second connected internal hdd which has backup folder.
3. To restore do I first have to boot from rescue disk or can I use acronis software disk?
Have I got this right?
thanks
reptile

p.s. wouldn't copy/clone to second drive be immediately bootable once drives swapped over and drive letter changed?

 

I dont have a spare hdd to test this out .So can I wipe the first hdd and then try restore from second hdd
thanks
r

 

ok now I could do with some help! got a slight problem.
have completed backup to second hdd with ati home 10
then Ialso backed up using xp backup,and also used files and settings transfer using xp, both to separate folders on second hdd.
why? To test out the different backup options.See what works and what doesn't.
when I try to test out ATI by booting with installation disc and also with bootable rescue disc...I get acronis splash screen followed by a black screen and non responsive program!
So has the fact that I've tried to backup using different methods/programs effected the acronis program? and if so how?
Please note, I havent restored yet!
losing confidence rapidly
thanks
reptile

 

Still need help here
thanks
reptile

 

Hello reptile,

Thank you for using Acronis True Image

Please let us know the license number via PM, we will provide you with an ISO file to create another Acronis Booting Rescue Media.

Thank you.

--
Oleg Lee