Startup Recovery Manager; Making Discs

I have been using ATI 9.0.3677 on an HP Pavilion desktop with Windows XP Home SP2 for several months now. I haven't had any real problems, and have even restored my entire PC a couple of times as an "easy way" to get rid of spyware. After all this time, I am finally just now trying to take the time to fully learn the program. Question: If I am understanding correctly, one can use the Bootable Rescue Disc in place of the Startup Recover Manager. Is this right? I turn my PC off daily, and could live without the extra several seconds of the "Press F11" option during boot. Or could I possibly find myself in trouble if I disable Recovery Manager? Further, CAN I disable Recovery Manager, now that I have been using it? I ask because I read that when it is enabled for the first time, it changes the MBR; something that I imagine is critical to the system. The two times that I restored my PC, I did so by re-booting, and then pressing F11 at the appropriate prompt.

Also, while I have your attention, if I may: I would like to backup my entire PC on discs. Do I simply select "E:" instead of "Acronis Secure Zone"? (E: is my disc drive.) Can I use DVD-RW (my drive supports them)? Do I need to (or should I) include "ATI (Full Version) and/or "Acronis One-Click Restore" on my backup disks? Finally, my PC consists of approximately 15 GB. Can anyone make an educated guess as to about how long this will take?

I hope that these are not too many questions for one post. ALL assistance is appreciated, even if only some of my questions can be addressed. Thank you to all who take the time to reply.

 

Startup Recovery Manger not needed for backups or restores. Read more on this topic by visiting Useful forum threads in my signature and read the topic "Secure Zone & Startup Recovery Manager".. It will answer many questions about the good and bad of using the SRM.

This practice is NOT recommended by many of us. You will find more success in using another internal or external drive. If you must use cd/dvd media, then create a backup on another drive and copy/burn the backups onto the DVD as a secondary operation. Creating backups direct to the cd/dvd media not recommended by many. Success rate not predictable.

This controlled by the speed of your computer and drivers used by Acronis. In your case, this could vary from 60 minutes to 180 minutes and time depends upon whether you validate as part of the backup. Acronis initial estimate is rarely close to the real time actually used.

 

Thank you for the information, GroverH. I only own this one PC, so I do not have any additional drives. Perhaps I will just skip that (for now, at least). I'm still a little uncertain on one thing. If the Acronis Recovery Manager changed my MBR when I first activated it, will it be changed back if I deactivate it? This PC is an HP, so I do not have any XP discs; only the recovery discs, which I had to make myself. And going back to that point... well... it would take me WEEKS to get my PC back to the way it is now.

 

If you have the recovery disks take a look at this Begginer's Guide to Creating a BartPE CD. Directions for making an XP install CD are included there.

 

This link is the search results for "Startup Recovery Manger". It will provide a lot of good background info about the topic.

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/search.php?searchid=1587355

 

I made a BartPE CD once before, but I don't recall following any of those instructions. I will have to try it again. Thanks for the link, Thomasjk. GroverH, your link just came up with "no results". But I see what you were trying to show me, so thank you. I can do the searching myself.

 

Mustang's directions for making the install CD are included in the guide as I mentioned. I used them to make an install CD for my Compaq laptop which only came with a restore CD. I then used it to install XP from scratch. It worked quite well.

 

Well, I can't seem to download "wnaspi32.dll". I wait and wait, but nothing happens. There is nothing on my PC so vital that I don't have it saved to good, old-fashioned pen and paper in my safe. I make a good enough living; I'd just as soon go out and buy another copy of Windows XP if I had to. This is just getting a little too complicated for my PC knowledge/abilities. Thanks all the same, guys!

 

riprip,

First, my apologies for the non-workable search link in my prior post.
I refined my search and found the best results was by using this combination of the advanced search feature:

• Search by keyword=Recovery manager
  Search entire posts (rather than titles)
  search by username=Acronis support
  Find posts =from 6 months ago
  Search in forums=Acronis True Image Product Line

I finally found the answer using the above search and looking at all the entries. The link below provides a definitive answer from Acronis Support.

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=152845&highlight=Recovery Manage&post#4

Please note that while backing up to another drive is the preference of many of us, Acronis does provide other ways of performing the backups. One is using the Secure zone (and without the use of Recovery Manager) and the other very workable alternative is the temporarily store the backup on your System drive (C). After the backup is complete, you can then move the backup to another drive or media.

If you used the spanning option set for 1492mb , you could then copy the files onto DVD (3 files per dvd) for storage. Of course, you would have to delete the files off the C drive before the next backup to prevent them from being included in your next image backup.

Strongly encourage you to watch the sales and get yourself anther drive for your backups. If external, be sure and observe the un-written safety rules regarding connection only while in active use so as to avoid the viruses and electrical variances, shocks etc.

 

Okay; I believe that I understand now. I am going to make a second Acronis Backup, but not in the Acronis Secure Zone. I am going to make it in a folder that I create on my PC. Then, in turn, I am going to copy that to DVDs.

I don't know anything about this "spanning option", though. Acronis won't prompt me automatically when I need to insert a new DVD? I frankly admit that I do not understand whatsoever where you came up with the values "1492 mb", and "3 files per DVD".

I want to state for my own comfort, not to imply that you don't understand, that my goal is to create my own "Recovery Disks" that would restore my PC to the state it is in NOW, as opposed to using the HP Recovery Disks, which pretty much restore my PC to the state it was in when I FIRST PURCHASED IT.

Lastly, I am still uncertain whether or not these DVDs should include "ATI (Full Version)", and/ or "Acronis One-Click Restore".

 

Paragraph 1: Yes, you are correct. This is a lesser preferred method (temporary storage on system drive) but it will have to suffice until you get another drive for backup storage. This backup can be created either from within Windows or if booted from the Rescue CD.

Paragraph 2: My apologies for using the term "spanning option" since Acronis uses "archive splitting" for the same function. You can access this option prior to beginning the backup by visiting the tools/options/default backup options/archive splitting; or during an actual backup as illustrated in my backup guide Par 10, Image B-8.

Acronis will not prompt you to insert a new dvd since it is not involved in the burning of the DATA DVD. Use existing 3rd party burn software to burn a normal DATA DVD consisting of three backup files (*.tib) for each DVD. If you utilize the split option above, 3 files split into this size will fit onto one DVD and you will need several DVD to contain all the files For more info, use the search function and check previous threads about burning DVD using the "two step" method. Step 1 is the creation of the backup using archive splitting. Step 2 is the burning of the DVD via 3rd party software.

Paragraph 3: If you backup the entire disk using the "full disk" option,
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=182030
and validate the subsequent backup on Drive C and validate (using the Rescue CD) the subsequent DVD's made via the copy function, the final result should be a backup set which "could"(?) restore your system in the event of a virus or to a new identical drive. Any defect in the DVD can prevent its restoration. These True Image home backups will NOT restore your system to a new computer--or new motherboard, etc--only to your existing equipment.

Paragraph 4: Include neither. Your Rescue CD will suffice. Lot's of horror stories about "one click restore" being mis-used by people not understand its function and requirements. It is the Rescue Cd which is most often used (prior to V10) to restore your system, it must be tested to make sure it displays all your drives, etc. And it should be used to validate the image stored on DVD.

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My guides can provide more info about the backup and restore concept. Do some practicing. It will become more clear after each practice. Another good practice is to read many of the topics posted on this forum. The answers are already there to most any question you might have and will expand your knowledge base regarding Acronis backups.

 

I've burned my DVDs. I am verifying the DVDs now, as I post this. As a result of compression, ("normal"), I only needed 2 DVDs. I want to thank you for your help. I'm glad I came here, as I would have otherwise just burned straight to DVD as per the Acronis instructions. I'm not about to imply that I was over-charged for this product, but it wasn't exactly free, either. It's a little disappointing that this method is preferred. Perhaps all would have went well, but for what I (we) paid, it should work as it says, every time.

Should I ever need to use these disks, the worst that could happen is that they will not work, and I will have to resort to using the HP Recovery Disks. At least I now have the option to at least try. Thank you again.

 

rlprlp,
Be a regular visitor. Come here often and learn--as we all do. Almost every poster on this forum is a learner. We find what works and what doesn't or is un-predictable.

I would encourage you to try making a backup direct to DVD! You hardware may be such that you will be one of the many that are successful. But alas, there have been so many posters to this forum indicating troubles or un-predictability, that many of us simply avoid the direct burn because there are so many other options which are better and more reliable.

Your comments seem to indicate that you will not be doing any more backups. If correct, I would encourage you to change your mind. The secret to easy backups is having some place to store them. Watch the sales and buy yourself an external usb drive. It makes your computer life so much easier. Then backups can become a part of your regular routine. I use my computer only for personal use but regular personal backups have been a part of my life for the last 25 years.

Without testing, you have no conclusive evidence that your backup will perform its recovery. Yes, validation is the first step and an important one. The next step would be a real test by restoring the image to a new drive.

I started using TrueImage Home with version 8. Then upgraded to 9 after a year and now have just upgraded to Version 10 after a years usage of v9. I am of the opinion that while Acronis could do a lot better, but it could be a lot worse. It does what I want it to do. Create images and restore my system. I feel my money has been well spent. Remember, backups are insurance. It money spent hoping your never need to spend larger amounts.

Good luck with your future backups.

 

I love your enthusiasm; but I have to be honest. There's hundreds of things that we're SUPPOSED to do in life, like practice monthly fire drills; or carry three days of food and water in our cars....