Which applications to close before running Scheduled Tasks?

Hi,

I was wondering what applications or processes, if any, I should shut down before running a scheduled backup task? Specifically, I was concerned that anti-virus programs (AntiVir), anti-spyware programs (SpySweeper), or defraggers (Ashampoo Magic Defrag) might interfere with a full disk image backup. Conceptually I'd think of these programs as constantly "interfering" with the state of a disk, making it impossible to capture a freeze-frame image... like people moving in a long-exposure photo. Or do I have it wrong?

Thanks,
Chris

 

Hi Chris

When you use ATI to take an image backup (e.g. of your system partition) then, using your photographic analogy, ATI takes a "snapshot" of a sector and then writes that snapshot to the the .tib archive. This is the principle on which ATI is able to image Windows from within Windows.

Feedback on this Forum indicates that the technology works as expected.

However, one would typically not be imaging/restoring the System partition daily. The norm would be to do this on a basis that corresponds with system changes, for example, one may schedule the System partition to be imaged to coincide with the Microsoft monthly updates.

My personal preference therefore is to image the System partition via the Linux interface. Prior to imaging the System partition I do basic disk maintenance, like running chkdsk/r; delete temp files; Registry cleanup; cleanout Recycle Bin; check if disk needs a defrag..... etc. I then like to shut Windows down which of course shuts everything else down.

I restart the system from the Linux CD and create my system image. It really is only a few clicks of the mouse and the backup is running.

I prefer having absolute control over the imaging of the System partition.

Backing up Data files is different. One does not need a specialist backup utility to backup Data files. Windows backup works well and can be easily scheduled to backup at times when the PC is not being used. One could of course setup the backing up of data to occur as a low-priority background task while the PC is being used.
.

 

I have scheduled backups for the whole of my main drive which run daily when the computer is not being used.
I have several background programs which I leave running at all times. These are Zone Alarm, Windows Defender, AVG anti virus. There are also 33 other ,mainly Windows, processes running.

I have never had any adverse effects on the creation of TI images.

Xpilot

 

I too have tons of stuff running on my system partition, including MSDE, an on-demand Virus scanner, firewall etc - it gets automatically backed up fortnightly. I have never had a problem.

F.

 

Terrific, that's what I was hoping to hear. In that case I'll run the scheduled tasks without any pre/post commands to shut down any processes. Thanks for the replies.

One more question then -- say I had a Word document open at the time a full disk image backup was made, then later I restored that backup. Would the restored Windows boot up with that Word doc open? Like, is it actually "going back to that moment" and restoring my computer right down to what programs were open at the time the image was created, or simply resetting system settings, data and so forth? My ignorance with disk imaging is shining through here. Thanks again!

 

No. It does not restore your memory, just your disk.

F.

 

May I add that I have scheduled full backups to a second ATA hard drive to start at 6:30 AM and have never had a problem. Initially I had some concerns about Norton AntiVirus 2007 with its automatic updates. Diskeeper 10 Pro was also a potential concern. To this date I have not seen a problem. Verifying the *.tib fils is successful and restoring an image has also been successful. I only create full images as this process only takes seven minutes with my system. Therefore, I don't use anything other than full images. Seems to work well. Have also created images on a Maxtor USB drive and that worked well but have not restored from it. I do understand that some USB devices can be troublesome tho.

Bruce

 

If yu have a disk-intensive program operating on the source or destination drive when doing a backup -- for example, a defragger or an antivirus scan -- it will tremendously slow down the backup because both programs are using so much of the disk access resource. Both progs should operate but they will take much longer to complete their tasks than if they were not running at the same time.