Help: Howto Bck and restr. a XP Installation

Hey
I´m very new to TI, bough the box version and read the printed manuel but I can´t find what I´m looking for or I´m to foolish

What I want to do is to backup a new windowx xp installation on my partition C:
that I can restore instead of install new, Programms etc are not important to backup, only a clean XP Installation
My HDD is partitioned into:

C: for Windows 20 Gig
D: with my dokuments, programms etc. 60 Gig
E: with photos games etc 80 Gig
F: like D and E 80 Gig

What I find out in the manual and in this forum is, that I can´t use the snap and restore option, because of full backup my entire HDD. there will be used to much space and I don´t need to have xp running in a few seconds

So I only want to backup my clean XP installation on partition C:, without the other patitions and want to restore it with an bootalbe DVD oder CD.

Can somebody help me and explain me how I can to it the easy way?

thanks in advaced

 

A more usual way of structuring partitions would be to keep the operating system and installed programs together on the same drive, normally C.
The reason for this is that installed programs create registry entries and other files in the operating system. Any restore of a "clean " operating system would mean that previously installed programs, even though they were on another drive, would need to be re-installed.

My own choice would be to make regular images of the C drive, OS and programs, so that when a problem arose it would be an easy step to restore back to a previous well working point. The ideal of a pristine operating system, unless you are prepared to do a reinstall or at least a repair using the original installation CD, is really an un-obtainable illusion.

Xpilot

 

thx Xpilot for your answer,
programms are not nessesary for me, only a clean restore of xp, likely an new setup of the os.
So how to I need to go on?
Backup->my computer-> and then patiton c:, an the bootable cd from TI?

 

If the contents of the rest of your partitions are expendable then that is all you need do.

Xpilot

 

Because the original poster has (unwisely) separated the Windows installation and programs into separate partitions, the Windows partition contains references to objects in a different partition. This can cause problems when restoring only one of these partitions at a time.

 

Well, this thread looks like a good place to post, because a lot of people have asked me personally about this subject and most who have asked or have posted here about having all kinds of problems have these problems because they didn't understand what they were trying to do.

Now, I'm not going to get fancy here or throw out a bunch of stuff at you that you don't understand, I'm simply going to tell you how to make a backup of your system on DVD's using Acronis. I am also going to assume that you are a new user. I will also assume that you just got this brand new computer delivered to you. The techie has put windows XP on this computer and he has installed Norton anti-virus software. Actually let's say he installed Norton 360 that has a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware protection. The techie has also logged on to windows and got the latest updates for windows. You are set to go! You don't have any other programs installed. You have a basic system. When you orderd this system you also had a second hard drive installed so that you could use it to put pictures and other data on to store.

Well now let's have fun and go on the internet. Wow! it works and it's really fast. You better get a backup of this system before things get too complicated says the techie. How do I do that you ask. Well, you will need a backup program or you can use what windows provides. I want a backup program you say and so the techie goes to the Acronis site and downloads the Acronis program and shows you how to install it. Now, here we have a basic computer with an extra drive and with a basic system Windows XP and
only two progams installed which are Norton 360 and Acronis TI Ver 11.

You don't have any spyware, virus's or trogen horses. The techie saw to that. You have a good system and are now going to make a backup of it using DVD-RW's.

The techie is standing behind you to help if you don't understand what you are doing. Let's try it!!

I click on the Acronis Icon

Next I select Backup and Restore (because I want to make a backup)

Next I select Computer (because I want to make a backup of my system in the computer)

Next I select Disks and Partitions (because I want to make a backup of my system drive)
I highlight c: check the box because the techie tells me this is where my system is and we are going to make a backup of your entire system which includes windows and the two programs that have been installed. So I ask the techie what is this drive d: and drive e: and he tells me that the drive D: is your DVD player Recorder and the drive e: is the extra disk you had me install for extra storage space.

Next the program asks me if I want to exclude any files (I look at the techie for guidence and he says, you don't (don't worry about it at this point you want it all)

Next the program asks for a location to put the backup.
Now I'm getting lost and look at the techie for guidence.
The techie says look over here at the left and click on computer so I do and under computer it shows me all my drives. Next the techie says we want to select the CD-DVD icon because we are going to backup to DVD-RW's (whatever that means. because I am now lost). So I do as the techie says.

and now the program asks me what kind of backup.

I select full backup because the techie says I want it all and use the default option because I don't have any special requirements. I have to now tell acronis what I want to call the backup. I look at the techie and he tells me lets call your backup sysback.tib. So I type in "Sysback.tib"

Now the program asks me if I would like to add comments. I look at the techie for guidence. He tells me type in there "system backup of drive c" and tells me you don't have put anything in here but comments like this are good.

So I type this in and am just getting ready to press the continue button when the techie says STOP. Pay attention to me and listen. This is very important!! You see these, he says, these are dvd-rw's and they must be BLANK. Make sure that you have 3 BLANK DVD's or DVD-RW's before you even open the Acronis program to make a backup. I tell him OK and then he tells me to go ahead and press the continue button.

Acronis starts and says to insert the first BLANK DVD. I do and the fun begins
It takes acronis about 25 minutes to complete the first disk, then it asks me to insert the next disk. I do and it takes about 25 minutes to do the second disk and then the program asks me to insert the third disk. I do and it takes about 10 more minutes to complete the third and entire backup process. In the meantime the techie had some little stickon's which he had me label what each disk was and we put the stickems on the disks and we put the disks in cases to protect them disk1, disk2 and disk3.

Now the techie says what you have created is a set of backup disks that if your hard drive fails you or you get a virus or anything else, these disks will restore your system to this place in time only. Do not try to use these disks on a different computer. They will not work. They are good for this computer and this computer alone. If you change your system, you will need to make another set of these disks. I don't advise you to wipe these disks and reuse them until you have at least 2 sets of backups. What in the world did he mean by that? Oh well, I'm set to go. Now lets get to the internet!!

 

Yup I agree with bulldog356.

Only two solutions:
1. Backup both your windows partition and the partition where you installed your programs too. Restore them both.
OR
2. Make a fresh new windows installation without any programs installed yet (patch it if you like); back it up (yes just one partition) and then you can safely just restore that when the need arises for a fresh format.

 

You forgot the next step. Boot to the TI CD and see if you can successfully Validate the DVDs.

In one of my TI DVD tests, I could create the DVD backup just fine (it fit on one DVD), but TI could not read the DVD it created. It seemed to think the DVD was blank. The very same DVD could be Validated just fine in Windows as well as in another computer so I know it was written properly.

 

Personally - this is just my opinion - I would not backup to optical media. On the other hand, backing up to optical media is infinitely better than not backing up at all.

If you're following a belt-and-suspenders approach then, sure, why not backup to a DVD every now and then. Otherwise, the advantages of backing up to an external hard drive or a network drive are overwhelming.

 

Now THIS is what I'm talking about. Can you write something up like this for a newbie who only has 1 hard drive with 3 partitions who wants them ALL backed up? The whole Secure Zone confuses me. And hey, if I can create the image to DVD's, that'd be great, then I wouldn't have to worry about using up HD space for a Secure Zone, right?

If this if a thread hijack, I can post anew.. THX.

 

Check out my backup & restore guides listed below. These provide all the details in backing up to an external or another internal drive. What you want is a "disk" backup where all partitions are checked. I would only recommend having a backup on DVD when the backup is a supplemental copy and the original copy is stored elsewhere.

Depending upon the size of your backup, you might be able to store the backup (temporarily) on your system drive and then copy the backup onto DVD as a simple data copy. You would need to used "archive splitting" and split the backup into dvd size files (such as 1492MB which fits 3). For best results when restoring a backup on DVD's, it is best to copy all files back from the DVD onto an external or another internal drive so all the files are back together in one folder.

If you do not have an external drive, I would strongly urge that you get one. One scratch on the DVD and the entire backup is lost!

 

As a newbie, you need to know that backing up to the same physical hard disk is not a wise idea. If the hard disk is inaccessible - for example, due to corruption, malware or physical damage - so is your backup. Putting a dollar from your left pocket into your right pocket is not the way to save money.

As long as you're taking the trouble to learn how to backup, may as well do it right: Buy yourself an external (USB) hard drive, or at the very least backup to optical media or to a second internal hard disk.

Also: Read through this forum and you'll discover the problems some people are having with the so-called Secure Zone.

 

Bless you GroverH. You are a saint! Yes, I will try and keep my tib's on DVD's. I know it's not the best idea, but I can't swing a new hard drive right now. I will treat the DVD's like gold until I can.