simple ?, plz answer

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by jdzworld, Jul 30, 2005.

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  1. jdzworld

    jdzworld Registered Member

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    this may sound like a dumb question...but if youve used acronis true image: where should i make the image at?
    should i make it in safe mode? should i make it on the windows desktop..i closed down the progs by the clock. the reason i ask is because several months ago i made a backup of my hd w/ my cd writer s/w and it skipped several things...some i can identify were running by the clock and others im not sure about. i closed the ones by the clock. or should i even have used the boot cd i made first to get a image going. i just dont want to mess up these cpus again. im new to this s/w and am using trial version. lmk. thx.
     
  2. pjb024

    pjb024 Registered Member

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    You can make a backup either by running TI under Windows or by using the Bootable Rescue CD. If you backup under Windows then you don't need to close running programs or run in safe mode; it's not necessary. The main thing to remember when doing a backup is to make sure that your backup is located anywhere other than the disk you are backing up. Doing a backup to your desktop is not a good idea as you will lose your backup as well as your system if the system disk develops a fault. Backup to CD or DVD or to an external HD or an internal HD or to a USB drive; the possibilities are endless but don't backup to the same drive you are backing up.
     
  3. dld

    dld Registered Member

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    This from the ATI manual:

    "You can store a disk (partition) image on the same disk (partition) if there's enough space for it, but you should not keep your primary images on the same partition or disk. You should burn images to removable media, such as a CD, DVD or Zip disks, another hard disk or a network drive. The only reason to create an image on the same partition (except for creating an image in the Acronis Secure Zone) is to use the image as a local, secondary backup. This backup could be used to restore damaged files. (Remember, if your disk becomes physically damaged, an image stored on the same partition will be inaccessible.)"

    Creating a disk image in an Acronis Secure Zone on the same disk as your C: partition is possible. However if your disk becomes physically damaged you lose your image.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2005
  4. ratcheer

    ratcheer Registered Member

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    It is not a dumb question and most of us who had never done any imaging, before, had to find out the same answers.

    I started imaging just a few months ago. I started with a Secure Zone, but I realized I was just chasing my tail. It was better than no image at all, but as the previous poster said, if the hard drive actually becomes unusable and that is where your images are, they are then worthless.

    I think you could copy your Secure Zone images to writable DVD's as the cheapest solution (if you have a DVD writer).

    The next best option is to get an external hard drive to create your images on. You can get a very nice one in the $200 range.

    Probably the best option is to add a second internal hard drive, which is both faster and cheaper than an external.

    With either of the hard drive options, you can still copy the images to writable DVD's, for even more security.

    Hope this helps,
    Tim
     
  5. Menorcaman

    Menorcaman Retired Moderator

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    Not possible I'm afraid. Once images have been created in the SZ they are inaccessable to other Windows applications (hence reason it's called a "Secure Zone" ;) ).

    Jdzworld could choose to image direct to DVD or use the two-step method, both of which are described in this <Acronis True Image Online FAQ>.

    Regards
     
  6. dld

    dld Registered Member

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    Having pointed out the limitations of creating a disk image in an Acronis Secure Zone located on the same disk as the C: partition, it remains the only alternative for a very large group of people. Many people buy a computer c\w CD\DVD burner and use it strictly for emailing, for storing photos and for playing games. For these people choosing the alternative of creating images using their DVD burner following the instructions given in Acronis FAQ is asking quite a lot. The same can be said of installing a second internal drive or of getting an external drive. These people are just as likely if not more so of experiencing a major disaster. For these people the logical choice is to create a disk image in an Acronis Secure Zone located on the same disk as their C: partition.
    I did just that for a friend of mine yesterday. The computer was a newer Dell with a NTFS C: partition and two small partitions, one FAT32 and one FAT16. It was truly something to behold to see Acronis moving partitions around, creating a Secure Zone in which I then created an image of the C: partition. If the Restore process goes as smoothly, then ATI is the solution for this group of people.
     
  7. Menorcaman

    Menorcaman Retired Moderator

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    Hi dld,

    All very true. However, I just hope you didn't choose the default option to also activate the Acronis Startup Recovery Manager, as that will have zapped your friend's ability to boot into the special Dell restore and diagnostic partitions. Also, we'll keep our fingers crossed that his one and only hard drive never packs up :eek:

    Regards
     
  8. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello jdzworld,

    Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

    Acronis True Image 8.0 is the complete backup and disaster recovery solution - you can create an image of your entire configuration on a live system so you never need to shut-down to create an image.

    The Acronis True Image 8.0 program uses a special method of "snapshot" image creation, it doesn't store the standalone files or directories, but saves blocks of your hard drive data, saving the information about the disk/partition geometry.

    After the restore you will get the an exact copy of once backed up partition,
    you will not need to reinstall anything.

    Please read more information on how to use Acronis True Image 8.0 and where is the best to store your images in Acronis True Image 8.0 User's Guide which is available at:
    http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/docs/

    Please also take a look at the Acronis True Image 8.0 FAQ at:
    http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/faq.html

    Thank you.
     
  9. jdzworld

    jdzworld Registered Member

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    thx for the responses...but i think my question was misunderstood by some people. i AM backing my system up to cdrs as the hd is not that big yet. the question was...where do i do the actual true image?? pjb024 says i can do it right from the desktop. so i guess nothing would be skipped even if something was running w/o my knowledge?? or should i install and make the boot rescue cd...and then boot from it.(therefore i never go into windows where perhaps something is skipped like my cdwriter s/w did). how does every1 do it? i looked on the faqs,etc. but really couldnt find a definate answer. it mainly looked as if they ran the s/w while windows was running. plz lmk. thx again.
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2005
  10. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello jdzworld,

    To create image on CDs you need to start "Create Image" wizard, go through the steps there, choose your CD writer as destination and proceed with image creation. You don't need to make the image using Acronis Bootable CD but if you prefer doing it this way you are welcome. Once you get to the main Acronis True Image screen you may eject Acronis Bootable CD and insert the CD where you wish to create the image.

    Thank you.
    --
    Ilya Toytman
     
  11. jdzworld

    jdzworld Registered Member

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    ^^thx 4 the quick response. i ran TI straight from the windows desktop on all of my cpus so i should be set if something bad happens. i just wanted to make sure nothing is skipped. thx. :D
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2005
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