Alternative to True Image (nervous nellie)

Byte-for-byte is another way to IMMEDIATELY check the resulting image...by comparing it (byte-for-byte) to the SOURCE partition. This will take more time, but is probably the best way to verify the integrity of the resulting image file.

I no longer use "byte-for-byte" comparison because of my experiences with BING (2001 to 2006). If I use BING with a new rig, then I will run byte-for-byte comparison for the first fifty image files, then skip this option for all future image files.



People often use the term "mounting a partition" when they are working with a multi-boot PC. It's one way to access and transfer data between OSes.

http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/partition-share-HOWTO.html

 

thanks.

 

So what is the best solution/image software for a Laptop under following conditions:

1. Image from boot partition C:
2. Storing the image on partition D: (same hard disk)
3. In case of system crash he needs to boot via CD, and needs possibility to restore the partition C: with the images stored on D:
4 This user has no DVD writing capable CD-rom drive.

 

BING I can say (or IFW/ IFD- more easier to use than BING). He can make a bootable IFD/ BING CD only once on another PC and then no problem( or may be via a USB FLoppy rom... but not sure about this).

 

Whats more bullet proofed. BING or IFW/IFD (what ever this is - Terabyte Image for Windows)?
I think here are a lot of BING user, i will give it a test.

 

Easiest and cheapest solution is to use BING to create an extended logical partition D after the C primary active partition. Now create another logical partition E (8MB FAT16) after the D partition. Install BING in this partition.

If there is a corruption of the C partition, then reboot PC so you can access BING's boot screen to restore the good image file from partition D to partition C. There is NO NEED to use a BING boot disc unless the HDD is dead, or if you've accidentally wiped the BING "E" partition.

A more powerful strategy that will take care of a dead HDD is to create the BING image file on an external HDD via USB cable. Note that BING may not be able to write the image file directly to some USB HDDs. I say this not because I've come across this scenario, but because of the buggy nature of USB devices. In this case, you can also create the image file to the D partition, then transfer this image file to an external HDD vias USB cable.

IFD is cheaper than BING. IFD also comes with a less technical user interface, which may be easier to use for beginners. You will need to use a boot disc/CD to execute IFD. BING is more powerful because it also comes with a non-destructive partitioning program, and a boot loader. There is no need for a boot disc if you install BING on the HDD.

I would not use IFW because it runs in WINDOWS (NEED PHYLOCK to image an active partition...additional step in the imaging process that could go wrong).

 

I think only few persons here use BING, furballi is a big fan of it. More of terabyte users here I think use IFW/ IFD.
I ran trial versions of BING, IFW, IFD and did some restores without any problems. IFW and IFD I wsa able to use without any help and BING became as easier as IFD after watching tutorial videos. I also partitioned my HDs including dive with OS on two PCs with out data loss with BING.

Personally I like BING. It has much more functions that IFD/ IFW.

About bullet proof I can,t say as I juat ran a trial. BTW I personallt think in software there is nothing bulletproof. However I can,t even go for ATI, I see users complaining every day over their forums( I know forums are always full of problems) but ATI seems to have too many hardware issues. It,s just crazy that there are so many builds and versions and many times a user posts there, he is told to use the latest version/ build, it just seems a headache to me. I read users asking for different builds/ versions- from where to get them. ATI may be market leader but still I can,t try it, may ne later I will give it a try. Also it is a big download for m on dial up.

 

I myself, after trialing and testing a few imaging software for 2 weeks, in the end I decide to choose BING and plan to purchase it. Why? To me BING is very light and small. Even without installing it to my hard disk, the bootable cd is powerful with imaging and partition tools come with it. During my test, the image file (.img) never gets corrupted. I have one corrupted image (.tib) with ATI. For Paragon Drive Backup, after seeing the forum, I decide not to use it.
I only hope Terabyte people include the options to backup the mbr to another hard drive instead only to floppy drive.

 

Ok, one more question to BING as i am looking also for a nice and little program for resizing and managing partitions as i now need a partition in which i want to install only BING. BING does the job also well?

P.S. Just reading the manual of BING, that's defnetly not for beginners when you install BING for the first time Boot CD needed for creating a new partition in which BING will be installed, etc.

 

Yes, you can use BING to create a small 8MB FAT16 at the end of the HDD where you can load BING. If you do not want to install BING on your PC, then you can run BING directly from the BING boot disc.

BING does not run in WINDOWS. That's why you need to create a boot disc to install BING. Once installed on the HDD, BING will make a change to the MBR so that the BING splash screen will appear during PC boot. You can set the timeout of this splash screen from 1 to XXX seconds.

Resetting the BIOS to DEFAULT (free MBR utility at Terabyte) will disable the BING splash screen during PC boot. To restore the BING splash screen, reboot with the BING boot disc and RE-ACTIVATE BING (DO NOT reload BING because the BING program is already on your HDD).

BING does not make ANY other changes to the OS partition.

It is possible to backup the MBR to another HDD if the BING primary partition is on the other HDD. Simply backup the MBR to the BING partition.

 

Hm, trying to install BING.
Creating a partition with 8MB/Fat16 was no problem. But the setup botton won't get activatet. Regarding the EMBR it seams that HD0 has one, because i have the 'undoEMBR' botton' active. Some ideas?

 

Install the EMBR in the NEW FAT16 partition and you will be able to load BING to the HDD. Use the standard 4 primary partition mode.

 

So stupid, didn't saw the the createt partition wasn't a partition, but still a volume

 

Glad it was an easy fix. There's not much that can go wrong with BING. It will either WORK or FAIL with your rig. Wish all proggies were this easy to diagnose. Let us know if BING works with your rig.

I set the BING splash screen to 1 second delay. When I want to enter the BING menu screen, I repeatedly hit the ARROW DOWN key during the first ten seconds of reboot. This will freeze the BING splash screen.

 

I want to thank all the posters in this thread, you've brought together a wonderful treasure of information AND opinion concerning backup alternatives for a relative noob like me.

flash

 

Guys, question. I read most of this thread, but, which program can I use for the following requirements:

- ability to backup from Windows
- ability to restore from Windows (no boot disks of any kind, as this is a remote server)
- run on Windows 2003 Server edition

Please advise.

 

I'm only familiar with "Acronis True Image Home" , which is able
- to backup from Windows
- to restore from Windows, even the system partition
- to restore from Recovery CD, if necessary.
but it doesn't run on Windows 2003 Server edition.
"Acronis True Image 9.1 Enterprise Server" and "Acronis True Image 9.1 Server for Windows" runs on Windows 2003 Server, but I don't know if you can backup/restore from Windows.

If you are interested ask again in the Acronis Forums at Wilders or choose another image backup software.
Watch your post for awhile, other members might have other proposals for you.

 

Restrospect Professional will do all of the above. It's a file based backup program, not an imaging program. I use it on the six machines in my home network (in addition to ones discussed in this thread). I once restored my wife's machine's system drive from work using RealVNC to my home desktop as server across to her desktop as client.

 

Cobain is superb, AND it's free. Download spot & some user reviews are HITHER and YONDER

 

Can ATI, Retrospect, or Cobain do a complete image back up, including locked files (like the all important database files)?

 

As stated earlier, Retrospect is filed based, NOT an imaging program. Both Retrospect and ATI will get a snapshot of all files, locked or not, for backup purposes and thus do a complete backup from within Windows.

I know nothing of Cobain.

 

What is the difference between a file based and image based backup? If both do the job, can file based backup restore windows to its previous state if say hard drive crashes, I install windows on the new one, and then run the restore program?

 

Well you could dicuss the differences from a number of angles but the simplest I can put it is, imaging programs mostly deal with just copying raw bytes, sector by sector off of a hard drive, generally independent of which file system or even operating system it is. They usually are optimized for BULK copying of entire partitions and drives and restoring the same way. Generally they're faster but less flexible.

File based programs copy files and are optimized to store the backups in a way that they can very quickly and surgically retrieve individual files or specific groups or folder branches of files for restore. They have more overhead associated with them as the price for this flexibility, are usually operating system and even file system dependent and, of course, you pay the price in lower speed than imaging programs.

There are exceptions and it would be a whole can of worms to explain and debate (I'm sure) everything with the backup denizens of Wilders. The above are conceptually as general as I can make them in short order.

ATI is a good example of a mainly imaging program that tries also to carry many file system type capabilities. That makes it a more complex program and, based on its revision history, harder to maintain and evolve for all users while trying to keep it widely compatible.

IFW/IFD is a good example of a simple straightforward imaging program that does one job very reliably and whose revision history is very stable.

Windows own native backup is an example of a strictly file based program but has very few bells and whistles and hence fairly good reliability although still poor speed performance (not to mention, no software based file compression).

BOTH file based and imaging can do the type of restore you ask about as long as they are compatible with your system and are used as intended. Of course, having to install Windows on the new hard drive is a hallmark weakness of most file based backup programs as they're generally OS dependent. Most imaging programs you can put on a bootable medium and boot directly into the diskette or CD to restore a complete drive image to the new drive.

Now, there's a "straw man" that all the critics can pick apart if they want but that's the best I can do on the fly.

Hope that helps.

 

Many thanks for the explanation.

I guess what I don't quite understand is how programs can restore Windows while running in Windows. They run on Windows, and Windows just lets them overwrite itself and everything else that exists on the hard drive?

 

None of them do that in the sense that you probably mean. Either it is done from another machine running Windows (as I've done with Retrospect), or from a booted disk/CD (as I've done with Image for DOS), or, as does ATI, a routine is set up to run at boot-time, the machine is rebooted, and the restore is done (I believe from within Linux) after reboot but before Windows is allowed to start.

Some folks play it safe and never do a system partition restore unless they've first booted to a disk or CD so that nothing is running from the hard drive being restored to. That's my own preferred route. I don't want to rely on a possibly faulty OS to properly initiate a restore procedure on itself. With ATI, you have the option of creating a rescue CD and booting from that for restores.