Restore from DVD backups

I would like to know how to restore a drive from DVD's before It is critical.
I have backed up my C: on both an external hard drive and 12 DVD's.

Can someone give me step by step instructions on how to restore the C: from the dvd's? Which of the 12 files do I select?

I also have restored from files backed up on the external hard drive but would like to know to restore from DVD's in case something happens to the backup drive.

Andy32901

 

I'm sorry I can't answer you directly as I have only ever restored from 1 DVD.
12 DVDs seems a very large number for just a system - are you including data as well ? if so then I would make a partition for the system and a partition for data and make life a lot easier.

Anyway - my experience is that restoring from DVD takes far to long. If I had to use an Image on DVD I would copy it first to (a) another hard drive on my machine or (2) to another partition on my machine if no second drive existed or (3) if no partition space were available to another external drive.

My only concern is whether the above will work - using multiple disks may require messing around with first disk then last disk etc. I would avoid mutiple disks if at all possible - what happens if one disk is scratched or becomes corrupted ?

 

i use one Dual layer DVD if u can keep your Boot partition down 2 that size. 8 gigs or so... 12 dvds man i'd never try 2 dvds..
but i also copy the dvd to the hard drive first..

 

I am doing a disk image of my C drive which is 50 Gb. I do archive splitting and it takes 12 disks. I dont plan on using them but if my backup hard drive goes and I have to use the disks how do I use them. I can copy them to my second hard drive but what then? I want to find out now before its an emergency.

I lets you spit them up when backing up so there must be a way to restore them.
I'm just asking now before a need arises.

Andy32901

 

with 12 disks the way to restore them is to place either the first or the last ( sorry I can't remember) into the DVD drive and then follow the restore instructions within ATI.

In a real emergency - if you can not boot - you would need to use the emergency CD to boot and then put the first DVD into the drive.

Coming back to the point about 12 DVDs though I can't believe you really have a 50 gig system. The machine I'm on now has just over 6 gig for windows Xp and programs on one partition. other partitions have several hundred gig of data.

From an emergency point of view all that is needed is to image the partition with
windows Xp and programs. After compression this would fit onto one DVD. Data can then be imaged separately.

 

The DVD to start the restore with is the last one in the set. Then you follow the prompts to insert the following disks. The prompts will refer to "Volume N", each file (split) being a Volume. Therefore (depending on the split size you set), you should have the DVDs marked as to which volume number(s) each of them contains.

I also have a few images on DVDs for the instance that both my second internal HD and the external die. Never had to use them.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies. I was very helpful. Now I know how, I hope I'll never need to use it.

Thanks again.

andy32901

 

If you have not done so, now (before you have a problem) would be the time you should "validate backup archive". You need to know now whether the 12 DVD media can create a valid checksum.

Start TrueImage using the preferred Recovery CD.
Once TrueImage is loaded and have have all your options displayed, the recovery CD can be removed and the last backup DVD can be inserted.

Initiate the "validate" option and point the program to the DVD drive with the last disc already in the tray. Point it to the last backup .tib file.

Hopefully, you will never have to use the DVD's. However, should should all your other drives fail including the your external backup drive and your only means of recovery is the DVD's, then my suggestion would be to immediately go buy a replacement external drive. Attach the new drive to any working computer and copy all the backup files from the DVD onto the new replacement drive. Then restore your system from the new replacement external drive. You do not want to be in a position of actually trying to restore your system via 12 DVD's. If only one of the DVS's contains an error or cannot be read, then your entire backup is lost!

Perhaps now might be a good time to add a second external drive so have better odds of never having to use the DVD's.

Note: validation of any .tib backup file can also be done from within Windows. DVD can contain multiple backup files--as many as will fit on media.

I applaud you for trying to store you backup on multiple devices.