Initiate backup from "one button" USB 2.0 drive...

Friends want my help to make them an idiot proof way to backup their entire laptops.

I want to have a script setup to make a mirror image of the entire hard drive.

I want to invoke the script by pressing a button on an external USB 2.0 hard drive. This kind of drive:
http://www.globalpremier.com/OT-201-u2.html (scroll down to see photo)

These drive come with a light version of backup4all, but backup4all doesn't have complete drive copying features, only folder copying. They mirror files but not entire drives.

Anyone got a suggestion how to launch TrueImage by pressing a hardware button on one of these external hard drives? It's gotta be simple enough for grandma to use it...

Basically five steps:
1) turn on PC
2) hook up external drive to USB port
3) press button on drive, software automatically launches
4) wait for PC to say "backup complete"
5) unplug external drive. Repeat every week or so.

 

Hello baboonia,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis Disk Backup Software.

I'm afraid that there is no way to integrate the button on your one-touch external USB hard drive with Acronis True Image 9.0.

I've forwarded this information to our Development Team and so the ability to use such hardware buttons with Acronis True Image program will probably be implemented in the future versions of a particular product, but exact time frame for this is not decided yet.

I would also like to suggest you the following methods of the backup process automatization:

1. Use Acronis True Image 9.0 to schedule a task for the backup archive creation and configure the backup creation options (backup archive location, compression level, image archive split size, etc.). Select "Do not start automatically" option for this scheduled task.

Each time you will need to create a backup you will just need to run Acronis True Image 9.0, select the appropriate scheduled task and press "Start the selected item now" button. This will automatically create a backup to the prior prescribed location with all the beforehand configured options with no any other user participation.

You can find more information on how to use Acronis True Image 9.0 in the respective User's Guide.

The free trial version of Acronis True Image 9.0 is available here.

2. Use Acronis True Image 8.0 Corporate Workstation which supports scripting and so allows you to create a batch file that will run special script which will automatically create a backup with the beforehand configured options.

You can place a shortcut to this batch file on your desktop for example. Each time you will need to create a backup you will just need to double-click on this shortcut in order to launch the above mentioned script which will create a backup with no any other user participation as well.

You can find more information on how to use Acronis True Image 8.0 Corporate Workstation in the respective User's Guide (including the information on how to use scripting and script usage examples).

The free trial version of Acronis True Image 8.0 Corporate Workstation is available here.

Please visit Enterprise section of Acronis online store to purchase the full version of Acronis True Image 8.0 Corporate Workstation or Homecomputing section of Acronis online store to purchase the full version of Acronis True Image 9.0.

Please also note that we have a flexible system of discounts and the amount of the discount varies depending on the number of copies you want to purchase.

In case you are planning to purchase many copies, please contact our Sales Team at sales@acronis.com.

If you have any further questions please feel free to ask.

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov

 

Hello baboonia,

Perhaps you can set up your USB drive to use the procedure detailed in this previous thread titled <True Image v8 (build 903) and Maxtor OneTouch II>? Note that for True Image v9.0 the script files are stored in folder C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Acronis\True Image\Scripts\ or, depending on your particular setup, C:\Documents and Settings\All Users.WINDOWS\Application Data\Acronis\True Image\Scripts\.

Regards