An Image Backup that's Very Easy to Use?

Hello all, I'm baaaack. Sorry for the absence but I'm a substitute teacher and therefore my working hours are irregular.

I want you all to know that I've read (and truly appreciate) each of your contributions and after considering their applicability to my friend's situation I still favor Brian's solution because of the following reasons:

1. Drive Snapshot (paid license) is already on the system.
2. Drive Snapshot is a reputable and reliable image backup program.
3. I saw over a dozen Drive Snapshot image files already on the external USB HDD.
4. Brian's batch-file solution provides a '1-Click' backup (or scheduled backups) which my friend should be able to easily master.

I'm not yet closing the door to some other solution, but I really don't see that an easier solution has been presented. Please keep in mind that my friend is not very PC-literate, and has a family to take care of, so she doesn't have too much time to devote to learning how to use PC apps!

Wendi

 

Wendi, I think you are 'leaning' in the right direction - of course that's assuming Brian's solution works 'as advertized'! Furthermore, who knows what family memories may be on those older DS image files on the USB hard drive? When you have the time, you might want to browse those DS images and advise your girlfriend of their contents.

Cruise

 

One other suggestion that I would make is to copy the family pics etc, that are obviously very special, to DVDs. This way, regardless of what happens to the PC and external drive in the future, the images will be preserved,,,,maybe even make a few extra copies to be on the safe side.

 

Cruise,

Thanks for that observation (and suggestion)! My initial thought were that those image files were probably backups of what is still on the PC's HDD, but you are right in that they most likely contain older pictures (memories), etc.

Wendi

 

Good idea, but that will have to wait until a system backup solution is implemented. New York schools are closed for Spring Break from Mar 25 - Apr 2, so perhaps I can spend more time helping her during that week.

 

Wendi,

That batch file is running fine on my test computer. Just make sure the external HD drive letter is correct.

At your leisure, let us know what's in the other partitions.

 

Brian, which batch-file? -- Question: Will she be able to use the PC when the backup is running (I suspect not)?

Okay, I should know that (and other info) after this weekend.

Wendi

 

I'd use the one from Message #16. But if she doesn't like seeing the command window use the batch file from Message #26.

Yes, she can. Once DS has commenced she could minimize the DS command windows and use the computer normally. The command windows will close when the backup has completed.

 

Wendi,

since you are helping her you should also show her how to manually take a backup with DriveSnapshot.
Brian's batch is good for making automatic cyclic backups, but automatic mode is not always the best way to help someone (unless the person is extremely lazy and does not want to learn).

As a note: you should always enable the hash file in drive snapshot backups (manual or automatic) and you should enable the "test image after backup" option. DS has the ability to repair small corruption in image files with the use of the hash file and "testing an image after the backup" helps to identify problems caused from problematic ram modules, cables or destination drives.

Panagiotis

 

Wendi,

In view of Panagiotis' comments, remove -o from the batch files.

 

Brian, is there a way for you to automatically minimize the DS command window(s) once the backup starts running?

Wendi

 

Hi Panagiotis, how are you doing?

Thanks very much for your interest and advice. I can assure you that my friend is anything but lazy. But she is a single mom now, working full-time to support her family and pay the bills. I'm sure she will become more PC-literate, including backing-up and (eventually) restoring. I'm there for her as much as my work schedule permits. I also require some of my spare time to support my parent's PC and 'episodes' (I just installed TeamViewer to do that as they are a long distance from me).

Wendi

 

Yes, the batch file in Message #26 does that. It minimizes it to the taskbar. You can bring it back to the desktop (if you desire) by clicking the taskbar icon.

Both batch files create the "same image" so you can use one batch file today and the other tomorrow. See which one you like best.

When you are testing this you can run the batch file again soon after an image has completed. And again, and again. You will only have two images in the backup folder.

 

Great. I have a full teaching-schedule tomorrow (Fri. in NY) and have to prepare this eve., but I hope to get to it on Sat.

Wendi

 

Fine, thank you.
I hope you are fine too. My deepest condolences for your friends loss.
I did not mean it as an insult. I know a lot of hard workers that, when it comes to technology stuff become extremely lazy. Some people just do not want to interact with electronics more than they have to...

Since you are helping her you may also want to take a look here
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=335707
Is an easy way to add DriveSnapshot in the windows Recovery enviroment.

Panagiotis

 

Brian you can also add the "-Go" option in those batches.
-Go = show graphical progress, exit when done if everything worked, else tell the user so.

Panagiotis

 

Panagiotis,

I've avoided the -Go switch, maybe unfairly. I was using an old computer and it seemed to cause freezes. That's from a distant memory. So I stopped using it and the problem went away.

 

Wendi,

Another good suggestion from Panagiotis. I just tried the -Go switch without issues. The display is more friendly than a command window so you could add that switch.

 

Brian, I am also interested in what's going on here (with your DS Backup batch-files). What happens if you add the -Go switch to the 'minimizing' batch-file (post #26)?

Cruise

 

Cruise, both the command window and the DS GUI window open minimized. You just see a brief "flash" of the command window before you click Yes for the UAC.

 

As I suspected; evidently there's no value to adding the -Go switch to that version.

 

Only if you want to bring up the GUI window to look at it. But yes, I agree.

 

Of course it has value.
If all goes well when the backup finishes the DS window will close and the batch will continue.
But in case the backup does not complete successfully the DS window will remain open (even though minimized) and will wait for the user's input.

Panagiotis

 

Cruise, in case you are wondering, here is the IFW equivalent...

Code:

@echo off
if not defined RunTask set RunTask=1 & start "IFW" /min %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe /c "%0" & goto :EOF
set path=C:\Program Files (x86)\TeraByte Unlimited\Image for Windows\V2
CD /d G:\Images
start "" /min /wait imagew.exe /b /uy /d:w0@0x01 /f:C_full /comp:14 /vb
IF EXIST tera_02.tbi (DEL tera_02.tbi)
IF EXIST tera_01.tbi (REN tera_01.tbi tera_02.tbi)
REN C_full.tbi tera_01.tbi

 

Panagiotis,

Does this happen without -Go? Or not?