Backing Up/Restoring Files and Folders

When selecting Backup, I have the option to back up the entire disk contents or individual partitions, or files and folders.
Since I cannot mount a files and folders image (because there is no partition), I find it totally useless.
There is no way to extract individual files from the image, so I have to restore the complete image to another location, then get the files I want.
I don't understand the reasoning behind it at all.

For files and folders backups, 7-Zip is what does the perfect job for me.
It's simple, fast and easy to use.

Doug

 

You are able to explore files and folders.

Start TI, under Pick a Tool click on Explore and Validate Backup Archives.
On the next screen click on Explore Backup Archive, navigate to your file and folder backup and click on the one you want to explore so that the full path and file name is in the file name box, click Open.
Right click on the file called Slice ***** and choose explore, you should see a explorer window, if you click on the + sign next to the slice file in the left pane and drill down you will be able to open the folder and see the files in the right hand pane, right click and you can choose to open or copy the file.

If this doesn’t help then download and read the user manual.

 

I don't have that option.
My menu choice is "Validate Backup Archives" with no option to explore.
And I do have the users manual, and I have read it, thank you.
It's about as helpful as the help file.

 

I'm sorry, I assumed that you have TI Home 10

 

It might be worth your while to upgrade to V10. Newegg offers the up grade for $19.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681531211SF.

 

TI Home 9 works very well for me, so I think I'll just stick with it.
I'm using Windows XP and have no plans to update to Windows Vista.
I've also read too many negative posts about TI 10.

It just seems if there is an option to backup files and folders, there should be an option to extract individual files/folders without having to restore the whole backup.
I guess they figured that out in TI 10 (too late for me).

So actually at this point, I'm better off backing up a complete partition, and that way I can extract individual items from it.

Oh well, I'm very happy with it otherwise.
Thanks for the replies, folks.

Doug

 

There has to be at least one partition on any hard drive. Unless you split the hard drive into more than one, there is a partition.

Right-click My Computer, select Manage in the context menu, select Disk Management in the left pane, see your patitions in the right pane.

 

I have two partitions on my hard drive, C: and D:
Drive D: has a lot of data and other stuff that I don't want to get wiped out when I do a restore.
I like to back up some of the stuff I have on drive D: and store it on my external hard drive.
But if I want to extract a single item from the image (or even view it) I can't.
So what's the point of that.

Having used computers since the mid-90's I know what a partition is, and I know what files and folders are
Folders were called directories in the old days.
Partitions are still called partitions, and files are still called files.

It just seems like there should be a complete option, not half an option, leaving you in limbo.
So anyway, the option I want isn't there, so that's that.
I'll just use another method, without paying to upgrade to TI 10.

Thanks,
Doug

 

Hi Doug,

I agree. I think adding a "files and folders" backup feature to imaging software is just bloated fluff of questionable worth regarding personal work files. I certainly don't need still another way of backing up work files that utilizes a proprietary format and requires either a special restoration/recovery procedure or a mount (previously "explore") and extraction process to gain acess to the backed up file(s). I'd suggest you check out syncronization software. SyncBack is one that is free and fully functional for windows (not shareware). If you like to mess with DOS batch files, XXCOPY is another good one That's free also. Either of these will easily backup your work files in their uncompressed, native formats and each is highly customizable as to what is actually backed up (basically just copied). The resultant files are readily seen in windows explorer or any other file manager directly and can be directly opened in the source application software that created them. Once you have the initial backup made, future backups can be made on an incremental basis where only added, deleted or changed files are copied. That process takes only seconds to do. If you had an internal slave drive the backup process could be fully automated and transparent to the user. However, either program can be set up to be initiated by the click of a desktop icon, which is the way I prefer to do it. I backup my entire D: partition (work files, email, addresses, URL favorites) that way but I could also do individual files or directories if I wished. Initiating the process from a desktop icon would be a good way of doing it if you need to backup your files to an external disk or a rewritable CD/DVD. With the cost/GB of hard disks nowadays there is really no great need to bother with proprietary compressed backups for personal work files - but to each his own.

I still tend to refer to them as directories also, the same as I prefer to use the term image instead of the current terminology "backup" when entire disks or partitions are being processed as a file in a proprietary format. I never did understand the reason for changing from image/restore to backup/recover terminology any more than I understood the change from directories to folders. Old habits die hard I guess. BTW, I'm using TI-7 and have no need or desire to upgrade to get any of the additional "features" in the newer versions. I don't even bother with the TI-7 secure zone or the startup recovery manager. I have no use for either of those and have never activated them. They can be more trouble than they are worth. I do just fine without 'em.

Rod

 

I couldn't agree more, Rod.

 

Thanks for the reply Rod.
Well, I'm an old Dos person myself, and I positively hate Windows, but I have no choice if I want the features it offers over Dos.
Sounds like you're familar with Dos as well (notice I didn't say "old dos person")
I might check out the programs you suggested... thanks.

Regards,
Doug

 

Another great little program which can provide you with identical copies and completely match the contents of an entiere disk or just a single folder. I use it for nightly copies of my Documents and my email and a few other personal folders.

Replicator by Karen Kenworthy--Free for personal use
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

 

Thanks for the link GroverH, I have downloaded Replicator and will give it a go and bookmarked the site.

 

That's a nice little backup program.
It's perfect for backing up my personal data.
Thanks for the link.

 

Hello everyone,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Please notice that you can restore only files/folders of your choice from the file/folder backup as well. Please see the chapter 6.2 "Restoring files and folders from file archives" of the respective User's Guide for details.

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov

 

Regardless of what the manual says, TI Home 9 will not mount a files/folders backup.

Error message: "Specified archive cannot be mounted since it containes no partitions."

 

I think your misreading the user guide. The user manual says:
"6.2 Restoring files and folders from file archives. Here we describe how to restore file/folders from a file backup archive. You can restore the desired files/folders from a disk/partition image as well. To do so, mount the image (see Chapter 11. Mounting an image as a virtual drive) or start the image restoration and select Restore Specified files and folders."
It says you can restore files and folders from a disk/partition image by mounting the image. It doesn't say to use "mount" for restoring from a Files and Folders backup, it says to use the restore process which works correctly. I just tested this process.

 

thomasjk,

I tried the method you just described and it worked.
I've only restored a partition image a couple times to test that it would do a proper restore.
I never tried to restore a files/folders backup, so I didn't realize the option existed to restore individual files/folders from that.
I thought the only way to extract files/folders was to mount the image, which of course you can't do with that type of backup.

Thanks for pointing out that procedure.

Regards,
Doug