I can't believe!

I tried to backup my notebook HD into 6 DVD-RW. It took a long time.. anyway, the strange fact is that:

if I try restore i.e. only a little folder the process of restore asks to insert many many time the 6 DVD.. it asks to insert the volume 6, then the volume 3, the volume 5, again the 3, then the 2, and so on.. up to 10-100 or more times!

I can't believe! Is it normal?! It's ABSOLUTELY impossibile to use! What about if I decide to restore all the HD (instead of only a little folder).. have I to insert the 6 CD 1000-10000 times?

Please, help!

Mhaxx

 

A problem with restoring from CD or DVD is the multitude of disk swaps. If the backup is on only one or two disk, not so bad. But more than that and things get nutsy. The files within the backup are not discreetly on a single disk; many of them will span disks. Since ATI backs up usinga sort of streaming of the disk sectors, a file can be spread over many disks depending on how fragmented it was onthe harddisk. But even without that, you will end up with lots and lots of disk swaps with CD/DVDs during restores.

Best bet for restoring is to copy the disks' contents to a single directlory on a hard disk and you won't be asked to do swaps as ATI will be able to find all the various peices of the backup in the directory.

 

You suggest seems to be a great idea! However there's another problem because the only other HD (other than that of the notebook to restore) is the HD of my desktop PC. I can't extract it to connect it via USB, I have to try to connect my notebook to it during desktop activity. In other words: I don't know if using a crossover cable to connect notebook and desktop ATI at boot can see the desktop HD.. what about it in your opinion?

Thanks for you help,

Mhaxx

 

Hello Mhaxx,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Backup software.

If you connect two machines using crossover cable this should work correctly and Acronis True Image installed on the laptop should access your desktop hard drive easily. When you boot under Acronis Bootable rescue CD this should work too but in some cases it is necessary to adjust network manually.

Thank you
--
Nikita Sakharov

 

I clear my situation:

- notebook (Vista): full HD to restore
- desktop (XP): HD has the copy of the backup of the HD notebook (6 DVDs) to restore to notebook

If I connect the 2 machines via a crossover cable, I need to know if launching ATI from notebook at boot I can see the desktop HD folder contaning the backup in order to perform the restore. I'm afraid it's not so simple, that is from boot ATI interface what can I see as "remote folder" (the folder of the desktop)?

Thanks again,

Massimo

 

You'd probably be better off in the long run if yu just got an external usb drive and backed up to that. That would be simpler than cgoing back and forth with opticals or joining computers. It's a higher initial outlay of funds but drives have gotten really cheap. Even the pocket-sized external harddrives are relatively inexpensive, and the full size externals even cheaper per GB. I've had great performance from the Iomega portables but I'm sure other brands work well too -- shop around for price.

 

Agree with Shieber 100%. You can get a 500Gb external usb drive (3.5 inch) now for less than $100 in the USA.

 

If you haven't set up a network manually, it would be a whole lot easier to buy a 4-port router for as little as $20 and connect both computer to it. It will supply both computers with the required IP addresses and allow them to see each other without you having to do anything.

I like the Linksys and Netgear brands, but I've had good results with Belkin, D-Link, Trendnet and SMC routers as well. Buy a wireless router because they are usually cheaper than non-wireless routers because they are more common.

A router is also a great protection against Internet attack. It's a hardware firewall which is superior to any software firewall.

 

CD /DVDs use file systems based on, or specified by, ISO 9660 and ISO/IEC 13346.

In the case of ISO 9660, it is only the last volume (or each volume that is part of the last volume group) that has the necessary info for traversing the tree of directories in the file system.

For ISO/IEC 13346, it's much more complex.

However, the bottom line is that, for each standard, and in any file system, the latest version of a file is where it is, but the directory descriptors have to be in a known place, e.g., the last volume. Depends on the file system.

In the case of ISO 9660, since it was designed for, read-only media, we put in an "accelerator" to faciltate finding files.

For ISO/IEC 13346, we felt that implementations would be smart(er) about caching directory/file descriptors.

If you have to access a bunch of files in the same directory, an implementation should be caching the structures.

In any case, external hard drives are much better choice for a backup destination.

 

I used the default settings for my backup.. so I don't know what format is used.


Mhaxx

 

IT's a variant of ISO/IEC 13346 called UDF.
THere are several versions of UDF, but the unerlying design is the same.

 

Ok, but sorry.. have I to change the format? I don't think so, I think to go on using the default one.

Then my problems remains: I've tried to see the remote PC (desktop) from my notebook but without success! How to? I can't discover how..

Mhaxx

 

You have to go to, e.g., My Network Plces and add the remote compiuter to the network.

You can do this only if you have the computers tied together, e.g., via a router. I currently use and old Linksys WGR14v5 router, but will be replacing that with a more up tp date D-Link DIR-655 router in a day or so

My recollection is that each router comes with sufficicient explanation of how to set up a network. Have not yet opened the D-Link box.

Any reasonable OS book, such as Windows Vista Inside Out should also be useful.

 

How have you connected the desktop and notebook?

Did you buy a router?

If so what brand, and are you using standard patch cables and NOT crossover cables?

What is your operating system; and if it is Windows have you run the Network wizard?

 

Well..


1) I've connected my 2 PC (one with XP and one with Vista) by a crossover cable and assigned IPs to them: each one can see the other; anyway this is from Windows, what about if I want to see (to store backup files) the (WinXP) HD from the (WinVista) TIA boot CD? I don't know how! when I'm on BACKUP ARCHIVE LOCATION I can't select something like 192.168.x.x, so how to? and moreover: is it possible ONLY by a crossover cable?


2) I have a LinkSys ADSL Gateway (WAG54GS), with some ports (1 line, 4 Ethernet): I never used it so I don't know if I could in order to connect the 2 PC other than to connect one PC to the ADSL line; I dont' know so much about router.. :-(


Thanks for your help, please try to be precise in explaining how to for both situations.


Mhaxx

 

Your network with the crossover cable will work in Windows because you assigned the IP addresses manually. There's no way to do that when you boot from the TI Recovery CD, so there won't be a working network.

Reset both computers to "Obtain an IP address automatically." Plug both PCs into the router with normal (not crossover) cables. Use the ethernet ports numbers 1 through 4. (The DSL line plugs into the phone port for when you want to use the Internet, but this is optional.)

Now, when the PCs boot up, the router will assign the IP addresses. Your network will work in both Windows and when you boot from the TI Recovery CD because the router will assign the IP addresses in both cases.

Let us know how that works.

 

1) are you so sure you can't access a shared folder in a LAN from TI boot CD? it's strange, I suppose many system administrators need to backup/restore HD images in LAN.. anyway I'm reading the "User’s Guide Acronis® True Image 11.0 Home" and it says you could connect to a shared folder in your network using "Backup location managament"! in fact I can see shared folder from Acronis runinng on Windows XP; the problema is I can't see how to from TI CD because I can't find "Backup location managament": isn't it so strange?! maybe the response to my question is always here, on the manual:

"Acronis True Image Home can be run in several ways. We recommend that you first try to restore data running Acronis True Image Home under Windows, because this method provides more functionality."

however, is says too:

"When booted from removable media or by Startup Recovery Manager, Acronis True Image Home might not detect the network. That can happen if there is no DHCP server in your network or your computer address was not identified automatically. To enable the network connection, specify network settings manually in the window, available at Tools -> Options -> Network adapters."

how can I solve this problem? is DHCP server a software component I can add in any way?


2) have I to plug both PCs with normal cables? I can plug crossover cable into the router, have they the same connector? I only have crossover cables, have I absolutely to buy normal ones?

anyway, using router I'm sure I can see from TI boot CD the other PC? is it listed on the resources as a normal drive? :-O


Thanks for your help,

Mhaxx

 

Hello Mhaxx,

All you need to do is to adjust IP addresses manually as you did this under Windows and connect PCs with crossover. So in order to set IP under Acronis Bootable CD please go to Tools -> Options -> Network adapters and uncheck Auto configuration option. This will allow you to set all the necessary settings.

Thank you
--
Nikita Sakharov

 

From Acronis True Image Home Bootable CD -> Tools -> Options I can't see anything! I only see 2 panels: the left one with only one choice "Network adapters" (selected) and the right one with the words "Network adapters", and no other. Why?

Mhaxx

 

It's possible that your network adapters are not being recognized by the Linux boot CD.

Also, note that every time you use the CD, you will have to go through this procedure because the settings are not saved to the CD.

Use the router. If your network adapters are recognized, the CD and Windows will obtain an IP address automatically every time with no action on your part.

If the network adapters are not recognized by the CD, you will probably have to build a BartPE or VistaPE boot disk with the TI plug-in because that will use Windows drivers for the NIC.

 

The router is a DHCP server.

In almost all cases the answer is yes. However, if you try the crossover cables and they work, you are in business. It will do no harm to try them. If they don't work, buy standard cables. Usually one standard cable comes with the router.

From the boot CD you will be able to see the other PC's shared folders.

 

".. have to build a BartPE or VistaPE boot disk with the TI plug-in because that will use Windows drivers for the NIC .."

Sorry, how to build that disk?


Mhaxx

 

Check my signature for info.

 

Shieber answered your question, but you will still need to have the network working with a router or manually insert IP addresses every time.

I see that you are using TI 11. If you don't have the latest build, 8053, download it and create a new Rescue CD.

 

I use TI 10 and discovered my network adapter is: Broadcomm NetLink (TM) Fast Ethernet
Does it say something to you? Is it one of the supported ones? It seems not..

Anyway, I have the .sys of the driver: could I add this file into the bootable CD to let its see my network adapter from boot TI?

In fact I've read the VistaPE CD but it seems a little bit complex and moreover it's for ATI11 while I use ATI10. Is there another way, i.e. to add the network adapter driver to the Acronis boot CD?

Mhaxx