Incremental sector backup

Discussion in 'Paragon Drive Backup Product Line' started by lunalobo, Oct 13, 2009.

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  1. lunalobo

    lunalobo Registered Member

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    I don't understand the instructions to make incremental sector backups and the program isn't intuitive to me.
    I have two disks. I have backed up c: of disk 0/ on to e: of disk 1/; they are both 128GB partitions.
    A few days have now gone by and I want to back this up, the c: partition of disk 0.
    I want now to make the differentials. How?
    Is the previous full saved partition, e: (1), in my case, the base archive?
    Now how do I add this file and make the differentials as I found the "differential backup wizard" confusing and it would not let me enter anything.
     
  2. SIW2

    SIW2 Registered Member

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    Hi,

    Yes use the full image backup you made already as the base for the differential.

    To do that, Click Differential Backup on the left of the main window. When the Wizard opens, click Next.

    You see this screen below - If no archive is already set up ( as in this case), switch to File View:

    PARDIFBACK-1-2009-10-15_002609.jpg

    Browse to the archive you want to use as the base, highlight it and click Next:

    PARDIFFBK-2-2009-10-15_002727.jpg

    Unless you want to look at the contents of the existing arc you selected as the base, or change backup settings ( e.g. compression level, etc) - click Next

    PARDIFF-3-2009-10-15_002928.jpg

    As you want the differential to be saved on E, leave "save data to local/network drive" selected and click Next:

    PARDIFF-4-2009-10-15_003019.jpg

    You can see the differential will be saved as a subfolder in the full backup archive on E you already selected as the base, click Next:

    PARDIFF-5-2009-10-15_003130.jpg

    Then choose either to backup Now , or on a schedule.

    Hope it helps.
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2009
  3. lunalobo

    lunalobo Registered Member

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    No it hasn't. Sorry :(

    When I get to the point as you said after I have switched to File view.
    I see the local partitions. Or in my case Local Disk (E:) which is the partition I copied before and I am going to use as the archive base.
    But when i select it nothing happens. Your picture is completely different to mine.
    but if I selected a sub-folder img_0 .. which I assumed to mean image then a pie chart pops up with all the details of the Local Disk each image is 1.9GB.
    I've added attachments of the images.

    By the way thanks for responding so quickly.

    first.png

    second.png
     
  4. SIW2

    SIW2 Registered Member

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    There should be a file inside the arc with a .PBF extension. Maybe that is why it is not being recognised properly.

    When you made the first backup - I assume you selected the option in the left pane "Back up Disk or Partition".
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2009
  5. lunalobo

    lunalobo Registered Member

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    I do have two. see image.
     

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  6. lunalobo

    lunalobo Registered Member

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    Hi,

    As I still can't do the incrementals, how do I overwrite the sector e: if I do a simple partition sector backup of c: (128G) on top of e: to replace it with a complete uptodate copy of c:.
    Do I have to remove the partition e: first?

    Thanks in anticipation,:)
     
  7. SIW2

    SIW2 Registered Member

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    You could just rt click the arc in windows explorer and delete, if you like.

    In the Paragon app. - Incremental is for files , Differential is for drive images.
     
  8. Paragon_Tony

    Paragon_Tony Former Paragon Moderator

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    Hi lunalobo,

    As SIW has mentioned, the Incremental Backup is strictly for file-based backups. You can create a 'File Compliment' to a sector-based archive, which will backup only the changed files since the image, but this is actually done differentially as well (located under Wizards drop-down, 1st Advanced).

    I recommend using the differential option in most cases, since you can still restore individual files from them in addition to recovering the entire system state. You can find instructions for the various ways to extract files here: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=212989&d=1255648104

    I also recommend disabling image splitting, which is the reason you have all of these 1.9 GB archive pieces. Go to Tools / Settings / Backup Image Options, and uncheck image splitting or set your desired break size.

    According to your screens, the img_0___.pbf should be the file for your partition. I'm not sure what img_1___.pbf is (it is very small, perhaps it is the First Track or MBR, or an empty E partition?). I would need to see your disk layout and your script file to determine this for you.

    I suggest recreating the base image without image splitting enabled to reduce the number of files in your backup folder, then run the differential backup and choose the appropriate .pbf file from your base image directory.

    If you just want to have one backup that overwrites each time, schedule a full backup and uncheck 'Generate unique names' on the scheduler page. If you were referring to creating a Copy of C onto where E is, yes, you will need to delete E first to create unallocated space, and then you can copy C to its spot (if the data fits).
     
  9. lunalobo

    lunalobo Registered Member

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    Hi,

    Yes. I wanted sectors backed-up not files. The terminology is so confusing. Needless to say, if I had said any word implying files then I apologise, I mean sector.

    As I wanted to backup the complete partition, I did as you suggested, right clicked the partition and deleted it. Windows popped up a balloon to say that I should then run chdsk. I ignored this and copied the partition over without exiting XP. It took about 30 - 45 min. Which seemed great.
    I then rebooted.
    But on boot, XP told me that something was wrong and wanted to run chkdsk. I let it checked the 3 stages. Then for most of the night it rolled this:
    replacing invalid security id with default security id for file XXXXX
    replacing invalid security id with default security id for file XXXXX
    replacing invalid security id with default security id for file XXXXX
    ...

    This morning I logged into XP and I found it looks that it has been copied fine but without the E: label it had before, just says Local Disk [*]. I was hoping XP would put it back. ( I've done this now)

    The chdsk scenario was a pain :( what took 30mins became an overnight job. :mad:
    How can I prevent this happening in the future? It was something to do with deleting the partition.


    By the way, Paragon Tony, the other image probably was the MBR as the partition I am copying is of a bootable disk that has Unix on another partition. I had saved this so as to be sure that the mbr was right.

    I am really grateful for both of your replies and both of you are helping me a lot to understand this program a little better and the processes involved.

    Unfortunately I have enough to do with my normal development than to try to work out by trial and error this program and also I need urgently to securely back up mysystem.

    Tonight I will try an incremetal ..whatever it is called. :)

    Thanks
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2009
  10. lunalobo

    lunalobo Registered Member

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    Hi,
    I've found how to add the drive letter.
    But if anyone can tell me why the delete/copy caused a problem with the security ids and these had to be reset by chkdsk, I would be grateful. Or should I have ignored chkdsk?
    best wishes,
    Lunalobo
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2009
  11. SIW2

    SIW2 Registered Member

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    Hi,

    Sorry, I didn't mean delete the partition - I meant delete the arc folder. No harm done.

    It is a good idea to run chkdsk when windows asks - would have been much quicker then than after you had added a lot of data to the partition.

    File sytem errors occur from time to time - windows seems to create them.

    Are you ticking the boxes that say copy HD /partition sector by sector?

    You shouldn't need to do that - it would back up all the sectors, including the unused ones . You would only need that if you wanted it for forensic work - to examine /undelete old files etc.

    If you don't tick that, you still get a sector backup image of the used space - which I assume is what you want - that's what I always do.

    There is another function - where you can Copy the partition/drive to another one. That is a clone - different from an Image.

    That is also a method of having a backup, but it requires at least as much space as the original partition/drive you are copying from. It also means you need to do the whole copy again to update it - there is no option to to do just a differential.


    Hope it helps
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2009
  12. lunalobo

    lunalobo Registered Member

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    Hi,

    Ironically,I had deleted the partition as that is how I thought I should do it, from Paragon Tonys notes, I had avoided your advise deleting the arc fiile as I was not sure what the consequences were. I wish I had taken your advise.

    This idea of a clone is interesting as maybe that is what I am doing.
    I copied the original to the unallocated area. How do I know if the result is a clone or an image. It baffles me the difference but I am learning.

    best wishes,
    Lunalobo
     
  13. SIW2

    SIW2 Registered Member

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    If you select one of the icon options that says "Backup", then you will be creating an image. You will end up with a yellow arc folder in the location you chose to store the backup image.

    If you select "Copy", then you will be cloning. The partition/drive you copied to will look exactly like the original you copied from.

    Hope it helps
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2009
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