Just purchased TI 10 Home; now what??

I plan to read over the installation guide available through this website before I try the following:

- installing the product
- logging on to acronis.com, registering, and downloading the latest build
- creating a rescue CD
- creating an image archive(.tib file) on a USB drive formatted "ntfs"

Are there any steps I need to consider BEFORE I actually install the product?

I have read that it is quite difficult to "un-install" TI 10 if you want to eradicate it completely from your system. Has anyone else found this to be the case?

Regards

 

Acronis doesn't seem to have an uninstaller that removes every trace autmatically but they have provided manual instructions at least for version 9.

Why bother installing the package if you are then going to download the latest build? The TI update downloads are the complete program and do not rely on the previous version being installed. Do remember to keep your serial number(s) safe although registering help you out should you ever lose them.

BTW, after creating your archive you should:

Validate it within Windows
Create the TI bootable rescue CD and make sure you can boot up the Full version of TI.
Validate your archive using the CD version. The CD version is Linux and sometimes poor or unavailable drivers can cause problems. You need to be able to run the Linux version to restore your active partition, typically C.
For 100% confidence, do a restore of your system to a spare HD. Until you do this you do not know for certain your process works!

 

My replies are embedded in the quote.

Thanks for the help!

Regards

 

Yes

Yes

I believe Seekforever meant to have you remove the internal drive, install the spare drive in its place and then boot the normal way. That procedure is the one to be used when you have "Cloned" your internal drive to another and the physical change of drives to take place BEFORE restarting Windows.

Exchanging the drives to restart from a Full Image Backup would secure you because if it fails you simply put back the original drive. In my case, I was a little bolder... once my backup was validated successfully, I restored from my USB drive to my internal drive and it worked without any glitches (and I did this within Windows then restarted). But it's your call.

 

Thanks for the help!

Does "boot the normal way" mean boot from the rescue CD?

Regards

 

As you are a new user, here are some of my suggestions.

1. Do create a full disk image backup as soon as possible. Before you do, however, download my beginners guide to backups. This will help explain your procedures. Also included in that pdf is several tutorial links.
http://206.128.27.80/gh-misc/acronis-backup1.pdf

2. Do Not install the Acronis functions below until you have taken the time to find out how these functions work.
..."Manage Acronis Secure Zone"
..."Activate Acronis Startup Recovery"

Many choose not to install the Secure zone--especially if you store your backup files on other internal or external drives. Secure zone should not be created on external drives. Other members find the Secure zone helpful.

The Startup Recovery can interfere with your normal computer recovery functions. Understand its good point and not so good points should you decide to install this function.

Do your research (forum search) on these functions.

 

No. I meant boot from the new HDD which took the place of the internal HDD.

As for an Image Restore...

If your operating system functions, you can restore from within Windows.

If your operating system is damaged in any way, you should then use the Acronis Rescue CD to restore from the source of your backup to the internal disk where the operating system is located.

 

Make and validate your archive.

You are going to pretend your regular OS drive died and you put in a new (the spare) drive to take its place and need to restore the OS and contents.


Remove (or at least unplug) your existing OS drive.

Install the spare drive.

Start the PC and boot with the TI rescue CD.

Locate and restore your archive to the spare drive using TI on the rescue CD.

Remove the TI CD and reboot the PC with the OS on the newly restored spare drive.


If you can start Windows and everything functions normally you have done it and have confidence that all works as intended on your system.

Groverh makes some good points, I strongly agree with 2.

 

My assumption is that immediately after installing the TI 10 Home software, I should create the "Rescue CD" and then proceed to the image creation task. Please correct me if I am mistaken on this. Thanks.

Regards

 

I would create the full backup image with Windows, because it is much faster, then to try out the Rescue CD, I would boot the computer with it and validate the backup image at the source where it resides.

 

Doesn't matter exactly when you make it as long as it is not when you really need it because of a disaster.

Make the CD then make your first image under Windows.
or
Make you first image under Windows then make the CD.

Validate or create your first image with the CD - well, then you need to have the CD created.

 

So, do I de-select those options under the "Custom" installation?

Regards

 

I have V9. No, just don't go under Tools on the main menus and start setting them up once you get the program installed. TI does not need them to create, validate and restore images or Files and Folders backups. They are for certain circumstances that may or may not be of interest to you once you better understand how TI works.

 

Grover,

I have tried to d/l and read the PDF file you mention. When I attempt to open the file in Adobe Reader (ver 7.0) it fails to open and I get an error message " File damaged, cannot be repaired". I've never seen that behaviour before; could your file possibly be corrupted? I can open other PDF files with no problem.

John

 

John,
Thank you very much for making me aware of your difficulty. I can only assume that no one else bothered to download it. The file has been replaced. The size is 1,567,446 bytes. Let me know if you have continued difficulty.

http://206.128.27.80/gh-misc/acronis-backup1.pdf

The one below is a "work in progress"
http://206.128.27.80/gh-misc/acronis-recovery1.pdf

Grover

 

I can't seem to download it.

data7

 

Downloaded and opened just fine over here.

 

For those having difficulty downloading (as per prior posts), I have converted the 2 pdf files to a zip file.
If interested, the temporary zipfile is 2,300.326 bytes and is about a 17 min download using 56K dialup.

Both pdf files are functional in Adobe reader 6 and Foxit reader.

http://206.128.27.80/gh-misc/gh-backup-recovery.zip

 

Nice work on that pdf file Grover.