Just want to do a 'simple' back up

I have recently purchased and installed Acronis TI Home 2009. I have tried to be clever and do this alone - but fear has taken over and I don't appear to have got the support I need. I simply want to take a complete and regular back up of my C drive. everything - files, data, OS, emails etc. I started a tutorial - have got my Bootable Rescue media Disc done - and I have backed up (I think) my C drive into a folder on Ext HD named and dated Initial Back up together with Partition 1 and partition 2. Do I need to do anymore - this took long enough! Should I need to copy any files from this back up - can I? Thanks for any help - just need simple to follow do and don'ts.

 

I have also been running the One click Protection - this is taking hours... is this normal? I guess this way I'll not miss anything - but what about when i want to do the back up again next month - should I opt for one click or go through all the stages again - making a Bootable rescue media disc first ... I thought this was supposed to be straight forward and easy - can anyone help me? I also want to use the Ext HD to take away with me, plug into other PC's and copy data over - can I do this - or do the other PC's have to have Acronis installed?

 

When you do the backup, in choosing what to backup, make sure the check mark is against Disk 1, not just the C partition. This will back up the entire drive.

How much is the used space on the drive? How long did it take to make the backup? Usually a good estimate is 1 to 1.5 min per Gb.

 

The back up took ages - I don't see a 'disc 1' - Had 3 choices to tick - so i did one at a time? http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/6349/acronis.jpg (hope i've done that right?0

 

Looks like we posted at the same time. But to answer the last part about plugging in the external drive to another computer for copying the data, while True Image will do it (you'll have to install TI on the other computer), a far simpler method is to use something like Karen's Replicator that will let you create a task for copying data files and folders in its native format. It's similar to using Windows Explorer except the task will be automated. And being in its native format, when you plug in the external on another computer you would just use Windows Explorer to copy the data. Replicator is free, btw, just google for it.

 

Your image does show "Disk 1" ... look closely.

 

Doh! Yes of course it does - so should I have ticked all three there and done it al in onw go? Know nothing of partitions.... I did them one by one and put them in there own folders named them initial Back up - is that all I need to do? If so - when i want to back up again mnext month - what should I do with the Initital Back ups?

 

When you check mark Disk 1 the check marks will appear against all the others. So re do the backup this way. You can then delete the initial ones you made.

I've never used the one click restore since doing it the manual way via the Rescue CD and choosing Recovery works for me. I don't see any advantage in the one click feature.

A backup using True Image is really meant for restoring to your own computer.

 

ok thanks - I understand. I will make just a copy of my data on (photos & Music) so that i can use it that way - I keep many itunes library's on my pc and when I visit family members I can then update their ipods for them (Old folk!!) If I use the usualy copy/paste through windows - it takes forever!!

 

StressedMum,
The guides listed on line 2 of my signature below can help. These cover prior versions but the concepts is the same.

 

Your Guides look very useful - thank you - I have downloaded them and will be working through them this week. I think I'll format my external hard rive and start it all over again as I have named all the files incorrectly. Can I ask you one thing, that is really playing on my mind. If I use this method to back up - can I also use the files and folders away from site on another PC? I need to access the Photos and Music folders from other PC's - do they need to have any Acronis software on them - or can I simply copy the files over?

 

You will need true image on the other machine. From that you can mount the image and then drag and drop files - but not programs.

Colin

 

There is another option. You could attach your external drive to any of the other computers and boot up using a purchased copy of "Mustang's PEBuilder for TrueImage Home 2009" (link below). This special VistaPE recovery CD computer could be used to boot from any conmputer which does not have Acronis installed; mount the image archives and copy any of the archive files to the alternate computer . I find this CD very helpful.

Introducing MustangPEBuilder for True Image Home 2009
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=222284

 

As I stated in message #5, it will be far simpler to copy those folders to your external drive using either Windows Explorer or Karen's Replicator. Then there would be no need to install True Image on the other PC - which would require purchasing another licence.

 

Hi - sorry to trouble you all again - but I am really so fed up with this - it is a while since I last asked for help - but I have tried and tied and not got anywhere. Having purchased this software on recommendation I feel that it is not doing what I thought it would. I was advised to do a thorough back up of my PC regularly - particularly as I recently had a 'crash' and lost a of of my photos etc. There were never ever recovered. So buying this software would definitely help me reinstall everything just the way it was before it crashed. well, in April I limped my way through a backup - can't even remember how I did it now. I keep getting reminders to say it's time to do another one - but quite frankly I am stuck - I don't think I want to do another backup like that - it took forever! Is there a way that I can do a very easy one click no hassle back up on my whole PC. I have an external hard drive - just want to plug that in a click one button that does it all - if there is someone who has the patience to help me I would very much appreciate it. Should the occasional arise where I have to reinstall it I will get a pro. to come and help! I just want the back up part done! It would have been useful if at the time I could access the files from another pc but I understand that is not possible unless I use the straight forward windows copy/past system. Thanks. SM

 

Unless something has gone wrong or you have accidently deleted it, the task that you made to perform the original image should still be available to you.

Click on Tasks & Logs in the left side panel.
Click on the Unscheduled Tasks tab in the lower right side panel.
Highlight the task that should appear there.
Click on Start that is in the top ribbon menu.

 

The alternative are to make an actual schedule, so that you have to remember to plug the external drive in - and then hopefully TI will automatically start at the correct time.

Or schedule it to be performed manually, in which case it will appear under the scheduled tasks tab as the NZ Images only does in the 1st attachment, and then highlight that and click on start etc.

 

Now that you have used the software a little bit, go back and reread the guides mentioned in posting #10 & @11. This guides cover the simple backup and restore plus much more. A reread a few times will help even more. The links below can also be helpful. No need to be stressed but there is a learning curve involved with any imaging software. If I can learn it, so can you but it does some investment of time plus some trial and error.

As mentioned in prior posts, you do not need a backup program to make backup copies of your photos or your audio files. A simple drag and drop from hard drive to an external drive is a starting point. As mentioned in post #5, Replicator can be of assistance for automation of your file copying for eventual transfer of your itunes.

• Tatou backup's methods--one large drive with many externals
  
• Seekforever's Backup Procedure
  
• Backup Methods by Alan B
  
• Hints on using TrueImage Home by seekforever
  
• Validation by SeekForever