making a full backup

Hello all,

I have decided to do a full nackup of my dell laptop before I start messing with its partition configuration.Dell laptop running Vista home and using ATI 11
My problem is when I check all partitions to backup it shows I need to get about 16G of data so I set my backup option to 4.3 DVD and proceed to start the process.what is happening is that when the backup is complete I dont get that abount of data ...sometimes I get 2 files sometimes I get 3 sometimes I get 4 and I would like to know why and how to rectify that .
I disabled the screensaver and not sure what else to try because I get teh impression that some process is stopping it and it is telling me complete because the backups are not consistent at all.

I am trying to save teh backups to my desktop and then plan to transfer them to another machine that has a DVD burner in it.
Thanks again

 

It's always safer, but a little slower, to use the bootable True Image Rescue CD to do Backups.

 

While DwnNdrty offers great advice and help on these forums (and so I mean to offer these comments with respect), I believe that this particlular preference is, at best, controversial. Otoh, one could argue, generally but not from strong case history, that doing a backup while Win is operating could muck up something that wouldn't otherwise get mucked up. Otoh, one could note that the BootCD version of ATI historically has more probs than the win version. In fact, since ATI11 was released, and had tomake a VistaPE disk to be able to restore with ATI11, I've quit using ATI (linux) bootCDs altogether, on my machines with ATI 10 and 11.

The truth, I suspect, is that if either way works on your hardware setup, backing up within Win or from the ATI bootCD, then that's a perfectly fine way to do it as far as data integrity goes. On some hardware setups, only one of those two methods will work.

Note that backups made with the ATI bootCD are often slower than backups made under Win, especially if USB is involved.

 

Thanks...

Now I need to go back and do some reading cause I know nothing about these methods that is why I chose teh default options from within the menu.

Any suggestions on where I should start reading?

 

Probalby best to start with the user guide:

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/docs/

 

I have read the help and well I am sure the best thing for me is the default backup from within ATI.
Is there a way if possible to disable any processes that might be fouling my ATI from making a proper full backup all the time?

I also select the copy acronis software into my backups so that I will be able to load them without any problems.

As it stands I cannot try the restore because I do not have anything to restore it to and I cannot chance messing up my original configuration until I am certain that I have a proper complete backup.

Apart from that getting this thing to give me a proper complete backup is keeping me from dual booting my machine.

Thanks again
nbrebel

 

From my own experience, I also think that backing up from the rescue CD is slower but safer (backing up within Windows there might be a chance of driver conflict which might corrupt your image). If you really want to backup within Windows safely, you ought to disable all security applications (unplug your internet while you're doing it).

The real problem that I foresee is that you seem to plan to backup through DVDs, which is definitely unreliable compared to external USB harddrives.

IMO DVDs are reliable only for straight copies of data (documents, photos).

 

If you have security software, then you might want to use it's settings to allow ATI executables as trusted programs. At a minimum, this will reduce on-access scanning of the ATI executables by the security software.

I've makde backups from within windows on lots fo diff machines for years and never had a prob. In fact, if probs show up, it's almost always the bootCD and that darned linux that's the prob.

 

Thanks...

I connected a usb hard drive and did another windows based backup and I got 4 pieces od data and I can see the log file...
It took about 26 steps to complete the process and I asked it to validate and it says everything successful......Is there a way I can know fore sure if everything is really ok?

I will do a boot rescue media and try later today that way ....and see what comes of it.

thanks again

 

If your USB drive is formatted FAT, then the file-size limit of FAT will cause ATI to split the backup into pieces.


The way to know for absolute sure that you can restore is to do a test restore (with a spare drive if you have one).

Almost as good is to go through all the steps of setting up a restore except the very last step where you tell ATI to proceed and do the restore. Going up to that point you will have confirmed that restore version of ATI can see your drives when you pick the location of the backup file and when you pick the target drive to be restored.

 

I have not had much time to try the boot cd option but I just tried a restore using the files I created ....I got to the point where it asks me to delete the partitions on the hard disk before restoring.

I take it that I should stop there because I am one step short of your option to procede with the backup.

I got to this part without any problems and I take it that that is good....?

Do respond and I will know what to do.
Thanks again

 

Update...
I created the boot media on a cd.
pop it in on the laptop and it boots to the select option screen and I click ATI
It goes to a blank screen and then top left shows
Acronis
Loading , please wait...

and I wait and wait and still waiting ....
what is the deal how long should this take to load?or do I have some issues with acronis and this dell 1721 laptop with vista?

Thanks again

 

Assuming you meant you did this with the BootCD, getting that far is good. It means ATI boot CD can see all your drives both for selecting source and target for a restore.

To actually do the restore, you would want to delete the existing partitions BUT DON"T unless you are willing to risk all that is on the disk. If you want to test by actdually doing a restore, best to swap in a spare disk and test on that.