Newbie needs help with ATI 9 usage

LOL... I always tend to expect the *worst*. I do have it in my downloaded programs folder, but I was wondering what would happen, if that wasn't accessible.

Thanks to you, and Christopher and bVolk, I may have the courage to proceed now.

I too, remember dumb terminals, and even mainframes and keypunch cards, but didn't want to give my age away previously, afraid people would ignore me as a hopeless cause.

mm

 

Hopeless cause? Hardly.

While reading recently about Vista's implementation of Imaging, I noticed that the number of PC users who make backups of any kind is in the low single digits.

You are one of the many of us in this forum who have used computers long enough to know that they don't last forever. Count your blessings.

 

I forgot to ask about the several messages referencing "Disk 1". On my system "C" Drive is shown on "Disk 0". Or was "Disk 1" just a reference by the ATI program as the "first" selection... or will the correct disk number be shown when I go through the process? Sorry to be such a worry-wart.

mm

 

In Windows (Disk Management) the first disk (the system disk) is reported as Disk 0, while in TI it's reported as Disk 1. On imaging or restoring in TI, checking the box in front of Disk 1 will instruct TI to image (or restore) the entire disk, ie. all the partitions (as well as the MBR, in the case of restoring). By unchecking Disk 1, but checking one (or more) of the partitions beneath, you perform a partition(s) image/restore.

The other peculiarity to be aware of is that after booting from Rescue CD and upon selecting the image to validate or restore from the list of drives displayed on the left pane of the screen, the letters of the drives may be different from the letters you are accustomed to see in Windows. Therefore, it's a good idea to assign a meaningful name to each drive, like "System", Backups" and "External", to be able to tell which drive is which without relying on their letters. You can rename a drive by right-clicking on it in My Computer, then Rename.

My "additional clarification" was meant for you to distinguish between a full image (as a type of image) and an entire (or whole) disk image (as regarding the contents of the image). But you are probably past that confusion already.

 

Naming conventions can get quite interesting around here, perhaps due to TI's use of both Windows and Linux. Disk 0 and Disk 1 refer to where your HDs are connected to your motherboard, or HD controller. Disk 1 in True Image generally means the Hard Drive you are Booting from, or your System Drive. I have 3 identical Samsung SATA HDs, which makes figuring out which HD I'm looking at challenging, even in BIOS. Don't be surprised if TI reports your SATA HDs as SCSI (a Linux translation).

You'll also find that drive letters in Boot mode are different from their normal drive letters in Windows. So, be sure to use descriptive names for each partition you create, for example Acronis Archives ( J: ), rather than simply, ( J: ). In Boot Mode, J: may become H:, and you'll need to know which partition you want to restore to, and where to find your TI archives. You can always load the Boot disc, and noodle around, to see what is where. I write down a chart of my drives in Windows, and in Boot Mode.

You can also set up a Restore Operation, without actually committing to running it. You have the option to Cancel any pending Acronis Operation. Just stay clear of Snap Restore A safe process in Boot Mode while learning your way around is to Validate archives.

As bVolk said so well in post #8,

So, you are taking the smart path here. I've had a new motherboard and CPU here for several days, and am almost prepared enough to do the upgrade. And I've done this before...

We're all learning...at least us wise old coots are!

 

Why not, I would be happy to learn on your machine ...

 

Oh, by the way Christopher, Merry Christmas if we don't meet by then.

 

Ah, yes, I overlooked that detail. How easy it is to work on someone else's anything, yet, when it comes to our own anythings, we want things done just so. I'll bet you don't live close to North Carolina, so, for now at least, you're safe. Though, come to think of it, I would have someone else to blame if things went awry

[MOVE]Hey, what am I worried about? I have True Image! What could go wrong? [/MOVE]

 

Hi Christopher,

I'm currently typing this on my 8th "home-built" PC so you're quite welcome to bring your kit (and your TI disk image) over to Menorca and I'll upgrade it for you. Just make sure you have a full retail version of the Windows XP installation disk or have purchased a new OEM version to go with that new motherboard .

Regards from one "Silver Surfer" to another.

 

Hello Menorcaman,

Thanks for your generous offer. There are days when any excuse to visit Menorca sounds good enough. From the photographs I've seen, you've picked a grand place to roost.

It didn't take long for me to lose patience with factory restore discs, when I tried out a laptop that came with such rubbish. Restoring all those commercials to my desktop, while eliminating all my custom settings!.. So, yes, I still have the full versions of just about every Windows version ever released. Anyone need a full set of 3.1 floppies? I even waited in line at midnight to get Windows 95, and for my troubles, Mr. Gates even tossed in a remote controlled toy car, with Microsoft ads all over it. The neighbor's twins didn't mind I have an OEM XP Pro SP2 CD, and am fully liscensed to drive it anywhere this computer will take me.

My main debate has been whether to transfer over my existing, 3 month old setup, by downgrading the drivers during the changeover, or, to go thru the many hours of work to re-install everything. I think I'm going to try the less labor intensive method first. I can always start fresh if things don't go as planned. I'm simply changing out the motherboard and CPU (Athlon 1800+ to Athlon 64 3400+). Hoping to resolve those pesky chipset problems I've had, and find out just how good it feels to have a smoothly running and reasonably fast system. Nothing bleeding edge, but, hey, I've already tried that.

Regards

 

Well there's the rub Christopher. I'm not sure that you will be allowed to re-activate that OEM copy of XP Pro once you swap out the motherboard and CPU. You'll need the full "Retail Version" of the installation disk instead otherwise Mr Gates and Co. will probably refuse to play ball (at least that's the case for Windows XP Home).

Regards

 

Thanks for the reminder...yes, I do have an OEM version of XP, which is tied by that virtual umbilical cord to this one computer. However, I've also looked into Windows activation, which, as I understand it, uses a point system, which looks at the various components in your system and assigns them each a value, then, after the rebuild, totals it up and gives a pass or fail. Even leaving a PCI modem card that is no longer used can tip the scales in favor of passing. Of course, CPUs and mainboards do get higher points assigned to them. But, it's the cumulative total that counts.

So, with luck, I'll bring enough of my "old" hardware to the party to get past the burly bouncer at the door. I'll leave in place the older DVD drive, CDRW burner, as well as the SATA DVD+R (once activated, you can then pull the old hardware). And leave the three internal SATA HDs, same AGP video card, same RAM, even a controller card or two. And that trusty modem (I'm just guessing, but modems must indicate that this guy can't be a pirate, he's still in the dark ages of dial-up). Just to make Windows Activation monitor feel right at home. Otherwise, I may have to call Microsoft, and plead with them to allow me to run my fully liscensed version of WindowsXP. Which I expect they will do quite gladly, and, in any case, will do. I've been on tours at Microsoft, and, while they are a lot of things, I don't think they are really intent on keeping legitimate users of their software from upgrading their PCs. As to allowing us to use anyone else's software, that's another story...

Regards

 

Depending on what features are built into the new motherboard, you may well be lucky and find that your OEM Windows XP doesn't require re-activation. However, if it does then, as you say, a telephone call to Microsoft Support explaining the situation will likely result in a new activation code.

For anyone reading this thread and wanting a better insight into Windows Product Activation, this lengthy article titled <How Microsoft Windows XP Product Activation (WPA) Works> provides a lot of useful (but not too technical) information.

Regards

 

Christopher,

I'd be concerned about which type of Motherboard you are planning to buy. This is from Menorcaman's link.

 

Menorcaman, Brian & bVolk,

Help!!! Some guys from Redmond broke down my door last night, muttered something about OEM trash, then tied me up and threw me in the back of their van! I think it has Washington plates on it. I'm text messaging you on my cell...must keep quiet...been driving all night...could you guys please do me a favor? Can you check out this product key: 78967-OEM-8976543-98765, and see if there's any way to get me out of this mess? These guys really look mean...am I history?

Well, all seriousness aside, I do appreciate both of your concern for my welfare. Turns out, the product key on my WindowsXP CD does not include the letters "OEM", unlike the key above, from the article on Windows Activation. So, I should be OK to proceed with my upgrade.

We purchased this computer in somewhat of a hurry - my wife had just begun graduate school and needed XP Pro to log into the university. So, we went with a smaller PC builder in California, Micro Express, who was highly rated in PC World, and did a decent job by us, all in all. Micro Express is not one of the big PC makers, so even though Windows XP Pro came with this system, I don't think it's an OEM version. Per your link, unless the product key says OEM, which mine does not, I should be OK.

Last fall, when our original socket A motherboard developed leaking capacitors, I asked Micro Express to give me a new one. They offered to repair mine, if I would send it to them and wait 6 weeks...so, I opted instead to pay them for a new Gigabyte GA-7N400S-L nForce2 motherboard...a good one, from the reviews I found at the time. Not as good as Menorcaman's Pro level Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro2, but, I didn't know this last fall. The helpful Micro Express rep even sent along an XP SP2 CD, so I wouldn't have to upgrade to SP2 again. Using my product activation key, my upgrade last fall went smoothly.

As long as I was rebuilding this PC (now that I had inherited it from my wife) I added a few bits and pieces. A nice PC Power & Cooling 470 power supply, a 250 GB Samsung Spinpoint P SATA HD, an MSI FX5500 256MB AGP video card, and doubled the DDR RAM to 1 GB. Six months later, I added a Plextor SATA DVD burner, to store all those precious digital photographs.

In May, I decided it was time to develop some decent backup habits. I'd used Partition Magic on my Win98SE Ultra Wide SCSI system for years, but, didn't have a partitioning program for this XP machine. So, I went for the combo - True Image & Disk Director. Highly rated, I was told. And, in spite of the rather steep learning curve on my system, I'm glad I came. Turns out, Menorcaman and Brian were two of the generous TI forum members who helped me thru those early stages, when I came in crying, "No Hard Drives Found!" and are still helping me...when do we get to the easy part? Suffice it to say, I learned a great deal in a short time, and found out that even a Gigabyte GA-7N400S-L wasn't up to the challenges of saving Images, or other large files, to and from SATA HDs, or external USB hard drives.

Being stubborn, and with all your help, I almost have this system running well, almost...All the while, my wife, Jodie, has been patiently saying, I think it's the motherboard. Hey, I just replaced the motherboard...and it was supposed to be a good one...there must be a way to coax an nForce 2 chipset into behaving. And I didn't want to have to buy a new video card or new memory...few motherboards take AGP nowadays...

Gigabyte support makes Acronis support look great...all Gigabyte offered me was a rebuilt motherboard of the same faulty design, if I'd send them my board and wait 6 weeks...so trying to wrestle this board into behaving, I eventually added two Adaptec PCI controller cards...one for an external USB HD, and the other to run 2 of my now 4 internal SATA devices. Having used SCSI for years, I naively thought when I bought this SATA motherboard that SATA would allow additional drives to connect in a chain like SCSI had...here I'm showing my ignorance...oh, well, we all start somewhere.

So, I've finally listened to Jodie...I recently found that Newegg is selling an AMD Athlon 64 3400+ with a Biostar NF325-A7 Mainboard as a combo for only $100 US. And the Biostar takes AGP and my DDR RAM. Add in an Arctic Freezer cooler, another case fan, and I should be all set for awhile...this board and CPU will even run Vista, if I get really brave, or foolish, and I tend to be both. Of course, we'll see how well this NVIDIA nForce 3 chipset does at running SATA, and ext USB, and how well Acronis does at running the show.

At least I don't need the three of you to testify on my behalf in Redmond, Washington, not yet...Thanks again for your continued help. I'll let you know how it goes...

Regards