Newbie Question

Hi,
I was wondering if someone could answer a pre sales question.

I am not a technical windows xp user but I am a power user. I want a system that can make a "copy" of my perfectly functioning windows xp (newly installed), so that if there are errors which do happen over time, I can just reinstall this "image" from a partioning.

Is this the right understanding that this software can do easily? Eg. I just create an image right after a fresh install when there are no errors, and then is it possible to reformat and just copy the "cloned or copied image" back and will it be identical as the fresh install?

Is this ok to do it from one partition to another, eg. keep the cloned partition on another partition

 

Geff,

I have many partitions on my HD. C: is for the O/S (win XP Pro), D: is for most programs and data, etc.... I use TI to create "full" image partitions of C & D to my "backup" partition, I:.

Typically, before installing new software (or windows updates), I will image C: and D: partitions to I:. Also, I might burn CD's or DVD of this image. I've typically got 3 or 4 such backup images stored on HD and burned at any one time, about 1 week interval between.

If needed, I can boot to Acronis TI and restore my C & D partitions in a matter of a few minutes, less than 10 usually. And I am back up and running as before.

Great for testing software, or if you get into a jam.

I have not yet used the incremental image or clone disk features in TI.

BTW... reformat is not necessary!

 

Hello Geff,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Acronis True Image creates an image of an entire hard drive or partition. The backup image contains everything the system needs to run – the operating system, patches, upgrades, and applications. The system reinstallation is not required to restore an image and get the system running after a failure.

You can create the image of the one partition and restore it to another.

You can also download the User's Guide of Acronis software from the following link: http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/docs.

Thank you.
--
Irina Shirokova

 

@mark7

You seem knowledgable about TI, so here's a question (actually, several). What are the requirements for partitioning of the destination drive when restoring an image? Ideally it seems to me the restore should be able to create the partitions required, even on a disk without partitions. Is this the case, or is one required to create partitions before the restore? And if so, what kind of partitions (primary, extended, etc.), sizes, etc.? If one's disk has crashed how does one know what these parameters should be? Finally does the restore process provide a means to create the required partitions?

Thank you for your kind assistance to the newbies!

 

Hello neuron2,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis Disk Backup Software.

If you restore the image you do not need to prepare the drive in any way. If you restore a single partition you may choose either unallocated space unneeded partition to restore to. If you restore the image of the whole disk you need to choose the disk. Again, you do not need to prepare your disk before the restoration. Acronis True Image will delete unneeded partition(s) and create new partition layout.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

No preparations are required if you are restoring to an existing drive (i.e., one that already has some kind of partitioning, and thus some kind of MBR). It doesn't matter to TI what the existing partioning is, and you have the option of adjusting the restored partition size during the restore process.

As I understand it, If you want to restore partitions to a brand new never-been-partitioned drive, you must restore from a TI "full disk image". This requires creating a "full disk image" to the Acronis secure zone, or to another hard drive (second drive in your computer, or an external USB or networked drive). OR.. create a full disk image with TI direct to CDs.

Only a TI "full disk image" will contain the hard drive MBR (master boot record). Images made with TI that are not "full disk images" will not image/backup the MBR. If you try to only restore certain partitions from a TI "partial disk image" to a brand new drive, you won't have an MBR and the drive will not be bootable.

A workaround if you do not have a "full disk image" would be to install the basic O/S on the new drive (creating an MBR), then restore individual partitions (which could include your system partition and all your latest O/S updates and user tweaks/customizations) from a non-full disk TI image.

Granted, I've never had the need to restore to a brand new drive yet