Restoring from True Image 10 on multiple DVD+RW

Hi I intend to back up my entire pc to multiple DVD+RW incase a reinstall of XP goes bad. This would be about 140GB out of 220GB drive. So lots of DVD's. In the past I have copied install files and the passwords from cd's and dvd's that come free with magazines to my pc.

My questions is if I back up my entire pc to say 30 DVD's or so, would I be able to browse the images on the DVD's to pull out the install files and the text files?

If so would this entail my having to load all the dvd images on to my pc to make one big image? as this would lead to a severe shortage of space, or would I be able to browse each dvd individually straight from the dvd drive?

Many thanks for any info on this

Zzz

 

Just a question for you here why would you want to do your backups to DVD media when the price of Hard Drives these days are so cheap and you will probably have a much more reliable backup? Just wondering.

 

Your question should be given very careful consideration by anyone contemplating using DVDs as media for their primary archive. My opinion is that they are better used as secondary or tertiary backup storage.

 

Something else to consider is what makes up your 140GB of data, especially if it happens it is all on one partition. If a substantial part of it involves media files (music, movies, photos, etc) you might consider moving that part, and other data files, to a separate partition. From there you can just copy the files (or use a synchronize program) to the external HD Mr Bill and seekforever have convinced you to get.
If they weren't persuasive (they're right, you should listen) you could organize the partition into folders of 4GB or so (DVD capacity), then use a program such as Nero to burn these to DVD+R or DVD-R.
Either copying to a separate HD or burning to DVD would give you a backup of the files, independent of a specific program to retrieve them, and reduce the time it takes to Image your O/S partition. Also data on a separate partition is normally out of the way of a software crash of the O/S partition.

 

I absolutely agree with Catfan432 about taking the trouble to organize your disk for imaging and for backing up datafiles in their native format rather than processing them into a giant container file which means you have to have it installed to read them in the future and a slight corruption may mean every file in it is lost.

The partition is the basic unit of backup and restore for an image and if you organize your disk as suggested above you make OS images quick and easy, you have the freedom to blow away the OS at anytime without worrying about your datafiles. You can move the MyDocuments folder to a different location but I ony use mine as a scratch area and keep all of my data files in a different location organized as I want.

I know some people like to have everything on a giant C drive but IMO it is not the way to have it.

 

Thanks for all the replies,

Sorry, I think I am confusing myself. The back up I need would only be required temporarily, I hope. In case things go wrong with a reinstall. After the reinstall I want to copy back my data files. I never thought I would have to back the data up separately from the whole pc back up.

Ok cost was a major factor for the dvd+rw. 25 for a tenner, can't be bad. But I have been looking around online and have found some internal drives I could stretch to. Would internal be ok?

Currently I have a 20GB drive and a 200GB drive so I could remove the 20 GB and replace it with the new drive. Then do a fresh install on to the new drive, set it up and then make a back up of my ideal system without data. Would that make more sense? After that I could copy all data over to the new drive. Not much of the data is really important, it would mainly be the nuisance factor of tracking it all down again. I have cut it back to 66GB that I need to keep. Most of which I could divide up in to 4GB folders and burn to DVD. This 66GB includes almost 30GB for my programs and XP partitions (I separated them when I originally set up, thought it would make it easier to back up!!)

thanks for all the help so far.

 

You also have to remember that there is some compression involved in the backup, so that 66 Gig will not be 66 Gig after the backup.

 

So, you should partition your new drive so that C is the operating system and programs and D (or whatever) is your data partition. Copy all 66GB back there in folders of 4.3GB or less for easy backup to DVDs.

That's a great way to go. Internal drives are faster and more reliable than external drives. Some people are afraid to open the case of their PC, but it's a good way to go.

Yes, definitely, but partition the drive so that you are installing Windows to the first partition.

Copy the data to the second partition, but reinstall all your programs in the first partition. That way, you only need to back up the first partition to protect your operating system and programs and all their updates.

 

It is one thing getting the backup on to optical media. When it comes time to restore TI will have you doing a seemingly endless shuffle of discs as several have reported here. Without a doubt, another hard drive, internal or external, is the way to go.