Some doubts, help please

HI, I am new. I'm trying to learn but I find many doubts and things I don't understand, not even when reading the manual. I am very computer illiterate and it's hard to understand.

I managed to make a .tid backup of my C: disk after a clean installation of XP with all my usual programs which is only 3GB big so it would fit in a DVD.

And now?

What I want is to create a bootable DVD that will install my C: again. But I have these doubts:

1- How do I do that Bootable DVD with the whole backup integrated?

2- If I finally manage to do it, how should I install C: again from the DVD if my computer has crashed for instance?

3- Do I need to keep ATI in my system forever or can I unistall it after creating the DVD? (I have an old slow PC and need it as clean and empty as possible) I mean if it is necessary to be installed in C: for reinstalling C: (which doesn't make much sense to me)

Thank you very much in advance and my apologies if these questions are repeated but I couldn't find them in the search engine.

 

Hi ... If you have a burner you could burn your backup unto a dvd disk . Though it would be best to keep your backup unto a separate hard drive . Now a days they are pretty cheap even an external hard drive . To do what I think you want isn't what this software does . If you want a dvd disk with all your softwares and windows then be able to boot off it you can't . What this software can do is make a backup of your whole system and even separate files or folder whichever you like . Most people who use this software make a system backup unto a extra hard drive or external hard drive ( some do put it unto a dvd disk but this option isn't full prove ) Afterwards they would create a bootable rescue disk . Now this rescue disk is what you would use to boot Acronis TI program at which time you would locate a backup to restore unto your computer. Afterward it would bring your system back to the way it was when you created your backup . I hope this make some sense to you . If not ? Others here within time maybe can explain it better .

 

I haven't used the latest version but on older versions you can while in the backup wizard options screen find and select an option to include Acronis components. It will put the information necessary to make the DVD bootable on the DVD when it creates the DVD with the image archive. This isn't really necessary as TerryFox said, you just boot up the TI rescue CD and restore your archive tib file(s) with the TI program it runs.

Note that the restore environment is Linux so it is recommended you do a test restore to a spare HD to ensure the Linux environment works on your PC. If you don't want or can't do that, the next best thing is to do a Validate from the TI rescue CD which will ensure the archive can be read properly. After doing that, go through the Restore Wizard as if you were going to restore your image but Cancel the wizard when you get to the final screen that requires you to click on Proceed.

You can uninstall TI after you have made the rescue CD. In fact, you can then use it to make all backups and restores without using the Windows program. However, you might find the Windows program runs faster than the Linux implementation, usually because of better device drivers.

 

Thanks a lot for your answers.

It all sounds like Chinese to me but I still managed to understand a bit and I did different things.

I did create a bootable DVD with my C: integrated but when I tried to see how it worked it got to a point where it got like "stuck" in a black screen with some code that I didn't understand and nothing seemed to happen when touching here and there, so I turned off and rebooted the computer.

I also created the Rescue Disk and from it I created a new .tid backup of C:. The problem is that this backup is 11 GB big, while the other one made from Acronis within Windows is 3 GB. Does it make any sense to you?

Unless you tell me opposite, what I will do is to keep only the 3 GB one within a different partition and if I need to reinstall Windows I will do it from the normal Rescue Disk. (I don't want to buy an external HD only for this by now). Is that OK in your opinion?

Thanks a lot guys. I really appreciate it.

One last question. Can I keep the .tid backup in a pen drive and use it for the reinstall as an external HD?

 

The size of the backup archive should be about 60%-65% of your used disk space. You can follow my guides as listed on line 2 of my signature below.

Storing the backup on a pendrive is ok providing you simulate a restore and see if the TI Rescue CD will see the pendrive and enable you to perform the restore. TrueImage does allow you to simulate or practice the procedure all the way up to the decision point of "proceed or cancel". Choose the cancel option when practicing.

You will never truly know whether the restore will work until you actually perform such a procedure.

Should your disk fail, the backup archive that you should have for restoration is a backup of the entire disk (disk option checked) when performing your backup. This type backup includes all partitions on the system disk.

 

Thanks a lot.

Well, I think I managed to do it well but still have a question.

Can I test the restore in, for instance, a different partition? As you say, I practice all the way to the point of "proceed or cancel", but how can I know that it will actually work well without losing my current installation?

Thanks agin, you are very kind.