TI images -> to dvd-r -> break image up ?

Hello,

I'm wondering what you need to do when create an image file of your
system hard drive

Let's say you do a clean install, and you the resulting image is about 4 gigs.

How does one get this image onto a single DVD-R or DVD+R disc ?

I believe that even with Windows XP, there is a maximum file size allowed
which is 2 gigabytes or less per file ( I don't know the exact size )

So how does one go about creating an image file with TrueImage ?

What is correct proceedure ?

Do we use the manual option when creating the image, and specify for example 700 meg file sizes for the image ?

And then of course just copy these resulting series of files to a blank dvd disk ?

Is this the correct way to do it ?

I do believe trying to copy a single 4 gig file ( an TrueImage image ) to a dvd blank disk is impossible ( I'm not positive but pretty sure it is )

Thanks for any info gentlemen.

 

Create the backup manually. A single 4 gig file will burn to a single layer DVD no problem. I do it all the time.

You hard disk is formatted NTFS right?

 

I just checked and it is NTFS ( I had to make sure )

Hmm, I'm surprised that you can put such a large file on a DVD-R, I thought
there was a 2 gig limit on files or around that size limit.

Thanks for the info.

 

zippo2007,

You can put a file up to 4482 MB on a DVD disc. But anything larger than 2 GB must be burnt in UDF mode, not ISO or UDF/ISO.

 

Hi Brian,

ah so ! , ok so I was partly right , I'm glad I'm not a complete fool. I knew
I was sort of on the right track.

I've never used Nero before except in its default write mode. I'll have to fire it up later on and see about this mode you describe.

Thank you for the info Brian

 

Interesting topic. I'm not familiar with how Linux handles file sizes as far as the boot CD is concerned. I'm assuming you are saying 4GB is the max image size you can copy from Windows XP/2003 to a blank DVD and that the Acronis recovery CD (which boots Linux) will be able to read the 4GB file from a DVD to do a restore or copy back to a hard drive from it?

 

You can use the maximum filesize that will fit onto the DVD which is over 4GB, somewhere around 4.4 if you use K=1024 and 4.7GB if you use K=1000. Since these sizes are over 2GB burning will be done using the UDF file system.

To store files this large on your HD you have to have it formatted NTFS since FAT32 has a maximum filesize of about 4GB.

 

Then again their are dual-layer DVD's too with larger capacities. But the UDF burn thing - I can't directly file copy 4GB file to a blank data DVD for example?

 

Thanks for posting that info.

This tells me it's just easier to break up the backup using the breakup option, and then just copy the 700 meg sections to a dvd, and be done with it.

 

Well I am not 100% sure. But I'm with you, better safe than sorry!

 

Yes, there are the dual-layer DVDs which get you over 8 GB but at an increased risk of problems IMO plus even less compatibility of succesfully reading them on different devices. Also, their cost tends to make them scarcely competitive.

Yes, you can copy a file >2GB or more to a DVD but it uses the UDF file system rather than the more compatible ISO file system although the compatibility is not a problem with TI but the UDF system cannot be later than 2.01 IIRC.

I always split my archives at 1492 MB which is an easy number to remember thanks to a rhyme about some guy named Columbus. It is less than 2GB so it uses the ISO file system and 3 files fit nicely on a DVD with little waste. Note that when you enter the 1492 MB TI will convert it to 1.457GB.

I never use the Windows copy to DVD, I always fire up Nero and do my CDs or DVDs and I always do a verify after burning. Don't know what the current situation is but packet-writing was always considered to be the least trustworthy of writing to optical media.

 

Hi guys,

Ok quick question here:

When you start up the computer with the boot disk in the dvd drive,
you have a choice to start up using "Full Mode" or..... "Safe mode"

Can somebody explain which one should boot up with ? ( there is no info that boot up screen for users ) so I'm confused.

Also - I'm assuming that if you boot in "Full" mode this is a simulated windows mode, so does this allow you to *remove* the boot disc so that you can insert a dvd-r disc with the back file ( trueimage ) ? or will this cause the system to crash because it can lo longer read the program from the boot disc ?

This is rather confusing. Thank you for your time guys

 

Thanks, I was planning on using Roxio that is already on my computer to create a data CD or DVD with the backup files on them.

 

When you boot up in Full mode you are starting up a Linux, memory-resident environment which is supposed to have the drivers necessary to support USB, Firewire and perhaps other stuff.

When you boot up into Safe mode you get a variant of DOS without USB, Firewire, and whatever support.

You should always select Full but the Safe is there in case Full doesn't run and there is enough functionality to do the task. This could happen if the archive was stored on a second internal drive. A bit of a wrinkle is that some motherboards will support USB through the BIOS when in the Safe mode but this is not the majority case. People who have been able to use Safe mode for their restore usually report it as being very slow but if it gets you out of trouble, so what.

The fact that the rescue environment is memory resident should allow you to use the drive to load your archive DVD. I can't speak from experience because I avoid DVDs for this purpose and if I had to fall back onto a DVD, I'd find a way of copying it first to a HD or USB drive.

 

Hello zippo2007,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

We are sorry for the delayed response.

You can indeed remove the bootable media after it has fully loaded and use the drive for other purposes.

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov