TI isn't what I thought. Or I'm inept. :)

What I wanted to use TI for was to make CD/DVD Copies of my system, you know like a few years back when HP,Compaq and the rest used to supply those. Well I tried to do that but I absolutely could not figure this program out. I do have a triple boot so I may need special instructions for that. I would like to make copies, not backups of my OS's and the software I installed on them, Copies that I can install back onto my computer and have all the xtra programs I added working. Please, no generic instructions. I have know idea what controls to use, buttons to push or what to click.

Thanks
Mark

 

What you are calling "make Copies", True Image calls Backup. When you use True Image to make a Backup, you will be able to restore it, as you say, "back onto my computer" and have all the programs that you have added working like they did at the point in time when you made the Backup.

From version 10 of True Image there is the feature to put the backup directly on DVDs. But be aware it is a very slow process compared to saving the backup on to another hard drive. If the size of the backup requires 3 DVDs or less it "ain't so bad" - but still slow.

 

I can't seem to figure out the process to do this. I have TI 11. Do I somehow make the backup onto my hard drive/partition and then burn to DVD. Please explain.

 

if you wish to get complete copies of your systems on a single DVD you will need to get what they call Blue Ray disks as well as a Blue Ray recorder. The size it takes to copy a system such as XP or Vista requires something on the order of greater than 8 GB which current DVD's can not provide. You of course can use a progam like Acronis to make your DVD's but you also require Acronis to restore your systems once the copy is made.

 

Why can'y I use regular DVD's and just use more of them?

Thanks?
Mark

 

You can do that also - that's what has become known on the forum as the 2-step process. Many who use this method, specify a split size of 1492Mb when making the backup. Three of these fit nicely on a dvd with little waste. With the 2-step method you have to copy all the Backup pieces from the dvds on to another hard drive then boot with the standalone bootable True Image rescue CD before proceding with a restore.

The direct method puts the bootable True Image files on to the dvd together with the Backup Image. You can find the feature in the installed software here: Tools > Options >Default Backup Options>Media Components>Advanced Tab.

 

Ok so I made the backup onto my hard drive now how do I find it and burn it to DVD?

Thanks
Mark

 

Well, where ever it is, you put it there. You gave it a location and a name. If none of that rings a bell, you can search for .*tib. TI gives its backup files a .tib extension. If that doesn’t work, you may have given the backup file a name but left off the .tib. TI will not add that if you don’t use the default name it provides. If that doesn’t work, I guess you could start searching while sorting by files size; it should be fairly large.

 

So, I find the file, which I can do and burn to dvd and i'll have a restore disc?

Thanks
Mark

I found the file so do I copy the system state folder to dvd? I didn't find the programs that I added to my system in that backup folder. I think I'm just not getting this.

 

Well I made the backup onto a DVD but it didn't do what I wanted when it ran the restore operation. I made the backup onto the DVD and then added a program to my computer after that. When I did the restore that program was still on my computer. I don't want anything new to remain on my computer. I want an original working state. Just like the way the restore discs that used to ship with new pcs worked. Do I need to create a secure zone to accomplish this?

Thanks
Mark

 

"TI will not add that if you don’t use the default name it provides"

This was in reference to the .tib extension. I just tested this with Ver 10 Build 4942 and the .tib was added by TI.
This was never the case before. This problem must have been fixed in one of the latter builds.

 

We need some specifics.
Did the backup fit on just one dvd?
Did you use the bootable rescue cd to do the restore or were you able to backup directly to dvd when creating the bootable rescue media?
Did you get the "Restore Successful" message at the end?

 

The backup fit on 1 DVD. I backed up 1 partition. I tried restoring from boot but got an error saying I couldn't do that with that type of media or something like that. I also did the restore from within the partition I backed up and it said restore successful. But that new test program I added was still there. I don't understand why this is so hard for me. I'm usually pretty good with software.

Thanks
Mark

Edit: I believe I made the backup into a bootable rescue CD because my computer booted from it.

 

Okay I think I figured it out. I'm doing a sector by sector backup which is working now, about 2 hrs till completion. Then I'll try it again. Is it okay to work on my computer while this is runnig?

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to figure this this out no matter how long it takes.

Mark

 

I've never used sector by sector backup. 2 hours is much too long for a backup that can fit on one dvd. Figure on approx. 1Gb/min.
Ah, you're doing the backup from within windows ... many users do and keep working on the computer. I prefer to do everything from the bootable rescue cd - less chance of something going wrong.
Maybe you should read some of the guides made by a forum member named GroverH. Look for any message by him and in his signature are several useful links.

 

Yeah, it didn't work anyway I'll have to figure this out somehow. I'll check out what grover has to say.

Thanks
Mark

 

I'm all set now. I created the backup image and it worked perfectly. My whole problem in the beginning was not choosing my DVD/RW drive as the backup destination. Acronis support pointed me to the user's manual and voila,success!

Thanks for all the replys.
Mark

 

You don't ned a Secure Zone for any good reeason.

If, when backing up, in ATI you choose to backup My computer, inthe ATI wizard, then the entire partition or drive that you select will be backed up. When you restore that image, it will overwrite the partition/drive image that is on the dis you are restoring to -- you have the option during Restore to first delete the partition on the target drive -- or else ATI will make a n additional partition to hold the backup. If you restore a full partition/drive image,any later files will be gone form the target disk after restore.

 

I don't think I deleted that partition but I don't see any xtra partitions in DD. When I did the restore I just pointed to the partition I made the backup from.
I also did a little test. I uninstalled one program then installed 2 random programs after I made the backup. When I did the restore and logged back into that partition the uninstalled program was there and the installed programs were gone, perfect!

Thanks
Mark