Which partition software?

Ahhh...but those FDISR archives on your USB are useless if your HDD stops working!!! FDISK cannot export the FDISR data to removeable media and use this media to recover a PC should the source HDD fails. A drive imaging tool can accomplish this task because it can restore a working image file of the OS boot partition to ANY HDD, including the MBR.

A good drive imaging tool and multiple partitions give the user power and flexibility when needed. FDISK is a BAND-AID solution to data recovery. It cannot effectively handle multiple partitions. That's the MAIN reason why those who favor FDISR refuse to see the benefit of having a HDD with multiple partitions.

 

Why partition the HDD?

1.Ability to FULLY restore and boot the backup data to ANY HDD, including a blank HDD.

2.Create full byte for byte backup of the OS partition in about 40 seconds at 50% compression

3.Ability to quickly defrag the OS partition.

4.Ability to run multiple OSes.

5.Ability to delete/reload the OS without destroying important data.

6.Ability to quickly image/restore the partitions containing personal data, MOVIES, GAMES, MUSIC, etc to any other HDD running windows. Very efficient method of distributing GBs of data across multiple remote PCs. Just be sure to use the FAT32 file system.

7.Ability to load a virgin copy of Windows (as loaded) without other add-on proggies. This is a very valuable tool for eliminating software conflict.

There are endless other possibilities as long as you exercise the gray matter between your ears.

It is NECESSARY to use a drive imaging tool if your HDD fails and you want to FULLY RECOVER the data stored on another HDD or removeable media. If you PREFER to use FDISR, then you're screwed. The FDISR data stored in another HDD is USELESS!

Sure, I don't have to partition the HDD to backup the OS. But it would take much longer to backup the OS partition.

Like I said, some people put all their stuffs in one closet. I prefer the organized approach that will allow me to rebuild my PC to the exact state it was in when I created the image file, even if my primary HDD is dead.

 

The best strategy is to image the two partitions containing the "OS" and "program" Office 2003. Remove Office 2003 and install Office 2007. The data files (word , excel, powerpoint, etc) created by Office 2003 in the "data" partition should remain intact and should work with Office 2007. Since your e-mails and other important personal stuffs are stored in the "data" partition, you can continue to use the PC without interruption.

To remove Office 2007, restore the image file of the OS and Office 2003 partitions. All traces of Office 2007 will be removed from the "OS" and "program" partitions.

Generally, it's best to create at least one primary active "OS" partition, and three extended logical partitions (program, data, backup). A power user may add several more partitions...for music, for movies, and for pictures.

 

Hehe... looks like you're starting to slipslide around there in your arguments, furballi.

What happened to your adamant claim that FD-ISR doesn't capture the entire OS ? I see, simply raise the bar until you get back the "no" factor, right ? Now the bar is set by "It cannot effectively handle multiple partitions. " Interesting.

There's another fallacy for which you have no basis. It's just thrown out because of the "no" factor. That statement is NOT correct. I use multiple partitions and that practice is complemented by the use of FD-ISR. The use of multiple partitions and FD-ISR is NOT, I can assure you, mutually exclusive.

 

A clever user can also accomplish the same thing by imaging ONLY the "OS" partition.

1.Image the "OS" partition (normally C primary active).
2.Go to the "program" partition and make a duplicate of the MICROSOFT OFFICE folder, and add the word OLD to the name of this folder (ex. MICROSOFT OFFICEOLD).
3.Remove Office 2003. Reboot and verify the removal of the MICROSOFT OFFICE folder. The MICROSOFT OFFICEOLD folder should remain undisturbed.
4.Install Office 2007 in the "OS" partition and test for stability.

To restore Office 2003:
1.Reboot PC and change the MICROSOFT OFFICEOLD folder in the "program" partition to MICROSOFT OFFICE.
2.Restore the "OS" partition containing Office 2003.

If the data IS NOT backward compatible, then it will be destroyed when the imaging sofware deletes the "OS" partition.

How can restoring an image file be risky if the imaging software is stable with your PC and does not rely on the OS for proper operation?

Does FDISR copy the OS partition byte for byte? If not, then it is incapable of restoring the data if the HDD fails.

Too many folks with FDISR goggles refusing to see the light!

 

Haha... But GOOD LORD, Howard, you quoted me for cryin' out loud. I figured you had at least read that.

Never mind, I won't lose any sleep over it.

 

Seems like a rather convoluted procedure.
Hopefully, Peter2150 doesn't mind if I explain his procedure to you, as it's a little simpler: Here it is - Right Click the known good snapshot and reboot. About 20-40 seconds later (roughly) he's back where he started from.

 

Such a change in tone from outright asserting that it doesn't to asking if it does, that's and encouraging change. The answer: someone else will have to answer as I've answered this already.

I think if you read just a little more on FD-ISR, you'll change your mind about it.

 

furballi,
You are obviously intelligent and you definately know your stuff, not stuffs (I'm not poking fun. I just want to correct your use of the word because English may not be your primary language and you've misused that word more than once), about partitioning.

It seems that there is a necessity vs. sufficiency confusion. You have demonstrated that your method is sufficient, not necessary.

Partitioning clearly adds flexibility in specific contexts and you've highlighted some of those contexts.

We are not going to convince you that partitioning is useless any sooner than you will convince us ("us" = FDISR users) that FDISR is worthless. FDISR is undoubtably an extremely valuable tool in my arsenal and I consider it the single most important software on my system. I, like you, have tested many softwares. Most that know my reputation within this forum know that I'm pretty critical of all programs. For me to give FDISR this kind of accolade is saying something. Maybe you should reconsider your assessment.

I respect your position on these issues and you seem like a very likable person. A word of caution. When you say things like "exercise the gray matter between your ears" it implies that we (everyone but you) have not been using our brains. I, for one, take exception to that.

 

furballi,
I also have 3 partitions :
1. [C:] = winXPproSP2 + Programs (1st internal harddisk)
2. [D:] = personal files + emails (2nd internal harddisk)
3. [E:] = backup (external harddisk)

What is the benefit of separating Windows and MS Programs/Other Programs ?

 

It's an old wives tale that there are benefits.

Back in the daze when computers were simpler, it wa easy to separate OS, programs, and data.

Now that is much harder to do.

I have a system with 3 SCSI hard drives:

Drive 1 has C and D
Drive 2 has F-H
Drive 3 has I-M

The system is multiboot, with separate OS on C, F, G and J.

Drive C is the smallest, so it uses an additional Program Files directory on drive D.

The OS on F and G are infrequently used, so I have directory, say, Whatever, on each drive that has user files, programs, etc., some of which may be used by more than 1 of the OS.

Drive I has a directory that is used by all 4 OS. This directory contains common directories such as Recent, Favorites, Firefox Profiles, etc.

Drive K has a Program Files directory for programs that are used by the OS on J and, in some cases, the other OS. And it has a COMMON directory that has programs that are shared by ALL te OS. These include Firefox, THunderbird, and certain utilities.

With such a setup, an image based backup works much better than a file based backup.

THe only trick is to NEVER exclude any files when doing a Full/Incremental/Differential backup.

 

If it is an old wives tale, I keep it like it is now.
I just wanted my personal files and emails on a separate harddisk, which gives me enough freedom in my system partition.
What is left of data on my system partition won't hurt my feelings if I lose it.

 

One has to deal with such things on a product by product basis.

For example:

I install Firefox and THunderbird in K:\Program Files\HKCommon, and the very files are used by the OS installed on th eC, F, G, and J drives.

And I have the ThunderbirdMailboxes on the K drive, and the ThunderbirdProfilles on the I drive and the FirefoxProfiles on the I drive, and Favorites, Cookies, Recent on the I drive as well.

All of these are shared by the 4 OS.

For example, as we speak, I am testing software in the OS on the F drive. When done, I will restore the F drive back to its original state, but the changes to the Thunderbird and Firefox files that were made whilst I was playing with th eF drive are not lost.

It does pay to move things around.

With experience one learns how to deal with this. The positives outweigh the negatives. as long as one does full, not selective backups.

 

I cut/pasted the folder profiles of Firefox/Thunderbird to my data partition and did some changes in file profiles.ini of Firefox/Thunderbird on the system partition for the new path.
I was a little worried for the upgrades of Firefox/Thunderbird, but the upgrade to version 1.5.0.4 didn't screw up the separation.

 

As long as you followed the instructions for moving the profiles and mailboxes, installs do not affect those, as they are treated as user data.

Indeed, on a multiboot syste, if you install an extension to Firefox in one OS, it shows up in all the OS, very convenient.

 

I want to ask two things.

1- What about the trials of partitioning software? If I partition by using the trial version of anyone, say Partition magic or BING, this partition will be lost after one month or will persist?
2- At the moment I have a single partion C. If I uninstall RollbackRx and then partition it in two portions C and D, then can I reinstall RollbackRx or FDISR or not? I mean this partioning will behave just as if I have partioned while insatlling XP( I can insatll RollbackRx in OS partion in that case).
Thanks for any replies.
BTW, I tried G-Parted but failed to partition.

 

1- Not a straight answer but -- I absolutely cannot believe a software manufacturer would dare to do such a thing to someone trialling their software!

2- Certainly you can still install and use FD-ISR but, as you may know, it ONLY does its thing on your system partition. RollbackRx I know next to nada about.

 

I would never change my partitions after installing winXPproSP2.
I do my partitioning when I install winXPproSP2, so I didn't need any partition software upto now.
After installing winXPproSP2, I install the driver CD's.
Then "Total Uninstall" and "FirstDefense-ISR". This way I can create snapshots from the beginning and archive them if necessary.
After that I install all the other softwares.