backup question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Troy McClure
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T

Troy McClure

lets say I have a C and a D drive. I want to backup ONLY the files on the D
drive... am I to understand this is not possible? from what I see the C
drive is automatically selected and cannot be unselected... if that's the
case its crazy. there must be a registry hack to change this behavior.

anyone?
 
Well, there's Complete PC Backup and there's the File Backup. Sometimes I
can tell from context which one you're talking about, but you haven't given
me enough to go on yet :-) Both of these are in the Backup and Restore
Center. Did you choose the option to back up your computer or back up files?
 
If you didn't put the disclaimer at the bottom of your e-mail
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
Click to expand...

would I then have rights and a warranty?

Just asking.

:-)
 
If we're talking Complete PC Backup, the reason your C drive is required is
that there are startup files on that drive that are necessary during
restore. In other words, we have to back up both the system and boot
volumes. Without imaging that C volume along with D, your computer wouldn't
start after a restore.

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Want to learn more about Windows file and storage technologies? Visit our
team blog at http://blogs.technet.com/filecab/default.aspx.
 
but what if i dont want to do a "restore"... or even backup as an "image"? i
simply want to backup a bunch of files like i could for a thousand years
using NTBACKUP
 
running now... looks like what i needed, thank you.
although i cant fathom why they would take this ability out of the gui
 
That's not quite true, Jill.

If nothing has happened to your XP volume where
those startup files are stored, and a user is just trying
to fix an issue with Vista- I don't see why there would
be a problem in restoring just Vista's volume. Those
boot files are still intact on XP's volume.

I've used Task Scheduler to run CompletePC Backup and
specified only Vista's volume. I've tested the backup and
restored the image. There was no problem.

I understand you guys are taking the "safe route" and
assuming something may have happened to the other
volume. But, it's not like it can't be done. You guys
just made CompletePC Backup to not offer that option.

However, using wbadmin you can specify only one volume,
and so long as the other volume where those startup files
are located is not funked up, the restore will work just fine,
and Vista will boot normally.

-Michael
 
I would assume the developers were taking the
"safest route". Assuming that if a user needed to
do a restore, there may be something wrong with
the other volume where those startup files are
located.

I use Task Scheduler to run wbadmin and specify
only Vista's volume. On this machine, I also dual
boot with XP. I have done a restore and didn't
have any problems just restoring Vista's volume.
Or, any problems booting afterwards.

I do understand why the developers made it
that way. But, I like doing it my way. Besides,
I have multiple backup choices. Acronis would
actually be my first route to take if I had to do
an image restore.

-Michael
 
ok so i used the command line and backed up the D drive... how would i do a
restore now? and is it possible to restore specific files? or do i have to
restore the entire image....

note to MS: this was a HUGE mistake. i can almost guarantee this will be
"fixed" in SP1.
since NT we have been able to backup FILES, and restore individual FILES....
now only an image of a drive can be taken. and for the life of me i cant
figure out how to restore it... the backup center in control panel certainly
isnt able to do it. so whats the deal?
 
I talked to the Complete PC team today about this thread. They designed
Complete PC Backup as a system recovery tool. This is why we take the
"safest route," as you describe. We want the computer to be in a startable
state should disaster strike and you have to restore. The system and boot
volumes are minimums here (sometimes the same volume, sometimes different).
There can also be cases where you install a program on a non-system/boot
volume with a service dependency, and this volume will also be required so
that we "don't split the system state" as one of the developers described.
Upon system restore, everything should work as it did before.

Wbadmin, in contrast, was designed as a volume backup tool, which is why you
can pick and choose volumes.

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Want to learn more about Windows file and storage technologies? Visit our
team blog at http://blogs.technet.com/filecab/default.aspx.
 
Thank you, Jill.

I figured that's why things are the way they are with
CompletePC Backup. But, it's sort of like the issues
some have with Vista's Defrag- power users want options,
they want to see what's going on, and they want to tweak it
to their specifications. They (me included) want to make programs
do it the way they want it done. It's all about *options* to a lot of us.

Take care,

Michael
 
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