Best way to back up C: partition?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Michael 23
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Michael 23

After a recent motherboard catastrophe, I am trying to fine tune my
back-up system.

I use a reliable back-up utility to keep regular nightly backups of
all of my files, which are on my D: partition, - easy enough. They are
backed up to a second hard drive and accross my local network to
another computer in the same building, so I am fairly secure here.

However, I have a small C: partition where WinXp and most of my apps
are installed, and I really do not keep any back up of that.
If I were to lose this drive/partition, I would have to reinstall
windows, and all of the applications... I would not lose files as I
keep those intentionally separated and backed up, but I would lose a
lot of custom settings, which could be a serious PITA to recreate, if I
even could remember them all.

SO>> my question << what is the best way to keep a solid backup of the
boot partition?

Ideally, if this hd were to fail, I would want a solution that would
allow me to simply swap drives, or perhaps transfer some files as
needed from a back up to a new hd, and reboot the machine as if nothing
had happened.

AFAIK I cannot just keep a 1-for-1 backup of this partition on another
hd, because of the limitations in copying active system files.

Your suggestions on the proper and most reliable method for this are
greatly appreciated!
 
Since you have a second (albeit virtual) drive you can use the ASR Wizard if
you have XP Pro.
 
If you're asking for the "best way" you're asking for an opinion. Here's
mine: Imaging software.

I use Norton Ghost 9.0, but there are other imaging applications, notably
True Image and BootIt NG, that are equally capable. With Ghost I just 'set
it and forget it' and the program automatically images my system partition
on my schedule in a matter of minutes and does so in the background so I can
keep on working.
 
I have ghost 2003, but it does not appear to have a scheduling
function... is this something that was built in to later versions?

I had looked at ghost, but decided against it when I realized I would
have to manually create the backups... but maybe not, eh?
 
Modern backup software can backup system and program files that are in use.

I use Acronis True Image version 8 for this exact purpose. GHOST 9 should
also work.
 
Hi,

AND Ghost 2003 cannot bacup a C: drive with the windows system on it,
while it's active, Ghost 9 can.

(If you can get it to work - I've bought a copy og Norton Ghost 9, it
installs fine, but when I try to run it, it gives an error with .NET,
and support don't seem to be able to help me:-( )

Regards Leif.
 
Thanks for the tip, Bob!

I decided to try something other than Ghost - dl'd True Image from
NewEgg for $30 and so far I am quite pleased... actually cloning my
entire HD (both partitions) to my second HD right now (I am on another
pc to access this group at the moment)

I have a few questions for you, if you are still seeing this thread -

1) The initial drive copy required a reboot, and is happening
pre-windows-loading.
However, the documentation for True Image suggests that it can run in
the background while working in WinXP... I am assuming this will be
true for future copies of my disk image?

2) You say you have your disk imaging on a regular schedule - I plan to
do the same.
Does the scheduled process require a complete erasing and re-copying of
the whole drive, or does TrueImage recognize just the changed files,
and simply update the image on the backup disk?

3) My assumption is that if my main drive bites the dust, I will be
able to open the case, swap drives and jumpers, and reboot from the
backup as if nothing had happened... is this correct?

Thanks very much for your (or anyone else's) experienced input.
 
I also use TrueImage ver 8
ans#1..if you look into the settings the next image will be an
"incremental"image backing up only what was changed.
You should create an Acronis Secure Zone...this makes imaging that
much easier.It basically tales a part of your 2nd HD and uses it only for
TrueImage...this partition will not show up under Explorer only under
TrueImage.You can set the size of this partition and it will either add or
overwrite depending upon you.
ans#2 With the Secure Zone updating the image is very easy.It will update
with just what has changed....incremental.

ans#3 no swapping drives.The Acronis emergency boot disk that the program
prompted you to make takes you into TrueImage from where you "restore" your
image back to its original loacation(S)So if your main drive is unusable you
will need to get another before you can restore.If XP screws up and you
cannot start your system thats where the Acronis Emergency Boot disk comes
in.The Image files can be burned to a series of DVD/CD discs if you wish to
change drives when the old main is no longer usable.The Backup is not
bootable...it needs to be restored!!

hope this helps
peterk
 
Do you have .NET installed?

How about the Windows Updates for the same?

What is the "exact" error message


--
Regards,

Richard Urban

If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
Hi Richard,

Do you have .NET installed?

How about the Windows Updates for the same?

What is the "exact" error message
Click to expand...


I've had a lenghty conversation with Symantec - to no avail.

My .Net is installed. No error messages during installation.

I've uninstalled and reinstalled, updated via Windows Update - It
never gives any error messages.

I install Norton Ghost 9 - There is no error messages during
installation. However after it has been installed it wants to reboot,
once rebooted and I want to start Norton Ghost 9 I get this error
message:

The error message I get is:

------------------------------------------------------

..NET Framework Initialization Error

X c:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.net\Framework\v1.0.3705\msworwks.dll could
not be loaded

-----------------------------

This file does not exist in this directory, however it is in
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322, but copying this file
and all the other files to the
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.0.3705 directory only gives new
error messages.

I Have Microsoft C5 installed, it need .net too, it works fine.

Symantec has redirected me to Microsoft - I've given up and will get a
refund soon (would rather have Norton Ghost to work!!).

regards Leif.
 
Peter - thanks, this helped a lot!
I think I "get" it now... and I already know enough to see that I like
TI much more than Ghost!
 
:-(
No one seems to like ASR. What a shame. I have an ASR bkf & diskette for
every computer in my office (133 pc's.)

It has saved my butt so many times and is so simple to use. Plus its free.
 
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/asr.mspx

None of our workstations have floppies so we use a USB floppy along with a
USB hard drive to hold the bkf file. I then burn the bkf's and the contents
of the diskette to DVDs for storage. If the system dies, I locate the dvd
from storage, copy the bkf to the usb hard drive and the diskette files back
to a blank floppy. I then run the ASR restore. You will need to keep a copy
a windows xp cd handy to do the restore. You NEED it to recover the system,
so computers with oem recovery disks and no windows media won't work. But as
long as you have a copy of a windows cd with the correct service pack that
matches the sp of the system backed up, you should be good to go. In
storage, I have 3 windows xp CD's: RTM, SP1 & SP2. I mark my DVD's with what
windows cd is needed.
 
Read this with interest because whenever I try the end result is a pop-up
"The files for the recovery diskette could not be created. Operation
aborted". Is this because I'm running XP Home (I have installed ntbackup)
or the fact that I have 4 partitions?
 
ASR backup is only available with Windows XP Professional!

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
Ted Zieglar said:
If you're asking for the "best way" you're asking for an opinion. Here's
mine: Imaging software.

I use Norton Ghost 9.0, but there are other imaging applications, notably
True Image and BootIt NG, that are equally capable. With Ghost I just 'set
it and forget it' and the program automatically images my system partition
on my schedule in a matter of minutes and does so in the background so I can
keep on working.
Click to expand...


The problem with True Image is that it copies the entire source hard
drive to the entire destination hard drive. If you have a small source
partition and a big destination hard drive, lots of space is wasted - space
on the destination drive that could be used for multiple copies of the
source partition.

*TimDaniels*
 
Hmmm... when looking at the cloning options in T.I., which is what I
assume you are talking about here, I am pretty sure I had two choices
when cloning a smaller hd to a larger one.
1) Copy disk with existing number of partitions, enlarging all
partitions proportionally
or
2) Copy partitions at existing sizes, and create a new partition in the
unused empty space on the larger drive.

And as for the actual "Imaging", there are quite a few options,
including allowing for many multiple copies of the complete drive
image... I am imaging a 120 gig drive with about 65 gigs uses onto a
160 gig drive, and so far I have been able to fit 3 complete images,
using the normal compression setting.
 
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