backup options for new windows 7 computer

I have installed on my computer windows 7 home etc.

I would like to know one of the following please.

1) I have a dell official installation disc, can I copy the disc for backup purposes, just in case I lose it, or it gets scratched etc.. I understand that I would have to make an image and then burn it as an image to a DVD.

2) I have a partition recovery on my dell computer, but I cannot access it, I gave it a drive letter, but when I click on it I just get I warning saying do not change etc. but after all that I cannot get into it to make an image of that either. I prefer to do that also just in case something happens to my hard disc.

3) I backed up my whole computer on an external drive, after I installed all my important programs, about 50 GB. Can one reinstall it without windows 7 installed on the computer? I assume not, therefore making it almost useless if my drive goes dead. But I assume that if I reinstall windows 7 with a dvd, even without a serial number, and then reinstall the 50 gb from the above external drive, it should work, and it will probably not even ask for a serial number (the serial is just an addition, since that is anyway on the bottom of the computer, easy accessible).

I'm concerned since I have a few friends that lost their hard drives, it once happened to me, but I was able to access the drive to recover my files.

Question 1: yes

Question 2: I don't know

Question 3: could you please restate this? I don't understand the question.

ignatzatsonic
thanks for the reply,
about question 3, i cheked again, and it seems i might have made a mistake (now i understand why it was not clear), i backed up the computer using "Dell DataSafe Local Backup" on an external drive, so naturally it would not be possible unless i have that specific program alresdy installed.

about question 1, am i right that i must make an image, and then burn it ?

thanks

Yeah, I think that is what you would do--create an image of your original, and then burn that image to a new disc.

Regarding the Dell backup application: It might well work fine, but if it were me, I would go with some other application so I would not be locked into Dell proprietary software. If you want to make an image of your C partition, you could use Macrium Reflect Free, Acronis, or Paragon applications. Windows 7 has a built in imaging capability as well, but it has limitations.

If you want to backup without imaging, there are several free applications out there for that as well. These are generally used to back up personal files rather than Windows files.

ignatzatsonic said:

Yeah, I think that is what you would do--create an image of your original, and then burn that image to a new disc.

Regarding the Dell backup application: It might well work fine, but if it were me, I would go with some other application so I would not be locked into Dell proprietary software. If you want to make an image of your C partition, you could use Macrium Reflect Free, Acronis, or Paragon applications. Windows 7 has a built in imaging capability as well, but it has limitations.

If you want to backup without imaging, there are several free applications out there for that as well. These are generally used to back up personal files rather than Windows files.

i have to agree with ignatzatsonic. i downloaded and installed macrium and have to say i like the program.

You can copy the Dell dvd to your HD as an image . Then burn that image from the HD to an unformatted recordable dvd. You can do that using the free ISO Recorder v3

Or , Ashampoo Burning Studio 2010 - also free

okay guys, here where i stand at the moment, it seems that i got the image of the dell installation disc on my computer, the problem is, it is about 5.76 gb big, and will not fit on aregular dvd.
this is my spec. for my external drive : TSSTcorp DVD+-RW TS-T633C ATA Device [CD-ROM drive], so i guess i cannot write a double layer dvd or something of that sort. any ideas how to take it from here ?

i plan on trying the Macrium Reflect Free idea, like you guys mentioned above

thanks for your time.

Macrium is very good.

That is a huge .iso. Pick it up with an isohandler and post up a screenshot of what is in there - the free version of Ultraiso will be fine - d/l and install from here:

ISO CD image extractor, editor and convertor - UltraISO Revision History

You could make a bootable flashdrive , if you have one large enough.

Hey Guys.. I use Macrium Reflect and LOVE IT (better than Acronis or any version of Norton Ghost I ever tried)

But.. I cannot get it to work on windows 7. Well the Free Edition does not work on win 7. I have a paid for version that works great.

If you guys can get the free edition to work for you, please let me know. It may help me figure out why mine don't work.

Tapuz - You may run into this problem too.

BTW folks - You can use the Macrium Reflect Trial version to do the backup if the Free Edition does not work - But I do not know if it will Restore the backup after the trial period.
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Also, if you need another Backup / Security solution you may want to try Rollback Rx. - It's The Bomb. - If your windows gets crippled to the point where it - Will Not Even Boot Up - even due to a virus or some other bad software.. (or perhaps your kid deleted your system 32 folder)...

Rollback Rx will have you back up and running in less than 5 minutes from the place where you left off before the trouble started. It's Like magic! It works like a Super System Restore that takes a snapshot of your whole drive and saves it ( with better compression than MS System restore) Not to your C drive or in Windows or anyplace anything from Windows can touch it, but saves it in a New Layer of the Hard Drive Underneath the Layer Windows and your C Drive is installed on!

This way NOTHING from your system can touch it to corrupt it. Microsoft System Restore is corruptible because it resides on your C drive and stores the backup files on the C drive Too!

You can pretty much delete your entire C drive and Rollback RX can restore it for you.

I use this and it's just so awesome I want to slap Bill Gates for not buying the company and including a free copy in Windows 7. This is How System Restore SHOULD work!

I don't use any Anti-Virus anymore to clean my drive - only to check for Virus's present. This Rollback Rx fixes the problem much better than any antivirus can do. I have had Windows crippled with the high end anti virus program's because they do not always get 100% of all of the virus removed or can restore a file to 100% after its been cleaned from the infection. This tool and the Marcium Reflect combination is the fastest and best way to protect and fix any system to date that I have found.

Hi Darkphoenix,

Macrium free works great for me on 7 x64.

What is the problem , exactly?