Am I doing the right thing ?

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  1. Posts : 197
    Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
       #1

    Am I doing the right thing ?


    Hi,

    Now I'm imaging too :)
    But I would like to knw if I'm in the right dircection and doing the right thing!

    1- In the XP laptop I have free Macrium (I ended with this version!) and I already made the recovery CD and make a full image of C! I,ve no partitions! I assume that if anything go wrong I would be able to restore it to the image date state (and I mean everything....SW and settings/preferences specially).

    2- In the Win7 Pro laptop I went another direction! I use the built in Backup/Restore utility using the Seagate Momentus 7200.4 500GB hdd that I removed (replaced by the M5P 512GB ssd) for the images backup (the hdd is connected via USB 3.0). Please let me know if this is correct:
    (note: my disc 0 have only the main partition and a 1.46 GB active partition automatically created when I restore the ssd to the factory state)

    2.1- Backup and Restore / Create a System Image opens a window showing that the following drives will be backed up: Plextor internal ssd (C): (System) and System (System). Backup location: Seagate external hdd.

    2.2- Next will start the backup. A folder named WindowsImageBackup is created in the external hdd. The backup finish all the time without any issue (what did not happen when I used a Iomega Prestige 1 TB USB3.0 external hdd !!!).

    2.3- I rename the WindowsImageBackup as WindowsImageBackup-copy-n.
    (currently n=3).

    Is everything correct until now?
    I'm I backing up everything in my laptop?

    Now for the restore part (that I never did!). In the case I need to restore my laptop for a previous state would be these steps correct (and yes I've created 2 copies of the System Reapair Disc) :

    2.4- Rename the WindowsImageBackup-copy-n I want to restore to WindowsImageBackup. This could be done via a Command Prompt (Brink's tutorial) or, if I've another computer, I could connect the external drive to that computer and rename the folder easly before connecting the external to the computer that needs to be restored.

    2.5- Proceed with the restore in Windows (if windows boots) or using the System Reapair Disc (if windows do not boots).

    Is this correct? Any thing I should know?

    Many thanks,
    paulo
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #2

    A couple of questions:

    Is there any particular reason you are not using Macrium on the Windows 7 machine?

    In step 2.1 you say "Plextor internal ssd (C): (System) and System (System)".

    What is "System (System)"?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 197
    Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hi,

    No, there's no particular reason! But if the win7 utility works for me is ok! What I want is a reliable way to make Images of my entire system and the abilty to restore to that image! I use Macrium free in the XP because is an old machine and I do not kow if XP have a built in back/rest utility that works!

    System (System) is a partition in my disc created automatically after windows installation!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Am I doing the right thing ?-untitled.jpg  
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #4

    I don't see anything in that picture called "System (System)".

    What is the size of the backup image file created by Windows Backup on your Win 7 laptop?

    Win 7 Backup is fussy and a bit cryptic. You'd better be sure you understand it and its limitations.
      My Computer


  5. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #5

    I would recommend you use only free Macrium - and that for many reasons. That will give you the best results in the long run.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 197
    Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hi,
    I am still recovering myself of a major crash of my Tecra 2 or 3 weeks ago! I had almost 70 Gb of softwareI installed in my hdd! I loosed everything (yes I have the installers!). I finished the reinstall to the ssd today! Now, I just want to prevent this reinstall from zero again!!! So, I think the best way is to image the entire computer! Just an image of everything that I would use to restore in the case of a crash! Is anybody using Win bck/rst for this? Why is Macrium or Acronis better for this task? At this moment I have 4 images already, made in dif. dates after I made substantial changes (sw installation)! Everything worked fine for the backups! For the restore I do not know because I did not tried!!!
    Paulo
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #7

    Yes, some use Windows Backup successfully.

    The issues with it concern whether or not the user understands how it works and its limitations. Those who are accustomed to it seem to use it with few issues. Those who are not accustomed to it can run into surprises when they don't fully understand how it works or what it is doing.

    That's the primary reason Macrium is often recommended---ease of use and fewer limitations.

    I probably wouldn't "image the whole computer" unless your SSD consists only of C and System Reserved. I don't recall if you have a separate data partition.

    As a test, you can make an image and restore it to a spare drive you may have--rather than restore to the SSD. That's about the best you can do to confirm it will work when needed.
      My Computer


  8. mjf
    Posts : 5,969
    Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1
       #8

    paulobao said:
    Is this correct? Any thing I should know?
    To answer your basic question it's what I do without problem.

    You can also move WindowsImageBackup into folders within the same partition and basically do the same thing.

    I use both Windows own imaging within its limitations and Macrium for flexibility and a safeguard. Macrium Reflect is an excellent product. I am one of the few who find Windows own imaging more straightforward for routine imaging of the OS partition.
    If you were to go for one and only one program then Macrium may be the safer bet.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 197
    Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Ok, thanks all for the tips and comments
    Yes I only have one partition (C)! No data partition since I allways have my data backed up to at least 2 external hdds. So, what it really matters for me is the OS + software + preferences + settings! Why? Because it's a pain (lot of time needed) to install all those GB of sw I use (+ put everything running aka preferences/settings again!!!). If I can reduce this painfull work with a restore/recovery it would be just great (of course it would be nice that if I never needed to use it....I mean never need to restore because a stable machine )

    mjf: when you say "You can also move WindowsImageBackup into folders within the same partition and basically do the same thing", what do you mean? Are you saying that instead of rename each "WindowsImageBackup" as "WindowsImageBackup-copy-n" I could create separate folders in the external hdd where I keep my Images like "Image 1", "Image 2",..etc and put a WindowsImageBackup file in each one? Is this what you mean?


    I have a 500 GB external hdd just for the images with no partitions! With all the images, for the moment as "WindowsImageBackup-copy-n", I also keep a Log.txt file in the same hdd where I record all modifications I made! As an example: "WindowsImageBackup-copy-1" : OS installation, bloatware removed, Sysinternals and MSE installed; "WindowsImageBackup-copy-2": Microsoft Office 2010 installed;....


    As you already discovered (!) I live in panic now, after that crash I had 2 weeks or so ago, with a 6 months old laptop (my big crash with my ancient, but still functional laptop running XP sp3 occured after 6 years of use)! And I blame myself for not have adopted a backup (Image) strategy from the beginning :-(.


    About Macrium free: I donīt like apps tha run in the background, and do things that I did not asked for! Is Macrium an intrusive software? Will it try for example make backups/images in a schedulled base or just when I want to?
    Cheers,
    paulo
    Last edited by paulobao; 01 Oct 2012 at 11:27.
      My Computer


  10. mjf
    Posts : 5,969
    Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1
       #10

    paulobao said:
    mjf: when you say "You can also move WindowsImageBackup into folders within the same partition and basically do the same thing", what do you mean? Are you saying that instead of rename each "WindowsImageBackup" as "WindowsImageBackup-copy-n" I could create separate folders in the external hdd where I keep my Images like "Image 1", "Image 2",..etc and put a WindowsImageBackup file in each one? Is this what you mean?
    Yes, that is what I mean. Windows looks for WindowsImageBackup in the root directory, not in subdirectories (or folders). You move and/or rename one back as WindowsImageBackup into the root and that's what Windows will see to restore. I do this all the time.

    Remember when you move across partition boundaries you do a physical file move. I definitely do not recommend this for large image folders. Moving within a partition is just a change to the partition's file table.
      My Computer


 
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