Acronis Help or Alternative

[determined]

Constantly I am installing Windows XP/Windows 7 at work. I am along with Windows also installing Microsoft Office, CAD applications and other utility software.

What I would like to be able to do is to create a master/boot/formatting/restore disc. By this what I want to be able to do is install a Windows XP from a CD that I can create but not only Windows XP but I want the Office applications, CAD applications and other utility software to be installed too.

So one image - which may or may not be split over a series of DVD's even if it has to be 5 or 10 - which installs windows xp, utility software CAD applications and my microsoft office.

I was under the impression that I can do this via Acronis. However I am not sure how to go about doing this.

I click on 'Rescue Media Builder' and then click on 'Convert Acronis backup to Windows backup' but I can't find the .tib file to convert. What am I doing wrong I'm pulling my hair out - well im bald but I would if i could.

 

[richnrockville]

Determined. Don't worry about not having any hair, many here have the same problem, that's why they use avatars instead of their photos...

Back To your problem.

1. I use Acronis all the time and if what your trying to do is to create an image of your boot drive with either windows XP or Windows 7. you have the correct program.

a good source of solutions for acronis is at a user group store site ugr.com where there are a few tutorials
on backup and strategy. Resources

I create images of my laptops's C drive and the special partition that windows install created. I put them on an external USB drive in sub directories by machine.
The acronis rescue disk will allow you to select which of the backed up images you wish to restore.

Acronis has saved my bananas many times when I messed things up pretty bad experimenting.

you don't need to use windows imaging backup if you have acronis.

Rich

 

[carwiz]

you don't need to use windows imaging backup if you have acronis.

So, Does that mean they've fixed the problems with partition alignment?

 

[determined]

i definitely want windows included within the backup restore cd otherwise its no good... can someone recommend me another software preferably with a trial option?

 

[richnrockville]

i definitely want windows included within the backup restore cd otherwise its no good... can someone recommend me another software preferably with a trial option?

??? confusing/

Acronis makes an image of your drive which includes windows and all the files on your boot drive and any other partitions that you wish.

where did you get the idea that it does not include windows?

much older versions of acronis had trouble with windows 7 before they came out with version 2010 and 2011.
But I have successfully used acronis to restore images to new hard disks and have had no problems.

Rich

Ah ha, the acronis boot CD has it's own OS on it and is only designed to boot your system from y our cd/dvd drive and then restore from images created.

 

[determined]

I am totally confused.

So what steps do I need to take in order to do this backup, im searching all the wrong terms!

I'm trying to burn to DVD or iso at the moment and reinstall that iso on a new virtual machine

 

[richnrockville]

Another Ah Ha moment.
Throwing a virtual machine into the mix changes the goal posts a bit.

If you want to create an image of your virtual machine that's pretty easy. Just copy the .vhd and you have a
copy of your vhd.

I have several virtual machines on my computer and copy them off to external usb drives all the time. this way I can really screw around with the virtual machine and when I get it screwed up too much, I just copy the one from the external over the top of the bad one. You don't need acronis or windows image backup to do that.

Rich

 

[determined]

lol I love the ah HA moments...

well I wanted to actually test the system and see if it was what i required to do before i did a full restore and install everything, then made the image and attempted to do a fresh install from the acronis generated cd...

 

[richnrockville]

Another Ah Ha moment. Can I get this straight.

you want to install your os on a disk along with all the goodies that you specified earlier. Then make an image of it on an external drive. then convert that to a vhd to determine if it is good?

If so then I suggest the easiest way would be to make the image on an external disk, create the bootable cd from acronis, then remove your original hard disk and replace it with a blank disk of the same size and then boot your acronis boto disk and restore your original image to that new disk to make sure it works?

should be pretty easy and less aggrivation..

Rich

 

[mjf]

I gather you are just interested in your own PC and not multiple PC installs.
This description may help
You can use a number of imaging programs and Windows Imaging is definitely one along with the popular Macrium. There are tutorials on both of these in the tutorial section.
Others include Paragon and paid products like your Acronis. You can do exactly what you want to do very easily as a matter of routine.

You don NOT want to use DVDs for this purpose. Use a low cost external USB hard drive. A little portable 500GB is fine.

 

[Maccman]

I use Paragon which I have used for the last two or three years. There are also free editions to do what you want. I would use an external hard drive rather than a number of DVD's

http://www.drive-backup.com/

 

[Wishmaster]

you don't need to use windows imaging backup if you have acronis.

So, Does that mean they've fixed the problems with partition alignment?

The only problem Ive come across with alignments is when restoring a image of a HD to a SSD, IF, it contains the 100MB reserved.
On occasions it could get messed up.

However, if just the Windows partion it worked fine each time I have tried it.
And also any image of a drive (HD or SSD) back to the same drive has been fine regardless of partition structure.




And I agree, use a internal or external dedicated disc for Acronis.
The backups (.tib files) are located where ever you told it to store them. For example, I have a internal dedicated disc. After telling it to backup there the first time it will continue to do so by default. You can of of course change this location at any time.

If you try to restore from the Boot CD, it may ask where the backups are. In which case you just browse to that disc, or your external, whichever means you are using.