Acronis True Image - 2011: Is my procedure correct?

[incurablegeek]

Briefly,

1) I first purchased Acronis 2010, updated it to 2011 - but have never used it.
2) I always partition my HDD's - all 30 TB of HDD's that I use for work.
3) My OS and Programs (only) are on a 256 GB SSD.
4) All my work on the traditional HDD's is backed up with Allway Sync and CrashPlan (cloud server), so I don't need Acronis for that.

What I need to do, but have never tried, is to make an image of my SSD with all the OS and Programs - as it is now and without any virus infections.

Now I understand that I:

1) First I create a .tib Acronis image which I store on any one of my free HDD's, probably 2 separate HDD's - just to be careful.

2) Then I create an Acronis boot disk.

3) In the event of a virus or a c[FONT=&quot]atastrophic[/FONT] corruption of my SSD (OS and Programs), I simply boot with the Acronis Boot Disk - and from that disk I find the Acronis .tib clone of my SSD which I have stored on two HDD's? Is that correct?

4) Then how do I "format" or do a clean install on the SSD from the Acronis .tib?

Note: I have been using SSD's since Gen2 so I know that "format" is not the correct terminology. Also, I have 4 SSD's.

 

[Wishmaster]

First off, I would use 2010 over 2011. Personal opionion of course, but I find it to be more stable and overall the better product. Unless of course the new features are important to you.

For Imaging you SSD:
Create a image of the C partiton, and store it somewhere safe (different location). This images just the Windows partition.

[[I use a dedicated drive for system Images and File Backups. I always make notes of importance on each image within Acronic in the comments. Driver versions, software added/removed etc. This keeps all your back ups isolated away from all other DATA, and during restore I find it easier to locate which version I want with the comments. You can also use Acronis Secure Zone, which creates a dedicated FAT partition thats hidden. Your call here]]


You can also just image the Entire Drive. This method images All partitions on the SSD. Including the 100MB reserved if you have one. When you restore, you'll have the option to restore just a partition, or the entire drive.

Create the boot disc and burn it to a CD. This is very helpful if the PC will not boot. Highly recommend you do so.

As for restores, with Acronis you really do not need to restore from the disc unless you want to, or the PC will not boot. If you are restoring beacuse you want to roll back recent changes or some other minor reason, you can initiate the restore from within Windows. It will ask to reboot, wipe the drive and restore.

If you do the boot disc method, just boot the PC from the disc. You may need to direct it to the location you store your images. Start the restore process. thats it.
Either way you go, in Windows or from disc, Acronis will wipe the drive then restore on its own.


If for whatever reason, you want to do a full format or a Secure Erase, you can do that however you normally would.
Then boot from the disc to restore afterward. This shouldn't be needed however 99% of the time, although there are scenarios you may need or want to.


Quite simply though, just tell Acronis what to Image, and where to store it.
For restores tell it what image to restore (or file) and where to restore to. It handles everything else for you.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Acronis 2011 unfortunately is a real DOG. I used Acronis for years but had real trouble with ATH 2010/2011.

I find the latest version fine though (ATH 2013) and it supports UEFI Bioses and e_sata / SATA III drives as well. Also handles GPT disks - although for W7 I don't think you can boot from GPT disks -- W8 allows boot from GPT drives though.

The Interface isn't as nice as the old Workstation version but it does its job OK -- I'd certainly pay for the upgrade - won't cost much.

Then to take an image of your OS simply back up the OS and the small system partition to your backup media --external USB disk IMO is good.

Very important - don't forget the small system partition if it exists - and this should be the ACTIVE - partition - the OS will be a PRIMARY partition.

(Always keep OS + applications separate from DATA so you don't lose any data - music - films - photos etc if you have to re-install / recover the OS).

Cheers
jimbo

 

[COMPUTIAC]

You can also look here:
Acronis True Image Home Forum - Older Versions | Knowledge Base

 

[incurablegeek]

One thing I don't need in my life right now is more problems or the need to ascend yet another learning curve.

If Acronis is "buggy", what other program would you fellows suggest that I could boot from and restore my OS/Programs/Settings to a corrupted SSD?

I really like it when you guys tell me I'm doing things the wrong way. That is the only way I will learn. But it sure helps if you give me an alternative that you know works better.

 

[damien76]

You should create the boot disk upon installation or use the F11 function (Startup Recovery Manager in Tools and Utilities).

"Clone" and "image" are different. Clone is cloning a drive making it a carbon-copy of the drive being cloned. Imaging is backing up via an image file in this case the .tib for Acronis. When recovering an image(in your case .tib file) you do not need to format or do a clean install as the recovery process will delete whatever is there on the partition of your choice(destination) using the .tib file you selected. For starters check out some inputs here:

Acronis True Image Home 2011 | Knowledge Base

GETTING STARTED. READ BEFORE YOU POST! | Knowledge Base

Finding User Guides of Acronis Products | Knowledge Base

Acronis True Image Home 2011: Disk backup options | Knowledge Base

Acronis True Image Home 2011: Disk and Partition Recovery | Knowledge Base

Goodluck!

 

[Britton30]

Hi Dennis, I like the free Macrium Reflect and it hasn't failed me yet. The GUI is easy to figure out and intuitive. It works in basically the same way you use Acronis.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html#post648001

Note the link there for its WinPE pre-compiled iso, save a lot of time.

 

[damien76]

Hi Dennis, I like the free Macrium Reflect and it hasn't failed me yet. The GUI is easy to figure out and intuitive. It works in basically the same way you use Acronis.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html#post648001

Note the link there for its WinPE pre-compiled iso, save a lot of time.

Or yes as Britton30 said Straight-forward no fuss backup/restore with WinPE and to top that the Tutorials section has the tips for creating a multiboot usb! Unlike in Acronis you must have WAIK installed and a license for the Plus Pack to get WinPE. In Macrium it's all there!

 

[incurablegeek]

Totally cool, guys. That saves me a lot of heartache. You know I have purchased Acronis and updates since 2010 but have not used it - kinda dumb I know.

But everywhere I go, I hear nothing but complaints about Acronis, so I'll try Macrium. Nice price too, eh?

Thanks for sticking by me. :grouphug: (Kind of a schmaltzy icon, but you get the drift)

 

[Britton30]

I've not used Acronis but I have a friend who said their free version is better than the paid one.
Well I have used Seagate Disk Wizard, it's a light Acronis clone utility.

 

[fireberd]

+1 for Macrium, I tried the free version and bought a package for all my PC's.

Both Acronis and Macrium have options to use WinPE bootable recovery discs over the standard Linux bootable recovery discs. The Acronis procedure to create the WinPE bootable recovery disc is very cumbersome and requires a lot of manual intervention. The Macrium procedure was "painless" and mostly automated.

I had used Acronis for quite a while, but I ran into problems and after Acronis failed me twice attempting to do restores, it wasn't going to get a third change and I dumped it for Macrium.

 

[damien76]

I've not used Acronis but I have a friend who said their free version is better than the paid one.
Well I have used Seagate Disk Wizard, it's a light Acronis clone utility.

Have used that too! (DiskWizard --can't make the WinPE with it though) That was the first imaging I had frankly. It was good but was never updated. For the free version it's Macrium of the free products of Paragon for me