Solved Backup & Restore with a Difference

[IanG]

Hi Everyone,

I am running a desktop with Win7 Ultimate SP1 64bit as O/S. It resides on my SSD C:\ drive. I do not (knowingly or deliberately) install any programmes onto that drive.

Wherever possible, ALL programmes are installed on my M:\drive, although during installation it is obvious that some "bits" are being placed on the C:\drive, over which I have no control.

A few programmes require activation after install, some of the activations are limited by the Seller and, if they feel too many activations have occurred, they put a block on reactivation.

Is there any way I can create copies/clones/whatever of the OS and programmes to allow a restore which preserves everything and avoids the need for reinstallation please?

Thank you.

 

[samuria]

Welcome to the forum. you can create a disk image of the m drive but it depends is the software changes files or write to the registery. You could search the reg for the software and export all the keys you find

 

[IanG]

Hi samuria and thanks for your welcome.

I suppose, realistically, if I created a system clone for c:\ and a disk image of m:\ the registry - at that point in time - would be in sync with everything. I'm not aware of using any programmes that would dramatically alter registry settings so, if I did a clone and an image every month or quarter, a restore wouldn't be that far removed from reality as to cause any great inconvenience.

Your views on this would be appreciated.

Ian

 

[RolandJS]

My concern with splitting Windows and 3rd party installs into C partition and M partition is the possible, potential, problems with restoring backups (C & M will have to be restored at the same time before Windows boots/loads again), Windows Updates and upgrades may or may not "dork" with this C & M setup. Of course, such splits can be done, however, I ask that users be mindful of possible, potential, downsides. What partition does your data reside on? C? M? D? more than one?

 

[IanG]

Hi RolandJS,
Thanks for getting back to me.

Just to clarify - my c:\ and m:\ are separate drives, not just partitions on the same drive, also, Windows updates/upgrades are, if I understand correctly, no longer active, which is great for me as I've had them turned off for a very long time now thanks to several destructive experiences with them.

No data is ever (knowingly or intentionally) stored on either c: or m: drive. I have several other drives for that purpose - all are in USB connected drive bays, providing a total of about 60TB.

Ian

 

[RolandJS]

Well, if you ever have to do a restore, I guess as long as you restore both C and M before Windows boots/loads, you should be aok.

 

[IanG]

Hi RolandJS,

Please forgive what might seem a silly question, but HOW am I to restore drives C:\ & M:\ before Windows has booted/loaded?

My intention was, in the event of a crash, to replace both drive C:\ and M:\ from the crashed unit with the cloned and imaged drives -- in the hope that full synchronisation between O/S and Programmes would be achieved/maintained and no installation/reconfiguring/updating would be necessary..

 

[RolandJS]

"...but HOW am I to restore drives C:\ & M:\ before Windows has booted/loaded?"
You asked a very good question! Earlier, it was my rushed English in action.
I'm a backup and restore person. Your idea of replacing C and M with clones is a good one, that works for many folks! Here is my pretend scenario: C drive crashes, M drive does not. You boot the Backup/Restore DVD boot or its USB flash drive boot. From within the B/R menu, you restore C, then restore M. After restoring both drives, after removing the B/R DVD or the USB flash drive, you either warm or cold boot into your normal Windows, which boots and loads like nothing wrong ever happened.

 

[IanG]

Hi RolandJS,
Thanks once more for your ideas.

I think the physical replacing of drives is possibly a more reliable route but -- a friend has offered to lend me a desktop (similar but slightly older hardware than mine) so I can put that theory to test as to synchronicity of O/S and Programmes.

Thanks to you and samuria for respective inputs - much appreciated.