Difference between recover partitions or recover files and folders.

[3Colors]

Hi all, a while ago I had the idea to start from scratch to clean up the system and gain more performance. But I have not done yet because I have some doubts.


On the PC I have Acronis True Image Home 2011
--> In the part where it says My backups I see the image that I have saved.

--> When I click on "Explore and recover" :To the right I see 2 items to recover: "Reserved for System and Local Disk (C)"​

Therefore, the partition (D)will remain intact. Right ? But if I want to restore everything, both partitions, i have to use the option "Files and folders" ?

Extra info : I did not create the image, other person is who created it ​

 

[ignatzatsonic]

How long ago was that Acronis image made?

I guess I don't understand your intent. You talk about starting over to clean up and gain more performance, but then express interest in restoring "everything".

Was that image made at a time when your system was running perfectly? How has your system changed since that date? If you restore, you will have to reinstall any applications you've acquired since the image was made. And that image won't contain any personal data acquired since it was made. Maybe it contains no personal data at all?


If you are going to "start from scratch", I assume you mean you want to do a clean install of Windows.

If you were to do that, the only thing in that image file that might possibly be important to you would be personal files---pictures, videos, mp3s, Word documents, browser bookmarks, possibly email, etc. And that would be personal files as of the date of that image, not your current personal files. And not Windows itself.

If I wanted to "start over", I would:

1: back up all current personal files to some other drive, probably external. I would NOT use an image for this. I'd just copy them with the mouse.

2: reinstall Windows.

If I did those 2 things, the contents of the Acronis image would be irrelevant.

You should forget about Acronis if you don't understand it or know whats in any images you have. Particularly if you didn't make the image yourself. Images can fail you anyway. I'd never rely on them exclusively. Know what you will do if they fail you. You say you have some doubts. That would be enough to not rely on Acronis.

 

[3Colors]

Thanks for the reply and sorry for the delay

I think I miss be more clear about my question. I think with this will be more clearer.


I have two partitions : C and D

• The image was created after installing windows and all drivers(hardware). While the partition D was empty.
• Then I installed some software on disk C and D. As for work, games and programs (tools) I install them on D.
• Where it says "available for restoration" only shows drive C and the space reserved for the system.
• So if I use that copy of restoration, the C drive it will return the first day of use. But the D drive will remain intact since the image only modifies the other.

But if I want to also clean D drive, as would do ?

I'll see if I upload some pictures.

 

[Mark Phelps]

I see a potential restoration problem with your scheme. While you believe that your apps and games are installed on "D", in fact, the registry entries they use are most likely still on "C". Thus, if you restore "C" to its first day of use, any apps and games that were not already installed would then, most likely, fail due to missing registry entries.