Is it safer to put my data in c: drive?

[pboong]

This is a good thread! Im going to get 1 more HDD and do the backup real soon.

Since I am using Ultimate, I shall make full use of the backup program given in this Win 7. As I have not use this before, can I set schedule date to backup daily or I got to do it manually?

Beside that, I deleted my drive (100mb for boot up and recovery, right) during installation of Win 7. Is there a way I can reinstate the protection back without going through the reinstallation of OS again?

It is not advisable to have the OS to be in that 100mb drive after expanding, right?

 

[wallyinnc]

I have three external drives that I rotate. I use GHOST SS 2.5 to create images of (now two) internal drive(s), about once per month. I rotate the external drives, so that if the system AND the backup target crashes during the backup, I have another copy. One I keep in my car (in case civilization collapses and I have to get out of town fast). One I hide at home. The other is across town at work. I also run Mozy Home, set to backup EVERYTHING including the OS stuff - I like to be sure.

Good job everybody on this thread.

Only one remark to Raargh: that HDD in your car is really prone to failure. The thermal cycling, humidity and vibration it is subjected to is like a worst case scenario for electronic components. So I wouldn't really count on it as a viable backup location.

I agree is a good option for a fast escape. But in case of civilization collapse you probalby won't mind your data anyhow

 

[gregrocker]

This is a good thread! Im going to get 1 more HDD and do the backup real soon.

Since I am using Ultimate, I shall make full use of the backup program given in this Win 7. As I have not use this before, can I set schedule date to backup daily or I got to do it manually?

Beside that, I deleted my drive (100mb for boot up and recovery, right) during installation of Win 7. Is there a way I can reinstate the protection back without going through the reinstallation of OS again?

It is not advisable to have the OS to be in that 100mb drive after expanding, right?

You can schedule the backup to backup the files of your choice on the schedule you choose.

I want to make sure I understand you correctly: you deleted your 100mb boot/repair partition and recovered the MBR into your Win7 partition?

I do not think it is advisable to try to reinstate the 100mb without a reinstall, if you have recovered the MBR to Windows 7 partition.

But you can recover the 100mb into the Win7 partition by using a 3rd party partition manager like free Partition Wizard bootable CD. Right click on Win7 partition, Resize/Move to slide left border over onto 100mb, resize Win7 as desired, Apply.

Then if necessary boot into Win7 DVD Repair console and Run Startup Repair 3 times to repair or rewrite the MBR.

 

[pboong]

This is a good thread! Im going to get 1 more HDD and do the backup real soon.

Since I am using Ultimate, I shall make full use of the backup program given in this Win 7. As I have not use this before, can I set schedule date to backup daily or I got to do it manually?

Beside that, I deleted my drive (100mb for boot up and recovery, right) during installation of Win 7. Is there a way I can reinstate the protection back without going through the reinstallation of OS again?

It is not advisable to have the OS to be in that 100mb drive after expanding, right?

You can schedule the backup to backup the files of your choice on the schedule you choose.

I want to make sure I understand you correctly: you deleted your 100mb boot/repair partition and recovered the MBR into your Win7 partition?

I do not think it is advisable to try to reinstate the 100mb without a reinstall, if you have recovered the MBR to Windows 7 partition.

But you can recover the 100mb into the Win7 partition by using a 3rd party partition manager like free Partition Wizard bootable CD. Right click on Win7 partition, Resize/Move to slide left border over onto 100mb, resize Win7 as desired, Apply.

Then if necessary boot into Win7 DVD Repair console and Run Startup Repair 3 times to repair or rewrite the MBR.

Thanks. I had reformat and redo everything again. I leave the 100mb as it is tho.

Regarding to backup using Win 7, is it good enough to do that? i never really use backup before.

So this will compress everything into a zip file? (e.g. my entire J:/) Then, I can save as the file to my external hdd. What if I have secondary external HDD? Can i pull the zip files from my primary external hdd or I must re backup using the program given?

 

[Dave76]

A good backup and recovery plan is crucial, unless you don't mind loosing your personal data.

Take a look at these Seven Forums tutorials:

Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

Restore Backup User and System Files

Backup Files Schedule - Turn On or Off

Backup User and System Files - Delete Backups

Hope these help.

If you have any questions on backup and restore you can start a new thread.

There are more tutorials for: :ar: Backup and Restore

Many more tutorials on Seven Forums tutorial section, you can find an answer for any Win7 question, and if you need help just ask.

Seven Forums tutorials

 

[Oldroser]

Vista currently on C, data on D.

Better to put Windows 7 on partition on C or partition on D?

Always better to have it on C: since you will want to get rid of Vista soon enough, and moving 7 over into that space is a bit complicated, but we can help.

Well, I am going to need your help if I keep my new HP DV7 Quad Edition. I went into Disk Management and there are FOUR partitions already there. At the beginning is a 199 MB SYSTEM partition, evidently put there by Windows 7, then comes OS C: 283 GB, then RECOVERY E: 15 GB put there by HP, and then, then curse it! HP TOOLS 103 MB FAT32 also stuck on there by HP. I am considering upgrading to the new DV8, but it might be just the same. My HDX18, currently Vista and at HP for repair as the keyboard and touchpad have intermittently gone out on me, only has the recovery partition added. I paid extra and got two hard drives in both, so I could use the D: to put a different O.S. on.

 

[gregrocker]

If you want to put Vista on the new machine, then I would use Disk Management to shrink the C: drive, create a new D: Vista primary partition (reassign letter on DVD drive to reclaim D: for Vista).

Then install Vista to D: using this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/5166-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-vista.html

 

[Oldroser]

If you want to put Vista on the new machine, then I would use Disk Management to shrink the C: drive, create a new D: Vista primary partition (reassign letter on DVD drive to reclaim D: for Vista).

Then install Vista to D: using this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/5166-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-vista.html

It is my understanding that you can only have four partitions on a drive, and with this DV7 Quad, there are already four: by Win7, the O.S. of Win7, HP Restore, and HP Tools.

I downloaded Partition Magic or Wizard (forget exactly) mentioned here on this Forum but haven't had time to look at it, 22 degrees F tonight, working to get potted roses in black sacks to put into garage and mulch around ones in the ground. I started day before yesterday working on that project.

 

[gregrocker]

How many of those 4 partitions are primary vs. logical?

You are limited to 4 primary partitions, but HP tools may be logical. If not, you can make the Vista partition logical since it doesnt' need to be set active.

If you post a screenshot of your full Disk Management drive map, we can advise you better. Use the Snipping Tool in Start menu, attach file using paper clip in reply box.

 

[Oldroser]

How many of those 4 partitions are primary vs. logical?

You are limited to 4 primary partitions, but HP tools may be logical. If not, you can make the Vista partition logical since it doesnt' need to be set active.

If you post a screenshot of your full Disk Management drive map, we can advise you better. Use the Snipping Tool in Start menu, attach file using paper clip in reply box.

I hope this worked. I clicked on the paper clip, browsed to the file, hit upload, but then I couldn't get any of the "close this window" buttons for the browse to and maximum size windows to work and had to hit "back." Oh, good, see it now in "preview post" and also see I didn't notice it shows my other monitor on the right. Hope you don't mind my not waiting to crop that out. Enjoy the view of Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises."

 

[gregrocker]

You wanna put Vista on this machine? Probably should keep the System and Recovery on DISK0 since they will continue working if you keep Win7.

Didn't know you had a second HD. How about putting Vista there? Which partition would you like to use? A lower addresss (closest to left) is always best. We can move them if occupied.

You have two dual-boot choices since you have two HD:

1) an inter-dependent dual boot which gives you a Boot Menu when you first startup, but will be harder to extricate a drive even temporarily since the boot files are intermingled.

2) completely independent drives, so they can come and go as you please. In this config, you install Vista with the other HD disconnected, then determine which boots by setting the first HD to boot in BIOS (after DVD drive). If you want to boot into other HD than default, you use the Boot Menu F-key given on the first BIOS screen.

Not sure you even want to involve that second HD since you didn't mention it before.

Think it over and let us know. I'm hitting the sack now 2 am here, but will be back on here tomorrow around noon.

 

[Oldroser]

Vista currently on C, data on D.

Better to put Windows 7 on partition on C or partition on D?

Always better to have it on C: since you will want to get rid of Vista soon enough, and moving 7 over into that space is a bit complicated, but we can help.

Sorry I wasn't clear that D: and D: are separate drives. I can put my image of Vista from Macrium Reflect Free on the separate D: and, indeed, made a partition there and copied my data into the second partition, so the first one is free for Vista/trying to learn Unbuntu. I've never read anything that says to remove C: (with Windows 7 OS) from the laptop to install Vista, in this case, on D: You'd take C: out, then reboot with the recovery disk I guess. I'll have to look to be sure that the partition size on D: is as big or bigger than the imaged partition.

I've never read anything about installing without taking the drive out being a problem with intermingling. I really appreciate getting the in depth details before I do anything. You mean if I take either drive out, the O.S. will get confused? What is the complicated way to fix that?

I also have a Vista laptop with two separate drives that I will be upgrading to Windows 7, but the data on the D: is in the first partition on the left. I can take the C: out and reboot from the Windows 7 upgrade disk and then say custom and point to that partition and it won't be a problem that it doesn't see Vista?

I'd like to do an upgrade installation of Windows 7 over top of Vista, if they haven't reimaged my drives (probably have, even though the problem is the touchpad and audio) so as to keep what files I have put on their since reformatting quite recently. Then restore Vista from Macrium Reflect.

I will be reading the tutorials on making an image with Windows 7, if you can do that in my Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. In Vista you could not.

FYI, on the Vista laptop, I need to keep Vista to keep my HP warranty until the end of January. If you don't have Vista and your Vista recovery partition, no advice unless it is hardware failure. I may need to call them. Also, it seems I need Vista at least for a while to copy my Windows Mail folders from so I can have Windows Mail running in Windows 7.

Hope this is clear. I'm recovering from my fourth migraine in as many days, plus have other health problems going on.

 

[gregrocker]

I was thinking your new machine is a desktop p.c. where you could unplug the Win7 drive during Vista install, making the two drives independent and bootable via the BIOS.

Keeping both drives plugged will allow you to add Vista and configure a dual boot menu as you wish.

Here is a good tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/5166-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-vista.html

 

[Oldroser]

I can take the D: drive out fairly easily even though it is a laptop.