Is my C partition and F partition combined?

[TheTalker]

Alright, I backed up my documents, pictures and some folders onto my USB device. I made a system image of C as well.

A member from the forums here named WHS informed me that my C and F partitions are not combined. And that I don't need to backup C and F if I don't want to because I only need C to restore my OS if it were ever to go down.

Now, I have a question. I saw this sentence and it's making me think that partition F is in fact part of the OS. But I don't know if this is the case so I'm posting a thread about it. Here's a picture and I circled the part that's confusing me:

Reading that makes me think it's part of the OS. Also, when I click "More Information" this comes up:

Could anyone please tell me what these really mean? It seems like they're both apart of the OS and if F fails then C will fail too and vice versa. And that I should backup both C and F.

Thank you for your time.

 

[seekermeister]

It says that it is on the same drive...not the same partition.

 

[Navop]

What they are saying is that both partitions are on the same drive,
so if c fails you will loose all your backups.

You must save to a complete other hdd disk.

 

[not so gray matter]

It is on the same physical disk, but it's a different partition. I.E. A piece of two sided paper, SIDE A and SIDE B.

Your critical system files are only installed on the C:\ drive. For this reason, it's the only partition you need to backup. I.E. Take a picture of SIDE A

However, if your "hard drive" fails, both partitions will be lost. I.E. Document is burnt to a crisp.

That's not to say that you could corrupt your C: drive and still be able to save what's contained on the other partition. I.E. SIDE A is scribbled on, SIDE B is untouched.

In other words:
You don't need to back up both partitions to save the files on your C: drive.
However, you should not store this backup on the other partition, because in the case of a hard disk failure, you'll lose that data as well.

 

[TheTalker]

Edit: I understand now! Both C and F are the hard drive. If my OS fails, (that's on side C), then I'll most likely be able to get it back up and running using my Restore Disk and my system image of C.

But if my hard drive fails, (which has both C and F on it), then I'll lose the OS and the data on F. Which is sad...but hopefully it will never happen.

Thank you very much!

 

[not so gray matter]

No problem, good luck with everything... BTW, I recommend an external hard drive for storage/backup. You can store all your important files on it and then when/if you crash/reformat you just have to download your latest programs and what not. All your data will still be there, plus your C: drive will run faster without junk stored on it.

 

[gregrocker]

Check your Disk management drive map and all will be revealed.

 

[TheTalker]

No problem, good luck with everything... BTW, I recommend an external hard drive for storage/backup. You can store all your important files on it and then when/if you crash/reformat you just have to download your latest programs and what not. All your data will still be there, plus your C: drive will run faster without junk stored on it.

Thanks once again for that great explanation and the advice just now. I already make a system image and a restore disk using Macrium. I backed up my important data such as password lists, emails, pictures, etc, onto my USB device.

When/if my hard drive ever dies, you're right, at least I'll still have my important data. I have a question though. I have another hard drive. Hard drive L it's called. Now if my hard drive that holds my OS ever died I would still be able to access the items on L correct? There's some stuff installed on L and I know that won't be accessible but would I still be able to access the documents and stuff stored on L?

Also, I have a password on my computer. Would the hard drive L require the same user that stored the stuff there to take the stuff? Or could I just put it into another computer and have it work fine?

I hope I worded that correctly.

Check your Disk management drive map and all will be revealed.

Thank you.

 

[DarkStar GT]

Edit: I understand now! Both C and F are the hard drive. If my OS fails, (that's on side C), then I'll most likely be able to get it back up and running using my Restore Disk and my system image of C.

But if my hard drive fails, (which has both C and F on it), then I'll lose the OS and the data on F. Which is sad...but hopefully it will never happen.

Thank you very much!

Sorry to rain on your parade ... but all hard drives fail sooner or later. Please, please put your backups on a separate external disk.

 

[TheTalker]

Edit: I understand now! Both C and F are the hard drive. If my OS fails, (that's on side C), then I'll most likely be able to get it back up and running using my Restore Disk and my system image of C.

But if my hard drive fails, (which has both C and F on it), then I'll lose the OS and the data on F. Which is sad...but hopefully it will never happen.

Thank you very much!

Sorry to rain on your parade ... but all hard drives fail sooner or later. Please, please put your backups on a separate external disk.

Yes, thank you. I have come to terms with that already. So I've backed my stuff up the best I can.

 

[whs]

1. I am glad you got confirmation that I did not give you false information - that's good.
2. Your data is much more valuable than your OS. You should periodically copy it to as many media as you have available (external disk, USB stick and even CD/DVD which is the safest place).
3. Get rid of the password for the system. It is pretty useless and at best will get you into trouble. A good security setup is much more efficient.

 

[TheTalker]

Thank you WHS. It's not that I didn't trust you! I just didn't understand is all and was confused.

I have a password on my Admin account. You suggest that I remove it?

 

[karlsnooks]

TheTalker,

When you say you have a password on your computer, could you please elucidate?

The reason for the question is that different people have different understandings of what a computer password is and just want to be 100% certain that we give you the correct advice.

I had my voice to those suggesting getting an external drive for backup and, as already said, your data is more important than the OS. Restoring an OS is relatively simple but recreating the data can be difficult if not impossible.

Window 7 Backup and Restore is marvelous, functional, works, is fully compatible with Windows 7 and allows you to backup just your system, just a drive, just a library, just a folder. You choose and you can store backup after backup until the external drive is full.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I have a question though. I have another hard drive. Hard drive L it's called. Now if my hard drive that holds my OS ever died I would still be able to access the items on L correct? There's some stuff installed on L and I know that won't be accessible but would I still be able to access the documents and stuff stored on L?

You may be confused.

If you have an L drive within your PC and your C drive (operating system partition) fails, you have no way to get at ANY files on L until and unless you can first boot the PC. That typically means restoring or rebuilding the C partition (reinstalling Windows) somehow.

If that L drive happens to be an external drive, you should be able to connect it to a separate PC with a working operating system and access it that way. But not on a PC with no OS.

Or if the L drive is a separate internal drive, you should be able to remove it from your PC, place it in another working PC, and then access it.

 

[karlsnooks]

Ignatzatsonic,

Let's assume that using Backup And Restore, that it makes a System Repair CD.
A system repair CD actually contains a modified WIN PE.

If he boots from the CD, chooses "command prompt", then shouldn't he be able to see his L files and even copy them to a USB stick?

If that doesn't work, then booting from a PuppyLinux CD should give him access to his L drive.

 

[seekermeister]

Either way, internal or external, it requires a functioning OS to access the files on another drive. Any programs installed on either another internal HD or external HD will probably have to be reinstalled so that they are registered in whatever OS is being used. Therefore, what is being protected is just files of various sorts. Personally, I have never seen the need for an external HD, except that it would protect against a massive hardware failure within the PC. However, I have had some pretty bad failures due to power supplies or motherboards, and while that has caused me to have to replace video cards, I haven't lost a harddrive that way. There is one more possibility that I haven't had to deal with, being a massive power spike due to weather, but then I also have an UPS, so hopefully that would prevent that kind of damage.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Karl:

Yes, there are ways to get at the data files.

But it wasn't clear to me what she (Talker is a female) actually meant by "still be able to access the items on L".

Without a way to boot, she can't access anything as far as I can see. But a repair disc or a Linux disc should work as a short term workaround.

Having said that, if my C drive failed, my first task would be to get Windows back ASAP, presumably on a fresh or known good hard drive.

 

[karlsnooks]

SeekerMeister,
You might find interesting making a System Repair Disk using Windows 7 Backup and Restore, booting from the System Repair Disk, choosing Command Prompt.

 

[whs]

I know I am going to get an argument from my friend Karl. But if you want my advice, DO NOT VENTURE into this Win7 Backup/Restore malware. This is an absolute pain in the neck, hard to understand, you cannot mount or look at your backup files and half of the time it does not work. I already had a lot of trouble with it in Vista and trying it out in Win7 just confirmed it.
Take the easy and transparent route and just copy your folders to an external device. That is sooo much easier.

 

[karlsnooks]

whs,
I can agree with you regarding Vista.

I have been very pleasantly surprised and pleased with the the performance and capabilities of Backup And Restore in Windows 7 which incidentally, I have used extensively and tested all features thereof extensively.

There are many fine third-party products available to accomplish backup and restore.