I am contemplating doing this and wonder if it would be a reasonable thing
for me to do considering my hardware, etc:

Dell GX 110
PIII 733
20 G HD
WindowsXP Pro SP2 and all critical updates.

The USB is old 1 version. There are two USB ports on the back of the tower
which is kept in a well ventilated compartment.

I am NOT a power user. Your recommendations will be appreciated.

If you think this would work for me, please give me quite detailed
instructions on the hardware I need to purchase.

Thanks a lot!!!

Nels

Nels,

Are you going to be using the drive for cloning, or backup?

In either case, pick up an external USB drive of the size of your
choice, install it, install the driver, from the accompanying CD, and
you are minimally good to go. It will appear as an ordinary hard
drive. With even the smallest typical external HD, you will be able
to back up or clone your 20 GB internal drive many times. Maxtor One
Touch started this, but the local CompUSA has many clones, and even
bare bones cases should you have a spare HD to install.

Depending on your use, you may, if you have an available slot, wish to
install a USB 2.0 port board. They are available for less then $20,
and are much faster than USB 1. Also, if your computer is old enough,
and the existing USB ports come off the mother board, there is a very
slight chance they may not work. Some of the earliest mobos had ports
built on a defective preliminary specification. Win XP will
automagically recognize the new USB ports.

Finally, Acronis will build a disaster recovery media, in case the
system will not boot at all, or is otherwise compromised. This is on
something like 10 floppies, or one CD-R. With luck you will not need
this, but doing it with floppies is painful, so having a CD-R burner
is handy. You will need, practically, a new set of recovery disks
with each upgrade of Acronis software to be certain.

I use the system regularly for backup, was able to clone a new
internal HD in my old computer when the original one died, and even
used the USB drive as a "sneakernet" to move settings and files from
my old computer to my new one. Much faster and easier the wrestling
with Laplink or Eithernet cables.


--
Alan

"Nels Hansen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I am contemplating doing this and wonder if it would be a reasonable thing
>for me to do considering my hardware, etc:
>
> Dell GX 110
> PIII 733
> 20 G HD
> WindowsXP Pro SP2 and all critical updates.
>
> The USB is old 1 version. There are two USB ports on the back of the
> tower which is kept in a well ventilated compartment.
>
> I am NOT a power user. Your recommendations will be appreciated.
>
> If you think this would work for me, please give me quite detailed
> instructions on the hardware I need to purchase.
>
> Thanks a lot!!!
>
> Nels


Nels:
The detailed information you received from Alan Biddle in his response to
your query is basically correct, however, let me add a few thoughts for your
consideration...

First of all, as Alan has indicated, it would be most wise for you to
purchase and install a PCI card that provides USB 2.0 capability for your
system. I realize you've said you're not a "power user", but believe me, the
difference, i.e., speed performance between USB 1 and USB 2 is so enormous
that you simply cannot afford to use USB 1 rather than USB 2, especially for
disk cloning - disk imaging operations. Those PCI cards are very inexpensive
so please consider one.

You will need, of course, a USB external enclosure to house a HDD. In the
past we generally recommended separate pieces because of the flexibility
that arrangement provided. And it was usually cheaper to go that route
rather than purchasing a single-unit commercial external HDD. But with the
prices of these commercial units (WD, Maxtor, Seagate, etc.) continually
falling in price it may be more economically feasible to purchase one of
those.

So there's really not much in the way of hardware that you will need.
Actually, another option would be to simply purchase a HDD, install it as an
internal HDD in your system, and use that HDD as the recipient of your disk
clone (or disk image) when you use the Acronis program. The downside to that
is that it's not as "failsafe" as using an external HDD as your backup
device. (If you do go that route it probably would be wiser to use the new
HDD as your day-to-day working HDD and use your 20 GB HDD as the backup
drive. Ditto if you plan to purchase a separate USB enclosure/HDD as
described above). Also, if you go that route, i.e., using an internal HDD as
your backup drive, you would not need to purchase a PCI USB 2.0 card since
no USB operations would be necessary.

Since you're planning to use the Acronis True Image for your backup program
you may be interested in some step-by-step instructions we recently
prepared...

Step-by-Step Instructions for Using the Acronis True Image Program to Backup
& Restore One's Hard Drive...

Using the Acronis True Image program there are two different approaches one
can take to back up the entire contents of one's day-to-day working HDD,
i.e., the operating system, all programs & applications, and user-created
data - in short, *everything* that's on one's HDD...

1. Direct disk-to-disk cloning, or,
2. Creating disk images

By using either of these strategies the user can restore his or her system
should their day-to-day working HDD become inoperable because of
mechanical/electronic failure of the disk or corruption of the system
resulting in a dysfunctional operating system.

In undertaking either of these two backup & recovery processes you're
dealing with two hard drives - the so-called source & destination disks -
the source disk being the HDD you're backing up and the destination disk
being the HDD that will be the recipient of the cloned contents of the
source disk or the recipient of the disk image you will be creating.

When using either process it's usually best for most users to use an
external HDD as the destination drive, i.e., the recipient of the cloned
contents of the source disk or the recipient of the created disk image. This
can be either a USB or Firewire or SATA external HDD. While another internal
HDD can also serve as the destination disk there's an additional element of
safety in using an external HDD since that drive will be ordinarily
disconnected from the system except during the disk cloning or recovery
process.

One other suggestion. After you install the Acronis program on your computer
it's a good idea to create what Acronis calls their "Bootable Rescue Media"
(CD). In most cases the recovery process (described below) will utilize that
Acronis bootable CD to restore your system. This "rescue" CD is easily
created from the program by clicking on the "Create Bootable Rescue Media"
icon on the opening Acronis screen and simply going through the screens to
create the bootable CD. The following are step-by-step instructions for
using the Acronis True Image 9 program to clone the contents of one HDD to
an external HDD. (The steps are essentially the same using the newer ATI 10
version):

1. With both hard drives (source & destination disks) connected, boot up.
Ensure that no other storage devices, e.g., flash drives, ZIP drives, etc.,
are connected. It's also probably a good idea to shut down any programs you
may have working in the background - including any anti-virus anti-spyware
programs - before undertaking this disk-to-disk cloning operation.

2. Access the Acronis True Image 9 program and under "Pick a Task", click
on "Clone Disk". (In the ATI 10 version click on "Manage Hard Disks" in the
"Pick a Tool" area and on the next screen click on "Clone Disk").

3. On the next "Welcome to the Disk Clone Wizard!" window, click Next.

4. On the next "Clone Mode" window select the Automatic option (it should
be the default option selected) and click Next.

5. On the next "Source Hard Disk" window, ensure that the correct source
HDD (the disk you're cloning from) has been selected (click to highlight).
Click Next.

6. On the next "Destination Hard Disk" window, ensure that the correct
destination HDD (the disk you're cloning to) has been selected (again, click
to highlight). Click Next.

7. On the next window, select the option "Delete partitions on the
destination hard disk". Understand that all data presently on the disk that
will be the recipient of the clone will be deleted prior to the disk cloning
operation. Click Next.

8. The next window will reflect the source and destination disks. Again,
confirm that the correct drives have been selected. Click Next. 9. On the
next window click on the Proceed button. A message box will display
indicating that a reboot will be required to undertake the disk cloning
operation. Click Reboot.

10. The cloning operation will proceed during the reboot. With modern
components and a medium to high-powered processor, data transfer rate will
be somewhere in the range of about 450 MB/min to 800 MB/min when cloning to
a USB external HDD; considerably faster when cloning to another internal
HDD.

11. When the disk cloning operation has been completed, a message will
appear indicating the disk cloning process has been successful and instructs
you to shut down the computer by pressing any key. Do so and disconnect your
USB external HDD.
If, however, the destination drive (the recipient of the clone) has been
another *internal* HDD, see the NOTE below.

12. Note that the cloned contents now residing on the USB external HDD take
on the file system of the source drive. For example, if prior to the
disk-cloning operation your USB external HDD had been FAT32-formatted and
your XP OS was NTFS-formatted, the cloned contents will be NTFS-formatted.
There is no need to format the USB external HDD prior to the disk-cloning
operation. Similarly, there is no need prior to the disk-cloning operation
to format an internal HDD should you be using an internal HDD as the
destination drive .

13. Restoration of the system can be achieved by cloning the contents of the
data residing on the external HDD to an internal HDD through the normal
disk-cloning process as described above.

NOTE: Just one other point that should be emphasized with respect to the
disk cloning operation should the recipient of the clone be another internal
HDD and not a USB or Firewire external HDD. Immediately following the disk
cloning operation the machine should be shutdown and the source HDD should
be disconnected. Boot ONLY to the newly-cloned drive. DO NOT BOOT
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CLONING OPERATION WITH BOTH DRIVES CONNECTED.
There's a strong possibility that by doing so it is likely to cause future
boot problems with the cloned drive. Obviously there is no problem in this
area should a USB or Firewire EHD be the recipient of the clone since that
device is not ordinarily bootable in an XP environment.


Disk Imaging:
The following are step-by-step instructions for using the Acronis True Image
9 Program to create disk images for backup purposes and using those disk
images for recovery of the system. (The steps are essentially the same using
the newer ATI 10 version):

Note: The recipient of the disk image, presumably a USB external HDD or an
internal HDD, ordinarily must be a formatted drive and have a drive letter
assigned to it. Recall that in the case of a disk-to-disk cloning operation
as previously described, an unformatted or "virgin" HDD can be used as the
destination disk.

Before undertaking this disk imaging process it's probably best to close all
programs running in the background including your anti-virus and other
anti-malware programs.

1. With both your source and destination hard drives connected, access the
Acronis program and click "Backup" on main menu.

2. The "Create Backup Wizard" screen opens. Click Next.

3. The "Select Backup Type" screen opens with two options:
a. The entire disk contents or individual partitions.
b. Files and folders.
Select a. and click Next.

(In the ATI 10 version four options will be listed: My Computer, My Data, My
Application Settings, and My E-mail. Select the My Computer option and click
Next.)

4. The "Partitions Selection" screen opens. Disk 1 and Disk 2 are listed
with their drive letter designations. Check the disk to be backed up -
presumably Disk 1 - and click Next.

5. An informational message appears recommending an incremental or
differential backup if an original full backup had previously been
created.Since this will be the first backup we will be selecting, just click
OK to close the message box. (You can check the box not to show that
informational message in the future).

6. Next screen is the "Backup Archive Location". In the "File name:" text
box, (in ATI 10 version it's the "Folder:" text box) enter your backup drive
letter and enter a file name for the backup file, e.g., "F:\Backup 1-25".
The Acronis program will automatically append the ".tib" file extension to
the filename. Click Next.

7. "Select Backup Mode" screen opens. Select "Create a new full backup
archive" option and click Next.

8. "Choose Backup Options" screen opens with two options:
a. Use default options
b. Set the options manually

If you select the b. option, you can select various options listed on the
next screen. Two of them are of interest to us:

Compression level - Four options - None, Normal (the default), High,
Maximum.
There's a "Description" area that shows the estimated size of the backup
archive depending upon the option chosen, and the estimated "creation time"
for each option.

Backup priority - Three options - Low, Normal, or High
Low - "backup processed more slowly, but it will not influence other
processes running on computer."
(Default) Normal - "normal speed but backup process will influence other
processes running on computer."
High - "normal speed but backup process will strongly influence other
processes running on computer."

With respect to the compression levels, we've found that when using the
Normal option the original data is compressed by about 20% - 25% and that
the High and Maximum options will result in a compressed backup file only
slightly higher than that. However, the amount of time to create the backup
files when using the High or Maximum compression level is substantially
greater than when using the Normal compression level. So unless disk space
is very tight on the destination drive, i.e., the drive where the backup
file will be saved, we recommend using the Normal compression level (at
least initially).

NOTE: You can set the Compression level and Backup priority defaults from
the Acronis Tools > Options > Default backup options menu items.

9. "Archive comments" screen opens allowing you to add comments to the
backup archive which you can review during the Recovery process. Click Next.

10. The next screen summarizes the backup operation to be performed. Review
the information for correctness and click the Proceed button.

11. The next screen will display status bars reflecting the progress of the
backup operation. After the backup operation finishes, an informational
message will appear indicting the operation was successfully completed.


Incremental Backups (Disk Images)
1. After the initial backup archive has been created you can create
incremental backups reflecting any data changes since the previous backup
operation. This incremental backup process proceeds considerably faster than
the initial backup operation. This, of course, is a major advantage of
creating disk images rather than undertaking the disk-to-disk cloning
process. Then too, since these created disk images are compressed files they
are reasonable in size. And because the incremental disk images can usually
be created very quickly (as compared with the direct disk-to-disk cloning
process), there's an incentive for the user to keep his/her system
up-to-date backup-wise by using this disk imaging process on a more frequent
basis than the disk-cloning process.

Note that you must create the incremental backup files on the same HDD where
you stored the original backup archive and any subsequent incremental backup
files.

2. Access the Acronis program as detailed above and move through the
screens. When you arrive at the "Backup Archive Location" screen, click on
the original backup archive file, or if one or more incremental backup files
were previously created, click on the last incremental backup file and
verify that the correct drive letter and file name are shown in the "File
name:" text box. After clicking Next, the program will automatically create
a file name for the incremental backup archive file, using the original file
name and appending a consecutive number - starting at 2 - at the end of the
file name. For example, say you named the original backup archive file
"Backup 1-25". The first incremental backup file will be automatically named
"Backup 1-252" and the next incremental file "Backup 1-253", etc.

NOTE THAT ALL YOUR INCREMENTAL BACKUP FILES MUST BE PRESENT FOR RECOVERY
PURPOSES. DO NOT DELETE ANY OF YOUR PREVIOUSLY-CREATED INCREMENTAL BACKUP
FILES FOLLOWING THE CREATION OF A CURRENT INCREMENTAL BACKUP FILE. YOU CAN
DELETE THE INCREMENTAL FILES ONLY AFTER CREATING A FULL BACKUP ARCHIVE AS
DESCRIBED IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION.

3. On the following "Select Backup Mode" screen, select the "Create
incremental Backup" option, click Next, and proceed through the screens as
you did in creating the initial backup archive.


Recovery Process (Disk images):
We'll assume the recovery will be to either a non-defective HDD that has
become unbootable for one reason or another, or to a new HDD. The HDD to be
restored need not be partitioned/formatted since the recovery process will
take care of that function.

Note that in most cases you will be using the Acronis "bootable rescue
media" (CD) that you created when you originally installed the Acronis
program. If you didn't create that bootable CD at that time, you can create
it now from the Acronis program (assuming You can access the program at this
time) by clicking on the "Create Bootable Rescue Media" icon on the opening
Acronis screen and simply going through the screens to create the bootable
CD.

Note: If the recovery will be made to a HDD that is still bootable and
you're able to access the Acronis program on that drive, then you can
undertake the recovery process without the need for using the "bootable
rescue" CD.

1. With both the drive containing the backup disk images and the drive you
want to restore connected and with the bootable rescue CD inserted, boot up.

2. At the opening screen, click on "Acronis True Image Home (Full Version)".

3. The program will open after some moments. On the "Pick a Task" screen
that opens, click on "Recovery".

4. The "Welcome to the Restore Data Wizard!" screen opens. Click on Next.

5. The "Archive Selection" screen opens. Navigate to the drive containing
the backup archive file(s) and select the last incremental backup file or
the original full backup file if no incremental backup files were
subsequently created. Ensure that the correct drive letter and filename are
entered in the "File name:" text box. Click Next.

6. In the Acronis version 9 program, the "Archive Date Selection" screen
opens. Select (highlight) the last incremental backup file from the listing
and click Next. This screen does not appear in version 10.

7. The "Restoration Type Selection" screen opens. Select the option,
"Restore disks or partitions" and click Next.

8. The "Partition or Disk to Restore" will open. Click on "Disk 1" and click
Next.

9. After some moments the "Restored Hard Disk Drive Location" screen opens.
Select (highlight) the HDD to be restored and click Next.

10. On the next screen select the "Yes" option to delete all current
partitions on the destination HDD. Click Next.

11. On the next screen select the "No" option and click Next.

12. On the next screen you have the option to validate the backup archive
before restoration. Click Next.

13. The final screen before the restoration operation begins will open.
Confirm that the information as shown is correct. Click Proceed.

14. Click OK when following completion of the recovery operation a message
appears indicating a successful recovery operation.

15. Remove the Acronis bootable rescue CD and close the Acronis program. The
system will reboot. A Windows "Found New Hardware" message followed by the
"System Settings Change" message box may appear on the Desktop. If they do,
click Yes for a reboot.

Note: While the Acronis program is not designed to clone individual
partitions - it can clone only the entire contents of one HDD to another
HDD - you can backup & recover individual partitions through the disk
imaging process as described above.
Anna

Alan, thank you very much.

Nels

"Alan Biddle" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Nels,
>
> Are you going to be using the drive for cloning, or backup?
>
> In either case, pick up an external USB drive of the size of your
> choice, install it, install the driver, from the accompanying CD, and
> you are minimally good to go. It will appear as an ordinary hard
> drive. With even the smallest typical external HD, you will be able
> to back up or clone your 20 GB internal drive many times. Maxtor One
> Touch started this, but the local CompUSA has many clones, and even
> bare bones cases should you have a spare HD to install.
>
> Depending on your use, you may, if you have an available slot, wish to
> install a USB 2.0 port board. They are available for less then $20,
> and are much faster than USB 1. Also, if your computer is old enough,
> and the existing USB ports come off the mother board, there is a very
> slight chance they may not work. Some of the earliest mobos had ports
> built on a defective preliminary specification. Win XP will
> automagically recognize the new USB ports.
>
> Finally, Acronis will build a disaster recovery media, in case the
> system will not boot at all, or is otherwise compromised. This is on
> something like 10 floppies, or one CD-R. With luck you will not need
> this, but doing it with floppies is painful, so having a CD-R burner
> is handy. You will need, practically, a new set of recovery disks
> with each upgrade of Acronis software to be certain.
>
> I use the system regularly for backup, was able to clone a new
> internal HD in my old computer when the original one died, and even
> used the USB drive as a "sneakernet" to move settings and files from
> my old computer to my new one. Much faster and easier the wrestling
> with Laplink or Eithernet cables.
>
>
> --
> Alan

Anna:

Thank you very much!!! I have been meaning to post a compliment to you for
the thorough and tactful responses you make. I really like the detail you
give in your answers.

Nels

"Anna" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Nels Hansen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>I am contemplating doing this and wonder if it would be a reasonable thing
>>for me to do considering my hardware, etc:
>>
>> Dell GX 110
>> PIII 733
>> 20 G HD
>> WindowsXP Pro SP2 and all critical updates.
>>
>> The USB is old 1 version. There are two USB ports on the back of the
>> tower which is kept in a well ventilated compartment.
>>
>> I am NOT a power user. Your recommendations will be appreciated.
>>
>> If you think this would work for me, please give me quite detailed
>> instructions on the hardware I need to purchase.
>>
>> Thanks a lot!!!
>>
>> Nels
>
>
> Nels:
> The detailed information you received from Alan Biddle in his response to
> your query is basically correct, however, let me add a few thoughts for
> your consideration...
>
> First of all, as Alan has indicated, it would be most wise for you to
> purchase and install a PCI card that provides USB 2.0 capability for your
> system. I realize you've said you're not a "power user", but believe me,
> the difference, i.e., speed performance between USB 1 and USB 2 is so
> enormous that you simply cannot afford to use USB 1 rather than USB 2,
> especially for disk cloning - disk imaging operations. Those PCI cards are
> very inexpensive so please consider one.
>
> You will need, of course, a USB external enclosure to house a HDD. In the
> past we generally recommended separate pieces because of the flexibility
> that arrangement provided. And it was usually cheaper to go that route
> rather than purchasing a single-unit commercial external HDD. But with the
> prices of these commercial units (WD, Maxtor, Seagate, etc.) continually
> falling in price it may be more economically feasible to purchase one of
> those.
>
> So there's really not much in the way of hardware that you will need.
> Actually, another option would be to simply purchase a HDD, install it as
> an internal HDD in your system, and use that HDD as the recipient of your
> disk clone (or disk image) when you use the Acronis program. The downside
> to that is that it's not as "failsafe" as using an external HDD as your
> backup device. (If you do go that route it probably would be wiser to use
> the new HDD as your day-to-day working HDD and use your 20 GB HDD as the
> backup drive. Ditto if you plan to purchase a separate USB enclosure/HDD
> as described above). Also, if you go that route, i.e., using an internal
> HDD as your backup drive, you would not need to purchase a PCI USB 2.0
> card since no USB operations would be necessary.
>
> Since you're planning to use the Acronis True Image for your backup
> program you may be interested in some step-by-step instructions we
> recently prepared...
>
> Step-by-Step Instructions for Using the Acronis True Image Program to
> Backup
> & Restore One's Hard Drive...
>
> Using the Acronis True Image program there are two different approaches
> one
> can take to back up the entire contents of one's day-to-day working HDD,
> i.e., the operating system, all programs & applications, and user-created
> data - in short, *everything* that's on one's HDD...
>
> 1. Direct disk-to-disk cloning, or,
> 2. Creating disk images
>
> By using either of these strategies the user can restore his or her system
> should their day-to-day working HDD become inoperable because of
> mechanical/electronic failure of the disk or corruption of the system
> resulting in a dysfunctional operating system.
>
> In undertaking either of these two backup & recovery processes you're
> dealing with two hard drives - the so-called source & destination disks -
> the source disk being the HDD you're backing up and the destination disk
> being the HDD that will be the recipient of the cloned contents of the
> source disk or the recipient of the disk image you will be creating.
>
> When using either process it's usually best for most users to use an
> external HDD as the destination drive, i.e., the recipient of the cloned
> contents of the source disk or the recipient of the created disk image.
> This
> can be either a USB or Firewire or SATA external HDD. While another
> internal
> HDD can also serve as the destination disk there's an additional element
> of
> safety in using an external HDD since that drive will be ordinarily
> disconnected from the system except during the disk cloning or recovery
> process.
>
> One other suggestion. After you install the Acronis program on your
> computer
> it's a good idea to create what Acronis calls their "Bootable Rescue
> Media"
> (CD). In most cases the recovery process (described below) will utilize
> that
> Acronis bootable CD to restore your system. This "rescue" CD is easily
> created from the program by clicking on the "Create Bootable Rescue Media"
> icon on the opening Acronis screen and simply going through the screens to
> create the bootable CD. The following are step-by-step instructions for
> using the Acronis True Image 9 program to clone the contents of one HDD to
> an external HDD. (The steps are essentially the same using the newer ATI
> 10
> version):
>
> 1. With both hard drives (source & destination disks) connected, boot up.
> Ensure that no other storage devices, e.g., flash drives, ZIP drives,
> etc.,
> are connected. It's also probably a good idea to shut down any programs
> you
> may have working in the background - including any anti-virus anti-spyware
> programs - before undertaking this disk-to-disk cloning operation.
>
> 2. Access the Acronis True Image 9 program and under "Pick a Task", click
> on "Clone Disk". (In the ATI 10 version click on "Manage Hard Disks" in
> the
> "Pick a Tool" area and on the next screen click on "Clone Disk").
>
> 3. On the next "Welcome to the Disk Clone Wizard!" window, click Next.
>
> 4. On the next "Clone Mode" window select the Automatic option (it should
> be the default option selected) and click Next.
>
> 5. On the next "Source Hard Disk" window, ensure that the correct source
> HDD (the disk you're cloning from) has been selected (click to highlight).
> Click Next.
>
> 6. On the next "Destination Hard Disk" window, ensure that the correct
> destination HDD (the disk you're cloning to) has been selected (again,
> click
> to highlight). Click Next.
>
> 7. On the next window, select the option "Delete partitions on the
> destination hard disk". Understand that all data presently on the disk
> that
> will be the recipient of the clone will be deleted prior to the disk
> cloning
> operation. Click Next.
>
> 8. The next window will reflect the source and destination disks. Again,
> confirm that the correct drives have been selected. Click Next. 9. On the
> next window click on the Proceed button. A message box will display
> indicating that a reboot will be required to undertake the disk cloning
> operation. Click Reboot.
>
> 10. The cloning operation will proceed during the reboot. With modern
> components and a medium to high-powered processor, data transfer rate will
> be somewhere in the range of about 450 MB/min to 800 MB/min when cloning
> to
> a USB external HDD; considerably faster when cloning to another internal
> HDD.
>
> 11. When the disk cloning operation has been completed, a message will
> appear indicating the disk cloning process has been successful and
> instructs you to shut down the computer by pressing any key. Do so and
> disconnect your USB external HDD.
> If, however, the destination drive (the recipient of the clone) has been
> another *internal* HDD, see the NOTE below.
>
> 12. Note that the cloned contents now residing on the USB external HDD
> take
> on the file system of the source drive. For example, if prior to the
> disk-cloning operation your USB external HDD had been FAT32-formatted and
> your XP OS was NTFS-formatted, the cloned contents will be NTFS-formatted.
> There is no need to format the USB external HDD prior to the disk-cloning
> operation. Similarly, there is no need prior to the disk-cloning operation
> to format an internal HDD should you be using an internal HDD as the
> destination drive .
>
> 13. Restoration of the system can be achieved by cloning the contents of
> the
> data residing on the external HDD to an internal HDD through the normal
> disk-cloning process as described above.
>
> NOTE: Just one other point that should be emphasized with respect to the
> disk cloning operation should the recipient of the clone be another
> internal
> HDD and not a USB or Firewire external HDD. Immediately following the disk
> cloning operation the machine should be shutdown and the source HDD should
> be disconnected. Boot ONLY to the newly-cloned drive. DO NOT BOOT
> IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CLONING OPERATION WITH BOTH DRIVES CONNECTED.
> There's a strong possibility that by doing so it is likely to cause future
> boot problems with the cloned drive. Obviously there is no problem in this
> area should a USB or Firewire EHD be the recipient of the clone since that
> device is not ordinarily bootable in an XP environment.
>
>
> Disk Imaging:
> The following are step-by-step instructions for using the Acronis True
> Image
> 9 Program to create disk images for backup purposes and using those disk
> images for recovery of the system. (The steps are essentially the same
> using
> the newer ATI 10 version):
>
> Note: The recipient of the disk image, presumably a USB external HDD or an
> internal HDD, ordinarily must be a formatted drive and have a drive letter
> assigned to it. Recall that in the case of a disk-to-disk cloning
> operation
> as previously described, an unformatted or "virgin" HDD can be used as the
> destination disk.
>
> Before undertaking this disk imaging process it's probably best to close
> all
> programs running in the background including your anti-virus and other
> anti-malware programs.
>
> 1. With both your source and destination hard drives connected, access the
> Acronis program and click "Backup" on main menu.
>
> 2. The "Create Backup Wizard" screen opens. Click Next.
>
> 3. The "Select Backup Type" screen opens with two options:
> a. The entire disk contents or individual partitions.
> b. Files and folders.
> Select a. and click Next.
>
> (In the ATI 10 version four options will be listed: My Computer, My Data,
> My
> Application Settings, and My E-mail. Select the My Computer option and
> click
> Next.)
>
> 4. The "Partitions Selection" screen opens. Disk 1 and Disk 2 are listed
> with their drive letter designations. Check the disk to be backed up -
> presumably Disk 1 - and click Next.
>
> 5. An informational message appears recommending an incremental or
> differential backup if an original full backup had previously been
> created.Since this will be the first backup we will be selecting, just
> click
> OK to close the message box. (You can check the box not to show that
> informational message in the future).
>
> 6. Next screen is the "Backup Archive Location". In the "File name:" text
> box, (in ATI 10 version it's the "Folder:" text box) enter your backup
> drive
> letter and enter a file name for the backup file, e.g., "F:\Backup 1-25".
> The Acronis program will automatically append the ".tib" file extension to
> the filename. Click Next.
>
> 7. "Select Backup Mode" screen opens. Select "Create a new full backup
> archive" option and click Next.
>
> 8. "Choose Backup Options" screen opens with two options:
> a. Use default options
> b. Set the options manually
>
> If you select the b. option, you can select various options listed on the
> next screen. Two of them are of interest to us:
>
> Compression level - Four options - None, Normal (the default), High,
> Maximum.
> There's a "Description" area that shows the estimated size of the backup
> archive depending upon the option chosen, and the estimated "creation
> time"
> for each option.
>
> Backup priority - Three options - Low, Normal, or High
> Low - "backup processed more slowly, but it will not influence other
> processes running on computer."
> (Default) Normal - "normal speed but backup process will influence other
> processes running on computer."
> High - "normal speed but backup process will strongly influence other
> processes running on computer."
>
> With respect to the compression levels, we've found that when using the
> Normal option the original data is compressed by about 20% - 25% and that
> the High and Maximum options will result in a compressed backup file only
> slightly higher than that. However, the amount of time to create the
> backup
> files when using the High or Maximum compression level is substantially
> greater than when using the Normal compression level. So unless disk space
> is very tight on the destination drive, i.e., the drive where the backup
> file will be saved, we recommend using the Normal compression level (at
> least initially).
>
> NOTE: You can set the Compression level and Backup priority defaults from
> the Acronis Tools > Options > Default backup options menu items.
>
> 9. "Archive comments" screen opens allowing you to add comments to the
> backup archive which you can review during the Recovery process. Click
> Next.
>
> 10. The next screen summarizes the backup operation to be performed.
> Review
> the information for correctness and click the Proceed button.
>
> 11. The next screen will display status bars reflecting the progress of
> the
> backup operation. After the backup operation finishes, an informational
> message will appear indicting the operation was successfully completed.
>
>
> Incremental Backups (Disk Images)
> 1. After the initial backup archive has been created you can create
> incremental backups reflecting any data changes since the previous backup
> operation. This incremental backup process proceeds considerably faster
> than
> the initial backup operation. This, of course, is a major advantage of
> creating disk images rather than undertaking the disk-to-disk cloning
> process. Then too, since these created disk images are compressed files
> they
> are reasonable in size. And because the incremental disk images can
> usually
> be created very quickly (as compared with the direct disk-to-disk cloning
> process), there's an incentive for the user to keep his/her system
> up-to-date backup-wise by using this disk imaging process on a more
> frequent
> basis than the disk-cloning process.
>
> Note that you must create the incremental backup files on the same HDD
> where
> you stored the original backup archive and any subsequent incremental
> backup
> files.
>
> 2. Access the Acronis program as detailed above and move through the
> screens. When you arrive at the "Backup Archive Location" screen, click on
> the original backup archive file, or if one or more incremental backup
> files
> were previously created, click on the last incremental backup file and
> verify that the correct drive letter and file name are shown in the "File
> name:" text box. After clicking Next, the program will automatically
> create
> a file name for the incremental backup archive file, using the original
> file
> name and appending a consecutive number - starting at 2 - at the end of
> the
> file name. For example, say you named the original backup archive file
> "Backup 1-25". The first incremental backup file will be automatically
> named
> "Backup 1-252" and the next incremental file "Backup 1-253", etc.
>
> NOTE THAT ALL YOUR INCREMENTAL BACKUP FILES MUST BE PRESENT FOR RECOVERY
> PURPOSES. DO NOT DELETE ANY OF YOUR PREVIOUSLY-CREATED INCREMENTAL BACKUP
> FILES FOLLOWING THE CREATION OF A CURRENT INCREMENTAL BACKUP FILE. YOU CAN
> DELETE THE INCREMENTAL FILES ONLY AFTER CREATING A FULL BACKUP ARCHIVE AS
> DESCRIBED IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION.
>
> 3. On the following "Select Backup Mode" screen, select the "Create
> incremental Backup" option, click Next, and proceed through the screens as
> you did in creating the initial backup archive.
>
>
> Recovery Process (Disk images):
> We'll assume the recovery will be to either a non-defective HDD that has
> become unbootable for one reason or another, or to a new HDD. The HDD to
> be
> restored need not be partitioned/formatted since the recovery process will
> take care of that function.
>
> Note that in most cases you will be using the Acronis "bootable rescue
> media" (CD) that you created when you originally installed the Acronis
> program. If you didn't create that bootable CD at that time, you can
> create
> it now from the Acronis program (assuming You can access the program at
> this
> time) by clicking on the "Create Bootable Rescue Media" icon on the
> opening
> Acronis screen and simply going through the screens to create the bootable
> CD.
>
> Note: If the recovery will be made to a HDD that is still bootable and
> you're able to access the Acronis program on that drive, then you can
> undertake the recovery process without the need for using the "bootable
> rescue" CD.
>
> 1. With both the drive containing the backup disk images and the drive you
> want to restore connected and with the bootable rescue CD inserted, boot
> up.
>
> 2. At the opening screen, click on "Acronis True Image Home (Full
> Version)".
>
> 3. The program will open after some moments. On the "Pick a Task" screen
> that opens, click on "Recovery".
>
> 4. The "Welcome to the Restore Data Wizard!" screen opens. Click on Next.
>
> 5. The "Archive Selection" screen opens. Navigate to the drive containing
> the backup archive file(s) and select the last incremental backup file or
> the original full backup file if no incremental backup files were
> subsequently created. Ensure that the correct drive letter and filename
> are
> entered in the "File name:" text box. Click Next.
>
> 6. In the Acronis version 9 program, the "Archive Date Selection" screen
> opens. Select (highlight) the last incremental backup file from the
> listing
> and click Next. This screen does not appear in version 10.
>
> 7. The "Restoration Type Selection" screen opens. Select the option,
> "Restore disks or partitions" and click Next.
>
> 8. The "Partition or Disk to Restore" will open. Click on "Disk 1" and
> click
> Next.
>
> 9. After some moments the "Restored Hard Disk Drive Location" screen
> opens.
> Select (highlight) the HDD to be restored and click Next.
>
> 10. On the next screen select the "Yes" option to delete all current
> partitions on the destination HDD. Click Next.
>
> 11. On the next screen select the "No" option and click Next.
>
> 12. On the next screen you have the option to validate the backup archive
> before restoration. Click Next.
>
> 13. The final screen before the restoration operation begins will open.
> Confirm that the information as shown is correct. Click Proceed.
>
> 14. Click OK when following completion of the recovery operation a message
> appears indicating a successful recovery operation.
>
> 15. Remove the Acronis bootable rescue CD and close the Acronis program.
> The
> system will reboot. A Windows "Found New Hardware" message followed by the
> "System Settings Change" message box may appear on the Desktop. If they
> do,
> click Yes for a reboot.
>
> Note: While the Acronis program is not designed to clone individual
> partitions - it can clone only the entire contents of one HDD to another
> HDD - you can backup & recover individual partitions through the disk
> imaging process as described above.
> Anna
>
>

Nels Hansen wrote:
> I am contemplating doing this and wonder if it would be a reasonable thing
> for me to do considering my hardware, etc:
>
> Dell GX 110
> PIII 733
> 20 G HD
> WindowsXP Pro SP2 and all critical updates.
>
> The USB is old 1 version. There are two USB ports on the back of the tower
> which is kept in a well ventilated compartment.
>
> I am NOT a power user. Your recommendations will be appreciated.
>
> If you think this would work for me, please give me quite detailed
> instructions on the hardware I need to purchase.
>
> Thanks a lot!!!
>
> Nels
>
>
You may want to check how large a hard drive your PC's BIOS can take
before buying one. From your description, you BIOS may not support HD
larger than 137GB (internal or USB).

Hi Nels,
I'm watching this conversation with interest, as I have just started to
do the same thing. You wrote:

"7. On the next window, select the option "Delete partitions on the
destination hard disk". Understand that all data presently on the disk that
will be the recipient of the clone will be deleted prior to the disk cloning
operation. Click Next."

My question:
I have a WD external HDD that has pre-installed software which
automatically runs to set up the connections between my computer and the
external. I'm using the external with three different computers.
If I allow it to be partitioned, knowing that ALL DATA ON THE
DESTINATION HARD DISK DRIVE WILL BE ERASED, then how am I ever going to use
the HDD with another computer? A new computer?
Is there a way to partition the HDD so that I can put an image of each
of the three computers onto the same external HDD? Maybe FIVE
partitions, -- #1 with the pre-installed WD software; #2 for archived data;
#3 for image of computer A, #4 for image of computer B, #5 for image of
computer C?
I was thinking of using Partition Magic to give this a try, but haven't
yet summed the courage to try it.


--
<*(((><

~~~~~~~~~~~~



--
<*(((><

~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Anna" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Nels Hansen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>I am contemplating doing this and wonder if it would be a reasonable thing
>>for me to do considering my hardware, etc:
>>
>> Dell GX 110
>> PIII 733
>> 20 G HD
>> WindowsXP Pro SP2 and all critical updates.
>>
>> The USB is old 1 version. There are two USB ports on the back of the
>> tower which is kept in a well ventilated compartment.
>>
>> I am NOT a power user. Your recommendations will be appreciated.
>>
>> If you think this would work for me, please give me quite detailed
>> instructions on the hardware I need to purchase.
>>
>> Thanks a lot!!!
>>
>> Nels
>
>
> Nels:
> The detailed information you received from Alan Biddle in his response to
> your query is basically correct, however, let me add a few thoughts for
> your consideration...
>
> First of all, as Alan has indicated, it would be most wise for you to
> purchase and install a PCI card that provides USB 2.0 capability for your
> system. I realize you've said you're not a "power user", but believe me,
> the difference, i.e., speed performance between USB 1 and USB 2 is so
> enormous that you simply cannot afford to use USB 1 rather than USB 2,
> especially for disk cloning - disk imaging operations. Those PCI cards are
> very inexpensive so please consider one.
>
> You will need, of course, a USB external enclosure to house a HDD. In the
> past we generally recommended separate pieces because of the flexibility
> that arrangement provided. And it was usually cheaper to go that route
> rather than purchasing a single-unit commercial external HDD. But with the
> prices of these commercial units (WD, Maxtor, Seagate, etc.) continually
> falling in price it may be more economically feasible to purchase one of
> those.
>
> So there's really not much in the way of hardware that you will need.
> Actually, another option would be to simply purchase a HDD, install it as
> an internal HDD in your system, and use that HDD as the recipient of your
> disk clone (or disk image) when you use the Acronis program. The downside
> to that is that it's not as "failsafe" as using an external HDD as your
> backup device. (If you do go that route it probably would be wiser to use
> the new HDD as your day-to-day working HDD and use your 20 GB HDD as the
> backup drive. Ditto if you plan to purchase a separate USB enclosure/HDD
> as described above). Also, if you go that route, i.e., using an internal
> HDD as your backup drive, you would not need to purchase a PCI USB 2.0
> card since no USB operations would be necessary.
>
> Since you're planning to use the Acronis True Image for your backup
> program you may be interested in some step-by-step instructions we
> recently prepared...
>
> Step-by-Step Instructions for Using the Acronis True Image Program to
> Backup
> & Restore One's Hard Drive...
>
> Using the Acronis True Image program there are two different approaches
> one
> can take to back up the entire contents of one's day-to-day working HDD,
> i.e., the operating system, all programs & applications, and user-created
> data - in short, *everything* that's on one's HDD...
>
> 1. Direct disk-to-disk cloning, or,
> 2. Creating disk images
>
> By using either of these strategies the user can restore his or her system
> should their day-to-day working HDD become inoperable because of
> mechanical/electronic failure of the disk or corruption of the system
> resulting in a dysfunctional operating system.
>
> In undertaking either of these two backup & recovery processes you're
> dealing with two hard drives - the so-called source & destination disks -
> the source disk being the HDD you're backing up and the destination disk
> being the HDD that will be the recipient of the cloned contents of the
> source disk or the recipient of the disk image you will be creating.
>
> When using either process it's usually best for most users to use an
> external HDD as the destination drive, i.e., the recipient of the cloned
> contents of the source disk or the recipient of the created disk image.
> This
> can be either a USB or Firewire or SATA external HDD. While another
> internal
> HDD can also serve as the destination disk there's an additional element
> of
> safety in using an external HDD since that drive will be ordinarily
> disconnected from the system except during the disk cloning or recovery
> process.
>
> One other suggestion. After you install the Acronis program on your
> computer
> it's a good idea to create what Acronis calls their "Bootable Rescue
> Media"
> (CD). In most cases the recovery process (described below) will utilize
> that
> Acronis bootable CD to restore your system. This "rescue" CD is easily
> created from the program by clicking on the "Create Bootable Rescue Media"
> icon on the opening Acronis screen and simply going through the screens to
> create the bootable CD. The following are step-by-step instructions for
> using the Acronis True Image 9 program to clone the contents of one HDD to
> an external HDD. (The steps are essentially the same using the newer ATI
> 10
> version):
>
> 1. With both hard drives (source & destination disks) connected, boot up.
> Ensure that no other storage devices, e.g., flash drives, ZIP drives,
> etc.,
> are connected. It's also probably a good idea to shut down any programs
> you
> may have working in the background - including any anti-virus anti-spyware
> programs - before undertaking this disk-to-disk cloning operation.
>
> 2. Access the Acronis True Image 9 program and under "Pick a Task", click
> on "Clone Disk". (In the ATI 10 version click on "Manage Hard Disks" in
> the
> "Pick a Tool" area and on the next screen click on "Clone Disk").
>
> 3. On the next "Welcome to the Disk Clone Wizard!" window, click Next.
>
> 4. On the next "Clone Mode" window select the Automatic option (it should
> be the default option selected) and click Next.
>
> 5. On the next "Source Hard Disk" window, ensure that the correct source
> HDD (the disk you're cloning from) has been selected (click to highlight).
> Click Next.
>
> 6. On the next "Destination Hard Disk" window, ensure that the correct
> destination HDD (the disk you're cloning to) has been selected (again,
> click
> to highlight). Click Next.
>
> 7. On the next window, select the option "Delete partitions on the
> destination hard disk". Understand that all data presently on the disk
> that
> will be the recipient of the clone will be deleted prior to the disk
> cloning
> operation. Click Next.
>
> 8. The next window will reflect the source and destination disks. Again,
> confirm that the correct drives have been selected. Click Next. 9. On the
> next window click on the Proceed button. A message box will display
> indicating that a reboot will be required to undertake the disk cloning
> operation. Click Reboot.
>
> 10. The cloning operation will proceed during the reboot. With modern
> components and a medium to high-powered processor, data transfer rate will
> be somewhere in the range of about 450 MB/min to 800 MB/min when cloning
> to
> a USB external HDD; considerably faster when cloning to another internal
> HDD.
>
> 11. When the disk cloning operation has been completed, a message will
> appear indicating the disk cloning process has been successful and
> instructs you to shut down the computer by pressing any key. Do so and
> disconnect your USB external HDD.
> If, however, the destination drive (the recipient of the clone) has been
> another *internal* HDD, see the NOTE below.
>
> 12. Note that the cloned contents now residing on the USB external HDD
> take
> on the file system of the source drive. For example, if prior to the
> disk-cloning operation your USB external HDD had been FAT32-formatted and
> your XP OS was NTFS-formatted, the cloned contents will be NTFS-formatted.
> There is no need to format the USB external HDD prior to the disk-cloning
> operation. Similarly, there is no need prior to the disk-cloning operation
> to format an internal HDD should you be using an internal HDD as the
> destination drive .
>
> 13. Restoration of the system can be achieved by cloning the contents of
> the
> data residing on the external HDD to an internal HDD through the normal
> disk-cloning process as described above.
>
> NOTE: Just one other point that should be emphasized with respect to the
> disk cloning operation should the recipient of the clone be another
> internal
> HDD and not a USB or Firewire external HDD. Immediately following the disk
> cloning operation the machine should be shutdown and the source HDD should
> be disconnected. Boot ONLY to the newly-cloned drive. DO NOT BOOT
> IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CLONING OPERATION WITH BOTH DRIVES CONNECTED.
> There's a strong possibility that by doing so it is likely to cause future
> boot problems with the cloned drive. Obviously there is no problem in this
> area should a USB or Firewire EHD be the recipient of the clone since that
> device is not ordinarily bootable in an XP environment.
>
>
> Disk Imaging:
> The following are step-by-step instructions for using the Acronis True
> Image
> 9 Program to create disk images for backup purposes and using those disk
> images for recovery of the system. (The steps are essentially the same
> using
> the newer ATI 10 version):
>
> Note: The recipient of the disk image, presumably a USB external HDD or an
> internal HDD, ordinarily must be a formatted drive and have a drive letter
> assigned to it. Recall that in the case of a disk-to-disk cloning
> operation
> as previously described, an unformatted or "virgin" HDD can be used as the
> destination disk.
>
> Before undertaking this disk imaging process it's probably best to close
> all
> programs running in the background including your anti-virus and other
> anti-malware programs.
>
> 1. With both your source and destination hard drives connected, access the
> Acronis program and click "Backup" on main menu.
>
> 2. The "Create Backup Wizard" screen opens. Click Next.
>
> 3. The "Select Backup Type" screen opens with two options:
> a. The entire disk contents or individual partitions.
> b. Files and folders.
> Select a. and click Next.
>
> (In the ATI 10 version four options will be listed: My Computer, My Data,
> My
> Application Settings, and My E-mail. Select the My Computer option and
> click
> Next.)
>
> 4. The "Partitions Selection" screen opens. Disk 1 and Disk 2 are listed
> with their drive letter designations. Check the disk to be backed up -
> presumably Disk 1 - and click Next.
>
> 5. An informational message appears recommending an incremental or
> differential backup if an original full backup had previously been
> created.Since this will be the first backup we will be selecting, just
> click
> OK to close the message box. (You can check the box not to show that
> informational message in the future).
>
> 6. Next screen is the "Backup Archive Location". In the "File name:" text
> box, (in ATI 10 version it's the "Folder:" text box) enter your backup
> drive
> letter and enter a file name for the backup file, e.g., "F:\Backup 1-25".
> The Acronis program will automatically append the ".tib" file extension to
> the filename. Click Next.
>
> 7. "Select Backup Mode" screen opens. Select "Create a new full backup
> archive" option and click Next.
>
> 8. "Choose Backup Options" screen opens with two options:
> a. Use default options
> b. Set the options manually
>
> If you select the b. option, you can select various options listed on the
> next screen. Two of them are of interest to us:
>
> Compression level - Four options - None, Normal (the default), High,
> Maximum.
> There's a "Description" area that shows the estimated size of the backup
> archive depending upon the option chosen, and the estimated "creation
> time"
> for each option.
>
> Backup priority - Three options - Low, Normal, or High
> Low - "backup processed more slowly, but it will not influence other
> processes running on computer."
> (Default) Normal - "normal speed but backup process will influence other
> processes running on computer."
> High - "normal speed but backup process will strongly influence other
> processes running on computer."
>
> With respect to the compression levels, we've found that when using the
> Normal option the original data is compressed by about 20% - 25% and that
> the High and Maximum options will result in a compressed backup file only
> slightly higher than that. However, the amount of time to create the
> backup
> files when using the High or Maximum compression level is substantially
> greater than when using the Normal compression level. So unless disk space
> is very tight on the destination drive, i.e., the drive where the backup
> file will be saved, we recommend using the Normal compression level (at
> least initially).
>
> NOTE: You can set the Compression level and Backup priority defaults from
> the Acronis Tools > Options > Default backup options menu items.
>
> 9. "Archive comments" screen opens allowing you to add comments to the
> backup archive which you can review during the Recovery process. Click
> Next.
>
> 10. The next screen summarizes the backup operation to be performed.
> Review
> the information for correctness and click the Proceed button.
>
> 11. The next screen will display status bars reflecting the progress of
> the
> backup operation. After the backup operation finishes, an informational
> message will appear indicting the operation was successfully completed.
>
>
> Incremental Backups (Disk Images)
> 1. After the initial backup archive has been created you can create
> incremental backups reflecting any data changes since the previous backup
> operation. This incremental backup process proceeds considerably faster
> than
> the initial backup operation. This, of course, is a major advantage of
> creating disk images rather than undertaking the disk-to-disk cloning
> process. Then too, since these created disk images are compressed files
> they
> are reasonable in size. And because the incremental disk images can
> usually
> be created very quickly (as compared with the direct disk-to-disk cloning
> process), there's an incentive for the user to keep his/her system
> up-to-date backup-wise by using this disk imaging process on a more
> frequent
> basis than the disk-cloning process.
>
> Note that you must create the incremental backup files on the same HDD
> where
> you stored the original backup archive and any subsequent incremental
> backup
> files.
>
> 2. Access the Acronis program as detailed above and move through the
> screens. When you arrive at the "Backup Archive Location" screen, click on
> the original backup archive file, or if one or more incremental backup
> files
> were previously created, click on the last incremental backup file and
> verify that the correct drive letter and file name are shown in the "File
> name:" text box. After clicking Next, the program will automatically
> create
> a file name for the incremental backup archive file, using the original
> file
> name and appending a consecutive number - starting at 2 - at the end of
> the
> file name. For example, say you named the original backup archive file
> "Backup 1-25". The first incremental backup file will be automatically
> named
> "Backup 1-252" and the next incremental file "Backup 1-253", etc.
>
> NOTE THAT ALL YOUR INCREMENTAL BACKUP FILES MUST BE PRESENT FOR RECOVERY
> PURPOSES. DO NOT DELETE ANY OF YOUR PREVIOUSLY-CREATED INCREMENTAL BACKUP
> FILES FOLLOWING THE CREATION OF A CURRENT INCREMENTAL BACKUP FILE. YOU CAN
> DELETE THE INCREMENTAL FILES ONLY AFTER CREATING A FULL BACKUP ARCHIVE AS
> DESCRIBED IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION.
>
> 3. On the following "Select Backup Mode" screen, select the "Create
> incremental Backup" option, click Next, and proceed through the screens as
> you did in creating the initial backup archive.
>
>
> Recovery Process (Disk images):
> We'll assume the recovery will be to either a non-defective HDD that has
> become unbootable for one reason or another, or to a new HDD. The HDD to
> be
> restored need not be partitioned/formatted since the recovery process will
> take care of that function.
>
> Note that in most cases you will be using the Acronis "bootable rescue
> media" (CD) that you created when you originally installed the Acronis
> program. If you didn't create that bootable CD at that time, you can
> create
> it now from the Acronis program (assuming You can access the program at
> this
> time) by clicking on the "Create Bootable Rescue Media" icon on the
> opening
> Acronis screen and simply going through the screens to create the bootable
> CD.
>
> Note: If the recovery will be made to a HDD that is still bootable and
> you're able to access the Acronis program on that drive, then you can
> undertake the recovery process without the need for using the "bootable
> rescue" CD.
>
> 1. With both the drive containing the backup disk images and the drive you
> want to restore connected and with the bootable rescue CD inserted, boot
> up.
>
> 2. At the opening screen, click on "Acronis True Image Home (Full
> Version)".
>
> 3. The program will open after some moments. On the "Pick a Task" screen
> that opens, click on "Recovery".
>
> 4. The "Welcome to the Restore Data Wizard!" screen opens. Click on Next.
>
> 5. The "Archive Selection" screen opens. Navigate to the drive containing
> the backup archive file(s) and select the last incremental backup file or
> the original full backup file if no incremental backup files were
> subsequently created. Ensure that the correct drive letter and filename
> are
> entered in the "File name:" text box. Click Next.
>
> 6. In the Acronis version 9 program, the "Archive Date Selection" screen
> opens. Select (highlight) the last incremental backup file from the
> listing
> and click Next. This screen does not appear in version 10.
>
> 7. The "Restoration Type Selection" screen opens. Select the option,
> "Restore disks or partitions" and click Next.
>
> 8. The "Partition or Disk to Restore" will open. Click on "Disk 1" and
> click
> Next.
>
> 9. After some moments the "Restored Hard Disk Drive Location" screen
> opens.
> Select (highlight) the HDD to be restored and click Next.
>
> 10. On the next screen select the "Yes" option to delete all current
> partitions on the destination HDD. Click Next.
>
> 11. On the next screen select the "No" option and click Next.
>
> 12. On the next screen you have the option to validate the backup archive
> before restoration. Click Next.
>
> 13. The final screen before the restoration operation begins will open.
> Confirm that the information as shown is correct. Click Proceed.
>
> 14. Click OK when following completion of the recovery operation a message
> appears indicating a successful recovery operation.
>
> 15. Remove the Acronis bootable rescue CD and close the Acronis program.
> The
> system will reboot. A Windows "Found New Hardware" message followed by the
> "System Settings Change" message box may appear on the Desktop. If they
> do,
> click Yes for a reboot.
>
> Note: While the Acronis program is not designed to clone individual
> partitions - it can clone only the entire contents of one HDD to another
> HDD - you can backup & recover individual partitions through the disk
> imaging process as described above.
> Anna
>
>

>> "Nels Hansen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>I am contemplating doing this and wonder if it would be a reasonable
>>>thing for me to do considering my hardware, etc:
>>>
>>> Dell GX 110
>>> PIII 733
>>> 20 G HD
>>> WindowsXP Pro SP2 and all critical updates.
>>>
>>> The USB is old 1 version. There are two USB ports on the back of the
>>> tower which is kept in a well ventilated compartment.
>>>
>>> I am NOT a power user. Your recommendations will be appreciated.
>>>
>>> If you think this would work for me, please give me quite detailed
>>> instructions on the hardware I need to purchase.
>>>
>>> Thanks a lot!!!
>>>
>>> Nels


"<*(((><" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi Nels,
> I'm watching this conversation with interest, as I have just started to
> do the same thing. You wrote:
>
> "7. On the next window, select the option "Delete partitions on the
> destination hard disk". Understand that all data presently on the disk
> that
> will be the recipient of the clone will be deleted prior to the disk
> cloning
> operation. Click Next."
>
> My question:
> I have a WD external HDD that has pre-installed software which
> automatically runs to set up the connections between my computer and the
> external. I'm using the external with three different computers.
> If I allow it to be partitioned, knowing that ALL DATA ON THE
> DESTINATION HARD DISK DRIVE WILL BE ERASED, then how am I ever going to
> use the HDD with another computer? A new computer?
> Is there a way to partition the HDD so that I can put an image of each
> of the three computers onto the same external HDD? Maybe FIVE
> partitions, -- #1 with the pre-installed WD software; #2 for archived
> data; #3 for image of computer A, #4 for image of computer B, #5 for image
> of computer C?
> I was thinking of using Partition Magic to give this a try, but haven't
> yet summed the courage to try it.


> "Anna" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Nels:
(SNIP)

>> Step-by-Step Instructions for Using the Acronis True Image Program to
>> Backup
>> & Restore One's Hard Drive...
>>
>> Using the Acronis True Image program there are two different approaches
>> one
>> can take to back up the entire contents of one's day-to-day working HDD,
>> i.e., the operating system, all programs & applications, and user-created
>> data - in short, *everything* that's on one's HDD...
>>
>> 1. Direct disk-to-disk cloning, or,
>> 2. Creating disk images
>>
>> By using either of these strategies the user can restore his or her
>> system
>> should their day-to-day working HDD become inoperable because of
>> mechanical/electronic failure of the disk or corruption of the system
>> resulting in a dysfunctional operating system.
>>
>> In undertaking either of these two backup & recovery processes you're
>> dealing with two hard drives - the so-called source & destination disks -
>> the source disk being the HDD you're backing up and the destination disk
>> being the HDD that will be the recipient of the cloned contents of the
>> source disk or the recipient of the disk image you will be creating.
>>
>> When using either process it's usually best for most users to use an
>> external HDD as the destination drive, i.e., the recipient of the cloned
>> contents of the source disk or the recipient of the created disk image.
>> This can be either a USB or Firewire or SATA external HDD. While another
>> internal HDD can also serve as the destination disk there's an additional
>> element of safety in using an external HDD since that drive will be
>> ordinarily
>> disconnected from the system except during the disk cloning or recovery
>> process.

(SNIP REMAINDER OF POST)
Anna


fishy:
I think your query is really directed at me since I'm the author of those
Acronis True Image step-by-step instructions.

Please note that item 7. to which you refer is with respect to the disk
cloning operation and not the disk imaging process which is later described
in the instructions.

The disk-to-disk cloning process is exactly that. When you clone the
contents of one HDD to another HDD, all the previous partitions on the
destination disk (the recipient of the clone), in effect, *all* the data on
that disk, is deleted during the disk cloning operation. So if you plan to
use your USB external HDD in connection with other backup/storage programs
involving different PCs, then the disk-to-disk cloning process would
obviously not be suitable for you in that particular situation.

Under those circumstances the disk imaging program would be the process to
use. By simply using XP's Disk Management utility you could multi-partition
your USBEHD as your needs dictate and create disk images of the systems you
wish to back up and save those images to this or that partition on the
external drive.

If you review the sections on Disk Imaging (including creating incremental
backup files and the recovery process) I'm sure it will all become clear to
you.
Anna

Newbie:

Thank you for your help. I'm looking at no more than 100 GB storage, so I
should be alright. I don't do games or music or videos, etc., just want to
keep a clone on hand in case...

Nels

"newbie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Nels Hansen wrote:
>> I am contemplating doing this and wonder if it would be a reasonable
>> thing for me to do considering my hardware, etc:
>>
>> Dell GX 110
>> PIII 733
>> 20 G HD
>> WindowsXP Pro SP2 and all critical updates.
>>
>> The USB is old 1 version. There are two USB ports on the back of the
>> tower which is kept in a well ventilated compartment.
>>
>> I am NOT a power user. Your recommendations will be appreciated.
>>
>> If you think this would work for me, please give me quite detailed
>> instructions on the hardware I need to purchase.
>>
>> Thanks a lot!!!
>>
>> Nels
> You may want to check how large a hard drive your PC's BIOS can take
> before buying one. From your description, you BIOS may not support HD
> larger than 137GB (internal or USB).

Thank you, Anna. I got mixed up with the headers. I credit you for
your detailed instructions! :-)

My external USB HDD is a Western Digital. It has some preinstalled
files that run when you first hook it up. I'm afraid to partition and have
those files moved or lost. I've already got data on it. I presume that
XP's partition utility is going to wipe out all my data?

--
<*(((><

~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Anna" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> "Nels Hansen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>I am contemplating doing this and wonder if it would be a reasonable
>>>>thing for me to do considering my hardware, etc:
>>>>
>>>> Dell GX 110
>>>> PIII 733
>>>> 20 G HD
>>>> WindowsXP Pro SP2 and all critical updates.
>>>>
>>>> The USB is old 1 version. There are two USB ports on the back of the
>>>> tower which is kept in a well ventilated compartment.
>>>>
>>>> I am NOT a power user. Your recommendations will be appreciated.
>>>>
>>>> If you think this would work for me, please give me quite detailed
>>>> instructions on the hardware I need to purchase.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks a lot!!!
>>>>
>>>> Nels
>
>
> "<*(((><" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hi Nels,
>> I'm watching this conversation with interest, as I have just started
>> to do the same thing. You wrote:
>>
>> "7. On the next window, select the option "Delete partitions on the
>> destination hard disk". Understand that all data presently on the disk
>> that
>> will be the recipient of the clone will be deleted prior to the disk
>> cloning
>> operation. Click Next."
>>
>> My question:
>> I have a WD external HDD that has pre-installed software which
>> automatically runs to set up the connections between my computer and the
>> external. I'm using the external with three different computers.
>> If I allow it to be partitioned, knowing that ALL DATA ON THE
>> DESTINATION HARD DISK DRIVE WILL BE ERASED, then how am I ever going to
>> use the HDD with another computer? A new computer?
>> Is there a way to partition the HDD so that I can put an image of each
>> of the three computers onto the same external HDD? Maybe FIVE
>> partitions, -- #1 with the pre-installed WD software; #2 for archived
>> data; #3 for image of computer A, #4 for image of computer B, #5 for
>> image of computer C?
>> I was thinking of using Partition Magic to give this a try, but
>> haven't yet summed the courage to try it.
>
>
>> "Anna" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Nels:
> (SNIP)
>
>>> Step-by-Step Instructions for Using the Acronis True Image Program to
>>> Backup
>>> & Restore One's Hard Drive...
>>>
>>> Using the Acronis True Image program there are two different approaches
>>> one
>>> can take to back up the entire contents of one's day-to-day working HDD,
>>> i.e., the operating system, all programs & applications, and
>>> user-created
>>> data - in short, *everything* that's on one's HDD...
>>>
>>> 1. Direct disk-to-disk cloning, or,
>>> 2. Creating disk images
>>>
>>> By using either of these strategies the user can restore his or her
>>> system
>>> should their day-to-day working HDD become inoperable because of
>>> mechanical/electronic failure of the disk or corruption of the system
>>> resulting in a dysfunctional operating system.
>>>
>>> In undertaking either of these two backup & recovery processes you're
>>> dealing with two hard drives - the so-called source & destination
>>> disks -
>>> the source disk being the HDD you're backing up and the destination disk
>>> being the HDD that will be the recipient of the cloned contents of the
>>> source disk or the recipient of the disk image you will be creating.
>>>
>>> When using either process it's usually best for most users to use an
>>> external HDD as the destination drive, i.e., the recipient of the cloned
>>> contents of the source disk or the recipient of the created disk image.
>>> This can be either a USB or Firewire or SATA external HDD. While another
>>> internal HDD can also serve as the destination disk there's an
>>> additional element of safety in using an external HDD since that drive
>>> will be ordinarily
>>> disconnected from the system except during the disk cloning or recovery
>>> process.
>
> (SNIP REMAINDER OF POST)
> Anna
>
>
> fishy:
> I think your query is really directed at me since I'm the author of those
> Acronis True Image step-by-step instructions.
>
> Please note that item 7. to which you refer is with respect to the disk
> cloning operation and not the disk imaging process which is later
> described in the instructions.
>
> The disk-to-disk cloning process is exactly that. When you clone the
> contents of one HDD to another HDD, all the previous partitions on the
> destination disk (the recipient of the clone), in effect, *all* the data
> on that disk, is deleted during the disk cloning operation. So if you plan
> to use your USB external HDD in connection with other backup/storage
> programs involving different PCs, then the disk-to-disk cloning process
> would obviously not be suitable for you in that particular situation.
>
> Under those circumstances the disk imaging program would be the process to
> use. By simply using XP's Disk Management utility you could
> multi-partition your USBEHD as your needs dictate and create disk images
> of the systems you wish to back up and save those images to this or that
> partition on the external drive.
>
> If you review the sections on Disk Imaging (including creating incremental
> backup files and the recovery process) I'm sure it will all become clear
> to you.
> Anna
>
>