WinXP/SP3 with all the current updates with most of my essential user
software installed

I have just got going backing up my C:\ drive onto an external HD using
Windows XP's own back-up facility.

Have had a look at Help files about how to restore everything on the back-up
file being created at this very moment should the need ever arise. Wish I
had done this before by HD packed up but still, it is better to be prepared
for the next time, I guess.

My question is this: Can I use this file to restore Windows XP and all my
other software currently installed on the C:\ drive IF and this is a big IF
my system fails completely OR if the hard disk goes kaput?

Or do I have at least to reinstall Windows XP on a new hard drive and ONLY
then would I be able restore everything else?

I can't see how I can do a restore from the external disk to which I am
backing up the C:\ drive unless Windows XP itself is running on my machine.

Or would it be better to temporarily install a slave drive and do an
identical copy i.e. to clone my C:\ drive onto that slave drive which
presumably then I can reconnect as a master drive and off I go with none
other than disconnecting the old kaput master HD and reconnecting the former
slave drive as the master drive? In the meantime the second HD which has
been cloned could be sitting in my desktop PC completely disconnected
waiting just for a reconnection as a master drive to take over!

And if this second idea of mine will work, and I don't see why it shouldn't,
what software -- commercial or freeware -- would be the most reliable and
easiest to use to clone the present C:\ drive?

Any ideas?
--
choro

"choro" <choro tvco.net> wrote:

> WinXP/SP3 with all the current updates with most of my essential
> user software installed
>
> I have just got going backing up my C:\ drive onto an external
> HD using Windows XP's own back-up facility.

Heaven forbid.

Use Macrium Reflect. If you have any problems, feel free to ask.

choro wrote:
> WinXP/SP3 with all the current updates with most of my essential user
> software installed
>
> I have just got going backing up my C:\ drive onto an external HD using
> Windows XP's own back-up facility.
>
> Have had a look at Help files about how to restore everything on the back-up
> file being created at this very moment should the need ever arise. Wish I
> had done this before by HD packed up but still, it is better to be prepared
> for the next time, I guess.
>
> My question is this: Can I use this file to restore Windows XP and all my
> other software currently installed on the C:\ drive IF and this is a big IF
> my system fails completely OR if the hard disk goes kaput?
>
> Or do I have at least to reinstall Windows XP on a new hard drive and ONLY
> then would I be able restore everything else?
>
> I can't see how I can do a restore from the external disk to which I am
> backing up the C:\ drive unless Windows XP itself is running on my machine.
>
> Or would it be better to temporarily install a slave drive and do an
> identical copy i.e. to clone my C:\ drive onto that slave drive which
> presumably then I can reconnect as a master drive and off I go with none
> other than disconnecting the old kaput master HD and reconnecting the former
> slave drive as the master drive? In the meantime the second HD which has
> been cloned could be sitting in my desktop PC completely disconnected
> waiting just for a reconnection as a master drive to take over!
>
> And if this second idea of mine will work, and I don't see why it shouldn't,
> what software -- commercial or freeware -- would be the most reliable and
> easiest to use to clone the present C:\ drive?
>
> Any ideas?

The search term you want, is "Bare Metal Recovery". That is the
ability of any backup program, to be restored to a computer
where the hard drive was wiped out, and a brand new blank
hard drive has been installed in its place. The assumption is,
none of the old system remains (except some kind of backup
image stored on separate media, which you're hoping to restore
from).

http://www.backupassist.com/education/bareMetalASR.html

Apparently, the ASR thing is how the process is bootstrapped.

Other backup programs, may include a CD to boot from, in the
event of an emergency. In that case, it is possible the
backup image itself contains all necessary data to
do the restoration.

Paul

"Bill in Co" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> choro wrote:
>> WinXP/SP3 with all the current updates with most of my essential user
>> software installed
>>
>> I have just got going backing up my C:\ drive onto an external HD using
>> Windows XP's own back-up facility.
>
> Which is not so great.
>
>> Have had a look at Help files about how to restore everything on the
>> back-up
>> file being created at this very moment should the need ever arise. Wish
>> I
>> had done this before by HD packed up but still, it is better to be
>> prepared
>> for the next time, I guess.
>>
>> My question is this: Can I use this file to restore Windows XP and all
>> my
>> other software currently installed on the C:\ drive IF and this is a
>> big IF
>> my system fails completely OR if the hard disk goes kaput?
>
> One idea: you could use Acronis True Image Home or Casper to make an
> image or a partition clone of C: to another drive. The Windows XP
> backup utility is just too limited. (There is a difference between the
> image and clone backup methods, however, so which one to use depends on
> your needs - you can research that).

I have been using Adronis True Image (Ver 8 - 9 -11) for years
Recently upgraded to Ver 2010 on two WinXP SP3 computers, and lost the
ability to file/printer share on yhem over my LAN.
Many e-mails to Acronis and attempts to fix failed, until I un-installed
Ver 2010, and the file/printer sharing magically returned.
Other people have reported the same problem.
(Just a heads up) :-)

>
>> Or do I have at least to reinstall Windows XP on a new hard drive and
>> ONLY
>> then would I be able restore everything else?
>>
>> I can't see how I can do a restore from the external disk to which I am
>> backing up the C:\ drive unless Windows XP itself is running on my
>> machine.
>
> One example: Acronis True Image Home (purchased in the box) comes on
> its own bootable CD, so Windows XP doesn't have to be up and running.
> With Casper, I think you may have to make a bootable CD. I use Acronis
> True Image and imaging, not Casper and its cloning, so I can't tell you
> much about Casper.
>

"John Doe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4cae7b1a$0$19472$c3e8da3$(E-Mail Removed)...
> "choro" <choro tvco.net> wrote:
>
>> WinXP/SP3 with all the current updates with most of my essential
>> user software installed
>>
>> I have just got going backing up my C:\ drive onto an external
>> HD using Windows XP's own back-up facility.
>
> Heaven forbid.
>
> Use Macrium Reflect. If you have any problems, feel free to ask.
>
I've seen the report generated by my first effort with Windows XP's own back
up facility and now I understand your comment "Heaven forbid". It reported
that so many files had NOT been backed up because they were in use or some
such excuse like that, that I began to wonder why MS provide such a
so-called facility in the first place.

It might however be of use to back up "My Documents" and such like but I
have written a little xcopy command which I copy from a word document and
paste at the C:\ command prompt to copy all the stuff in "My documents" to
an external HD anyway. And it does this incrementally which is perfect for
copying one's user files to an external HD. I've also got variations of this
xcopy command to xcopy user files from other directories to the external HD
too.

Having thought a bit about this problem, I have more or less come to the
conclusion that the best way out for an individual is to create a clone
partition on a slave drive and to disconnect that drive but leave it within
the desktop case in readiness for re-connecting as a Master Drive ready and
raring to go at a moment's notice should the need ever arise.

And may I just add that the need to do this at this stage while my new HD is
working perfectly because MS automatic updates caused havoc with my Windows
XP installation causing problems with ATI Catalyst and my Brother Printer
installations which I managed to solve by re-installing the full downloaded
..NET Framework 4, the latest downloaded ATI Radeon software for my graphics
card plus the downloaded Brother printer installation software. I fear that
any day new MS updates might cause other problems. Maybe I should stop
automatic updates for a while until I have cloned the HD at its present
stage.
--
choro
*****

In news:(E-Mail Removed) "Bill in Co"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> One example: Acronis True Image Home (purchased in the box) comes on
> its own bootable CD, so Windows XP doesn't have to be up and running.

Even if you don't buy the retail box version, the application can create
a bootable CD for you. If you've regsitered your product, you can
download a CD image from the Acronis Web site.

They even supply tools and procedures for creating bootable CDs for
systems which require special drivers to access either the internal or
external disk drives.

A nice thing about True Image is that you can create image backups that
only include the used portions of your disks, and incremental image
backups, so you're not forced to dedicate huge amounts of external
storage for your backups.

--
Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN (E-Mail Removed)

In news:_nzro.1318$(E-Mail Removed) "Sunny"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I have been using Adronis True Image (Ver 8 - 9 -11) for years
> Recently upgraded to Ver 2010 on two WinXP SP3 computers, and lost the
> ability to file/printer share on yhem over my LAN.
> Many e-mails to Acronis and attempts to fix failed, until I un-installed
> Ver 2010, and the file/printer sharing magically returned.
> Other people have reported the same problem.
> (Just a heads up) :-)

I had the same problem, but the fix suggested by Acronis (and Microsoft)
fixed it right away. It involves changing the registry value for
IRPStackSize. Did you try it?

http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;177078

According to the notes on Acronis' Web site the same fix applies to XP,
Vista and Windows 7.

http://kb.acronis.com/content/1554

http://forum.acronis.com/forum/3692#comment-4010

--
Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN (E-Mail Removed)

"choro" <choro tvco.net> wrote:

> "John Doe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
>> "choro" <choro tvco.net> wrote:
>>
>>> WinXP/SP3 with all the current updates with most of my
>>> essential user software installed
>>>
>>> I have just got going backing up my C:\ drive onto an external
>>> HD using Windows XP's own back-up facility.
>>
>> Heaven forbid.
>>
>> Use Macrium Reflect. If you have any problems, feel free to
>> ask.

> I've seen the report generated by my first effort with Windows
> XP's own back up facility and now I understand your comment
> "Heaven forbid". It reported that so many files had NOT been
> backed up because they were in use or some such excuse like
> that, that I began to wonder why MS provide such a so-called
> facility in the first place.

Microsoft utilities have always been that way. Recently Microsoft
acquired a company called Sysinternals that makes some very cool
low-level utilities. Conceivably, Microsoft could use them to do
stuff for Windows, someday.

Paul wrote:
> choro wrote:
>> WinXP/SP3 with all the current updates with most of my essential user
>> software installed
>>
>> I have just got going backing up my C:\ drive onto an external HD
>> using Windows XP's own back-up facility.
>>
>> Have had a look at Help files about how to restore everything on the
>> back-up file being created at this very moment should the need ever
>> arise. Wish I had done this before by HD packed up but still, it is
>> better to be prepared for the next time, I guess.
>>
>> My question is this: Can I use this file to restore Windows XP and
>> all my other software currently installed on the C:\ drive IF and
>> this is a big IF my system fails completely OR if the hard disk goes
>> kaput? Or do I have at least to reinstall Windows XP on a new hard drive
>> and ONLY then would I be able restore everything else?
>>
>> I can't see how I can do a restore from the external disk to which I
>> am backing up the C:\ drive unless Windows XP itself is running on
>> my machine. Or would it be better to temporarily install a slave drive
>> and do an
>> identical copy i.e. to clone my C:\ drive onto that slave drive which
>> presumably then I can reconnect as a master drive and off I go with
>> none other than disconnecting the old kaput master HD and
>> reconnecting the former slave drive as the master drive? In the
>> meantime the second HD which has been cloned could be sitting in my
>> desktop PC completely disconnected waiting just for a reconnection
>> as a master drive to take over! And if this second idea of mine will
>> work, and I don't see why it
>> shouldn't, what software -- commercial or freeware -- would be the
>> most reliable and easiest to use to clone the present C:\ drive?
>>
>> Any ideas?
>
> The search term you want, is "Bare Metal Recovery". That is the
> ability of any backup program, to be restored to a computer
> where the hard drive was wiped out, and a brand new blank
> hard drive has been installed in its place. The assumption is,
> none of the old system remains (except some kind of backup
> image stored on separate media, which you're hoping to restore
> from).
>
> http://www.backupassist.com/education/bareMetalASR.html
>
> Apparently, the ASR thing is how the process is bootstrapped.
>
> Other backup programs, may include a CD to boot from, in the
> event of an emergency. In that case, it is possible the
> backup image itself contains all necessary data to
> do the restoration.
>
> Paul



Must bear this "Bare Metal Recovery" in mind.

Trying Macrium Reflect free version tonight and my initial reaction seems to
be very favorable indeed. It did what MS backup did in 1/5th of the time and
no hiccups either. No deed to say I have deleted the MS job to oblivion!

I have already created not one but 2 recovery CDs, the first one Linux
based.

--
choro

John Doe wrote:
> "choro" <choro tvco.net> wrote:
>
>> WinXP/SP3 with all the current updates with most of my essential
>> user software installed
>>
>> I have just got going backing up my C:\ drive onto an external
>> HD using Windows XP's own back-up facility.
>
> Heaven forbid.
>
> Use Macrium Reflect. If you have any problems, feel free to ask.

Trying Macrium Reflect free version tonight and my initial reaction seems to
be very favorable indeed. The setup is extremely logical and easy to follow
and it did what MS backup did in 1/5th of the time and no hiccups either.

I have already created not one but 2 types of recovery CDs, the first one
Linux
based.

No need to say I have deleted the MS job from my external HD to oblivion!
Good riddance...
--
choro