ASR Backup

[System Administrator]

I have some questions regarding the ASR Wizard backup and restore
procedures and the preparation of an ASR Backup Diskette using Windows
Backup (ntbackup.exe).

First, the ASR Diskette is created at the end of an ASR Wizard backup
procedure. It contains three files: asr.sif, asrpnp.sif, and
setup.log. The two .sif files have a date stamp coinciding with the
backup. However, the .log file's date stamp is from a previous date
that seems to be that of the initial Windows XP installation.

1. I have noted that if an ASR Wizard backup procedure is halted
before completion, new versions of the asr.sif and asrpnp.sif files
are created in the repair folder. My question is are these files
identical to the those that would have been created at the end of an
ASR Wizard backup procedure that was allowed to complete normally?

2. Can an ASR Restore procedure be done using a "system state" backup
(not using the ASR Wizard) that contains the entire c: drive and
system state data and using an ASR Diskette created using the .sif
files created by a halted ASR Wizard backup?

3. Do the dates of the .sif files and the backup file need to be the
same to perform an ASR Wizard restore?

4. Is the setup.log file really needed to perform an ASR Wizard
restore?

5. Does the hardware environment (in particular, connected drives)
have to be identical to that at time of backup to perform an ASR
Wizard restore?

6. Does an ASR Wizard restore fully restore a system to the state it
was in at time of a "system state" backup? What, if anything, else
needs to be restored/created to make the restored system identical to
the state at time of backup?

Thanks in advance for your response.

 

[Twayne]

I have some questions regarding the ASR Wizard backup and restore
procedures and the preparation of an ASR Backup Diskette using Windows
Backup (ntbackup.exe).

First, the ASR Diskette is created at the end of an ASR Wizard backup
procedure. It contains three files: asr.sif, asrpnp.sif, and
setup.log. The two .sif files have a date stamp coinciding with the
backup. However, the .log file's date stamp is from a previous date
that seems to be that of the initial Windows XP installation.

1. I have noted that if an ASR Wizard backup procedure is halted
before completion, new versions of the asr.sif and asrpnp.sif files
are created in the repair folder. My question is are these files
identical to the those that would have been created at the end of an
ASR Wizard backup procedure that was allowed to complete normally?

2. Can an ASR Restore procedure be done using a "system state" backup
(not using the ASR Wizard) that contains the entire c: drive and
system state data and using an ASR Diskette created using the .sif
files created by a halted ASR Wizard backup?

3. Do the dates of the .sif files and the backup file need to be the
same to perform an ASR Wizard restore?

4. Is the setup.log file really needed to perform an ASR Wizard
restore?

5. Does the hardware environment (in particular, connected drives)
have to be identical to that at time of backup to perform an ASR
Wizard restore?

6. Does an ASR Wizard restore fully restore a system to the state it
was in at time of a "system state" backup? What, if anything, else
needs to be restored/created to make the restored system identical to
the state at time of backup?

Thanks in advance for your response.

I'm not about to try to read into that for the precise problem, but if
you botched a backup, simply rerun it. Don't mess with trying to recover
it. And don't waste time - or you'll have a hole in your archives.

The ASR method will backup the entire drive, which will include the
components of the system state. To do it right, you backup the drive
and create the ASR as indicated - it and the relevant backup can then be
used to restore the system to the date/time of that last backup.
System state is just that: It is NOT a complete backup of the
operating system. Perhaps some time at Wikipedia would helpyou sort it
out.

HTH,

Twayne