How to restore a WinXP on part C from a second WinXP primary partition?

[Frank Callone]

There are many "baackup/partition image" tools (like TrueImage, CloneZilla,DriveImageXML, XXClone,...)
which allow to make a backup from a running WinXP system on partition C: to a destination partition D:

But how can I restore this original system WITHOUT a LiveCD (!) when the original
system crashes?

Almost always a boot from LiveCD is required to restore the original system from the
partition image on partition D:

I could imagine that there is a second way:

Why not setting up a second primary partition "C:**" with an additional WinXP.
When the users boots he has to decide if he wants to boot from
C: or C:**

When C: crahes he boots from the emergency C:** and performs the restore operation
from D:\mybackup to C:

Unfortunately a second primary partition is NOT able to see a first primary partition.
So a restore is not possible (as far as I know).

Is there a trick or work around to do this anyway?

Again: A LiveCD should not be involved.

Frank

 

[Bill in Co.]

There are many "baackup/partition image" tools (like TrueImage,
CloneZilla,DriveImageXML, XXClone,...) which allow to make a backup from
a running WinXP system on partition C: to a destination partition D:

But how can I restore this original system WITHOUT a LiveCD (!) when the
original system crashes?

Almost always a boot from LiveCD is required to restore the original
system
from the partition image on partition D:

Using True Image, why can't you simply boot up on the boot CD supplied in
True Image (or the one you made) and select the image saved on the D:
partition?

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

There are many "baackup/partition image" tools (like TrueImage,
CloneZilla,DriveImageXML, XXClone,...)
which allow to make a backup from a running WinXP system on partition C:
to a destination partition D:

But how can I restore this original system WITHOUT a LiveCD (!) when the
original
system crashes?

Almost always a boot from LiveCD is required to restore the original
system from the
partition image on partition D:

I could imagine that there is a second way:

Why not setting up a second primary partition "C:**" with an additional
WinXP.
When the users boots he has to decide if he wants to boot from
C: or C:**

When C: crahes he boots from the emergency C:** and performs the restore
operation
from D:\mybackup to C:

Unfortunately a second primary partition is NOT able to see a first
primary partition.
So a restore is not possible (as far as I know).

Is there a trick or work around to do this anyway?

Again: A LiveCD should not be involved.

Frank

I don't know what you mean with the statement "Unfortunately a second
primary partition is NOT able to see a first primary partition". An
operating system may be able to "see" a partition but partitions definitely
cannot see each other, no matter what type they are.

The general answer to your question is: You can restore a partiton from a
snapshot or from a clone by using several methods, e.g.
- By booting the machine with a suitable boot CD that gives you full access
to both partitions, e.g. with a Bart PE boot CD.
- By connecting the disk(s) as slave disk(s) to some other WinXP machine in
order to gain full access to both paritions.

 

[DL]

You use the tools provided with whatever app you used to image/clone, to
boot the PC and recover the image
NB It depends what caused the 'crash' or what you mean by crash since
generally winxp has the tools built in to recover any o.s corruption/boot
failure, fom the winxp cd.
If there is a hw failure no image can be restored to that hw

 

[Mark Adams]

There are many "baackup/partition image" tools (like TrueImage, CloneZilla,DriveImageXML, XXClone,...)
which allow to make a backup from a running WinXP system on partition C: to a destination partition D:

But how can I restore this original system WITHOUT a LiveCD (!) when the original
system crashes?

Almost always a boot from LiveCD is required to restore the original system from the
partition image on partition D:

I could imagine that there is a second way:

Why not setting up a second primary partition "C:**" with an additional WinXP.
When the users boots he has to decide if he wants to boot from
C: or C:**

When C: crahes he boots from the emergency C:** and performs the restore operation
from D:\mybackup to C:

Unfortunately a second primary partition is NOT able to see a first primary partition.
So a restore is not possible (as far as I know).

Is there a trick or work around to do this anyway?

Again: A LiveCD should not be involved.

Frank

This seems like a lot of trouble to have two installs of Windows on the same
machine when one of them will only be used for backup. If they are installed
on the same hard drive, when the drive itself fails; you lose both installs.
The Acronis install disk also runs live. So do Norton Ghost and Save and
Restore. Driveimage XML is also available as a plugin for Bart PE. I am not
familiar with the others. Why not use the live CD, and make an image of your
install to external media? Much simpler, and more secure for your install.

 

[Bill in Co.]

Addended and Corrected below.

Using True Image, why can't you simply boot up on the boot CD supplied in
True Image (or the one you made) and select the image saved on the D:
partition?

Correction: this will only work with Acronis True Image if you are saving
it on another drive, unless you are using the Secure Zone in True Image
(which I wouldn't normally recommend).