System Restore Dual Boot issue

[Guest]

Hello everyone,

I'm personally using Windows Vista as main OS, but my brother wants to stick
with Windows XP. However, when my brother used Windows XP, all my Windows
Vista restore points are gone!!!!

I even tried it with XP system restore disabled, but everythime when xp was
running Vista didn't have his restore points any more.


Does anyone know a solution for this problem. And if not, does anyone know a
Visual Basic (or vbs) script that I can run, that it automatic checks if a
system restore point has been created and if not, it will create one
automatic? Because Vista doesn't do that for me.

Many thanks in advance for any answer!


Peter

 

[Malke]

Hello everyone,

I'm personally using Windows Vista as main OS, but my brother wants to stick
with Windows XP. However, when my brother used Windows XP, all my Windows
Vista restore points are gone!!!!

I even tried it with XP system restore disabled, but everythime when xp was
running Vista didn't have his restore points any more.


Does anyone know a solution for this problem. And if not, does anyone know a
Visual Basic (or vbs) script that I can run, that it automatic checks if a
system restore point has been created and if not, it will create one
automatic? Because Vista doesn't do that for me.

This is a well-known issue. People have gotten around it by using a
third-party boot manager that hides the Vista drive/partition from XP
since this is an XP problem. Do a Google Groups Advanced Search for
something like "dual boot System Restore" in
microsoft.public.windows.vista.general and
microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup for details.


Malke

 

[Dennis Pack]

Peter:
This is a known issue when dual booting XP and Vista. The cure is to
use BitLocker (available in Enterprise & Ultimate only) or use a third party
boot manager. The Vista partition has to be hidden from XP due to a
difference in the VSS files which XP thinks are corrupt and erases. Have a
great day.

 

[Rock]

Hello everyone,

I'm personally using Windows Vista as main OS, but my brother wants to
stick
with Windows XP. However, when my brother used Windows XP, all my Windows
Vista restore points are gone!!!!

I even tried it with XP system restore disabled, but everythime when xp
was
running Vista didn't have his restore points any more.


Does anyone know a solution for this problem. And if not, does anyone know
a
Visual Basic (or vbs) script that I can run, that it automatic checks if a
system restore point has been created and if not, it will create one
automatic? Because Vista doesn't do that for me.

Another means of protection either besides or in addition to bitlocker or
hiding the Vista partition from XP is to use drive imaging software and make
regular images of the drivers to external media such as USB drive or CD/DVD.
Acronis True Image 10 works well for this. You will still loose the System
Restore points, all shadow copies and any PC backups stored on partitions
that XP can see, but you'll have a means to restore the system if something
goes wrong. Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate come with complete PC
backup which is an imaging type backup which can be used in lieu of Acronis
but Acronis has more features including the ability to do file backups as
well as image backups and compression of the images which doesn't happen
with Complete PC Backup when backing up to another drive.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your reply.

However, I'm not really looking forward to bitlocker my hard drive. It feels
like to much risk to lose my files.

And a bootmanager. Are there any compatible with Vista's boot manager????

or is there a much easier way to ban XP from seeing drive d: that Vista has?

Thanks,


Peter

 

[Malke]

Thanks for your reply.

However, I'm not really looking forward to bitlocker my hard drive. It feels
like to much risk to lose my files.

And a bootmanager. Are there any compatible with Vista's boot manager????

or is there a much easier way to ban XP from seeing drive d: that Vista has?

I believe Acronis Disk Director 10 will work with Vista. You'll need to
check on their website. Lots of people use BootIT NG which is excellent,
but pretty geeky to use. You know what you want the best so do your
research.


Malke

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your replies..
But what happends if Vista fails to boot, and need to be reinstalled, and
bitlocker is enabled... Can I still access my files??? Because I haven't got
the hardware for it, and my usb device I have, is a mp3-player (external hard
drive), so I don't know if that works. and I don't want to lose my files at
any time.

And creating images takes alot of space. I tried creating one on a hard
drive that has 20gb, but wasn't large enough.

I think I figure something out. Many thanks guys!

Btw. is it possible to have a program/script that checks if a system restore
point is created, and if not, it will create one??? That could be usefull to
me...

Great and thanks,


Peter

 

[Rock]

Replies are in line:

Thanks for your replies..
But what happends if Vista fails to boot, and need to be reinstalled, and
bitlocker is enabled... Can I still access my files???

I don't have specific experience with how it works in the case of the OS
reinstall. See this link. There is a section on recovering data.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905089.aspx#BKMK_S6

Because I haven't got the hardware for it, and my usb device I have, is a
mp3-player (external hard
drive), so I don't know if that works. and I don't want to lose my files
at
any time.

Not sure if you're mp3-player would work. A USB flash drive is dirt cheap
these days and the password file is just a small file. It has to be a USB
drive device that is accessible at boot up. The link I gave above has the
info on how to set up Bitlocker. You can try to set it up to see if it will
work.

And creating images takes alot of space. I tried creating one on a hard
drive that has 20gb, but wasn't large enough.

Imaging programs compress the image so depending on what kind of data, the
compression can be up to 50%, less for things like video and images that are
already compressed. Sure it takes space but doesn't protecting your data
and having the means to quickly restore your system have importance?
Acronis True Image can also do differential and incremental images. After
the initial image, subsequent images are much smaller. Do a full image once
a week and daily incremental backups. I have one system where the full
compressed image backup is in the 60GB range, and the daily incrementals are
in the 2-3 GB range.

Get a large IDE hard drive and a self powered external drive enclosure
(20-50 USD). Attach it through USB. Hard drives are low cost, and drive
enclosures are not expensive either. A 300GB drive ( less than 100 USD)
would be plenty of space for multiple images.

I think I figure something out. Many thanks guys!

Btw. is it possible to have a program/script that checks if a system
restore
point is created, and if not, it will create one??? That could be usefull
to
me...

Can't help you with that question.

 

[Guest]

Many thanks for your answer.

I will use Acronis for my backup, and will let my brother move slowly but
totally to Vista in a few weeks, so the problems will be solved.

Again many thanks to you all for all your great help!

 

[Rock]

You're welcome. Have fun.

Many thanks for your answer.

I will use Acronis for my backup, and will let my brother move slowly but
totally to Vista in a few weeks, so the problems will be solved.

Again many thanks to you all for all your great help!