What about Image backups of active file systems (TI on XP)

[Al Dykes]

I'm using TI on an XPSP2 system. Generally I run the TI under XP and
make full images for recovery from disk failures

How careful do I have to be about file system activity? I run TI
overnight dowing disk-to-disk backup to a USB1 ext disk.

I can imagine that my Anti-virus vendor could ship me an update while
TI is running. It would install and make many MB of file system
changes in the process.

It the Right Thing to boot XP as a single user or boot off teh TI CD
for a full image backup?

(I've done countless "single user" disk backup on Unix systems and
made countless file system backups of running systems with NTBackup
and done my share of bare-iron recoveries in both environments.)

Thanks,

 

[PD43]

It the Right Thing to boot XP as a single user or boot off teh TI CD
for a full image backup?

Take your choice. I've done it both ways, and usually do an image the
same time that I clone (using the CD) my system drive. When not
cloning, I image from within Windows.

When imaging from within Windows, TI "locks" the view of the system
when it makes an image.

 

[Big Al]

I'm using TI on an XPSP2 system. Generally I run the TI under XP and
make full images for recovery from disk failures

How careful do I have to be about file system activity? I run TI
overnight dowing disk-to-disk backup to a USB1 ext disk.

I can imagine that my Anti-virus vendor could ship me an update while
TI is running. It would install and make many MB of file system
changes in the process.

It the Right Thing to boot XP as a single user or boot off teh TI CD
for a full image backup?

(I've done countless "single user" disk backup on Unix systems and
made countless file system backups of running systems with NTBackup
and done my share of bare-iron recoveries in both environments.)

Thanks,

Years ago, you used to make a boot floppy, reboot off the floppy and
then run the software and backup your C: drive. Gads!, it all fit on
1.4 meg. An Ideal situation of course.
If I'm right, Trueimage allows you to make a boot disk, it might allow
you to image from it, but my thoughts were that it was a recovery disk.
I use it for that one day. Never saw a clone / backup option, but
then again I was not looking.

 

[AJR]

Not familiar with your backup utility, however Vista's "Complete PC Backup"
uses "Volume Shadow Copy" (also referred to a Previous Version) to take a
snaphot of a file in use and includes the snapshot in the image - the image
will include the "open" file and any changes made up to the time of the
snapshot.

I beleive Acronis True Image image backup provides the same function.

 

[PD43]

If I'm right, Trueimage allows you to make a boot disk, it might allow
you to image from it, but my thoughts were that it was a recovery disk.

It makes a bootable CD for you that gives you full capability to do
anything you want once you boot to it.

 

[Bill in Co.]

Years ago, you used to make a boot floppy, reboot off the floppy and
then run the software and backup your C: drive. Gads!, it all fit on
1.4 meg. An Ideal situation of course.
If I'm right, Trueimage allows you to make a boot disk, it might allow
you to image from it, but my thoughts were that it was a recovery disk.
I use it for that one day. Never saw a clone / backup option, but
then again I was not looking.

Or if you just buy it boxed, it already comes on a bootable CD.

 

[Allan]

I'm using TI on an XPSP2 system. Generally I run the TI under XP and
make full images for recovery from disk failures

How careful do I have to be about file system activity? I run TI
overnight dowing disk-to-disk backup to a USB1 ext disk.

I can imagine that my Anti-virus vendor could ship me an update while
TI is running. It would install and make many MB of file system
changes in the process.

I think you have a point here so when running backups block all traffic
using your firewall or disable AV auto-updating temporarily. I have AVG Free
edition which only updates manually anyway.

It the Right Thing to boot XP as a single user or boot off teh TI CD
for a full image backup?

(I've done countless "single user" disk backup on Unix systems and
made countless file system backups of running systems with NTBackup
and done my share of bare-iron recoveries in both environments.)

Other than that as others have reassured you the image backup should work
transparently to you and you should not have to worry about minor file
system internal changes. As far as I know backup up from within XP should be
fine as a routine practice.

 

[PD43]

I think you have a point here so when running backups block all traffic
using your firewall or disable AV auto-updating temporarily. I have AVG Free
edition which only updates manually anyway.

AVG A/V? Mine updates automatically every day.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

I have several systems running AVG and they all update automatically.

 

[Allan]

AVG A/V? Mine updates automatically every day.

Sorry, you are correct, it updates automatically once daily but I often
update manually more than once a day since they make a few updates available
during every day.

 

[Richard in AZ]

Sorry, you are correct, it updates automatically once daily but I often update manually more than
once a day since they make a few updates available during every day.

The new AVG 8 auto downloads updates every 4 hours (Free version to be available later this year).
However, I uninstalled my AVG 8 and reinstalled AVG 7.5Pro because version 8 has now antispyware,
antiphishing and antipharming tools that significantly slow down the Internet access. If you
disable any of these, your system tray icon nags you constantly.

 

[Allan]

The new AVG 8 auto downloads updates every 4 hours (Free version to be
available later this year).
However, I uninstalled my AVG 8 and reinstalled AVG 7.5Pro because version
8 has now antispyware, antiphishing and antipharming tools that
significantly slow down the Internet access. If you disable any of these,
your system tray icon nags you constantly.

There was a free Kasperky/AOL AV which updated every single hour
automatically but that offer has been withdrawn by AOL. Can't you simply
hide the icon if you don't want to see it at all? Why don't you just switch
to the Free Edition once your subscription expires? What will they do with
the standalone Anti-spyware program which I also have installed along with
Anti-rootkit (both free versions)? I think I can live with the every four
hour auto update period when it becomes available in the Free Edition.