When exactly does Vista use shadow copies?

[Lucvdv]

According to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926185, Vista uses shadow
copies to store backups and restore points, and dual-booting with XP
makes you lose those.

Suppose I back up to an USB disk: it wouldn't seem logical that a
shadow copy would be used there as well, but just to be sure: is it?

Because if it is, it looks like connecting that USB disk to an XP
computer would make me lose my backups.


I've no safe feeling in this regard, because I noticed that when I
create a full system backup to that USB disk, the backup file created
there is only a fraction of the used space on my system drive, even
after subtracting the size of the pagefile.

After installing Vista Ultimate and some software, about 60G was used
on my C: drive. A full backup is supposedly only taking up 15G in the
WindowsImageBackup tree on the USB disk.

 

[Chad Harris]

Hi Lucvdv--

Dual booting with XP hardly needs to make you lose restore points on Vista.
It's very easy to shortcut to the XP desktop from the Vista desktlop where
you can access almost everything. You could also get one of the Vista
editions with Bit Locker, or you could use a 3rd party boot manager to
protect Vista restore points but I don't see the need much to boot to XP.
If you boot to XP on a dual boot with and don't use the same protective
measures you will lose Vista backups.

Again, I don't see much need to boot to XP and I've been dual booting them
since 7/05. Just make a shortcut to the XP desktop this way:

XP Drive\Documents and Settings\Lucvdv's Profile\Desktop

When folder pops up, left mouse drag the small icon from the folder address
bar to desktop or location of choice. You can do same while on XP but it's
Vista Drive\Users\Lucvdv's Profile\Desktop.

For VSS info see articles at

http://blogs.technet.com/filecab/archive/tags/Volume+Shadowcopy+Service+_2800_VSS_2900_/default.aspx

More Facts on Shadow Copy

http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2006/08/17/447559.aspx

Meet the Shadow Copy Team on Channel 9
http://blogs.technet.com/filecab/ar...py-feature-in-windows-vista-on-channel-9.aspx

CH

 

[Lucvdv]

Again, I don't see much need to boot to XP and I've been dual booting them
since 7/05. Just make a shortcut to the XP desktop this way:

I'm not booting to XP, I was talking about connecting an external
harddisk with a Vista backup on it to an XP machine (still the fastest
way to copy large amounts of data between two machines at different
locations).

If Vista uses the same tricks on external disks as it does on internal
ones, and if KB 926185 applies in that situation, I could lose stuff.