Windows Backup Utility Question

[Guest]

I need some advice. I use WinXP Pro and am planning to buy a new PC, also
with WinXP Pro. I use the XP Pro Backup Utility to do nightly backups of
everyone's Documents and Settings folders. Can I use these files to transfer
my Documents and Settings stuff from old to new PC by just copying the file
to the new PC and running restore?

 

[Ayush]

Using "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard" will be better.

 

[Rock]

I need some advice. I use WinXP Pro and am planning to buy a new PC, also
with WinXP Pro. I use the XP Pro Backup Utility to do nightly backups of
everyone's Documents and Settings folders. Can I use these files to
transfer
my Documents and Settings stuff from old to new PC by just copying the
file
to the new PC and running restore?

That should work, however if I were you I would have multiple backups in
different forms. There have been posts in here were someone created a
backup file using ntbackup and then later couldn't restore from it. You
might just copy the required data to DVD or to an external hard drive or
thumb drive. It's always good to have redundancy in backups. Of course if
you keep the old PC and data in tact until after the data is safely copied
to the new PC that's another means of redundancy.

Personally I'm not very fond of ntbackup for a variety of reasons. You
could look into a different backup method such as a disk imaging program
like Acronis True Image. I am not sure if it can restore individual files
but I think it can.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, but I've never had any luck with the Files and Settings Wizard, and
I'm not trying to transfer anything now. I'm asking a question about the
Backup Utility only: can my nightly backups of Documents and Settings be used
in a restore to another PC?

Using "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard" will be better.

--
Ayush [ Be Happy ]
-------------
Search - www.Google.com | Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org
Snip your long urls - http://snipurl.com/
-------------


Replied to [sbier]s message :
-----------------------------------------------------------

I need some advice. I use WinXP Pro and am planning to buy a new PC, also
with WinXP Pro. I use the XP Pro Backup Utility to do nightly backups of
everyone's Documents and Settings folders. Can I use these files to transfer
my Documents and Settings stuff from old to new PC by just copying the file
to the new PC and running restore?

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Rock. Good advice re: multiple copies. To make my backups more
usable, I use the Copy option so the files aren't compressed or encrypted.
But there's still plenty of chances for restores just not working. I used to
use Drive Image but ran afoul of some disastrous problems, which not only
wiped out my data but made my PC unbootable - and there was virtually no tech
support to help. I've read some very bad things about Norton Ghost and also
Acronis True Image (not as many complaints as Ghost, though). I'm now trying
for the zillionth time to get Retrospect Express HD for Maxtor OneTouch to
work on my PC, but so far no dice. Very frustrating stuff. Thanks again!

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks, Rock. Good advice re: multiple copies. To make my backups more
usable, I use the Copy option so the files aren't compressed or encrypted.
But there's still plenty of chances for restores just not working. I used
to
use Drive Image but ran afoul of some disastrous problems, which not only
wiped out my data but made my PC unbootable - and there was virtually no
tech
support to help. I've read some very bad things about Norton Ghost and
also
Acronis True Image (not as many complaints as Ghost, though). I'm now
trying
for the zillionth time to get Retrospect Express HD for Maxtor OneTouch to
work on my PC, but so far no dice. Very frustrating stuff. Thanks again!

If you're just wanting to do backups of the user folders, I'd suggest Backup
Plus. It doesn't use a proprietary format. Its .BAC backup files are
actually ZIP files, which are reliable and well understood and there are
plenty of recovery tools should things go wrong. It's hard to make that
statement about ntbackup. And it's not expensive.

http://www.backupplus.net/

We normally have Backup Plus run at night, backing up incrementally to DVD,
and have the office manager change the DVD each morning, so there are five
daily DVDs. It's important to periodically verify that you can restore
files from these backups, but that's easy to do. You can pick individual
files.

This will *not* make a fully restorable, bootable image of a drive.

If you want backups of the entire drive, I have had good results on many
systems with TrueImage. Did have some issues with older versions and newer
XP installs (like TrueImage wanting to run with no UI) but updating it fixed
that. I have been able to pick individual files out of a TrueImage archive
for restoration.

When migrating machines, I often use FileSync to just move files from one
drive's folder structure to the new one. This works very well and doesn't
just give up it if can't copy a file.

http://www.fileware.com/products.htm#FileSync

HTH
-pk

 

[Rock]

Thanks, Rock. Good advice re: multiple copies. To make my backups more
usable, I use the Copy option so the files aren't compressed or encrypted.
But there's still plenty of chances for restores just not working. I used
to
use Drive Image but ran afoul of some disastrous problems, which not only
wiped out my data but made my PC unbootable - and there was virtually no
tech
support to help. I've read some very bad things about Norton Ghost and
also
Acronis True Image (not as many complaints as Ghost, though). I'm now
trying
for the zillionth time to get Retrospect Express HD for Maxtor OneTouch to
work on my PC, but so far no dice. Very frustrating stuff. Thanks again!

You're welcome. I personally still use Drive Image 7 and have never had any
problems with it - either in imaging or restoring complete partitions or
individual files.

I have not used Acronis True Image but right now it seems to get high praise
from most quarters.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the excellent reply, Patrick! I will definitely check into Backup
Plus, Acronis TrueImage and FileSync.

Question: have you ever tried the tech support for Backup Plus and/or
TrueImage?

 

[Guest]

Until I had my Drive Image 7 disaster (a few years ago) and then found no
support for the product, I used and loved several versions of DI. Good luck
with it!

 

[Anna]

Thanks, Rock. Good advice re: multiple copies. To make my backups more
usable, I use the Copy option so the files aren't compressed or encrypted.
But there's still plenty of chances for restores just not working. I used
to
use Drive Image but ran afoul of some disastrous problems, which not only
wiped out my data but made my PC unbootable - and there was virtually no
tech
support to help. I've read some very bad things about Norton Ghost and
also
Acronis True Image (not as many complaints as Ghost, though). I'm now
trying
for the zillionth time to get Retrospect Express HD for Maxtor OneTouch to
work on my PC, but so far no dice. Very frustrating stuff. Thanks again!

sbier:
As you've heard from Rock, and I believe others, the Acronis True Image
program is a most effective program for maintaining a comprehensive backup
of your system. In the final analysis, what better backup system can one
have but one that, in effect, creates a "clone" of the HDD being backed up,
including the OS, all programs & applications, user-created data, in short
everything that's on the "source" disk? And does it in reasonably simple
fashion and relatively quickly.

We've been quite impressed with the ATI program over the past two years that
we've been using it. Acronis recently released their newest version 10 and
it's available on a 15-day trial. Why don't you give it a try?

I recently posted to this newsgroup step-by-step instructions for using the
ATI program. You may want to take a look at it. The thread was "Re: XP home
backup utility" and my posting was dated 11/18/06.
Anna

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I need some advice. I use WinXP Pro and am planning to buy a new PC, also
with WinXP Pro. I use the XP Pro Backup Utility to do nightly backups of
everyone's Documents and Settings folders. Can I use these files to transfer
my Documents and Settings stuff from old to new PC by just copying the file
to the new PC and running restore?

Doing it that way would safely copy the files, but you wouldn't
necessarily get all of the necessary permissions/privileges, etc. into
the registry of the new computer. The File and Settings Transfer wizard
would probably better suit your needs.

HOW TO Use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard By Using the Windows
XP CD-ROM
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;306186

HOW TO Use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard with a Wizard Disk in
Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306187


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the info, Anna. I'm definitely interested in what you say
about TrueImage and will hunt down and print out that step-by-step how-to of
yours. Actually, I've long known the benefits of imaging and actually used
it daily for a few years via Drive Image, but then I experienced catastrophic
failure, and the vendor (PowerQuest) didn't help me. I've read/scanned many
user reviews of TrueImage on Amazon and Cnet - lots of complaints (which I'd
expect with this sort of utility) but somewhat less disgruntlement than with
Norton Ghost. Do you have any experience with Acronis' tech support?

 

[Guest]

Yah, the possibility that the Backup Utility would/might not install the
proper settings/privileges on the new HD/PC might well render my backups
useless, and that's what I was worried about. I think I'm getting the
picture - that
the FST Wizard is the safer way to go. Thanks, Bruce!

 

[Anna]

Thanks for all the info, Anna. I'm definitely interested in what you say
about TrueImage and will hunt down and print out that step-by-step how-to
of
yours. Actually, I've long known the benefits of imaging and actually
used
it daily for a few years via Drive Image, but then I experienced
catastrophic
failure, and the vendor (PowerQuest) didn't help me. I've read/scanned
many
user reviews of TrueImage on Amazon and Cnet - lots of complaints (which
I'd
expect with this sort of utility) but somewhat less disgruntlement than
with
Norton Ghost. Do you have any experience with Acronis' tech support?

sbier:
Assuming you'll be using the program for basic disk-to-disk cloning and/or
disk imaging, you shouldn't run into any significant problems. It's a pretty
straightforward design with a reasonably intuitive user interface.

I've had virtually no experience with Acronis tech support except for some
basic queries we raised when we first started using the program about two
years ago. At least their responses to those were prompt & forthcoming.

Acronis does have this user forum which you can access and post questions
to. (Click on the Support menu item at their site). I suppose you could use
that vehicle to post queries, understanding that many of the responses will
be from other users, so it's a mixed bag. Anyway, from reports that I've
come across many users have commented very favorably on Acronis tech
support.
Anna

 

[Guest]

Anna...I forgot to mention that there might well be at least one drawback to
relying on a clone or image. If one cannot boot into Windows, there's a high
probability that the clone/image you've recently taken will also contain the
boot problem - so the clone won't boot, either. Seems to me that there isn't
a single panacea here - that for safety one should still have real
COPIES/DUPLICATES (uncompressed and unencrypted) of one's datafiles, which is
why I've been using the Backup Utility (but I'm now suspecting its ability to
transfer data to new HDDs).

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Yah, the possibility that the Backup Utility would/might not install the
proper settings/privileges on the new HD/PC might well render my backups
useless, and that's what I was worried about. I think I'm getting the
picture - that
the FST Wizard is the safer way to go. Thanks, Bruce!

You're welcome.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Anna]

Anna...I forgot to mention that there might well be at least one drawback
to
relying on a clone or image. If one cannot boot into Windows, there's a
high
probability that the clone/image you've recently taken will also contain
the
boot problem - so the clone won't boot, either. Seems to me that there
isn't
a single panacea here - that for safety one should still have real
COPIES/DUPLICATES (uncompressed and unencrypted) of one's datafiles, which
is
why I've been using the Backup Utility (but I'm now suspecting its ability
to
transfer data to new HDDs).

sbier:
I'm really not sure I grasp your point here. If what you're indicating is
that if you clone "garbage", then what you'll get is "garbage", I totally
agree. The whole point of a disk imaging program is that you're cloning (or
disk imaging) a bootable, functional HDD. What's the point otherwise?

But let's say that for one reason or another you've cloned the contents of a
dysfunctional, i.e., non-bootable HDD, to another HDD. While it's true that
the cloned HDD won't boot and/or presumably would not be used for
recovery/restoration purposes under those circumstances, the contents of
that HDD would still be accessible, would they not? You would just have to
connect the cloned HDD as a secondary HDD to a bootable functioning system
and access whatever data you needed.

Anyway, to repeat...

The whole point of a disk cloning and/or disk imaging program is that the
user is presumably carrying out that operation with two non-defective HDDs,
properly connected/configured, and a viable OS to begin with. All the rest
is conversation...
Anna

 

[Guest]

Ah, okay, that user forum looks good. Thanks!

sbier:
Assuming you'll be using the program for basic disk-to-disk cloning and/or
disk imaging, you shouldn't run into any significant problems. It's a pretty
straightforward design with a reasonably intuitive user interface.

I've had virtually no experience with Acronis tech support except for some
basic queries we raised when we first started using the program about two
years ago. At least their responses to those were prompt & forthcoming.

Acronis does have this user forum which you can access and post questions
to. (Click on the Support menu item at their site). I suppose you could use
that vehicle to post queries, understanding that many of the responses will
be from other users, so it's a mixed bag. Anyway, from reports that I've
come across many users have commented very favorably on Acronis tech
support.
Anna

 

[Guest]

You should be fine with cloning/imaging, but rest assured that there are
reasons why restoration of one's image/clone might not work, which is why, if
you have critical data, you should make/keep copies of it. Many thanks for
your help!