Hi,
I bought ATI (Acronis True Image) Home Edition 2011 in 2011 so
I can backup my Wife's WinXP HDD, "image" to an external HDD. Since
that time, I have also used it to "image" the HDD in a couple of my own
computers.
I never installed ATI, but used the bootable ATI CD instead
to create the HDD image(s).
You can not backup a folder(s) using the bootable CD. You must
install ATI. After ATI is installed, will I be able to use it to copy
(backup) the "WINDOWS" folder while Windows is "running"?
Thank You in advance, John
PS,
I looked in the user guide, but there is nothing in it that indicates
I can or can not backup "WINDOWS" folder. Note: I know other methods,
but it takes more time.
Many backup tools offered now, use VSS for file copying.
VSS basically temporarily splits the file system in two,
by freezing a snapshot of the file system for usage by the
backup utility. And at the same time, allowing new files
to be created and saved on C:, without a problem.
The method is not entirely bulletproof. There is a ten second
period, during which VSS requests programs to "quiesce" their
activities. Things called VSS writers specialize in communicating
with the programs or activities, to do that. But some programs
do not listen to such calls or communications, and if they were
to do some sort of file activity, the backed up file may end up
corrupted or incomplete in the backup.
The best policy is, to save your work, before running Acronis,
and exit any poorly written programs. In some cases, you may have
add-ons in your system. But such things are likely to be better
designed, than the file copy program that Paul wrote (example
of crappy software)
Once the backup is well underway (the VSS initialization stage is
complete, and the progress bar on the VSS type backup has advanced
a bit), you could open even a poorly behaved program and go back
to work. As VSS will put the file so created, on the "new side"
of the line - it won't be backed up, but it won't be corrupted
either.
VSS is intended to take care of the old backup failures that
would happen for files that are "locked" or "in use".
Some backup utilities are full-featured enough, they will
continue to function if you have turned the VSS service off.
But that would work mainly for "non C:" data partitions. If
you expect to back up a C:, then either the tool needs VSS
to work, or without VSS it would need to use the Ghost "we
will now boot into DOS" method of backup. Which takes your
regular OS offline, and backs it up in a known-safe state.
If you need a decent free utility, there is Macrium Reflect
in the lower left corner here. Make a boot CD using this
program, for emergency restorations to a blank new disk.
For "bare metal restoration", a boot CD is needed, and this
program comes with two of them. The WAIK/ADK version has
the fullest features. The non-WAIK method, is for people
on dialup, who cannot afford to do a 150MB download.
The first stage of this process, is a 2MB stub installer.
You can accept the defaults in that program and have it download
the two files. The rest should be relatively straight forward.
Macrium uses VSS.
When you see a backup program that "requires WinXP or better",
that means it is a VSS-only utility. That's where the
limitation is coming from.
(Lower left corner, CNET icon, no toolbars evident in the downloads.
That means Macrium pays CNET for the privilege of being hosted.
Toolbars come from CNET, for any program where CNET is not paid
up front. A toolbar or a junk, can earn CNET a dollar, if
there is proof that it installed.)
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
Paul
