Backup My PC - Tech Support

[Jim T.]

I asked how I could make a recovery disk without a floppy drive -
hoping this program would make a bootable CD - Here's the answer I got
- verbatim--

"With Windows Xp you need to a floppy drive in order to do a disaster
recovery. An alternative would be to create a backup job that will
backup both the system state and the C: drive.Using this backup you
will be able to restore you system to the state it was when you
created the backup. Format you drive, using you recovery disks
provided by HP restore the OS, install the backup software then
perform a restore"

?????

 

[Chris Stolworthy]

I asked how I could make a recovery disk without a floppy drive -
hoping this program would make a bootable CD - Here's the answer I got
- verbatim--

"With Windows Xp you need to a floppy drive in order to do a disaster
recovery. An alternative would be to create a backup job that will
backup both the system state and the C: drive.Using this backup you
will be able to restore you system to the state it was when you
created the backup. Format you drive, using you recovery disks
provided by HP restore the OS, install the backup software then
perform a restore"

?????

*Coughing* Bulls**t
you have to have the recovery software in place BEFORE the system goes down
in order to restore. What exactly do you need the recovery disk for? To
run diagnostics, to start a new XP install? Nero burning ROM has a function
in it to create a bootable CD.

 

[Jim T.]

*Coughing* Bulls**t
you have to have the recovery software in place BEFORE the system goes down
in order to restore. What exactly do you need the recovery disk for? To
run diagnostics, to start a new XP install? Nero burning ROM has a function
in it to create a bootable CD.

You say the obvious, don't consider me stupid! - I just want to be
ready to fully reinstall if needed. Nero requires that you have a
bootable image that will fit on a CD. Too much trouble.

 

[Jim T.]

Just FYI - I really wanted to show the incredibly poor command of
English by this support person. Is it also indicative of their
competence? Have no idea where he or she may be.

 

[Chris Stolworthy]

Just FYI - I really wanted to show the incredibly poor command of
English by this support person. Is it also indicative of their
competence? Have no idea where he or she may be.

Ummm Nero comes with a bootable image...I have used it to create JUST a
bootable cd to the prompt...I didn't consider you stupid at all. Aome
people I know have tried that, I don't consider them stupid...just
uninformed.

 

[*Vanguard*]

Jim T. said in news[email protected]:

I asked how I could make a recovery disk without a floppy drive -
hoping this program would make a bootable CD - Here's the answer I got
- verbatim--

"With Windows Xp you need to a floppy drive in order to do a disaster
recovery. An alternative would be to create a backup job that will
backup both the system state and the C: drive.Using this backup you
will be able to restore you system to the state it was when you
created the backup. Format you drive, using you recovery disks
provided by HP restore the OS, install the backup software then
perform a restore"

?????

The only point in using the bootable floppy is to load the drivers
needed to support the backup device (tape, CD, DVD, USB drive, or
whatever). You could use a bootable CD to do the same thing. If you
don't want to use Nero to create its bootable CD, then use IsoBuster. I
believe you can put an .iso image of a bootable floppy on the CD to have
it perform the same boot loads as the floppy.

This assumes you have a computer whose BIOS is setup or can be
configured to boot from the CD drive. I've never personally seen a PC
that did not have a floppy drive but have heard that some do exist.

I remember a long time ago trying to make a recovery tape set where it
used a floppy with the backup tapes. However, it actually had to copy
the OS install CD in the process. The recovery had you boot using the
floppy, a basic install of the operating system got performed, and then
the backup program ran to recover the files. I have up on that logical
backup and restore method. I still do data backups but for disaster
recovery I have moved to physical backup and restore using disk images
(I use DriveImage). So I have logical backups (by file reads through
the file system) from tape, physical backups (by sector in a disk image
fileset), and I also backup the MBR.