Backup strategy: to re-partition or not to re-partition

[asdfyellow]

After a clean install of Windows XP, and before re-installing
everything, I backed up my 120 gig C drive by making an image with
Drive Image. I'd like to be able to revert to that state if necessary.
I keep the clean image of C on my second hard drive, along with a
separate, current backup of the entire C drive.

I'm now thinking of re-partitioning my C drive to have a separate,
additional partition on which to store a second copy of the clean
image. The new partition would be about 6 gigs, leaving a newly sized
114 gig C drive.

Question: will the clean image of the 120 gig C drive work to restore
the newly sized 114 gig C drive? Any guidance would be greatly
appreciated!

 

[Jim]

If you have a DVD writer, write or copy the image file to DVD for
safekeeping. The version of DI is important here for restoration purposes
from DVD, and the size of the image file(s).

 

[asdfyellow]

Are you saying that the image of the 120 gig C drive won't work to
restore
it if I re-size the drive to 114 gigs?

 

[Neil Maxwell]

Question: will the clean image of the 120 gig C drive work to restore
the newly sized 114 gig C drive? Any guidance would be greatly
appreciated!

Keeping the backup on the same physical drive as the main data won't
help if the drive dies.

I do this whenever I set up a new PC, with all the patches and basic
apps, and I prefer to back up to an external drive, then burn these to
DVD for redundancy. This gives a very quick restore from the external
if needed, and you'll have an alternate backup in case of problems
with the first version. You want to test the restore to make sure
your software supports all the hardware involved.

Next best bet is a separate HD in the same case (assuming a desktop),
but these share risks from overheating, bad PS, viruses, user error,
etc.

 

[Rod Speed]

After a clean install of Windows XP, and before re-installing
everything, I backed up my 120 gig C drive by making an image
with Drive Image. I'd like to be able to revert to that state if
necessary. I keep the clean image of C on my second hard drive,
along with a separate, current backup of the entire C drive.

I'm now thinking of re-partitioning my C drive
to have a separate, additional partition on which
to store a second copy of the clean image.

Why ? What do you think that will add capability wise ?

The new partition would be about 6 gigs,
leaving a newly sized 114 gig C drive.

Question: will the clean image of the 120 gig C drive
work to restore the newly sized 114 gig C drive?

Yes, as long as the 120G physical drive doesnt die.

If it does die, you can restore from the second hard
drive, but it isnt at all clear what you think will be
gained by having a second copy on the 120G drive.

It'll certainly work tho except if the 120G drive dies.