DriveImage XML

  • Thread starter Thread starter PaulFXH
  • Start date Start date
P

PaulFXH

Hi
Looking for some advice before I reformat my system disk and
clean-install the OS.
The last time I did this I just copied everything I didn't want to lose
to my external HDD.
Having seen a lot of glowing reports about the freeware DriveImage XML,
I'm considering using this for a similar purpose this time.
However, rather than find out the hard way that I've misinterpreted
some of the stuff I've read about this software, I'd appreciate if
somebody could give me a straight answer to the following questions:

1. Can I copy the image of the system disk (C: drive) to the external
HDD WITHOUT damaging the 35GB of files/folders I aready have on this
drive?

2. Can I restore only SOME of the files/folders from the image back to
the reformatted c: drive (obviously, having clean-installed the OS, I
don't want to copy the imaged version back to the system disk).?

TIA
Paul

Dell 4550 Desktop
WinXP Home SP2
2.53 GHz CPU
1.0 GB RAM
Int HD 80 GB (1 partition)
Ext HD 160 GB (1 partition)
 
Hi
Looking for some advice before I reformat my system disk and
clean-install the OS.
The last time I did this I just copied everything I didn't want to lose
to my external HDD.
Having seen a lot of glowing reports about the freeware DriveImage XML,
I'm considering using this for a similar purpose this time.
However, rather than find out the hard way that I've misinterpreted
some of the stuff I've read about this software, I'd appreciate if
somebody could give me a straight answer to the following questions:

1. Can I copy the image of the system disk (C: drive) to the external
HDD WITHOUT damaging the 35GB of files/folders I aready have on this
drive?
Yes.

2. Can I restore only SOME of the files/folders from the image back to
the reformatted c: drive (obviously, having clean-installed the OS, I
don't want to copy the imaged version back to the system disk).?
Click to expand...

Yes, and you can test this for yourself before wiping your main
partition.
TIA
Paul

Dell 4550 Desktop
WinXP Home SP2
2.53 GHz CPU
1.0 GB RAM
Int HD 80 GB (1 partition)
Ext HD 160 GB (1 partition)
Click to expand...

But of course you have more than one copy of your important files don't
you?
 
PaulFXH said:
Hi
Looking for some advice before I reformat my system disk and
clean-install the OS.
The last time I did this I just copied everything I didn't want to lose
to my external HDD.
Having seen a lot of glowing reports about the freeware DriveImage XML,
I'm considering using this for a similar purpose this time.
However, rather than find out the hard way that I've misinterpreted
some of the stuff I've read about this software, I'd appreciate if
somebody could give me a straight answer to the following questions:

1. Can I copy the image of the system disk (C: drive) to the external
HDD WITHOUT damaging the 35GB of files/folders I aready have on this
drive?
Click to expand...

it creates the image as an index file and a series of cd sized normal files

the image includes the pagefile but can be compressed
it needs a live xp system to backup and restore
image files can be split across drives, or multiple cds/dvds
if you run out of space on first drive it waits and prompts for another and
continues to put subsequent chunks on that new one
2. Can I restore only SOME of the files/folders from the image back to
the reformatted c: drive (obviously, having clean-installed the OS, I
don't want to copy the imaged version back to the system disk).?
Click to expand...

there is a restore and a browse option, browse allows you to extract
individual files
or folders to anywhere you want, it prompts for the appropriate image chunk
which can be on any media

I haven't used it for a full restore or extracted many files so can't
testimonialise ,
it does however feel fairly right.
 
"PaulFXH" <[email protected]> wrote:
Click to expand...
Hi
Looking for some advice before I reformat my system disk and
clean-install the OS.
Click to expand...
The last time I did this I just copied everything I didn't want to lose
to my external HDD.
Click to expand...
Having seen a lot of glowing reports about the freeware DriveImage XML,
I'm considering using this for a similar purpose this time.
However, rather than find out the hard way that I've misinterpreted
some of the stuff I've read about this software, I'd appreciate if
somebody could give me a straight answer to the following questions:
Click to expand...

Hi Paul. If I understand you correctly it sounds like Karen's
Replicator is a better tool to save select files and directories to a
different partition or drive.

After you do a clean install, do all the critical updates, install and
setup all of the other programs that you use, copy your important
files and directories back with Karen's Replicator; after the
partition is completely setup as you like it, then use DriveImage XML
to copy the image to this pristine setup to another partition or
drive.

Another really good option is to clone the entire boot partition to
another drive and set it up with a boot loader, so that you can boot
from either partition in case of troubles. In this scenario you can
set Karen's Replicator to copy important files and directories daily
to the backup partition. Another internal drive might be best for
speed. I've never used an external drive and I'm under the impression
that they are a bit slower. I'm not certain that you can boot from an
external drive either. Correct me here...

As I see it, there is no need in creating a whole image of an old boot
partition. It seems better to surgically copy the files and folders
that you want to save. The rest of the partition is sub par, as you
need to do a fresh install, so why image it?

The optimum system would include another 80 gig internal drive
partitioned in half. I used this method with Win 98 and ME. You might
be able to work this with your external drive if it will boot.

After creating the perfected boot drive, clone it to both partitions
on the new drive and use the boot menu in XP. If your primary
partition gets infected, corrupted, bloated, whatever, you boot to a
partition on the other drive, format the original drive, and clone the
partition not in use back to the original drive.

You have a drive to repair, a partition to boot from, and a partition
with no file locking problems to clone from back yo the drive to be
repaired. Using Karen's daily to keep all three updated with important
files and directories, you'll be in pretty good shape. You might have
to update your virus scanner and such, but it still rocks.


The UltimateBootCD4Win is a slim XP bootable CD that you create and
use to work with only two partitions. The CD serves as the boot
partition. You format the bad partition and use the tools on the CD to
clone the good partition over to the bad one.

If you need any more description or if this isn't clear holler back.
 
REM escreveu:

Hi Paul. If I understand you correctly it sounds like Karen's
Replicator is a better tool to save select files and directories to a
different partition or drive.

After you do a clean install, do all the critical updates, install and
setup all of the other programs that you use, copy your important
files and directories back with Karen's Replicator; after the
partition is completely setup as you like it, then use DriveImage XML
to copy the image to this pristine setup to another partition or
drive.

Another really good option is to clone the entire boot partition to
another drive and set it up with a boot loader, so that you can boot
from either partition in case of troubles. In this scenario you can
set Karen's Replicator to copy important files and directories daily
to the backup partition. Another internal drive might be best for
speed. I've never used an external drive and I'm under the impression
that they are a bit slower. I'm not certain that you can boot from an
external drive either. Correct me here...

As I see it, there is no need in creating a whole image of an old boot
partition. It seems better to surgically copy the files and folders
that you want to save. The rest of the partition is sub par, as you
need to do a fresh install, so why image it?

The optimum system would include another 80 gig internal drive
partitioned in half. I used this method with Win 98 and ME. You might
be able to work this with your external drive if it will boot.

After creating the perfected boot drive, clone it to both partitions
on the new drive and use the boot menu in XP. If your primary
partition gets infected, corrupted, bloated, whatever, you boot to a
partition on the other drive, format the original drive, and clone the
partition not in use back to the original drive.

You have a drive to repair, a partition to boot from, and a partition
with no file locking problems to clone from back yo the drive to be
repaired. Using Karen's daily to keep all three updated with important
files and directories, you'll be in pretty good shape. You might have
to update your virus scanner and such, but it still rocks.


The UltimateBootCD4Win is a slim XP bootable CD that you create and
use to work with only two partitions. The CD serves as the boot
partition. You format the bad partition and use the tools on the CD to
clone the good partition over to the bad one.

If you need any more description or if this isn't clear holler back.
Click to expand...

Hi Folks
Thanks to everybody for providing the positive and very helpful
replies.
REMs suggestions look particularly interesting and I'm going to go
along with both the Karen's Replicator AND the DriveImage options.
I already have plenty of space on my external HD and I'm going to take
advantage of a good offer here locally for a further 250 GB on another
USB drive.
However, although I know that it certainly is possible to boot from a
USB (or external) drive, for some reason, my BIOS does not list my
present USB drive as a boot option. I'm going to have to talk to Dell
about why this is.
Thanks and best wishes to all
Paul
 
PaulFXH - 02.07.2006 19:43 :

[snipped]
I already have plenty of space on my external HD and I'm going to take
advantage of a good offer here locally for a further 250 GB on another
USB drive.
However, although I know that it certainly is possible to boot from a
USB (or external) drive, for some reason, my BIOS does not list my
present USB drive as a boot option. I'm going to have to talk to Dell
about why this is.
Thanks and best wishes to all
Paul
Click to expand...

please report the Dell answer here. THX.
 
Peter Seiler escreveu:

please report the Dell answer here. THX.
Click to expand...

Hi Peter,
Well, Dell said that it is NOT possible to boot from an external USB
drive and that, for the moment, there is no way around this.
However, there are many references to booting from USB drives
including:

Recommendations for Booting Windows from USB Storage Devices
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/usb-boot.mspx

How to boot from a USB device
http://www.weethet.nl/english/hardware_bootfromusbstick.php

Nevertheless, I understand that even if you get the boot sectors onto
the USB drive, there is still the possibility that this won't be
recognized by the BIOS as a boot option. This perhaps is the main
reason for Dell's negative response.

In any event, for what I intend to do with regard to clean-installing
the OS, I do not at all need to boot from an external drive so it is a
matter of academic interest only to me at present.

Paul
 
PaulFXH - 04.07.2006 00:55 :
Peter Seiler escreveu:



Hi Peter,
Well, Dell said that it is NOT possible to boot from an external USB
Click to expand...

thanks for your feedback-info.
 
Back
Top