How to do a complete restore with ntbackup.

[Guest]

We DO have backups - of what is now a fire damaged windows 2000 pc.

The backups were made with windows native backup.
What we have is
* a complete backup of the System Drive minus the default exclusions - about
two weeks old
* a partial backup which includes the system state - one day old.
*A new computer with a different hardware components (couldnt get the same
mobo etc).

How do we put these all together? Does this sound correct?
Install 2000 on the new computer
Use ntbackup to restore some of the system drive
Use ntbackup to restore the system state.

Will this work? Any gotcha's?
What files shouldnt be restored from the system drive backup?

I'd appreciate any thoughts.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

We DO have backups - of what is now a fire damaged windows 2000 pc.

The backups were made with windows native backup.
What we have is
* a complete backup of the System Drive minus the default exclusions - about
two weeks old
* a partial backup which includes the system state - one day old.
*A new computer with a different hardware components (couldnt get the same
mobo etc).

How do we put these all together? Does this sound correct?
Install 2000 on the new computer
Use ntbackup to restore some of the system drive
Use ntbackup to restore the system state.

Will this work? Any gotcha's?
What files shouldnt be restored from the system drive backup?

I'd appreciate any thoughts.

Since Windows 2000 does not like to run on different hardware
than where it was installed, you would need to take the following
steps:
1. Install a no-frills version of Windows, using your Win2000 CD,
making sure to install it in a folder other than c:\WinNT.
2. Run ntbackup to restore both the full backup and also the
System State backup.
3. Do what's needed to make the machine run on the new hardware -
see the links below.
4. Remove the no-frills version of Windows.

In view of the amount of work involved and the uncertainty of
success, I would rebuild the machine from scratch.

How to Move a Windows Installation to Different Hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q249694
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q314082

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q292175.ASP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824125

 

[Guest]

Thanks Pegasus,
I'm a little confused by whats in the system state and what restoring it
does.
It is 1824 files big and if I'm reading it correctly,
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810161/en-us
suggests that the critical device database is not changed when its restored.

So, cant I restore it to an unpatched win2000 install, then fix the drivers
etc and reboot to get back where it was?

I'll have to restore the drive separately to the system state, I guess I
shouldnt restore the config directory from the drive backup, is there
anything else I shouldn't restore to prevent the system from becoming
unstable before I'm ready to reboot?

Does the system state include everything neccessary to reboot the system?

matt

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

My experience with ntbackup/restore in the System State area
is limited - I prefer to use imaging techniques.

AFAIK, a System State restore will give you a bootable system.
However, you would have to reload all your applications.

I think your concern about the system becoming unstable is
unfounded. If it does become unstable as a result of a System
State restore then you can boot back into the auxiliary
installation and perform another restore, this time with different
options.

 

[Guest]

I'm assuming that you can only do the system state restore to the currently
active windows installation. It seems to restore the registry key by key.

Dissapointing about the applications, though. The reason we are doing the
backups has been so as to protect the applications, amongst other things.
Some of the apps were written by companies that no longer exist, and require
a key to activate them; which, of course, we cant get anymore.

matt

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

In my first reply I gave you a recipe to restore the machine
from full backup. I also said that a rebuild might be faster
than an in-place upgrade. Since you appear to have a
problem with some legacy applications, your only choice
may be to follow the in-place upgrade path. This would
preserve your application settings.

Your problem highlights the need to maintain a comprehensive
register of all installed applications and their registration keys,
with a hard copy filed a way in a suitable safe place.