How to restore a Vista "Complete PC Backup" after HDD failure

[BobAnd]

I'm unclear how this is supposed to work. Are you supposed to be able to
boot to some type of DOS/Linux boot disk and restore the system? If so,
where's the utility I need to place on my bootable CD to enable this process
to work?

Just in case I get a response that says to use the backup to DVD option,
that is not an option for me because my Vista laptop is not equipped with a
DVD burner. I must instead save the backup to a 2nd NTFS partition, copy it
to the network and burn a DVD from another workstation.

In this case, how can I effectively restore the system in the event that my
laptop HDD crashes?

 

[Alexander Suhovey]

I'm unclear how this is supposed to work. Are you supposed to be able to
boot to some type of DOS/Linux boot disk and restore the system? If so,
where's the utility I need to place on my bootable CD to enable this
process to work?

As I understand it, in case of HDD failure you replace HDD, boot from Vista
installation DVD and select restore from backup as one of repair options.
Then you should be prompted to supply your backup media.

 

[Lang Murphy]

You use the Vista install DVD to boot your laptop, then select
repair/restore. Do a search in Windows help on "complete pc backup" and take
a look at the entry "Back up your programs, system settings, and files"

You can back up to a separate partition. Don't know how that would play with
copying off to network and burning on another computer with DVD burner. I
have to assume that if the Complete PC Backup / Restore gets pointed at a
DVD writer as the location to create the backup and the backup is larger
than a single DVD, the backup program manages the process of splitting the
data onto multiple DVD's and restoring it at a later date. If your backup is
larger than a DVD and you back it up to your other partition, then I don't
know if you'll be able to copy it to multiple DVD's later. Does that make
sense?

Lang

 

[John Barnes]

Don't know where you live but an external DVD writer setup is not very
expensive. If you have external SATA great, if not how about USB. The
other advice on how to restore covers that.

 

[Chris H]

I believe the complete pc backup utilizes the same .wim file format as the
WAIK and BDD, so you can also use that process as well to restore your PC.
Boot from a WinPE CD and then re-image with the complete pc backup .wim
file.