Roy said:
Hmm thats interesting..thanks!
So you mean even if there is no acronis ware in the PC it can still
be useful...I was trying initially to restore it via the external hard
drive where it was located...
That would only work if you had Windows installed on that drive *and* if
that drive was a bootable eSATA drive, configured in your BIOS to be the
first to boot. I'm guessing that's probably not the case.
Not my first choice, but you can save files to any media. I definitely
prefer an external hard drive.
.I was reluctant to do that as when I opened up the file which I save
on that hard drive, the TIB file was nearly 15 gigs, meaning I might
have to burn it on 4 DVDs or a score of CDs?
Correct. That's why I don't recommend it!
Are there any complications burning that huge file on multiple DVDs/
CD and is there a particular way of doing such or just burn it as an
Iso file...?
There shouldn't be any complications. Instead of a giant image archive
file, you will have multiple files that can combine to reformulate that
one file. The software knows how to handle it, provided *all* the files
are present and accounted for. For instance, if you wound up burning the
archive to four DVDs, Acronis would ask you to switch disks at the
appropriate time. Once you use it a few times, you will find that this
is a very user-friendly program! Still, it's much easier to save one
giant image archive file to an external hard drive.
I was thinking to make it easier if its possible just to boot it from
the External hard drive which was also NTFS?
Again:
That would only work if you had Windows installed on that drive *and* if
that drive was a bootable eSATA drive, configured in your BIOS to be the
first to boot. I'm guessing that's probably not the case.
If you're afraid you didn't make the image correctly or if, for some
reason, something might go wrong, I suggest you copy all the data from
your hard drive, if you haven't done so. Include all your e-mails,
address book, and IE favorites. This way, you'll be covered. And IIRC,
in another post, you mentioned you had backed up everything and saved
the System State (maybe I'm just concluding that you used the Windows
ntbackup program, which involves a floppy disk BTW). If you did, that's
another way to restore your system to how it was. But someone else will
need to chime in as I am not experienced with that technique.
You really should just bite the bullet and restore that Acronis image!
This excerpt of a post from Anna should help:
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...q=windowsxp+acronis+restore+image+author:anna
[Daave's Note: Roy, your version of ATI Home might be different, but the
method surely is very similar.]
Recovery Process (Disk images): We'll assume the recovery will be to
either
a non-defective HDD that has become unbootable for one reason or
another, or
to a new HDD. The HDD to be restored need not be partitioned/formatted
since
the recovery process will take care of that function.
Note that in many, if not most cases you will be using the Acronis
"Bootable
Rescue Media" (CD) that you might have created when you originally
installed
the Acronis program. You'll need that bootable CD in the event you
cannot
access the ATI Home program because of a defective source HDD or
otherwise
unbootable system.
If you didn't previously create that bootable CD, you can create it now
from
the Acronis program (assuming you can access the program at this time)
by
clicking on the "Create Bootable Rescue Media" item on the "Tools" menu
that
appears on the opening Acronis screen and then simply going through the
screens to create a bootable CD.
The Acronis True Image program installation CD is also bootable.
Note: If the recovery will be made to a HDD that is still bootable and
you're able to access the Acronis program on that drive, then you can
undertake the recovery process without the need for using the "bootable
rescue" CD.
[Daave's Note: Roy, I assume that the above paragraph doesn't pertain to
your situation.]
1. The only drives (storage devices) that should be connected during
this
recovery process are the drive to be restored and the drive containing
the
backup disk images (archives). Boot to the "bootable rescue" CD (if
necessary) to access the program.
2. At the opening screen, click on "Acronis True Image Home (Full
Version)".
3. The program will open after some moments. On the "Backup and Restore"
screen that opens, click on "Restore".
4. The "Welcome to the Restore Data Wizard!" screen opens. Click on
Next.
5. The "Backup Archive Selection" screen opens. Navigate to the drive
and
folder containing the backup archive file(s). If no incremental backup
files
have been created following creation of the original full backup file
(archive), select that file (archive). If one or more incremental backup
files (archives) are listed, then click on the last incremental backup
file
(archive) - assuming you want to restore the system as of the latest
backup.
Recall that the backup file name(s) will end with the .tib file
extension.
Ensure that the correct drive & file are reflected in the "File name:"
text
box. Click Next.
(Note that if you want to restore the system as of a particular date
*prior*
to the date the last incremental file (archive) was created, select the
appropriate incremental file (archive) from the list.)
6. The "Backup Date Selection" screen opens. Select (highlight) the
appropriate incremental backup file (archive) from the listing. This
will
usually be the latest incremental file (archive) that was created, but
if
you desire to restore a "generational" copy of your system as of a
different
date, then select the appropriate incremental file (archive).
Note this screen will reflect the date the archive was created and any
comments you may have inserted in "Archive Comments" when you previously
created the backup file (archive). Click Next.
7. The "Restoration Type Selection" screen opens. Select the default
option,
"Restore disks or partitions" and click Next.
8. The "Partition or Disk to Restore" screen will open. Click on the
"Disk
1" box and click Next.
9. After some moments the "Restored Hard Disk Drive Location" screen
opens.
Select (highlight) the HDD to be restored, presumably "Disk 2", and
click
Next.
10. The "Non-empty Destination Hard Disk Drive" screen opens. Select the
"Yes" option indicating that all partitions on the destination HDD will
be
deleted. Understand that any data on that drive will be lost. Click
Next.
11. On the next screen select the "No" option (if applicable) indicating
you
do not want to restore another partition. Click Next.
12. Navigate through the "Choose Restore Options" screen.
13. The final screen before the restoration operation begins will open.
Confirm that the information as shown is correct. Click Proceed.
14. Click OK when following completion of the recovery operation a
message
appears indicating a successful recovery operation.
15. Remove the Acronis bootable rescue CD if it has been used in the
restoration process and close the Acronis program. The system will
reboot. A
Windows "Found New Hardware" message followed by the "System Settings
Change" message box may appear on the Desktop. If they do, click Yes for
a
reboot.
and