Recommended Drive Imaging Package

[Wayne Wengert]

I want to take an old system have and use it as a test box for various
install packages. It's been a while since I did this but I believe I need to
create 2 partions on the HDD and then install a clean test environment (e.g.
XP Pro/SP2 with Office 2003) on partition 1. Then I want to make an image of
that and save it on partition 2 so I can restore that image whenever I need
that clean base again. I would then add a couple of other apps to partion 1
to emulate one of our "standard" environments and then create an image of
that on partiton 2.

Last time I did this I used Partition Magic and Drive Image from PowerQuest
but they were bought out by Symantic and I've seen less than favorable
comments on their current products. Can anyone recommend a package to use to
accomplish this?

TIA

Wayne

 

[Sunny]

I want to take an old system have and use it as a test box for various
install packages. It's been a while since I did this but I believe I need
to create 2 partions on the HDD and then install a clean test environment
(e.g. XP Pro/SP2 with Office 2003) on partition 1. Then I want to make an
image of that and save it on partition 2 so I can restore that image
whenever I need that clean base again. I would then add a couple of other
apps to partion 1 to emulate one of our "standard" environments and then
create an image of that on partiton 2.

Last time I did this I used Partition Magic and Drive Image from
PowerQuest but they were bought out by Symantic and I've seen less than
favorable comments on their current products. Can anyone recommend a
package to use to accomplish this?

Worth a look :
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

 

[jonah]

I want to take an old system have and use it as a test box for various
install packages. It's been a while since I did this but I believe I need to
create 2 partions on the HDD and then install a clean test environment (e.g.
XP Pro/SP2 with Office 2003) on partition 1. Then I want to make an image of
that and save it on partition 2 so I can restore that image whenever I need
that clean base again. I would then add a couple of other apps to partion 1
to emulate one of our "standard" environments and then create an image of
that on partiton 2.

Last time I did this I used Partition Magic and Drive Image from PowerQuest
but they were bought out by Symantic and I've seen less than favorable
comments on their current products. Can anyone recommend a package to use to
accomplish this?

TIA

Wayne

Acronis,

Seconded

Been using it for a couple of years on home and business networks.

Jonah

 

[Guest]

Too bad another hd isnt available instead of partitioning and setting up 1
drive as youre doing.However,you'll need a DOS utility for partitioning,maybe
the mfg hd DOS utility can,or download FDisk..As for imaging the C: to
another partition or hd,format the hd or partition with a primary
partition,then
go to run type:XCOPY C:\*.* D:\ /c/h/e/k/r In the DOS window,agree to all,
also,D: being the new drive,if asigned diffrent letter then use that letter.

 

[Richard Urban]

When are you ever going to learn that your method will puke when it runs
across the very first open/locked/in use file that it encounters. What you
get will NOT be bootable or even good for a complete restore of the
operating system. If it was, do you think that there would be dozens of
after market programs that image drives/partition and another dozen programs
that will make a competent backup that can be restored? Of course there
wouldn't. Everyone would be using the xcopy command and someone would write
a GUI for it to make it more user friendly!

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

When are you ever going to learn that your method will puke when it
runs across the very first open/locked/in use file that it
encounters.

This is Andrew E. you're talking to. If he were capable of learning
*anything*, he wouldn't be Andrew E.

 

[Wayne Wengert]

Thanks for the suggestion - will give that a try.

Wayne

 

[Rock]

I want to take an old system have and use it as a test box for various
install packages. It's been a while since I did this but I believe I need to
create 2 partions on the HDD and then install a clean test environment (e.g.
XP Pro/SP2 with Office 2003) on partition 1. Then I want to make an image of
that and save it on partition 2 so I can restore that image whenever I need
that clean base again. I would then add a couple of other apps to partion 1
to emulate one of our "standard" environments and then create an image of
that on partiton 2.

Last time I did this I used Partition Magic and Drive Image from PowerQuest
but they were bought out by Symantic and I've seen less than favorable
comments on their current products. Can anyone recommend a package to use to
accomplish this?

TIA

Wayne

Drive image 7 and Partition Magic 8.01 work fine on XP if you have them.
I still use them both.

 

[Gene K]

I am surprised that no one has recommended BootItNG which is widely
regarded as the best partition management tool AND drive image tool that
exists. Far cheaper than the Acronis and Norton products [$34.95 US] but a
daunting interface.

 

[Squire]

Wayne, Partition Magic version 8.0 and 8.01,
Originally from Power Quest and secondly from Symantec,
will do the job very nicely.

Using the COPY command in PM to copy a bootable mirror image to an
unallocated space on the second partition.

What is better would be a second hard drive, isolating the backup.
If you ever lose the first drive and have to replace it, you can have PM,
COPY the backup onto the first partition and be right back in business.

Good Luck,
Jerry

--
Quote from Maxine -
"Time flies when you're spoiling someone else's fun"


<Snip>

 

[KenV]

Wayne, Partition Magic version 8.0 and 8.01,
Originally from Power Quest and secondly from Symantec,
will do the job very nicely.

Using the COPY command in PM to copy a bootable mirror image to an
unallocated space on the second partition.

What is better would be a second hard drive, isolating the backup.
If you ever lose the first drive and have to replace it, you can have PM,
COPY the backup onto the first partition and be right back in business.

I wish I had thought about the copy function in PM, which I own. It would've
saved me time and money.

I wanted to swap out my Dell laptop HD for a larger one a couple months ago.
I used Ghost--also Symantec's now--and made a complete copy of the Laptop HD
through my network to a second HD on a desktop. I then used PM to partition
the new laptop drive, including the Dell special partition--I didn't know if
I had to do that or not. I then copied the original back, using Ghost, to
the new, larger formatted HD on the Laptop. Everything booted and worked
perfectly the first time.

For regular backups of the HD, especially incremental ones, and to maintain
a bootable copy, maybe Ghost is better since you would have to manually do
PM each time.

Ken

 

[Snarky Parker]

It's that "daunting interface" that leaves it behind.

| I am surprised that no one has recommended BootItNG which is widely
| regarded as the best partition management tool AND drive image tool that
| exists. Far cheaper than the Acronis and Norton products [$34.95 US] but a
| daunting interface.
|
| --
| Gene K
|
|

 

[Wayne Wengert]

Gene;

Thanks for that recommendation. I downloaded the trial and in looking at the
documentation it doesn't look like too bad a UI? I'll give it a try.

I do have one relates question - in the documentation I see this caution:

It is extremely important that you do not use any partitioning software
(such as FDISK) if you

are not limiting the number of primary partitions (Limit Primaries Option).
If you ignore this

warning, you are taking a serious risk of data corruption.



I don't understand what they mean about not limiting the nbr of primary
partitions? Is that a setting or just a practice?



Wayne

 

[Wayne Wengert]

Thanks for the reply Jerry - 'll take a look at those new versions.

Wayne

 

[Squire]

Right, Wayne,

I thought I would mention Partition Magic since you are familiar with it.

One thing to keep in mind, is size of the partitions to be copied.
Using the floppy disks you created when you installed PM,
You can resize the first partition to its minimum useable size first,
before copying to the unallocated space, to save time and to be sure you
have enough space in the unallocated partition.

Jerry

Thanks for the reply Jerry - 'll take a look at those new versions.

Wayne

<Snip>

 

[Squire]

You may be Right, Ken,

I have not used Ghost, so I don't know what is required,

Jerry

 

[Dave]

I am surprised that no one has recommended BootItNG which is widely
regarded as the best partition management tool AND drive image tool that
exists. Far cheaper than the Acronis and Norton products [$34.95 US] but a
daunting interface.

The easiest interface is Terabyte's other imaging products Image forDos
and Image for Windows. I use Image for Dos all the time, run it off a
bootable cd and you get the entire NTFS partition without any
problems.Back up to another partition,another hard drive,external usb
drive,cd or dvd,. Real simple restore from any of the media too. I
always take a quick image before I try any new software and if it
botches anything, ten minutes and I'm back to original
(Ten minutes for approx. 4.6g os
partition to a separate partition)

Dave

 

[Kram]

I recommend BootItNG also. Far more powerful than any of the others.

Mark

I am surprised that no one has recommended BootItNG which is
widely
regarded as the best partition management tool AND drive image tool
that exists. Far cheaper than the Acronis and Norton products [$34.95
US] but a daunting interface.

The easiest interface is Terabyte's other imaging products Image
forDos and Image for Windows. I use Image for Dos all the time, run it
off a bootable cd and you get the entire NTFS partition without any
problems.Back up to another partition,another hard drive,external usb
drive,cd or dvd,. Real simple restore from any of the media too. I
always take a quick image before I try any new software and if it
botches anything, ten minutes and I'm back to original
(Ten minutes for approx. 4.6g os
partition to a separate partition)

Dave

 

[Mike Fields]

That warning applies only if you are using their extended boot record
that allows you to have more than 4 primary partitions (an extended
partition with "logical volumes" in it counts as 1 primary partition)
If you stay with the normal 4 primary partitions, then there is no
problem with other partitioning software (except for when I
confused Partition Magic and Drive Image a couple of years
ago with the partition order in the MBR not in the same order
as they were on the disk -- partitions were correct, just not
the order PM expected).

mikey

Gene;

Thanks for that recommendation. I downloaded the trial and in looking at the
documentation it doesn't look like too bad a UI? I'll give it a try.

I do have one relates question - in the documentation I see this caution:

It is extremely important that you do not use any partitioning software
(such as FDISK) if you

are not limiting the number of primary partitions (Limit Primaries Option).
If you ignore this

warning, you are taking a serious risk of data corruption.



I don't understand what they mean about not limiting the nbr of primary
partitions? Is that a setting or just a practice?



Wayne

I am surprised that no one has recommended BootItNG which is widely
regarded as the best partition management tool AND drive image tool that
exists. Far cheaper than the Acronis and Norton products [$34.95 US] but a
daunting interface.