Reformat harddrive then create and image of it

[Discoduck]

x-no-archive:
I read a terrific idea, online. That is after reformatting your hard
drive, reinstall XP, and after it is finished updating the operating
system, CREATE an IMAGE of your hard drive so that the next time you
do this, it sint NEARLY as long a process. Excellent idea.
But it did not elaborate on HOW to do this. How would you do this?

 

[Discoduck]

x-no-archive:
I read a terrific idea, online.  That is after reformatting your hard
drive, reinstall XP, and after it is finished updating the operating
system, CREATE an IMAGE of your hard drive so that the next time you
do this, it sint NEARLY as long a process.  Excellent idea.
But it did not elaborate on HOW to do this. How would you do this?

I should be a little more specific. I think it is easy to create an
image of the hard drive (to an external). But how would you mount
that image BACK onto your hard drive, given in theory the operating
system and the program used to create the image, will be wiped clean
through formatting?

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

x-no-archive:
I read a terrific idea, online. That is after reformatting your hard
drive, reinstall XP, and after it is finished updating the operating
system, CREATE an IMAGE of your hard drive so that the next time you
do this, it sint NEARLY as long a process. Excellent idea.
But it did not elaborate on HOW to do this. How would you do this?

Investigate Acronis True Image

http://www.acronis.com.au/homecompu...oogle&ad=ati&gclid=CPaXqcCCyJMCFSMYagoddAjqjA

There are others as well eg Symantic Ghost, Paragon
(http://www.paragon-software.com/) etc.

 

[Big Al]

x-no-archive:
I read a terrific idea, online. That is after reformatting your hard
drive, reinstall XP, and after it is finished updating the operating
system, CREATE an IMAGE of your hard drive so that the next time you
do this, it sint NEARLY as long a process. Excellent idea.
But it did not elaborate on HOW to do this. How would you do this?

I did just this on 4/29 when SP3 was available.
I formatted, loaded my OEM, installed drivers, downloaded SP3, IE7,
WMP11, updates, setup some software, did some custom configuration,
setup email etc.
Then used Acronis True Image to make an image.
I got the image down to 4.3 gig so it will fit on a DVD.

I also had Acronis make the restore CD.

Now in practice I should be able to boot off of the ATI recovery CD, and
load the image off of the DVD. If the DVD does not work then the
image will just have to be copied to my external HD and loaded from there.

Either way I wind up with a virgin system about 8 hours old with minimal
software etc. Ready to be screwed up again....

 

[Anna]

x-no-archive:
I read a terrific idea, online. That is after reformatting your hard
drive, reinstall XP, and after it is finished updating the operating
system, CREATE an IMAGE of your hard drive so that the next time you
do this, it sint NEARLY as long a process. Excellent idea.
But it did not elaborate on HOW to do this. How would you do this?

I should be a little more specific. I think it is easy to create an
image of the hard drive (to an external). But how would you mount
that image BACK onto your hard drive, given in theory the operating
system and the program used to create the image, will be wiped clean
through formatting?


Discoduck:
The disk-imaging program, e.g., Acronis True Image, allows one to create a
"Startup Disk" - in effect a bootable CD that contains the disk-imaging
program. So the user would use that media in the situation you referred to.
Anna

 

[Discoduck]

x-no-archive:

I should be a little more specific.  I think it is easy to create an
image of the hard drive (to an external).  But how would you mount
that image BACK onto your hard drive, given in theory the operating
system and the program used to create the image, will be wiped clean
through formatting?

Discoduck:
The disk-imaging program, e.g., Acronis True Image, allows one to create a
"Startup Disk" - in effect a bootable CD that contains the disk-imaging
program. So the user would use that media in the situation you referred to..
Anna

I see.
So I would have to do something like this (assuming back up of data
already done)
1) Format hard drive
2) reinstall XP, driver and all updates (any software I choose (ie
office))
3) install True image
4) Create image using True Image (on DVD or to external).

The should do it, right? Then when I choose to reformat again, I can
simply:
1) reformat hard drive
2) insert bootable DVD (create by True image) or attach external hard
drive with back up image?

On track (ish)?

 

[Anna]

I should be a little more specific. I think it is easy to create an
image of the hard drive (to an external). But how would you mount
that image BACK onto your hard drive, given in theory the operating
system and the program used to create the image, will be wiped clean
through formatting?

Discoduck:
The disk-imaging program, e.g., Acronis True Image, allows one to create a
"Startup Disk" - in effect a bootable CD that contains the disk-imaging
program. So the user would use that media in the situation you referred
to.
Anna

I see.
So I would have to do something like this (assuming back up of data
already done)
1) Format hard drive
2) reinstall XP, driver and all updates (any software I choose (ie
office))
3) install True image
4) Create image using True Image (on DVD or to external).

The should do it, right? Then when I choose to reformat again, I can
simply:
1) reformat hard drive
2) insert bootable DVD (create by True image) or attach external hard
drive with back up image?

On track (ish)?


Well, not exactly...

Let's say, using your example, you have used the ATI program to backup your
system by creating a disk image of the system and storing that disk image
onto
your USB external HDD.

Now your day-to-day working internal HDD, your "source" HDD, becomes
defective and unbootable. Obviously the ATI program that you had installed
on that HDD is "gone with the wind".

So you install a new HDD - it need not be partitioned/formatted since that
will be taken care of through the disk-cloning operation involving cloning
the contents of the USBEHD to the new HDD. To do this you would simply boot
to the "Startup Disk" CD (what Acronis calls its "Bootable Rescue Media")
inserted in the USBEHD and proceed with the disk-cloning operation.
Anna

 

[Bill in Co.]

I see.
So I would have to do something like this (assuming back up of data
already done)
1) Format hard drive
2) reinstall XP, driver and all updates (any software I choose (ie
office))
3) install True image
4) Create image using True Image (on DVD or to external).

The should do it, right? Then when I choose to reformat again, I can
simply:
1) reformat hard drive
2) insert bootable DVD (create by True image) or attach external hard
drive with back up image?

On track (ish)?


Well, not exactly...

Let's say, using your example, you have used the ATI program to backup
your
system by creating a disk image of the system and storing that disk image
onto your USB external HDD.

Now your day-to-day working internal HDD, your "source" HDD, becomes
defective and unbootable. Obviously the ATI program that you had installed
on that HDD is "gone with the wind".

So you install a new HDD - it need not be partitioned/formatted since that
will be taken care of through the disk-cloning operation involving cloning
the contents of the USBEHD to the new HDD. To do this you would simply
boot
to the "Startup Disk" CD (what Acronis calls its "Bootable Rescue Media")
inserted in the USBEHD and proceed with the disk-cloning operation.
Anna

"Disk cloning", or "restoring the backup image"??? I think it's called
the latter (if imaging was originally used, as he said), but the end result
may be the same.

 

[Discoduck]

x-no-archive:

I see.
So I would have to do something like this (assuming back up of data
already done)
1) Format hard drive
2) reinstall XP, driver and all updates (any software I choose (ie
office))
3) install True image
4) Create image using True Image (on DVD or to external).

The should do it, right?  Then when I choose to reformat again, I can
simply:
1) reformat hard drive
2) insert bootable DVD (create by True image) or attach external hard
drive with back up image?

On track (ish)?

Well, not exactly...

Let's say, using your example, you have used the ATI program to backup your
system by creating a disk image of the system and storing that disk image
onto
your USB external HDD.

Now your day-to-day working internal HDD, your "source" HDD, becomes
defective and unbootable. Obviously the ATI program that you had installed
on that HDD is "gone with the wind".

So you install a new HDD - it need not be partitioned/formatted since that
will be taken care of through the disk-cloning operation involving cloning
the contents of the USBEHD to the new HDD. To do this you would simply boot
to the "Startup Disk" CD (what Acronis calls its "Bootable Rescue Media")
inserted in the USBEHD and proceed with the disk-cloning operation.
Anna

Mmm, I'm getting lost (easy to do). What do I do?

My objective is simply to save the future hassle of reinstalling the
OS and all it's updates, whenever I reformat my Hard drive. What
steps would be required? If not too much trouble to ask (using True
Image).

 

[Nonny]

Let's say, using your example, you have used the ATI program to backup your
system by creating a disk image of the system and storing that disk image
onto your USB external HDD.

Now your day-to-day working internal HDD, your "source" HDD, becomes
defective and unbootable. Obviously the ATI program that you had installed
on that HDD is "gone with the wind".

So you install a new HDD - it need not be partitioned/formatted since that
will be taken care of through the disk-cloning operation involving cloning
the contents of the USBEHD to the new HDD. To do this you would simply boot
to the "Startup Disk" CD (what Acronis calls its "Bootable Rescue Media")
inserted in the USBEHD and proceed with the disk-cloning operation.

Yup.

Once the image has been restored to the new HD, everything - including
Acronis True Image - is there, ready to use.

 

[Xandros]

Go here www.acronis.com

 

[Discoduck]

x-no-archive:

Yup.

Once the image has been restored to the new HD, everything - including
Acronis True Image - is there, ready to use.

But how will the PC read the external HD or DVD if no OS is there?
I'm seeing it as a "chicken/egg" thing.

 

[Nonny]

But how will the PC read the external HD or DVD if no OS is there?
I'm seeing it as a "chicken/egg" thing.

You create a bootable CD using Acronis True Image. That bootable CD
has a full working linux version of Acronis True Image.

You merely boot to the CD and do what you want to do. You can create
images or clones with it and you can restore from previously created
images or clones.

Simple enough?

 

[Discoduck]

x-no-archive:

You create a bootable CD using Acronis True Image.  That bootable CD
has a full working linux version of Acronis True Image.

You merely boot to the CD and do what you want to do. You can create
images or clones with it and you can restore from previously created
images or clones.

Simple enough?

I think so. Only way to be sure is to try and experiment.
Thanks to you all.

 

[Nonny]

x-no-archive:


I think so. Only way to be sure is to try and experiment.
Thanks to you all.

Note that you don't need to use the CD except in the case where your
system disk is fried. You CAN use it, but you don't have to.

If you don't have Acronis True Image, get it from Newegg.com.

Lowest price that I know of and free shipping.

 

[Lil' Dave]

x-no-archive:

I should be a little more specific. I think it is easy to create an
image of the hard drive (to an external). But how would you mount
that image BACK onto your hard drive, given in theory the operating
system and the program used to create the image, will be wiped clean
through formatting?

Discoduck:
The disk-imaging program, e.g., Acronis True Image, allows one to create a
"Startup Disk" - in effect a bootable CD that contains the disk-imaging
program. So the user would use that media in the situation you referred
to.
Anna

I see.
So I would have to do something like this (assuming back up of data
already done)
1) Format hard drive
2) reinstall XP, driver and all updates (any software I choose (ie
office))
3) install True image
4) Create image using True Image (on DVD or to external).

The should do it, right? Then when I choose to reformat again, I can
simply:
1) reformat hard drive
2) insert bootable DVD (create by True image) or attach external hard
drive with back up image?

On track (ish)?

------------

If you use the NTFS file system, XP install will create and format such a
partition for you. No separate user interaction specifically formatting
such a partition is needed. Will do FAT32, but, limited to 32GB in size.

No formatting is needed. Its a waste of time. The restoration will wipe
the old partition, and create a new one ready to use.

The boot CD with the imaging software and the media with the image file are
both needed for restoration of the windows partiton.

 

[Anna]

"Disk cloning", or "restoring the backup image"??? I think it's called
the latter (if imaging was originally used, as he said), but the end
result may be the same.

Bill:
Yes, you're absolutely correct. I mistakenly used the term "disk cloning" (I
suppose in the generic sense re this issue) instead of the correct
terminology as you point out, i.e., restoring the disk image.

Apparently the OP ("Discoduck") is having some difficulty grasping this
concept judging from his/her subsequent posts. Is there some way I could
have made this clearer to him/her? (Actually now that I think about it I do
have some step-by-step instructions that I previously prepared on this topic
when we were working with the ATI versions 9 & 10. I would guess they're
relevant to the latest version 11 as well). Anyway, I'll post them if the
OP, or anyone else is interested.
Anna
Anna

 

[Discoduck]

Bill:
Yes, you're absolutely correct. I mistakenly used the term "disk cloning" (I
suppose in the generic sense re this issue) instead of the correct
terminology as you point out, i.e., restoring the disk image.

Apparently the OP ("Discoduck") is having some difficulty grasping this
concept judging from his/her subsequent posts. Is there some way I could
have made this clearer to him/her? (Actually now that I think about it I do
have some step-by-step instructions that I previously prepared on this topic
when we were working with the ATI versions 9 & 10. I would guess they're
relevant to the latest version 11 as well). Anyway, I'll post them if the
OP, or anyone else is interested.
Anna
Anna- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Basically what I am imagining, is after I reformat (the first time)
and install XP and all updates, I must install True image. THEN
create the backup image. Correct?

 

[Anna]

Basically what I am imagining, is after I reformat (the first time)
and install XP and all updates, I must install True image. THEN
create the backup image. Correct?

Yes, after you fresh install the XP OS, updates, and your programs,
including the Acronis True Image program, you are free to use the ATI
program to create a disk image of your system and presumably store that
image on your USBEHD.
Anna

 

[Bill in Co.]

Basically what I am imagining, is after I reformat (the first time)
and install XP and all updates, I must install True Image. THEN
create the backup image. Correct?

Well, if I read this right, yes. After you get your system set up the way
you want it to be, install True Image (or you could have install True Image
a bit earlier, but just don't use it yet), and then create a backup image on
the other drive (the USB external).

Then if and when it comes time, you can restore that backup image on the
external drive back to your main source drive, assuming the need arose to do
that.

That is when you would run True Image, either directly from your computer,
or, alternatively, boot up on the True Image CD (assuming you bought the
CD - otherwise you can make one - but I think it's simpler to just buy the
boxed version of True Image, which is already on a bootable CD)