System Images - General Plan

[Bear]

This is a general plan to manage system images. For recommended programs
on this subject and more detail, visit the BearWare Security page.

Pristine Image: This image is taken of a freshly restored system with
fresh installs of all programs of the latest version and all Microsoft
updates. Always save this image.

Secondary Pristine Image: Use your pristine image until you decide to
make a permanent system change and/or enough Microsoft system updates
have happened. Some time will have passed and malware may have crept
into your system without your knowledge. At this point, reload your
pristine image and allow the Microsoft updates and install the permanent
changes you have decided to make, then make a new image which is now the
secondary pristine image. (Always keep your original pristine Image as a
last stand backup.)

Use your secondary pristine image until you decide to make another
permanent system change and/or enough Microsoft system updates have
happened. Some time will have passed and malware may have crept into
your system without your knowledge. At this point, reload your secondary
pristine image and allow the Microsoft updates and install the permanent
changes, then make a new image which is now the third level of your
pristine image.

Never delete your original pristine image. I recommend keeping at least
three levels of images. The second and third levels will be replaced in
sequence by the next time you decide to make another permanent system
change and/or enough Microsoft system updates have happened. When that
time comes, reload your third pristine image, make your updates and
delete the second pristine image. This makes the fourth pristine image
become the third, and the third pristine image becomes the second.

This technique helps prevent making a dirty image. If you ever discover
you have a dirty image, restore your original pristine image and start
over. You can mount your potentially dirty images for a record of the
programs you installed since making the pristine image and reload all of
those programs and allow all of the Microsoft updates to happen on your
original pristine image. Repeat the process with that. Remember, never
delete the original pristine image or you will have to do a full system
restore all over which takes a lot of time.

Comments or suggestion requested.

 

[FromTheRafters]

This is a general plan to manage system images. For recommended programs
on this subject and more detail, visit the BearWare Security page.

Pristine Image: This image is taken of a freshly restored system with
fresh installs of all programs of the latest version and all Microsoft
updates. Always save this image.

Secondary Pristine Image: Use your pristine image until you decide to
make a permanent system change and/or enough Microsoft system updates
have happened. Some time will have passed and malware may have crept
into your system without your knowledge. At this point, reload your
pristine image and allow the Microsoft updates and install the permanent
changes you have decided to make, then make a new image which is now the
secondary pristine image. (Always keep your original pristine Image as a
last stand backup.)

Use your secondary pristine image until you decide to make another
permanent system change and/or enough Microsoft system updates have
happened. Some time will have passed and malware may have crept into
your system without your knowledge. At this point, reload your secondary
pristine image and allow the Microsoft updates and install the permanent
changes, then make a new image which is now the third level of your
pristine image.

Never delete your original pristine image. I recommend keeping at least
three levels of images. The second and third levels will be replaced in
sequence by the next time you decide to make another permanent system
change and/or enough Microsoft system updates have happened. When that
time comes, reload your third pristine image, make your updates and
delete the second pristine image. This makes the fourth pristine image
become the third, and the third pristine image becomes the second.

This technique helps prevent making a dirty image. If you ever discover
you have a dirty image, restore your original pristine image and start
over. You can mount your potentially dirty images for a record of the
programs you installed since making the pristine image and reload all of
those programs and allow all of the Microsoft updates to happen on your
original pristine image. Repeat the process with that. Remember, never
delete the original pristine image or you will have to do a full system
restore all over which takes a lot of time.

Comments or suggestion requested.

It looks good to me, but it really doesn't have much to do with viruses.
It is a good plan for everyone in case of a data disaster. Some may even
go further (I'm sure you did) and suggest diversity of method, media,
and physical location.

 

[Bear]

It looks good to me, but it really doesn't have much to do with viruses.
It is a good plan for everyone in case of a data disaster. Some may even
go further (I'm sure you did) and suggest diversity of method, media,
and physical location.

I think it has everything to do with viruses. Of course, that is just my
opinion. Virus infections need action. IMO again, the best action is to
restore a good image if such happens...any malware for that matter.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Bear]

Malware is only one fraction of the overarching concept of disater
recvovery which backups and imaging are a mitigation.

Very true. Considering the reply was speaking as if Imaging was
off-topic for this group...I thought it best to keep it simple.

 

[Buffalo]

This is a general plan to manage system images. For recommended
programs on this subject and more detail, visit the BearWare Security
page.

Pristine Image: This image is taken of a freshly restored system with
fresh installs of all programs of the latest version and all Microsoft
updates. Always save this image.

Secondary Pristine Image: Use your pristine image until you decide to
make a permanent system change and/or enough Microsoft system updates
have happened. Some time will have passed and malware may have crept
into your system without your knowledge. At this point, reload your
pristine image and allow the Microsoft updates and install the
permanent changes you have decided to make, then make a new image
which is now the secondary pristine image. (Always keep your original
pristine Image as a last stand backup.)

Use your secondary pristine image until you decide to make another
permanent system change and/or enough Microsoft system updates have
happened. Some time will have passed and malware may have crept into
your system without your knowledge. At this point, reload your
secondary pristine image and allow the Microsoft updates and install
the permanent changes, then make a new image which is now the third
level of your pristine image.

Never delete your original pristine image. I recommend keeping at
least three levels of images. The second and third levels will be
replaced in sequence by the next time you decide to make another
permanent system change and/or enough Microsoft system updates have
happened. When that time comes, reload your third pristine image,
make your updates and delete the second pristine image. This makes
the fourth pristine image become the third, and the third pristine
image becomes the second.

This technique helps prevent making a dirty image. If you ever
discover you have a dirty image, restore your original pristine image
and start over. You can mount your potentially dirty images for a
record of the programs you installed since making the pristine image
and reload all of those programs and allow all of the Microsoft
updates to happen on your original pristine image. Repeat the process
with that. Remember, never delete the original pristine image or you
will have to do a full system restore all over which takes a lot of
time.

Comments or suggestion requested.

If I back up my dual boot PC (Win98SE - FAT32,and Win2000ProSP4 - NTFS) onto
an external HDD , what should I format the external HDD to, NTFS or FAT32 ?
Thanks,
Buffalo

 

[Bear]

If I back up my dual boot PC (Win98SE - FAT32,and Win2000ProSP4 - NTFS) onto
an external HDD , what should I format the external HDD to, NTFS or FAT32 ?
Thanks,
Buffalo

NTFS. The system doesn't care what format data is stored in, but FAT32
is limited to 32GB files.

 

[G. Morgan]

This is a general plan to manage system images. For recommended programs
on this subject and more detail, visit the BearWare Security page.

Why are you multi-posting this instead of x-posting?

 

[Buffalo]

NTFS. The system doesn't care what format data is stored in, but FAT32
is limited to 32GB files.

Thanks for the confirmation.
Buffalo

 

[Bear]

Why are you multi-posting this instead of x-posting?

After thoughts...

 

[FromTheRafters]

Very true. Considering the reply was speaking as if Imaging was
off-topic for this group...I thought it best to keep it simple.

Some disasters cannot be avoided, for them you need a good recovery or
restore plan. Malware can be disastrous, but is largely avoidable.
Malware can insinuate itself into your good backup scheme, and is *best*
avoided.

If having a good backup plan gives the user enough confidence to make
bad decisions, they may be better served by learning some avoidance
techniques.

General security issues are not off-topic here, it's basically a
computer security group with 'anti-virus' in its name.

 

[Bear]

Some disasters cannot be avoided, for them you need a good recovery or
restore plan. Malware can be disastrous, but is largely avoidable.
Malware can insinuate itself into your good backup scheme, and is *best*
avoided.

If having a good backup plan gives the user enough confidence to make
bad decisions, they may be better served by learning some avoidance
techniques.

General security issues are not off-topic here, it's basically a
computer security group with 'anti-virus' in its name.

My Comprehensive Security Plan covers of what you speak. I do not
profess only recovery...such would be foolish. The reality is however,
one can profess all he wants but users rarely get that involved. If they
did, security wouldn't be a business...or at the least not as big.

The quickest way for users to become self reliant is with imaging. That
IMO is the first thing they should learn and do. Then expand their
knowledge about the rest though that takes a lot of time, experience and
effort.

 

[Dustin]

NTFS. The system doesn't care what format data is stored in, but
FAT32 is limited to 32GB files.

Fat32 is limited to 4gig files minus one byte. I don't know where you got
32gigs from...

 

[Bear]

Fat32 is limited to 4gig files minus one byte. I don't know where you got
32gigs from...

My bad, your right.

 

[Buffalo]

My bad, your right.

Thanks anyways, Bear.
I knew what you meant.
Buffalo

 

[Dustin]

From: "Dustin" <[email protected]>

| |
|
| Fat32 is limited to 4gig files minus one byte. I don't know where
| you got 32gigs from...
|

Good catch. The max file size is 4GB.

Any drive that is less than 32GB will be formatted in FAT32 by
Windows.

Any drive >=32GB will be formatted NTFS by Windows.

You can elect to format a 32gig or better to fat32 if you'd prefer, but
it's not efficient then.

 

[Dustin]

From: "Dustin" <[email protected]>

| |
|
| You can elect to format a 32gig or better to fat32 if you'd prefer,
| but it's not efficient then.
|

What is it the cluster size that keeps doubling as the size if the
drive increases under FAT32 ?
yes.

Thus under FAT32 as the size of the partition increases, a 1 byte
file then can consume; 4KB, 8KB, 16KB, 32KB, 64KB, etc.

Sadly, yes.

NTFS stays pretty much constant at 4KB.

Unless you increase it. NTFS will store very small files in an
extended area. It's just so much better than FAT ever was.