Transfer HDD contents while using

[dcdon]

This may seem silly, but... here goes.

Can one transfer all of the contents of the HDD to an online source, while using that machine?

Maybe a Full Backup, but if one formatted afterward and Clean Installed, how could the backup be accessed?
While in use, the total contents couldn't be transferred?
Installing the HDD in another computer as Slave would allow all files to be transferred to the Primary, or sequentially zipped and burned to CD's, or DVD's, or transferred to online storage. Yes, but the system settings, preferences of apps., and OS installation would be required to be setup. In short one would necessarily be required to establish all of these one at a time.

I am rambling. Can't keep up with all of my train of thought, and I hope you get the picture.

thanks,
don

 

[Yves Leclerc]

NO! Several file would be "opened" for Windows XP to be working correctly
and the on-line backup client may not be able to handle the Windows file
locks.

What exactly are you trying to do??


This may seem silly, but... here goes.

Can one transfer all of the contents of the HDD to an online source, while
using that machine?

Maybe a Full Backup, but if one formatted afterward and Clean Installed, how
could the backup be accessed?
While in use, the total contents couldn't be transferred?
Installing the HDD in another computer as Slave would allow all files to be
transferred to the Primary, or sequentially zipped and burned to CD's, or
DVD's, or transferred to online storage. Yes, but the system settings,
preferences of apps., and OS installation would be required to be setup. In
short one would necessarily be required to establish all of these one at a
time.

I am rambling. Can't keep up with all of my train of thought, and I hope you
get the picture.

thanks,
don

 

[purplehaz]

I think what your getting at is creating a image of the drive. There are
programs that create an image of the drive including all system files and
settings in use. This image holds all info on the drive including windows
and can then be restored in the event of a serious crash usually by using a
boot cd provided with the program. Singles files can be extracted from the
image if needed as well. Drive Image and True Image are two of the better
ones.

 

[CWatters]

This may seem silly, but... here goes.

Can one transfer all of the contents of the HDD to an online source, while
using that machine?

That's a good question. The answer is yes BUT it depends what program you
use and isn't recommended. Programs like Drive Image from PowerQuest backup
on a sector by sector basis so they aren't trying to "open" files that are
locked by the filing system. If you use DI to backup to an external drive
and then your internal one fails...you replace the faulty drive then boot up
using "Power Quest Recovery Environment" (PQRE) and use DI to restore the
backup. Then reboot into your old world.

I schedule a full backup to an external USB 2.0 drive every night and
configure DI to split the image into 600MByte chunks. That way if I had a
problem restoring using the PQRE I could always move the image about on CD
or DVD using another computer or a temporary install of the OS on the new
drive.

Colin (not an MVP)

 

[dcdon]

Hi Yves,

Thank you for your input.
I was curious.
Your answer is correct, but there is more than one way to skin a cat.

But we're not working on felines.
One thing I might add is that, I have had some hardware or major failure.

In that case, I didn't have a second computer, so the shop transferred the entire contents to one folder of a new HDD, along with a clean install. They knew that I could do the install, so just charged for the HDD, and installing it.

BTW, the culprit had to do with my system being completely SCSI at the time. It was a great system at the time, because it acted like NT ( a virtual computer with each app. running). Could work in 5-10 different apps. at one time and print while working without fear of any freeze.

thanks again,
don
==========

NO! Several file would be "opened" for Windows XP to be working correctly
and the on-line backup client may not be able to handle the Windows file
locks.

What exactly are you trying to do??


This may seem silly, but... here goes.

Can one transfer all of the contents of the HDD to an online source, while
using that machine?

Maybe a Full Backup, but if one formatted afterward and Clean Installed, how
could the backup be accessed?
While in use, the total contents couldn't be transferred?
Installing the HDD in another computer as Slave would allow all files to be
transferred to the Primary, or sequentially zipped and burned to CD's, or
DVD's, or transferred to online storage. Yes, but the system settings,
preferences of apps., and OS installation would be required to be setup. In
short one would necessarily be required to establish all of these one at a
time.

I am rambling. Can't keep up with all of my train of thought, and I hope you
get the picture.

thanks,
don

 

[dcdon]

Hi Colin,

That makes me think there must be an easy way to create an OS that has three installs and/or at least one continuing ISO image, therefore almost no problems with created challenges ( virus, hardware failure, inadvertent deletions, power failures, etc.). And online storage of data would not require physically needing a backup. And I'll bet some smart person could figure out how to put it right back on the PC without very much hassle at all. (With or without hardware being replaced)

I like your ideas about DI and Ghost. Someone is going to furnish that free generically with a subscription to storage on their bulk storage servers.

Thank you again for your help and input.

friendly,
don
===========

This may seem silly, but... here goes.

Can one transfer all of the contents of the HDD to an online source, while
using that machine?

That's a good question. The answer is yes BUT it depends what program you
use and isn't recommended. Programs like Drive Image from PowerQuest backup
on a sector by sector basis so they aren't trying to "open" files that are
locked by the filing system. If you use DI to backup to an external drive
and then your internal one fails...you replace the faulty drive then boot up
using "Power Quest Recovery Environment" (PQRE) and use DI to restore the
backup. Then reboot into your old world.

I schedule a full backup to an external USB 2.0 drive every night and
configure DI to split the image into 600MByte chunks. That way if I had a
problem restoring using the PQRE I could always move the image about on CD
or DVD using another computer or a temporary install of the OS on the new
drive.

Colin (not an MVP)

 

[dcdon]

Hi purplehaz,

Thank you . I was curious what the thoughts were on this seemingly huge problem. Most novices have little capability to keep up with all forms of continuing progress in the face of problems caused by viruses, hardware failures, and countless other challenges.

I know there has to be some smart person out there that doesn't want to be Mr. Gates to make it simple to work without fear of being at the mercy of all of this, thus my thoughts.

Thank you for your comments. We are in the hunt and working very hard to do this.

friendly,
don
============

I think what your getting at is creating a image of the drive. There are
programs that create an image of the drive including all system files and
settings in use. This image holds all info on the drive including windows
and can then be restored in the event of a serious crash usually by using a
boot cd provided with the program. Singles files can be extracted from the
image if needed as well. Drive Image and True Image are two of the better
ones.

 

[purplehaz]

You're welcome.

Hi purplehaz,

Thank you . I was curious what the thoughts were on this seemingly
huge problem. Most novices have little capability to keep up with all
forms of continuing progress in the face of problems caused by
viruses, hardware failures, and countless other challenges.

I know there has to be some smart person out there that doesn't want
to be Mr. Gates to make it simple to work without fear of being at
the mercy of all of this, thus my thoughts.

Thank you for your comments. We are in the hunt and working very hard
to do this.

friendly,
don
============

I think what your getting at is creating a image of the drive. There
are
programs that create an image of the drive including all system files
and
settings in use. This image holds all info on the drive including
windows
and can then be restored in the event of a serious crash usually by
using a
boot cd provided with the program. Singles files can be extracted
from the
image if needed as well. Drive Image and True Image are two of the
better
ones.

 

[CWatters]

If you have abig budget, take a look at PowerQuest's "v2iprotector". If I
understand it correctly v2iP seems to be capable of monitoring sectors as
they are changed and backing up those sectors in real time. For corporate
use at a corporate price .

Colin


Hi Colin,

That makes me think there must be an easy way to create an OS that has three
installs and/or at least one continuing ISO image, therefore almost no
problems with created challenges ( virus, hardware failure, inadvertent
deletions, power failures, etc.). And online storage of data would not
require physically needing a backup. And I'll bet some smart person could
figure out how to put it right back on the PC without very much hassle at
all. (With or without hardware being replaced)

I like your ideas about DI and Ghost. Someone is going to furnish that free
generically with a subscription to storage on their bulk storage servers.

Thank you again for your help and input.

friendly,
don
===========

This may seem silly, but... here goes.

Can one transfer all of the contents of the HDD to an online source, while
using that machine?

That's a good question. The answer is yes BUT it depends what program you
use and isn't recommended. Programs like Drive Image from PowerQuest backup
on a sector by sector basis so they aren't trying to "open" files that are
locked by the filing system. If you use DI to backup to an external drive
and then your internal one fails...you replace the faulty drive then boot up
using "Power Quest Recovery Environment" (PQRE) and use DI to restore the
backup. Then reboot into your old world.

I schedule a full backup to an external USB 2.0 drive every night and
configure DI to split the image into 600MByte chunks. That way if I had a
problem restoring using the PQRE I could always move the image about on CD
or DVD using another computer or a temporary install of the OS on the new
drive.

Colin (not an MVP)