TRUE system backup before format?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ion Control
  • Start date Start date
I

Ion Control

I currently have a Raid 1+o set-up (on two HDD's using INtel Matrix
Storage) that I'm not happy with. Seeing as h ow I just resintalled,
I'd like to not have to do it again. Can I run a full backup using
Microsoft's backup utility and then restore using "Automated System
Recovery" (I assume) after I've delted the RAID array and gone back to
having non-RAID?

If so, do I need to be aware of anything?
If not, how would you suggest I do this without having to reinstall? I
will be placing the backup on a 160 Gb external HDD (USB 2.0).

TIA
 
I currently have a Raid 1+o set-up (on two HDD's using INtel Matrix
Storage) that I'm not happy with. Seeing as h ow I just resintalled,
I'd like to not have to do it again. Can I run a full backup using
Microsoft's backup utility and then restore using "Automated System
Recovery" (I assume) after I've delted the RAID array and gone back to
having non-RAID?

If so, do I need to be aware of anything?
If not, how would you suggest I do this without having to reinstall? I
will be placing the backup on a 160 Gb external HDD (USB 2.0).

TIA
Click to expand...

MS Backup utility does not do a full backup.
 
What does it leave out (aside from temp files and files that are locked
and open)?
 
Ion Control said:
I currently have a Raid 1+o set-up (on two HDD's using INtel Matrix
Storage) that I'm not happy with. Seeing as h ow I just resintalled,
I'd like to not have to do it again. Can I run a full backup using
Microsoft's backup utility and then restore using "Automated System
Recovery" (I assume) after I've delted the RAID array and gone back to
having non-RAID?

If so, do I need to be aware of anything?
If not, how would you suggest I do this without having to reinstall? I
will be placing the backup on a 160 Gb external HDD (USB 2.0).

TIA
Click to expand...


The Automated System Recovery Backup backs up ONLY system files. All of you
documents and settings, music, or anything else created by you will not be
backed up with an ASR.

You would have to perform an ASR with a data backup and ntbackup is quite
capable of both. Alternatively, you can do an ASR with ntbackup.exe and use
Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to save your documents and settings to a
file. After loading Windows XP on the non-raid drive, Restore the ASR and
use the FSTW to reload your documents and settings.

carl
 
Yves said:
MS Backup utility does not do a full backup.
Click to expand...

I have done many bare metal restores of servers and workstations with win2k,
XP, and 2003 using ntbackup. They all worked with no lost data or programs.
Ntbackup athough cumbersome and hard to learn is one of the most powerful
backup programs available. I don't recommend it for most use because it is
very hard to learn. It is very easy to think you have a good backup when you
don't. Once learned however it is very powerful and certainly can be used to
do full backups.

Kerry
 
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