Windows (and GUI) backup problems?

H

howard schwartz

I noticed, again, when looking at an installation of windows 2000 that it
provides its own backup software. Without checking, am I correct that
you can only restore backups made from such software, if you have
(in this case) a windows 2000 OS running in good working order,
including the backup software?

This fact makes this kind of software fairly useless for restoring
an OS, if a major problem or virus damages the OS itself, no?
You would need the OS to work, in order to restore a last good
working version of the OS.

This is a particular problem for win 2000 and XP, since there is no
underlying command line OS like dos that can be used to run
a restore program. Or does, windows 2000 and and XP restore floppies
allow one to run their restore program somehow?
 
W

Wayne D

I noticed, again, when looking at an installation of windows 2000 that it
provides its own backup software. Without checking, am I correct that
you can only restore backups made from such software, if you have
(in this case) a windows 2000 OS running in good working order,
including the backup software?

This fact makes this kind of software fairly useless for restoring
an OS, if a major problem or virus damages the OS itself, no?
You would need the OS to work, in order to restore a last good
working version of the OS.

This is a particular problem for win 2000 and XP, since there is no
underlying command line OS like dos that can be used to run
a restore program. Or does, windows 2000 and and XP restore floppies
allow one to run their restore program somehow?

Point #1: There is a recover console that you can either install on your
hard drive or run from the install CD to recover the Windows operating
system. In this process, there is no guarantee that any of the installed
software will work after the recovery console has been run. There is no
guarantee that even Windows will run!!

Point #2: The data backup is just that, data backup!! It's data that
you have copied from some program that you can put back into a fully
operational, same version [ Yes, people forget about the version and
sometimes patched version as well!! ] and correctly functioning program
so you can use that backed up data again.

Point #3: Hardware malfunctions that can stop the computer dead ex: Hard
drive failure, motherboard failure, CPU, memory, power flicker [ Pease
buy a UPS ] and of course Gremlins can all kill your your Windows
installation!!

Point #4: In the strictest sense, a backup program is ONLY responsible
for data backup. If the backup program is saving your selected data, IT
IS DOING IT'S JOB. You will have that word document, excel file, email
config file, whatever you have saved; as long as that storage media has
also not failed. An example of where the backup storage media can fail
is when someone is using a second hard drive in the same computer for
their backups. If the power supply blows, it usually takes everything
out, everything!!!!!!

Point #5: If you want to save some time in the reinstallation of
Windows, you will have to find a method of saving the whole partition
where Windows is installed which would also include the programs that you
are using. [ Image program ]

And the real kicker [ Your love this ] Point #6: EVEN, if you have a
Windows 2K or XP partitions saved by some image program, and you
motherboard caused the CRASH, the windows partition may not run on a new
motherboard!!!! This is very likely with Win2K and XP. The reason you
may ask. Well, what else, security!!! This is Microsoft's way to make
sure that you don't take your nicely saved Windows partition and put it
on a number of different kinds of computers!!!. If you can find the same
motherboard that Windows was installed on, then the saved image should
run.

Point #7: BOTTOM LINE: Backup your data and get if off the computer!!
Backup your Windows partition. Do it on a regular bases and you will be
able to recover from a computer crash much, much, much faster and with
the knowledge that " all is not lost "

Regards

Wayne
 

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