*** Win XP Pro Back Up ***

[Bill Lane]

Hi All:

I would like to know if I can copy my OS / all of my C:/ drive to a USB external hard drive (Clone) that I can use a back up if I have a problem in the future.

Both hard drives are 80GB WD, The USB drive is formatted (C:/s) and empty.

I would like to do it without having to open the computer and installing the second hard drive as a slave, I hope it can be done as an external USB hard drive

I hope it can be done without having to buy software to do it. Unless it's FREE :-)

I would like step by step instructions if it can be done.

All input will be appreciated, and thanks ahead of time.

Bill Lane

[Negeva]

Guess you're after something like Acronis TrueImage (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/). There are some freeware and open source imaging tools out there but I've not had much luck with them.

A few weeks back a computer magazine gave a way a 'free' copy of Paragon. Maybe there is a PC magazine doing the same near you...

[glc]

This is why we push Apricorn external housings so much here. They come with an OEM version of Acronis.

[Negeva]

This is why we push Apricorn external housings so much here. They come with an OEM version of Acronis.

Never heard of them in the UK. I got my first taste of Acronis off a PC magazine back in the 90s. It's amazing what some of these magazines give away nowadays.

[glc]

Unfortunately, Apricorn does not do business in the UK.

[tmathews]

I use DriveImageXML ( http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm ; Download link is near the bottom) for full backups of my computers to a USB external drive. The interface is pretty self-explanatory but the web page also links to a couple of tutorials.

For restoring an image, follow the tutorial EXACTLY: create the BartPE disk, etc. I tried restoring an image of my boot drive onto a new disk attached to a USB adapter and the result wasn't bootable. Following the recipe in the tutorial saved me from having to figure out what I was doing wrong. If you only have one computer, create the BartPE disk and keep it someplace safe so you'll be ready to restore from a backup if you have to.

If you're backing up any sensitive content to an external drive, you might also consider encryption so your data aren't exposed if the drive is stolen or has to be returned under warranty. TrueCrypt ( http://www.truecrypt.org ) is free and works well. I create a TrueCrypt container big enough to hold the content I'm backing up (plus maybe 10% as the TrueCrypt size is measured differently than what Windows reports as Used Space) then mount it as a drive and back up into that. Just don't forget your password or your backup is effectively gone.

[Bill Lane]

Hi tmathews:

First I want to thank everyone for the input.

I downloaded the Drive Image XML and the PE Builder v3.1.10a - self-installing package to create a bootable CD.

This already looks a little complicated to me, but I'm going to give it a try.

I guess the tutorial is in the Drive Image XML .

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While I was waiting for a response, I tried a program called Macrium Reflect from
http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloads/cloning_software_software/

It was real easy to use, but when I looked at hard drive that I installed the backup all it showed was the following...

Folder with this name 228190FF8C83C01F-00-00

I was hoping I would see all my files just like they look in my C:/ drive.

I guess it's compressed or encrypted.

Anyway, I have another empty USB hard drive so I give this a try, and I'll let you know how I make out.

[glc]

It's easier to build the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows. It uses BartPE and it has Drive Image XML incorporated.

[Bill Lane]

Hi All:

I'm going to have to hold off on this backup project till I get another problem solved.

I'll make a new post titled *** Computer Reboots For No Reason ***

Bill Lane

[Bill Lane]

Okay I'm back, I think.

Trying to use the PE Builder v3.1.10a, I must be doing something wrong. It wants to keep building an iso image. See picture ...
http://www.fotothing.com/photos/3b2/3b297508e0f708b66992472c020cbba1.jpg?ts=1219888752

Then I tried to direct it to the DVDRW, but it says I need to format the disk. See picture ...

http://www.fotothing.com/photos/10a/10aa0d45fd41e18491f7e4030b6a8aa2.jpg?ts=1219888916

Let me know where I'm going wrong.

[mickzer]

Bill, I think you're supposed to be making an .ISO file and then burning that as an image file.(which an .ISO file really is)
You'll need to use Nero or something like it to burn an image file.

mickzer.

[glc]

Exactly - you have to let it create the iso. Don't directly burn it. Once you have the iso, then you have to use software that's capable of burning a CD from an iso. Use a standard CD-R, not a DVD or a RW.

[Bill Lane]

Okay,

I had to move the pebuild.iso to another computer that has a CD-R in it.

I installed Nero v6 and upgraded it to Nero 6.6.1.15a, Put a new CD-R disk in and clicked Burn Image to Disk.

Well it said that it did it, but I don't see anything on the disk.

Then with another disk I click Make a Bootable CD, it said that it did it, but again, I don't see anything on the disk.

The computer that I used to make these two disks is running Windows 98

I'm at a lose, I'm sure I'm doing something wrong.

[glc]

Are you sure you set Nero to record to the CD drive and not the "Image Recorder"?

[Bill Lane]

Well I couldn't find any option to record to the CD drive.

Nothing I try works, I give up for right now, or untill I can figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks you all for your help !!!

[glc]

You are probably using an OEM version of Nero that is for a different drive.

Here is a freebie that will do what you need.

http://www.imgburn.com/

[Bill Lane]

Hi glc:

I like the Express Burn a lot better than Nero, but I still can't burn that iso image to the disk.

I decided to try and burn some audio tracks to my DVDRW with Win Media Player 11, it work great before, but not now, don't know what's wrong. Both my DVDRW and DVD read disk okay.

It keeps telling me to put a disk in, even when I put in a new disk.

Maybe there is a problem with the Verbatim CD-R CD-Recordable disks 1x-52x, 80 Min, 700MB ?

I was using these disks on the other computer also. It used to burm audio tracks to the CDRW that's in it, but not now.

What disks do you recommend?

[shadowpr]

I haven't had problems with Verbatim disks before. You might just have a bad batch.

Or your drives might be dying.

[Bill Lane]

Hi shadowpr:

I guess a bad batch is posible, as I find it hard to believe that all four CD Roms / DVD Roms went bad.

I'll get new disks, what do you recommend?

Tell me of the following units, which one should I be using ...

In computer A Win98, Creative CD820E.1v78b 908 and LITE-ON LTR-511

In Computer B WinXP Pro, Liteon DVD-Rom LTD 163 and LITE-ON DVDRW-SHW-160P65

The Nero Software gives these options ...

Make a Data CD, Make a Data DVD, Make a Audio & Data CD, Make a Bootable CD.

Which should I be using?

The Express Burn gives these options ...

Copy Disk, Audio CD, Data CD, Data DVD, Video DVD, Data Blur-ray, Data HD-DVD.

Which of these options should I use?

Also, PE Builder made this pebuild.iso, and Nero made this ISO1.nrb = Nero Data Boot Disk.

Which of these two should I be trying to burn to a disk?

Yes glc, the Nero software is an OEM Suite, but I downloaded the Nero update, nero.6.6.1.15a

[glc]

NONE of those options - you choose Disk Image or Saved Project. You then browse to the original .iso. If you do not have that option, that means that your OEM Nero will not accept the burner and all you are using is the image recorder - which all it can do is create a .nrg or .nrb file on the hard drive. Useless to you.

It does not matter whether you upgrade the OEM to 6.6 whatever - it's still keyed to the burner it belongs to!

Download and install Imgburn.

EDIT: Picture to follow shortly.

[Bill Lane]

Well today I was able to write the iso image to a disk ( BartPE ) with the Imgburn software, it even played a tune when it finished. I had to use the DVDRW drive to do this in WinXP Pro.

And I used a Memorex CD-R 52x, 700MB, 80 Min. disk

When I click on the drive nothing happens, it don't show anything, I guess you can't see the files it wrote to the disk.

Where do I go from here? Is there a way to test this disk to see if it's going to work?

And if it test ok, the what?

P.S. While waiting for a responce I decided to set my bios to boot from the CD-Rom and reboot.

The BartPE program started and it had a whole bunch of options that I didn't know how to answer.

Anyway the disk works, but I don't know what to do from here on.

Also, I keep getting the BLUE Screen with the BUGCODE USB, even though I reset the Error Reporting back.

I'm sure I need to get this problem fixed before I make a backup of my system.

[glc]

As I told you in another thread, you need to start pulling USB devices. I don't recalll any followups to my last suggestions. Your DSL *MUST* be switched over to Ethernet. You still haven't told me whether your computer has an onboard Ethernet adapter - if it's good enough to run XP I'm sure it does. Please continue in that other thread.

[MikeMoss]

Hi

I use Norton Ghost.

It will restore a back up from an external drive when booting from your CD so you do not need to access the operating system at all.

Has saved me many times and lets my sleep a lot better as well. LOL

Mike

[Bill Lane]

Okay I'm back, but I still need to clear up a problem before going on with the backup program.

I have a BartPE Boot disk, and it boots up just fine, but I don't know what to do from there.

Anyway like I said above, I have a problem with the Volume Control, the icon next to the clock is gone, I have to open Control Panel and go to Sounds and Audio Devices to Mute, to unmute, raise or lower the volume, I have the box checked that says "Place Volume Icon On The Taskbar", but it don't work.

Any ideas how to get it placed there? I use it a lot.

Also my monitor went bad, it went out of focus, so I ordered a new 19" flat screen LCD, should be here Tuesday. What else is going to go south?

[glc]

Honestly, I'd use something more user friendly than Bart PE to do this. This is why Acronis True Image was recommended at the beginning of the thread.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832200004

30 bucks well spent.

For the sound issues, I'd uninstall the audio drivers and associated software, and reinstall using the latest version.

[Bill Lane]

Hi glc:

Sorry about taking so long in getting back to the forum, I over ran my buget with the router, USB hub and the new monitor, but I just received the Acronis True Image 11 Home from NewEgg.

I'll try it out this weekend and let you know how I make out

My computer has been working great now that I've got rid of the USB adaptor for the modem and plugged my other USB devices into the new powered USB hub.

[Bill Lane]

Hi glc:

Well I was able to try Aconis sooner than I thought. I installed and rebooted. then ran the backup program. I only backed up my C:/ drive to an 80GB WD USB hard drive. The first attempt my computer locked up about 3/4 of the way, I rebooted and on the second try it finished successfully.

The only thing I was unhappy with is, it don't show the thumbnail pictures when Thumbnail View is selected.

You can double click a picture file and it opens normally, I guess that's just the way it is.

If there's a way to make it show the thumbnail, let me know, it's not really a problem.

Thanks for directing me to get the Acronis!!

I installed the full program and it said something about having a Bart PE program also.

I already have a Bart PE Boot Disk, and it boots up okay, will this disk work for reinstalling my C:/ drive if I have a problem in the future? Or do I need to use the Bart PE program that's on the Acrinis disk to make a new Bart PE Boot disk?

Thanks again,

[glc]

All you have to do is boot with the Acronis CD to restore an image.

The image explorer function cannot create thumbnails. The image is opened in read-only mode, and it cannot create a thumbs.db file.

[Bill Lane]

Thanks again glc