Disk Image & reinstalling XP-Pro clean.

[BigRed CC Dually]

Hi folks, I need a sanity check to see if I am doing things correctly or if I can even do what I wish.

First some background, the HDD in the computer is a SATA 2 250GB, and has XP-Pro on it from when I first built the system. Since then I have installed and uninstalled many programs, games, files, etc. and I want to reinstall XP-Pro clean as if it were the original install with no data on the HDD.

In preparation for this I bought a Seagate 250GB PATA HDD that I put into an Apricorn "ez bus dtc" enclosure and made an image of the original HDD.

My question is: Can I boot from the Windows XP-Pro cd, reformat the SATA HDD, and reinstall XP-Pro? If so can I then restore the desired files and information from the disk image on the external PATA HDD to the internal SATA HDD (Word documents, music files, pictures, saved game data, etc.) I realize that I will have to reinstall any programs first. Can this be done or is there an easier way?

Please help me clear any confusion I may have as I find the whole backup, vs. image, vs. clone thing very confusing. I used EZ Gig II software that came with the Apricorn enclosure to do the image of the SATA HDD.

Thanks in advance for your help and I'm sorry if this is long and in the wrong place....Mods please accept my apology and correct if necessary.

[pam123]

In your palce I'd have skipped the backup software when I saved the files to the USB HD but your choice.
You don't have to do this one by one, dig out the manual for the Apricorn and it will tell you how to reinstall the image, programs and all.
Let it do the work.

[BigRed CC Dually]

Thanks for the response Pam. Would not letting the software reinstall the image also reinstall the garbage I'm trying to get rid of like the extra regestry entrys, lost links, etc.?

I'm sorry I sound so dense but like I said in the original post I can not seem to comprehend the difference between a clone, an image, or a backup. I thought a clone was an exact copy....warts and all with no way to change it, same with a backup. I thought that I would be able to selectivly reinstall parts of an image...am I wrong?

[TwoRails]

Originally Posted by BigRed CC Dually Thanks for the response Pam. Would not letting the software reinstall the image also reinstall the garbage I'm trying to get rid of like the extra regestry entrys, lost links, etc.? I'm sorry I sound so dense but like I said in the original post I can not seem to comprehend the difference between a clone, an image, or a backup. I thought a clone was an exact copy....warts and all with no way to change it, same with a backup. I thought that I would be able to selectivly reinstall parts of an image...am I wrong?

Yes, installing an image would give you exactly what you had to start with. An image / clone is a copy that will be restored to original state. A "backup" can do the trick, depending on the software. If I'm just keeping data, and planing on re-installing all programs, then I just copy the files to another location such as an external HD. This is also a good reason to break up large drives into partitions where you can install all programs and most data in a different logical drive. That way there is very little you need to copy from the 'C' (boot) drive in a situation such as this.

[pam123]

Cloning the install is what system administrators do when they have lots of computers that need the same software, and they have the license pack.
It's also good if you can boot from a USB drive.
Imaging the hard drive is what you do if you intend to re-install the software on your comp from a partition (You'd know if you needed to use it) and it means you've got frequent reason to do so.
Back-ups are what ordinary folks do who want to save their data or synch it with another computer.
I'm still guessing but it sounds like you need back up and Acronis has tricks for that to make your life easier.
Since you haven't done anything yet go through all the options.
You can scrub what you've got on the USB drive and try again, find the combination you want.
You need back up, you don't need clone, there are options on image but you'd need an earlier one.
Acronis software is good stuff. Check it out and then, if you can't use it this go-round, set it up for the next.

[glc]

After loading up the new drive, install the EZ-Gig software, plug the external drive in, start the software, and select "explore an image". The image you select will open in an explorer window and you can use standard Windows copy/paste to get the files you need. When done, select "unplug an image".

Pam, the EZ-Gig software is an OEM version of Acronis.

[BigRed CC Dually]

Thanks TwoRails,

I was able to explore the image on the external HDD, It looks as though I can copy back only the files I want.

I think your advice to create several partitions is a good one, off hand how large of a partition should I make for XP-Pro ("C" drive)? the HDD is 250GB, would you suggest more than 2 partitions?

[glc]

Partitioning is up to you - and TwoRails and I are on the exact opposite ends of the spectrum here. He partitions the heck out of all his drives, and I run each drive as a single big partition. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

If you have EZ-Gig, I'd just make it one big partition and image it periodically to the external, deleting old images as necessary when the external starts getting full. If you have a drive failure, you can restore the latest image by installing a new drive, hooking up the external, and booting with the EZ-Gig CD. This keeps it simple and you don't have to deal with multiple drive letters. The only disadvantage when you have a solid backup strategy such as this is it may take a long time to defrag it - but I get around this by using Diskeeper Pro and letting it defrag in the background as necessary all by itself.

I am now waiting for TR to try to sell you on several partitions.

[TwoRails]

Originally Posted by BigRed CC Dually Thanks TwoRails, I was able to explore the image on the external HDD, It looks as though I can copy back only the files I want. I think your advice to create several partitions is a good one, off hand how large of a partition should I make for XP-Pro ("C" drive)? the HDD is 250GB, would you suggest more than 2 partitions?

Depending on how much "stuff" you have, a boot partition of 10 - 20 gigs is plenty. I install only what I call "system stuff" on my C drive (vid drivers / utiities, sound card, antivirus, firewall, etc.) I have all my "temp" stuff going to one of the other logical drives (the actual "temp / tmp" directories, email, browswer cache, etc) to help keep it small. As far as how many to make depends on what other stuff you have. My physical boot drive is also a 250 gig and it is current broken up into 3 slices (down from 4 as I moved a full logical drive to another physical drive). One method is to put your personal stuff (photos, home movies, etc) and general related programs (word procesor(s), data bases, DVD suites, etc) on one. The other could be for the temp stuff mentioned above, and stuff like games, etc. I find it very easy to backup that way, and also to find stuff. Defrag is a lot quicker, too. Also, if you happen to "lose" a drive, such as I have, then chances are that just the affect logical drive goes out, and not the whole physical drive.

HTH

TR

edit: If I'd learn to type faster.... I would have snuck in before glc!!

[BigRed CC Dually]

glc, TwoRails,

Thanks for the help guys, and thank you too Pam.

I made a 25GB partition for XP and the essentials, and the rest for all the extras.

I felt it would be much easier to keep an image of the clean install on "C" and then work from there each time with new/updated images of the "D" drive.

p.s. glc, I have another Apricon "ez bus dtc" on the way from Newegg, I love their enclosures. I picked up 2 of the Seagate 250GB PATA HDD from CompUSA last night for $49 ea after rebates etc. I should have plenty of room for all kinds of "junk" and backups now.

[glc]

Those are the only enclosures I use and recommend - either the DT or DTC, depending whether I want USB and Firewire or just USB.

EZ-Gig can't do incremental images - it's all or nothing. To do incrementals, you have to buy the full Acronis True Image package.

[TwoRails]

Do they make a SATA (HD) enclosure?

[glc]

Yes, but it uses a eSATA interface, not USB.