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VaporizedSteel

Complete harddisks image backup.

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Hi there,

 

My Goal and Harddisk / software setup!>>

I need some advice here. I want to backup (image) 2 harddisks.

I will use the program Acronis True image home.

^^That is if the above program suits my intended wishes.

 

I have a 500gb western digital caviar blue 64m/7200rpm harddisk where windows is installed (including programs and games) Total sized that is used = 158gigabyte.

 

I also have a 1000gb western digital caviar blue 64m/7200rpm where FSX is installed. However...

FSX is actually located on a 300gb partition. The 300gigabyte partition that only holds FSX software uses a total of 57gigabyte of actual space.

 

In total I have the windows partition 158gb + FSX partition 57gb = 215gb of used harddisk space.

 

I want to image both partitions on a single 500gb backup harddisk.

 

I'm starring in the dark though

 

NOTE:I have apart from windows backup never used other imaging software (like acronis)

And I don't know if I can image two partitions on 1 harddisk.

 

And later put the same backup partitions back to their original drive with their original drive letters.

I have to know the procedure specifically and if acronis true image home supports this, because both register keys, shortcut files, and file locations should match the initial setup like file paths or else installed programs become corrupt like FSX.

 

I must aquire the benefitial procedure of doing this (if possible) because once complete I will test the backup to see whether the backup is succesfully configured. And If I fail at backuping it properly I might need to reinstall everything again which defeats the backup purpose.

 

One glitch I imagine that would suffer my idea is that regardless of the actual used space (215gb) the addup of partition sizes is 500 + 300gb.

Would acronis calculate that size as the requested harddisk size for system storage (thus 800gb "= to large"). Or can I just assign new partitions on the backup HDD with the acronis live CD and physically image the actual occupation of real bytes from and to the backup HD. "Remember, the backup harddisk is 500gb"

 

I hope I wasn't to elongated in my TS. If you by sad chance do know a setup for creating my desired backup goal but it isn't done with acronis true image home then I might still see chance to get the software.

 

I just can't get my answer from browsing the web so I felt I needed to start a topic for clues.

I hope you can help me out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I will offer you my suggestions, but your must appreciate, you follow any of my suggestions AT YOUR OWN RISK.  I will not be responsible.   OK  --

 

--------------------------------

 

1.  You can certainly backup BOTH your Windows Drive, and your FSX Partition, to your 3rd 500 Gig drive.

 

2. Even if you are backing up your 500 Gig Windows drive,  you only have 159 gigs of data on it, so ONLY that amount of data will be backed up to your 3rd 500 Gig drive.

 

If you turn on Compression, it will take significantly less space on your 3rd 500 Gig Drive, than 158 Gigs.  ( maybe as low as 50%  of that).

 

What is on the other 700gig  of your 2nd 1TB drive ?

Just a 2nd partition partition, or multiple partitions. ?

 

You might want to try a TEST backup/restore of your FSX Partition, before risking backing up your OS drive  (and even testing if you can restore it.)

 

I would recommend you make the Bootable Stand alone backup & restore CD, and use that to do your backups and restores.

.

Its far safer than having your backup run under windows, especially when backing up your windows drive !!

 

ie

(1) Make a BACKUP folder on your 2nd drive, (not in the 300 gig FSX partition).

(2) COPY everything on your FSX partition to that backup folder, just so you have a "emergency" copy. 

(3) Now use Acronis to Backup your FSX Partition to your 3rd Drive,

(4) Use Acronis to VERIFY  that Backup.

(5) Delete the data in your FSX partition  !!  ( Hold your breath).

(6) Use Acronis to RESTORE  your FSX partition data.

(7) Use ACRONIS to verify that restore  matches  your previous Acronis backup.

(7) FINGERS CROSSED - Make sure FSX now runs OK.

 

If anything goes wrong, you can always delete  the data in your FSX Partition, and copy back  the files, you previously copied to the Backup Folder, that was outside the FSX Partition.

 

This will give you some practice using Acronis, before you try backing up your OS drive,

 

---------------

READ the manual carefully, and make sure you understand what you are doing.

 

I strongly recommend that you make CD/DVD backups of any Purchased software  you have downloaded, together with their Keys  etc,  so, if you totally TRASH any of your Hard Drives,  either now, or at a later date,  you will have CD/DVD backups of anything you consider  you cannot bear to loose.

 

Never hurts to have multiple backups , and on different Media Backups :)

 

Good to see you are taking backing up (and restoring)  your system seriously.

Not everyone does, and then most that do not, end up regretting it, sooner or later.

 

There are only two types of computer users: "Those who have lost their data, and those who will."

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will offer you my suggestions, but your must appreciate, you follow any of my suggestions AT YOUR OWN RISK.  I will not be responsible.   OK  --

 

 

To answer to your first warning.

 

In all honesty. I'll briefly inform you on the following for getting to know me better. When I ask a question and somebody tries to answer it whether I receive the answer as bollocks or whether it could get me into trouble it is still always appreciated.

 

Fact remains is that I actively seek new computing adventures and that I could screw some screws the wrong way. That are consequences of my own applied tweaks.

And even if I were to assume that all my data would crash by a mistake. Don't think I would not return back to give it a retry regardless in terms of length in reinstall operations.

 

1.  You can certainly backup BOTH your Windows Drive, and your FSX Partition, to your 3rd 500 Gig drive.

 

2. Even if you are backing up your 500 Gig Windows drive,  you only have 159 gigs of data on it, so ONLY that amount of data will be backed up to your 3rd 500 Gig drive.

 

 

Answer to 1: Wicked!

Answer to 2: Wicked yet again!

 

Yeah, the 1terabyte drive is divided into a 300Gb fsx partition and a 700gb partition (well actually a bit less on both but I'm sure you know all about harddisk formats)

 

And the 700gb partition is more or less unused.

 

A test backup!

 

Never thought about that while that felt quite transparently obvious when you mentioned it.

 

Bootable Stand alone backup & restore CD

 

 

Euhm... you just mean the Acronis true image home bootable live CD?

Yeah I have that, and quite honestly I actually thought you had to use the bootable CD for a windows partition backup. And that it wasn't even a matter of safety but just pure posibility.

 

(1) Make a BACKUP folder on your 2nd drive, (not in the 300 gig FSX partition).

(2) COPY everything on your FSX partition to that backup folder, just so you have a "emergency" copy. 

(3) Now use Acronis to Backup your FSX Partition to your 3rd Drive,

(4) Use Acronis to VERIFY  that Backup.

(5) Delete the data in your FSX partition  !!  ( Hold your breath).

(6) Use Acronis to RESTORE  your FSX partition data.

(7) Use ACRONIS to verify that restore  matches  your previous Acronis backup.

(7) FINGERS CROSSED - Make sure FSX now runs OK.

 

 Roger!

 

To 1: I could, but I also have a 1Terabyte external harddisk.

To 2: I figured something like that

To 3&4: Will do

To 5: Yeah somewhat holding it, but heck, I would have the maps backed up right.

To 6: Can I hold my breath now where I feel it's more applicable!?

To 7: Will do

To 8: If it doesn't you can expect more posts from me.

 

If anything goes wrong, you can always delete  the data in your FSX Partition, and copy back  the files, you previously copied to the Backup Folder, that was outside the FSX Partition.

 

This will give you some practice using Acronis, before you try backing up your OS drive,

 

 

Yeah I figured I could. I think getting some practice with acronis aswell as verifying a FSX partition backup can ensure me into a safe backup of all my partitions. That will definetely be my first step.

 

I also read the manual where many questions may be answered about Acronis.

If you have any further input please tell me.

Like any differential import thingies on the second final lap of the backup (meaning the complete multiple partition backup)

 

Thanks so far

I have one more question about a acronis image backup.

I have my harddisk defragmentated with defrag software.

think you already figure the question here

 

 

So does the backup also write the data to defragged harddisk clusters and blocks? Or does everything get's fragmented again?

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