backup image of a HDD

[Sniper82]

Using say Ghost or something else to make a image of a HDD to backup. How does it work exactly? Can it replace having to redo WinXP,installing all your apps,drivers,ect?

If so is it quicker?

 

[Noid]

Depends on what you want to do.

If you want an 'image' before Apps are installed. Do it.
If you want an image after everything is installed ... do it.

Imaging is a copy of your partition at that moment.

There is no way to filter whats installed on that HD to an image, other than which partitions you want to 'image'.

However, you can specify how many/ which partitions you want 'imaged' at one time.

The more partitions you select, the larger the backup 'image'.
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Making backups is the best way to 'restore' a partition.
It's helpfull to make them before installing something your want to test.
(like drivers)
If you don't like how something is working, you can 'restore' the partition to the way it was at the time the image was made.


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The making of an 'image' takes longer than 'restoring'.
That's because your system is compressing the files as the image is made.

Restoring goes much quiker. (like 1/8th the time it took to make the image)
(Depending on the type of files that are being backed up)

I can 'restore' my C drive in 4 minutes. (8gb)
That's much faster than reinstalling the OS.

 

[Sniper82]

How do you install the image to a HDD without a OS already installed? I would like to install WinXP and all my apps make a image then install the latest drivers.

 

[warcrow]

Originally posted by: ^Sniper^
How do you install the image to a HDD without a OS already installed? I would like to install WinXP and all my apps make a image then install the latest drivers.

Ghost boot disk.

 

[rise]

i have no idea what i i did wrong when i used ghost for the first time, but when it went into restart to make what i think was a ghost image, it just kinda froze there. i followed some guide i had found and it was a disaster. i should have rtfm.

haven't tried it again yet, but how long does it take to make an image?

 

[Noid]

Originally posted by: ^Sniper^
How do you install the image to a HDD without a OS already installed? I would like to install WinXP and all my apps make a image then install the latest drivers.

Ghost requires a 'boot disk'.

1. Install Ghost software.
2. Use Ghost software to make 'boot disk'
3. Reboot using Ghost 'boot disk'
4. Use menu to select items to image.

Remember to read instructions.
You need a FAT32 partition to backup to a spare HD.
(like I do)

Ghost will make 'span' file images if it needs over 2mb for a image file.

My 8gb C drive requires 2 image files,
It's has 6gb used space ... so ... Ghost created ... 2 files...
One is the 2mb Ghost file limit and a 500k span file.

My games partition (contains compressed game files) is 19.5 gb with 11.2gb used space.
It has 3 - 2mb files and one 1.3mb file to it's 'image'.

 

[ultravox]

Drive Image is better than sliced bread. It kept my Win98 alive for years . Here's how I did it.
Format.....fresh install of windows, vid drivers sound yada yada yada.....basic install.
Make an image of that.
Then start installing stuff you use like anti virus, printers, apps, and anything else you need. Make another image. Finally after you have all the bells and whistles you'll ever need installed make another image. Now delete everything between the basic install and the "all dressed" Ideally you have 2 HD's and will have a copy of both images on each HD. Now if you get a virus or the OS get's buggy.....Format C: and re-apply the image. ALL you need to do is put your anti-virus defs up to date.
You do have to do this in one run though.can't wait eeks between the first and last image. If you do it this way, you'll never dick around trying to debugg your OS.

 

[Sniper82]

thx all

I am constantly redoing windows for family and friends. I think I will make a DVD for each person I redo windows for the most because this sounds like it would save me alot of time finding drivers.

Before I get it should I go with Ghost or is there something as good/cheaper?

 

[ultravox]

I don't know Ghost and have always used Drive Image...I even bought it.... well worth the $$ in time saved. Re-doing an OS this way is like 20 mins in and out. You'll need at least 2 partitions unless you back it onto a DVD.

 

[ChuckvB]

I'm looking to use my UMB 2.0 HD as the backup storage drive so I can backup mulitipule machines with one spare drive. Also I've found Ghost and Drive Image to be problmatic so I'm wonder if there are other solutions for my situation out there?

 

[corkyg]

Yep! Today the best imager and cloner is Acronis TrueImage 8.0. Acronis

What you really ought to consider is simply a duplicate harddrive for each machine. It is a pretty quick job to switch cables over when needed.

Or - install a mobile rack, and have your drives in separate trays. Then just replace one drive with the other and boot right up. It's really an old, very reliable system backup method.

 

[RoConno]

Can you use a Ghost image as a bootable drive?

 

[Cares]

Originally posted by: RoConno
Can you use a Ghost image as a bootable drive?

Yes you can, or at least I've heard you can.

 

[RoConno]

Originally posted by: AlphaQ

Originally posted by: RoConno
Can you use a Ghost image as a bootable drive?

Yes you can, or at least I've heard you can.

Thanks for the reply!

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that Ghost doesn't copy the boot record from the source drive, but I don't remember the steps to make the image drive bootable.