partition sizes for backup image

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dcouzin · #1 Post by **dcouzin** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 10:34 am

It's a sport to back up computers on the cheap: to use available imaging freeware instead of popping $60 for Norton Ghost.

I'm trying to do it with "SelfImage 1.2" (developed by Kurt Fitzner and available as a BartPE plugin). It's lead me to a conundrum about partition sizes. If the partition on the storage HD is larger than the C:\ partition the backup imaging is fine. But then for the restore, the C:\ partition is undersized and imaging is thwarted. (SelfImage reports quaintly that there will probably be corruption.) On the other hand, if the partition on the storage HD is smaller than the C:\ partition the original backup is thwarted. So it seems that the method only works if the two partitions are exactly equal. However, my freeware partitioning utility (Cute 0.9.7) doesn't set sizes more exactly than 1 MB. Anyhow isn't exact partition equality an unsafe method considering that a sector in C:\ could go bad between the time of backup and time of restore?

Experts, please explain the conundrum to the beginner.

#2 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 11:08 am

I bought my Acronis TrueImage v9 on eBay, from an official dealer, brand new, no pirate copy, with working serial for only $10.-

Apart from that, Acronis and PQ DriveImage both image my XP-partition of 10GB, with 4.8GB data into a backup file of about 2.1GB, anywhere on any disk that has the space for it.
Restoring could not care less what size the receiving partition is, as long as there is enough space for the uncompressed data.

I would suggest to dump those amateur-programs, and spend some money for a REAL program. Your data should be worth it!

dcouzin · #3 Post by **dcouzin** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:51 am

RealBlackStuff: One advantage of freeware is that it is written by passionate programmers who answer your emails. Kurt Fitzner just did and explained that the answer to my conundrum is to make the backup partition slightly larger than the C:\ partition. Also he disrecommended this way of backing up, suggesting that SelfImage v1.2 be used to make a compressed backup file instead. Of course, the freeware tries to do what the commercial software does.

My preference is to use freeware to perform backups by the simplest, clearest, safest method. This means making a direct clone of my C:\, rather than a compressed image file. It also means working from a bootdisk, avoiding the fancy footwork of programs that run from C:\ itself, in the background! Doodads don't increase security.

The simplest method is also the fastest. My C:\ partition has 32.7 GB with just 8.5 GB empty. SelfImage v1.2 makes the clone in just 30 minutes. I think my USB hard drive imposes the speed limit. Can any commercial software make a compressed image file from such a C:\ in just 30 minutes? (What I don't know is whether I have to reformat the external partition for each new cloning.)

My C:\ contains about 5 GB of old, unchanging, personal data and about 4 GB of live personal data. The remaining 15 GB are software and system stuff, including an R&R backup for the road (at the smart suggestion of Ken Fox). I have zipped and burned CD's with the old unchanging personal data, and I regularly straight-copy the live personal data to an external hard drive (taking just a few minutes). So my own data is well-backed up; no one needs a backup program for this. Something is needed to backup the software and system stuff, because it takes me two solid days to reinstall software after a wipe to the factory state. Enough of those days! R&R is not very reliable for such backups. It is a complicated variant on the compressed image. Why use any compressed image software when the most straightforward cloning of C:\ does the job?

Another advantage of the simple C:\ clone is that restoration does not require using the same software as was used to make it. And its contents can be accessed with ordinary file managers.

Another advantage (I think) is that if the internal hard drive dies I can boot from the clone and have my fully functional computer while shopping for a replacement for the internal drive.

The above are just the thoughts of a beginner.

#4 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:01 am

Have you ever tried booting from your cloned partition, and run some programs?
You probably won't like to hear that it will not work!
My compressed backup-image can be accessed using Acronis's tools.
All my variable data is stored on a different partition, which gets backed up regularly.
My XP partition only is re-imaged immediately before I install new software.
My PQ DriveImage can be booted and run from just 2 floppy disks, if I can't find the CD, or if the program on the HD got corrupted.
The images on my PC take less than 5 minutes to produce or restore.

Anyway, if you are happy with your method, by all means continue.
For my liking it is way too convoluted.

#5 Post by **schen** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:03 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:I bought my Acronis TrueImage v9 on eBay, from an official dealer, brand new, no pirate copy, with working serial for only $10.

Do you remember who the seller was that you used? I've been thinking about buying a copy of Acronis and you deal sounds too good to pass up.

#6 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 7:15 pm

This was from 'bargainbustersuk'
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0032645097
It was £10.- instead of $10.-, sorry 'bout that.

dcouzin · #7 Post by **dcouzin** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:22 pm

Fans of Acronis TrueImage: How is this software better than IBM/Lenovo Rescue and Recovery? They seem to do the same things. Is Acronis absolutely reliable (which R&R isn't)?

partition sizes for backup image

partition sizes for backup image

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