Initial backups

[dh5551212]

Just got my new T61. It's beautiful and just kills my Gateway.
Now I want to be sure I get a full backup, including the ThinkVantage tools and the hidden partition. I did the "Data Protection and Recovery" >> "Backup my data" and backed up to DVD's. I don't really know what was caught in the backup but I hope it is everything.
I want to get another full image backup now that I have gone through Windows update and all that. I'd like this to be the permanent restore point. I'd like it to be on an external USB drive. I feel the most likely thing to happen is a hard drive failure so I want a drive I can just plug in and start.

It it says in the message that popped up yesterday that I can save to a USB, it said:
"Did you know that you can create recovery media? This media will help you restore your computer even if you cannot enter the Windows(R) environment. You will need a CD-RW drive and several blank CD-R or CD-RW discs or a USB hard disk drive or an internal hard drive to create your set of recovery media. If you decide not to create your recovery media right now, you can create it later by clicking Start, All Programs, ThinkVantage, and Create Recovery Media."
First this menu path does not exist. The closest is "Data Protection and Recovery" >> "Backup my data". There are two options here: The first looks like a regular data backup, the other says that I can "Save a complete backup of your hard drive to CD's or DVD's. Where is the USB option?

I tried the "Backup your data". Under "View all backups" there is a backup "Local" of size 8,653 MB. Where is this backup file located? I have been looking all over the hard drive for it. I searched by create date and size but it is not to be found. I want to remove it so I don't capture the backup in my backup.

Maybe this is a lot of writing just to ask a simple question but I want to show I'm trying to figure it out. Anyway, any advice on how to create a backup drive including the hidden partition and all the ThinkVantage stuff would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
David.

[mgo]

I want to get another full image backup now that I have gone through Windows update and all that. I'd like this to be the permanent restore point. I'd like it to be on an external USB drive. I feel the most likely thing to happen is a hard drive failure so I want a drive I can just plug in and start.

.

More than likely you are backing up to Rescue & Recovery which comes with your ThinkPad. Although R&R is OK, it can be confusing and sometimes tricky to use. I have used Rescue & Recovery and it's rather clunky, I feel. The backup is hidden, so it will not show up easily in Explorer.

I strongly suggest a 3rd party imaging program like Acronis which I have used for years, or some other brand. They are excellent for putting a complete image of your system onto a USB drive and the recovery process is reasonably straight forward.

Also, consider placing all your documents and personal files on a separate partition which makes the backups smaller and easier to manage when you need to rescue your machine. That way, the documents and other personal data is also easier to manage.

Your efforts to back up your system are going to be well worth it down the line. Smart thinking!

[ryengineer]

I tried the "Backup your data". Under "View all backups" there is a backup "Local" of size 8,653 MB. Where is this backup file located? I have been looking all over the hard drive for it. I searched by create date and size but it is not to be found. I want to remove it so I don't capture the backup in my backup.

Go to Advanced > Delete Backups, to delete a backup:

Delete Backups.

If you want to see where backups are stored then go to Safe Mode of Windows and look under C:\rrbackups:

Rescue and Recovery uses a hidden, protected folder(\RRUbackups) on the local hard disk to save your compressed backup files. It also backs up and protects the entire contents of the hard disk, including the Microsoft Windows OS, software applications, registry settings, network settings, fix packs, desktop settings, and unique data files. A backup of the entire image (base backup) is required before any incremental backups can be done.

You can create a backup on USB HDD/Network etc. by going to "Set Schedule and Preferences":

Set Schedule and Preferences

Rescue and Recovery lets you create and manage numerous backups on multiple devices. By default with Rescue and Recovery, you can store a base backup and five incremental backups locally on your hard disk drive, over a network, on removable media (such as a USB hard disk drive, Network Drive, DVD drive, or CD drive), or on any combination of these drives. It is important to think through your backup strategy before changing your backup storage selections.

Anyway, any advice on how to create a backup drive including the hidden partition and all the ThinkVantage stuff would be greatly appreciated.

Create a set of Product Recovery Disks:

Start > All Programs > Thinkvantage > Create Recovery Media > Recovery Disks.

Making Your Own Recovery CDs