Creating Recovery Media for T510

[TrailRunner]

1) Will the software allow the user to create multiple copies of recovery DVDs (or is a run once only thing)?

2) Can you create recovery DVDs and create recovery files on a USB drive?

3) If using a USB drive does it make the drive bootable or just stick a copy of the files it needs there but still requiring a boot DVD?

4) If using a USB drive can that drive be used for other things too or is it dedicated for the recovery files?

[nikki605]

I can answer your first question - No, only one set. I have tried to go back and it won't a second set to be burned.

(I was born & raised in Hartford )

[Colonel O'Neill]

You could always image your drive before making the recovery set.
Or, if it works, pull the image into VMWare, and use it to make an ISO to archive.

[TrailRunner]

Given that media goes bad and/or get's lost its seems strange to limit the abililty to make backups.

Can someone confirm that a full set of disks is:

1) Boot CD
2) Apps 1 DVD
3) Apps 2 DVD

[nikki605]

I did all of mine on DVDs, but yes, 3 disks.

[TrailRunner]

I did all of mine on DVDs, but yes, 3 disks.

I used 3 DVDs as well, but the boot disk was only 221MB.

[alofnc]

I have a new T510 on the way and will need to create the boot disk as well. What type of disks do you need? I need to buy some of whatever works best.

[nikki605]

By "type" are you asking CD/DVD or brand? As I posted above, I used 3 DVD disks because the steps in the creation procedure don't specify CD or DVD so I chose DVDs to make sure I had the available space. I used Sony DVDs.

[ZaZ]

When I make my recovery discs, I like to make an image of the discs, then I can toss the originals and make as many copies as I want.

[alofnc]

Sorry about the lack of info in my question. Is it batter to use a CD or DVD disk to create your recovery disks.

[TrailRunner]

I used DVDs.

[nikki605]

When I make my recovery discs, I like to make an image of the discs, then I can toss the originals and make as many copies as I want.

Great idea! I just created iso files from my 3 recovery disks.

I used Nero since I already had it installed. Funny thing - Disk # 2 (the largest) was split into 2 files on disk:



Not sure why that is!?! Hope it isn't a problem later.

[killer]

I created my set today; one CD-RW for the start-up disk, and two DVD-RWs for the rest. It worked a treat.

[Colonel O'Neill]

I used Nero since I already had it installed. Funny thing - Disk # 2 (the largest) was split into 2 files on disk:



Not sure why that is!?! Hope it isn't a problem later.

It'll probably do that if you have it set to output the ISO's to a FAT32 formatted partition, or alternatively, it does it so the files will be backwards compatible with a FAT32 partition.

[nikki605]

It'll probably do that if you have it set to output the ISO's to a FAT32 formatted partition, or alternatively, it does it so the files will be backwards compatible with a FAT32 partition.

The HDD is definitely formatted NTFS, so maybe it's for backward compatibility.

EDIT: Oops, I lied! I saved the iso images to a flash drive formatted FAT32. You were correct. My bad!

[ZaZ]

I like ImgBurn for making the recovery .ISOs. It's free and works well. Nero is so farty and bloated, who'd want it on their PC?