Disaster recovery using Driveimage XML

Gordon · 31st May 2006

I want to create a recovery copy/copies of my boot partition (Win XP and installed programs) that will allow me to quickly recover whenever needed. I just downloaded and installed Driveimage XML, but not sure how I should use this software. I have used Bartpe, pebuilder, to create a boot CD with a minimal Win XP operating system on it, tested the CD and it is working with the driveimage XML plugin. Now how do I use these utilities?

Should I boot from the CD and make my images/backups of the operation system while it is not running? At this time, there is only one working disk drive installed in the PC. I have partitioned the disk and created two extra partitions, E & F, the same size as C, that will store my recovery copies. When I create the image of my boot drive (C), should I be using the backup function or the drive-to-drive function? Should I be using the raw data mode, or just copy the used sectors? When needed, I want to be able to restore C from either E or F and end up with a good working copy of my operating system that is bootable.

In the future I plan to install a second disk drive, create my images on it, with the intention of just swapping the drive cables and boot from the backup disk when needed. I assume that I should use the disk-to-disk raw data for that image/backup. Please correct me if I have assumed wrong.

Thanks for any guidance that you can offer.
Gordon

McTavish · 1st June 2006

It’s been a while since I trialed Runtime’s XML and I don’t remember the BartPE plugin being available then. Found it a competent program however and consider some or this companies other software excellent.

I would always recommend making your images while not booted into the OS you are imaging. Hot imaging from inside the OS is becoming more reliable, but it is still more prone to errors. So make and restore your images from XML running from the BartPE CD.

To make images use the Backup function. The drive to drive function does not create images but copies the OS completely as it is – all individual files – to another partition or drive. This is called cloning and a cloned OS is bootable, it’s a working copy of your OS.

You only need to copy used sectors. The raw data mode is really only for special cases, for example if you want to create a copy of the partition to work on to retrieve lost data.

If you want to transfer a bootable OS to another hard drive then yes you want to use the disk-to-disk function – which will create a clone of your OS. Again you don’t need the raw data mode, unless you have a particular need for it.

I would suggest you move as much personal data out of the OS and onto its own data partition to reduce the size of the Windows OS. The smaller the Windows partition is the quicker the imaging or cloning will be. Also of course, it will mean that when you restore an image you will not be loosing all the data that has been accumulated since you made the image.

Some excellent advice here from other forum members on how to move your data to a dedicated partition. Moving Windows XP default folders

Gordon · 1st June 2006

McTavish,
Thank You. Your explanation was just what I needed, helps a bunch.

Gordon