Disaster Recovery Software

I need some advice. I've been using Migo's PC Backup but I don't quite trust it -- it skips files when making a disaster recovery-compliant backup and I don't know if they'll be needed in the event of a hard drive failure.

So I'd be happy to switch to Acronis True Image 11, which gets good reviews.

But here's what I'm unsure of: Does True Image do a true disaster recovery backup with a bootable disk that would enable me to completely restore my exact system -- including the OS, programs, data, user settings, etc. -- on a new hard drive in the event my current one fails?

In other words, I want to be able to recreate my exact same system as it is now, with no need to re-install the OS or programs or reconfigure user settings, startup programs, etc.

If True Image will do that, then I have these additional questions:

1) Will it work on an external drive?

2) Should the drive be firewire or "high speed" USB? Which is faster?

3) About how long would it take to create a full exact copy of my 40 GB system on an external drive? Right now, I'm using DVDs and with PC Backup from Migo, it takes about 7 disks and about 3-4 hours. I'm hoping to speed things up with an external hard drive.

4) Would the process of disaster recovery be to a) install a new blank internal hard drive in the event of the failure of the current drive, b) insert the bootable disaster recovery DVD or CD to boot the PC, c) hit "okay" to begin the restoration of my old system from the external USB or Firewire drive onto my new internal hard drive?

Thanks very much for any help you can offer?

 

YES

YES

Will work for both. Never used Firewire. Use whichever port is available to to you.

This question has many variables.
Hardware has a high impact on any process. The faster the CPU, HDD spindle speed / write and read times and available RAM memory all impact process/completion times. With that said, now we look at hardware options and how they can affect speed. Please keep in mind the following are my experiences and your mileage may vary ....

FASTEST APPROACH
Internal HDD are your fastest.
Partition your current HDD or add a 2nd internal HDD.
Full image backup should complete in 2 minutes to less than 30 minutes. You can follow up with daily incremental processing in seconds to 5 minutes. A complete restore of system drive using this this approach would be be about 5 minutes / 30 minutes.

Next Approach - EXTERNAL Drive - Under normal Windows load.
Creating / writing directly to a external USB2 / Firewire will be slower. I rarely use this approach. Double to triple all above numbers. Better approach would be to create / write image file to "Internal HDD / Partition" and then copy it over to an external (manual or background/automatic data backup).

RESTORING IMAGE
When restoring system drive from an "image ", you must boot using a Rescue Disk / Flash Drive. Most users create a Rescue disk using Acronis. This boots computer up in a Linux environment, but you only see Acronis program views, so everything is familiar. You can use BartPE plugin with Acornis for a Windows environment for restoring. Would like to try this approach, but have no experience using it.
Restore times for myself ...
My new computer - Image file sourced from internal partition .. 3 to 7 minutes. Never restored from external (yet).
My old computer ... Image file sourced external ... 3 hours. Never tried from internal (yet).

This question takes us to a variety of situations which should be address ....
Have a Image backup ... period.
I don't care how or where or when, but having "1" image backup can get you back to recovery must faster... if you can access it and is it reliable.

Redundancy is the key ....
With one image backup source, example a 2nd partition on single drive is a very FAST create/restore solution. For a high percent of your image restore needs this works great. But if this single HDD suddenly dies, your dead in the water.
A 2nd HDD can maintain speed, and allow redundant copies, but a lighting hit can fry your computer and ALL components... your dead in the water.
External HDD ... Creating a image on a USB will be slower, but your file is protected in a environment outside of your computer, this is good. Externals offers additional advantages to store redundant image copies created/stored on your computer, being a partitioned single drive or a multiple drive. Most of us agree, two copies, one stored internal and one stored externally is the preferred solution.
DVD/CD image backup ... My preference, use only as a redundant backup. DVD/CD's can be problematic and due to the long create/restore time would discourage CURRENT backup strategy.
OFFSITE backup storage ... Many of us do not address this. All of the above is lost if your house burns down, blown across two counties or floats down the river. So far I have all of our family digital pictures, important documents data stored in password locked files stored on Internet (free storage data bases).

In ending, first I want to apologize to all, I get very windy when it comes to image/data backup.
My first rule .. create 1 image backup, it's better than none.
My serious rule ... create redundancy in your backup routine. But it should be designed from a hardware /software approach that it can be done effectively. Using program(s) that can automatically and manually stored information on multiple mediums in different locations

 

Regardless of what you use to backup, pick up a spare harddrive to install in place of your "live" one, and test the restore process. A backup that is write-only data is not very useful.

I use Paragon Drive Backup, sucessfully I might add. Something I was never able to do with Acronis True Image 11. Be sure to trial all aspects of any potential solution before purchasing; what works for one person on one system may not work for another person or on another system.

Here is an overview of Backup Strategies you might find illuminating.

 

Thanks guys. A few additional questions:

1) I've got a 1 GB Dell Dimension 4500 (6 years old) with 80 GB drive. How can I determine if I can attach a second internal drive in it? I also have 2 DVD and CD drives, but it does look like I have additional bay space. What's involved in attaching a 2nd internal drive?

2) And JohnDoe, when you say I should pick up a spare harddrive to install in place of my "live" one, and test the restore process," I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean attach a 2nd internal drive in addition to an external drive that holds my backup image?

3) If it's not possible to attach a 2nd internal drive and I use an external dr5ive instead for backups, will it take a much longer time to backup -- say, more than an hour or so?

Thanks again for your help.

 

Forget my Question #3 above -- I see where JohnDoe has already noted that it'll take 2-3 times longer using an external drive.

But my other questions still apply.

 

For my periodic validations of the restore process, I proceed as if I were restoring a failed hard drive. So power down the PC, remove the hard drive, set it aside, install a blank hard drive in it's place, power up - booting off a CD of the recovery software, and restore my backup onto this blank hard drive. Then I reboot off the restored hard drive. I then power back down, swap the real hard drive back in, and reboot back to "live" mode.

I was never able to restore using Acronis True Image 11, it would simply stop without any message or indication. This was probably related to the bare bones OS that Acronis boots into for stand-alone restores being unable to maintain connection with a USB2 external drive. Paragon Drive Backup Personal handles it just fine. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you test the restore function before you need it in a crisis situation. Again, what works for one situation may or may not work in another. Always best to know for sure about your situation.

 

dkline

When buying computers / parts I'm always looking to the future ... and how today's equipment works with past purchases and new technologies. Your current Dell Dimension 4500 was a good, well configured system.

Adding a Second Hard Drive should not be a space problem.
If you are going to keep this computer for some time and/or hand it down to another family member, consider installing an inexpensive 2nd HDD. Keep in mind as power needs go up, you may need to replace the PSU on your Dell. As any computer gets older, additional parts/repairs may/will be required. If you feel your Dell is approaching "end of cycle" , I would not install a 2nd drive. I would look at a external .. but look to your future needs. Tomorrow I will start putting together my own external. Purchased a 750GB SataII/3GB / 32MB HDD and will install it in a eSata/USB2 external enclosure. Total cost delivered, $139. It will sit in between a 7 year old computer (USB2 ported) and a 3 month old computer (eSata ported). My current 200GB/USB2 external will become a dedicated data drive to kids 18 month computer.

 

Hey, thanks guys. I think the best approach may be to get an external 7200 rpm firewire 800 drive (plus a firewire card) and, as JD suggests, a cheap second internal IDE drive as well to make sure that the disaster recovery backup really works.

But one more question: I can get a cheap 160GB internal drive, but will that present a problem given that my current "live" drive is only 80GB? How will the restore process put my current system image (composed of one 40 GB partition and three 10GB partitions) onto a drive twice as large?

Regarding my old PC, I'd be happy to buy a new one except for two hesitations: 1) I'm perfectly happy with my XP system and don't particularly want to learn Vista, and 2) I HATE the idea of having to transfer everything onto a new PC, and I don't think Acronis can restore an image to a whole new hardware configuration (as opposed to simply a new drive in the old PC).

I used PC Relocator to transfer everything to my current system when I got this Dell 6 years ago, but it was a bear. Any suggestions for the best way to upgrade to a new PC without having to either embrace Vista or reinstall the OS and all the programs?

Thanks again, everyone.

 

How do you repartition it? And why do you say it was "slightly larger" given that it's more than 4 times larger?

 

Thanks. So theoretically when restoring to a blank unformatted 160GB disk, I could use Acronis to create C,D,E and F partitions of equal size (or 40GB each) on the blank disk, and then the image of my current C,D, E & F would map to the new ones -- only each restored partition would be of a larger size?

And what's disk management in XP Home -- I don't see that under system tools?

Btw, I was looking around for Firewire 800 cards and I can't tell if I should get a PCI Express version or the older PCI version. If I should get a regular PCI Firewire 800 card, will it still be faster in my older system than USB 2.0?

 

I am really sorry to be so dense about this -- I know you've already put in a lot of time trying to help me -- but I just don't understand the above.

Wouldn't I be imaging (i.e., restoring) to a blank unformatted disk following a hard drive failure?

And if the partition size of the restored image is set, as you say, according to the size of the old disk, then wouldn't I get C,D,E and F partitions on the new disk of exactly the same size as the old disk -- i.e., 80GB combined?

If so, what do I do with the other 80GB on the new hard disk? Create a G partition of 80GB?

 

Follow Pete's Acronis link, see Chapter 15, "Adding a new Drive ". If a old, previous used drive, you will delete any partitions, resulting in "unallocated space ".
If a brand new drive, you will already have "unallocated space ".
You can then proceed to create your partition(s).
When creating your last partition, be sure NOT to leave any "unallocated space ".

 

Thanks very much, Pete and Dennis, for your patient explanation.

Btw, will a PCI Express Firewire 800 card work in my 6-year-old system, and should I look for a regular PCI Firewire 800 card? If the latter, will it still be faster than USB 2.0?