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Old July 6th 13, 05:51 PM posted to uk.media.radio.archers,alt.comp.blind-users,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
SixStringStu
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Default (OT for some:) backup scheme that restores without user input?


"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message
...
(Achtung: cross-posted. So that I'm not accused of doing it underhand.)

All you backup enthusiasts:

I'm looking for a backup mechanism which backs up the C: partition of a
Windows XP system to an external (USB-connected) drive, which also offers
to make a bootable CD, which when inserted, restores the backed-up
partition WITHOUT ANY USER INTERACTION - or, with only a few keystrokes
which can be memorised _and don't change or depend on what's on the
screen_.

This is on behalf of my blind friends, who use XP with speech and Braille
output - which doesn't work if they've screwed up the OS somehow. So what
they need is a way of restoring to a working system that involves nothing
more than putting in a CD and cycling the power. (They could leave the
BIOS set to boot from CD first - yes they are aware of the potential
malware aspects of doing that.)

Other things that would be nice, but not important (except the first one):

Free or cheap

looks after the backup disc in a way that deletes the oldest backup when
there's not enough space to do a new backup


My first thought was space. A C drive image is often times larger then what
would fit on a USB thumb drive. I am not up on what all is available on the
market, so that opinion is seriously dated.


can be set to do a backup and then turn the computer off


I have a friend who is big into Linux. He reports to me that he owns a
laptop that has a dead hard drive. He somehow has the ability to boot either
from the CD or USB, not sure which direction, then load the other device.
That's not a restore such as you are looking for, but it's close.
Aside from the previously mentioned size limitation question I'm thinking
there should be a solution like what you are looking for. Good luck finding
this and please report back on what you discover.
Also, remind folks that XP will no longer have update service after April of
next year.

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

If it's pretentious, then at least it's not the sort that wears a horned
helmet
and shrieks about trolls. - Stuart Maconie in Radio Times, 14-20 November
2009.



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