In message , R.Wieser
writes:
Hello All,

Question #1:

I've been looking for a while for a backup-and-restore program, but I have a
specific requirement: I would like to be able to start a backup, but even
more importantly, a restore as simple as can be (preferrably, after a
one-time configuration, just a "sure to continue Y/N ?" kind of question).

For that I would like to be able to either script both processes, or have
the program accept a set of commandline arguments.

Is there such a program available ? (could not find any using Google - most
are "live" programs needing you to fiddle settings every time)

It may be possible to make Macrium and Acronis, if you use the installed
rather than the boot-from-CD part that I prefer, take command-line
arguments, for image-making. (It images several partitions - such as all
the hidden ones you need plus C: - to a single image file. It can of
course include your D: partition too, though I would back that up
differently.)

For the _restore_ from image, you boot from the CD you make (I prefer to
do that for the making of the image too): I don't think this can be
totally automated (you have to point it at _which_ image you want to
restore, for a start), but it's pretty trivial. [I'm speaking of Macrium
here, but I think the others are similar.]

Question #2:

Recently I became aware of a (MS) backup program called NtBackup. The
problem is that I can't find how it would be able to restore to a system
with a non-working/crashed OS, or even to a new disk (no OS at all). How
is it suppose to work ?

Obviously, _no_ system is going to run without loading an OS first. The
MS system backup - I'm not sure if that's the one you've found -
requires you to have a Windows CD to boot from before you can use any
image you've saved with it. (I've just noticed we're in the XP 'group; I
don't _think_ there's a built-in one in XP, I think that first came in
in 7 [or possibly Vista].)

As I want to have a *simple* (and. if possible, fast) restore process, first
re-installing the OS and than restore the backup over it is not a viable
option.

Certainly, Macrium is fairly simple (and works on XP), once you've made
the CD which is an option from the software once you've installed it -
here's how I use it:

imaging:
o boot from the CD
o select which partitions you want to image [IIRR it defaults to all
partitions; you just have to make sure to _exclude_ the one you're going
to image _to_. I exclude my D: partition too - I back that up with
synctoy]
o select which drive to put the image on
o name the image (or accept the name it suggests - usually the date)
o leave it to it

restoring from the image (including to a new disc):
o boot from the CD
o select which image (obviously, from which drive) to restore from
o leave it to it. (It will _create_ the partitions, etc. that were used
to make the image.)

[Obviously you have to have the drive to which you are going to image,
or from which you are going to restore, connected before you boot from
the CD. It knows about EIDE, SATA, and USB-external - possibly others
too; while it's booting it asks if you want to load some other drivers,
to which I say no as I'm using USB-external anyway.]

The image, in this case, will be of the OS, all software you have
installed, and all tweaks and updates you've made to both OS and
software up to the point you made the image. It isn't a matter of
installing the OS and then restoring the backup over it: what's imaged
_is_ the OS (and everything else, i. e. you end up with a system as it
was when you made the image).

It's a _lot_ more *simple* to do than to describe, once you've made the
CD!

In the case of Macrium (5 anyway [which is fine for XP], but I think 6
and 7 too), the CD required will even fit on a mini-CD; I keep it with
my backup drive. This might apply to the alternatives (Acronis, EaseUS,
others) too, I don't know.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser



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

Never be led astray onto the path of virtue.