Backups

[101RRS]

I had had some minor issues with my HP laptop that is under warranty. HP before taking it back for repair require the laptop to be restored to its basic software as was supplied to see if a software solution can be found.

In doing so all installed programes and files are lost so a backup is required first.

I used the Windows backup programme that is included with Win 7 (64bit) and infact have two backups one week apart.

The laptop was taken back to its original state and the issues I had seem to be fixed. I then went into windows to tell it to restore the computer from the backup - and hour later the 500mb of information has been downloaded to the laptop and it shows in how much data is on the hard drive. I rebooted expecting to get my old desktop with all the programmes back - Firefox, MS Office, E-mail etc, all my documents but nothing - I have the new desktop with a couple of icons but nothing else.

I thought backup was to be able to take your computer back to an earlier time (like a system restore) but it hasn't :mad:.

What have I done wrong???

As a precaution I also made a replica of the old C: drive using Karens Replicator so I still have my personal documents but it will take ages to reload programmes and I will loose all my emails etc.

Help would be appreciated - maybe I need to take the laptop and the external backup drive to someone who knows what they are doing.

Garry
;

[Sc0tt]

Hi

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but from the sounds of it (@500mb), your backup was likely the Windows default one which only backs up My Documents and the like.

They way Windows is configured, the only way to restore all your software back is to perform a complete back up or 'Ghost' of your Hard drive. When ever you install a program Windows places most of the program within Program Files, it places a few more within the Windows folder and/or its many sub folders, still some more in one of the many obtuse Application Data folders and make modifications to the registry.

As each and every program (even Microsofts own) install in different ways, there is just no way to be able to simply backup all your software and restore it onto a newly formatted PC.

Linux on the other hand is different and can easily be configured to do just this.

Basically you will have either use the Replicated drive you mentioned (but this may just get you back to the system that needed to get sent back to the manufacturer to fix) or you can re install all your software.

As I said, sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Regards
Scott

[101RRS]

Thanks Scott - as I expected.

The replicated date will not put the bads stuff back into windows as the new windows files are in use during the process so essentially locked out. The only way it can be done is to remove the drive from the laptop, format it on anoither computer then copy across all the replicated files - I might try that if all else fails.

I must admit I am getting sick and tired of computer stuff that doesn't work - you should be able to just backup - then reload like a restore point.

I can get Windows up no issues, but all programs will have to be reloaded - again no issues but I loose bookmarks and emails which is annoying.

I am trying the system, image that was with the backup but I am not sure if that is an image of just the operating system which I don't need or the whole computer which would be great.

Cheers

Garry

[Landy Smurf]

I lost most of my files including a lot of my land rover photos which included my project so as you can imagine I was not happy especially when it was because of someone elses doing . so now I have at least 2 hard drives as they can go fairly easy too plus back up on discs and photos online

[101RRS]

I have now loaded the image that is included with the backup. I booted the computer from the Rescue Disk and followed the instructions to load the image - has worked completely and the computer is back as it was last night including the small issue I had with Bluetooth. I can live with the issue and will us windows backup so that I get the system image - the backup itself is a joke.

I will fix the issue with my computer once I find a program that will do the back properly.

Thanks
Garry

[Ferret]

The replicated date will not put the bads stuff back into windows as the new windows files are in use during the process so essentially locked out. The only way it can be done is to remove the drive from the laptop, format it on anoither computer then copy across all the replicated files - I might try that if all else fails.

Never specifically used Windows backup so what I say might be crap, however, with any image restoration task my understanding is you can't restore the image by booting into the windows installation on your hard drive. As you have found out the system files are in use and can't be over written.

What you have to do is boot from a recovery CD/DVD. Backup solutions from 3rd vendors provide their own recovery boot discs usually based around Linux. I think in the case of 'Windows Restore' you have to boot from a 'Windows Repair Disc 'and then restore the image from there.

Maybe this might help if you have in fact a true system image and not just a copy of the system files. A system image includes an image of the hidden 100 Meg partition that windows uses plus an image of your C drive and may include an image of any other partition residing on the same physical disc as the C drive. So when you restore that image it will restore the C drive plus all other partition on that drive.

How To Restore Windows 7 from a System Image (http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/7702/restoring-windows-7-from-an-image-backup/)

[Ferret]

Oh, to late you have already worked it out :D

[101RRS]

Oh, to late you have already worked it out :D

Thanks for that - yeah have worked it out but only after a stressful day.

Computer nerds who write these programs should have a non computer nerd as a supervisor so that a reality check can be applied to the products being developed. I have never had a backup work as advertised and my backup protocol will be a Win Backup once a week to get a weekly image and a nightly replication so that if something happens I will get the system back form the image disk and then get the latest "my documents files" back from the replicated version which I can just copy and paste.

Cheers

Garry

[Ferret]

Win Backup once a week to get a weekly image and a nightly replication so that if something happens I will get the system back form the image disk and then get the latest "my documents files" back from the replicated version which I can just copy and paste.


By nightly replication I assume you mean with Karens Replicator.

Did you know you can mount your image so it appears just like a another drive, ie it has it's own drive letter. Once that is done you can just copy and paste your "my documents files" from your back up image just like you do now but without the need to run Karens Replicator every day.

Set up your Windows Backup to to create a weekly full image (takes a long while) and a daily incremental image (very fast). Wave goodbye to K Replicator and get back some space occupied by files which are effectively being backed up twice.

I don't know whether can or how you schedule this with Windows Backup but if it can't do it ditch it and get one of the free alternatives which does do this.

Restoring images? - you will never be able to restore Windows from within Windows itself but as said, you can copy and paste any non system files from the image.

[101RRS]

Thanks for that information - sounds like a great alternative. My Backup drive is three times the size of the drive in the laptop but your suggested approach will give me room to also use it as a backup for my PC.

Good stuff.

Garry

[Bushie]

Full reinstall (windows and all applications) whilst it is a bit of a pain does give you a clean start without any issues being carried across.

My way of thinking its your data that is the precious stuff.

I use cobian backup (free) and do a regular full back up to alternate drives, the oldest one then lives on the shelf next to the PC the newest lives in a case in the car (or sometimes at work). It takes a bit of research to find out where some of the more important stuff is stored in windows folders to make sure you have desktop, emails, address books, favourites etc


Martyn