Re: Drive Image--OT

[J R FOX jr_fox@xxxxxxxxxx]

--- Harry Binswanger  wrote:

> Re backing up: I may have misinterpreted something
> Robert said a few weeks ago:

> What about using the drive image of the drive in my
> laptop (C:) to restore
> itself? That is, if I make a drive image on an
> external (different)
> firewire drive, then totally re-format C:, boot from
> the factory CD, can I
> (somehow) copy the old image back onto C: and be
> ready to go?

Harry,

I believe that your chances for success are greatly
enhanced if you have an identical (make / model / size
/ mfg. rev.) spare, "understudy" hard drive waiting in
the wings.

> I think there
> are two issues here: 1) can I read the external
> firewire drive from what is
> on the factory CD functioning as a boot disk, 2) if
> so, will I be able to
> put everything back from the image to C: in a way
> that restores C: to the
> state it was in when I made the image? The external
> drive is physically
> different from the laptop drive.

That could be the crux of the matter. You want to do
everything possible so that Windows does not regard
this as being different hardware, and thereby balk at
cooperating. My experience with drive cloning has all
been in the desktop realm, so I can't be certain it
will apply in your situation; nevertheless, I've had
considerable success at it.

There may be some other issues involved, besides the
drive type and size. I strongly suspect that Windows
does some boot-partition specific markings as to what
is the lay of the land for the local Win geography
(perhaps including an identifying serial # for the
installation), that this info is hidden or
inaccessible, and that one dare not let it get
changed. And, if one is using Win boot code at the
beginning of C: in order to boot Win from a later,
logical drive, I believe there is some very specific
identifier buried therein that one also dare not
chang -- at least by any outside program or utility.

> Bottom line: is there any point at all in making a
> drive image on an
> external, firewire drive, rather than just backing
> up data files onto it?

Data files do not a boot partition make. The point
is, if you have an elaborate, mature Win install with
a lot of app.s, a lot of set defaults / preferences in
the OS and app.s, it is a huge, flaming PITA to
rebuild it from scratch. It has taken me a couple
weeks of work to get it all back the way it was. I
*never* want to have to do that again, if I can help
it.

I used to use Drive Image for a long time, but later
had some problems with it. Nowadays I use DFSEE. It
is shareware, and (relatively speaking) somewhat of a
hacker tool, in comparison to the hand-holding GUI
ease of Drive Image.

btw, I'm referring to NT or 2K or XP here. It may
well be that 98SE is much less of a chore to replace
-- I wouldn't know. What Robert was saying about
system migration is (I think) largely about a myriad
of differences in drivers and established Registry
keys. That is, if Win does not simply Blue Screen you
from the git-go, in your attempt to change critical
hardware. (Most particularly a motherboard.)

*Even so*, there are system migration tools being
sold, which claim to finesse much of this, so that you
don't lose your well-customized former install. Aloha
Bob PC Relocator is one. I think Acronis may have
another. Some say a product called IntelliMover is
currently the best of this breed.


Jordan