Vista backup - data, programs, bootable, everything

jstbecuz · 11-03-2009, 09:18 PM

Hi all -

Like most people I've suffered hard drive crashes in the past that have cost me data and learned to backup regularly so that doesn't happen.

I've also suffered crashes that, despite having all the data, caused me two days of downtime to reinstall the OS (sometimes on a new drive) and load the oodles of software that we accumulate over the years. I'm looking for a more sophisticated backup that will literally snapshot the entire harddrive to an external drive. This way if my hard drive fails, I could boot from the external, buy a new hard drive and snapshot over to the new one so that I have not just the data back, but all the programs, drivers, etc. as well.

It seems like this would be so much more valuable than a data backup, but few seem to do it. Do you know of a place that describes how to do such a thing? Or am I asking the impossible due to licensing or other issues? I'm fairly tech savy and am running Vista Home.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can point me in the right direction.

**Mister2** · 11-03-2009, 10:34 PM

Hi jstbecuz,

You need a drive imaging program such as Macrium Reflect or Acronis True Image.

Both these applications allow a a boot CD to be created whereby you can easily restore the image of your old hard drive to your new one. Not sure if Acronis will allow booting from the external drive where you saved the image but Macrium will - see here for a tutorial.

spongmonkey · 11-04-2009, 05:22 AM

Yep, as Mister2 says get yourself some disk imaging software. You could have used complete PC backup which is a great Windows Vista feature but sadly only available in Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise

11-03-2009, 09:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
jstbecuz Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1 OS: Vista Home	Vista backup - data, programs, bootable, everything Hi all - Like most people I've suffered hard drive crashes in the past that have cost me data and learned to backup regularly so that doesn't happen. I've also suffered crashes that, despite having all the data, caused me two days of downtime to reinstall the OS (sometimes on a new drive) and load the oodles of software that we accumulate over the years. I'm looking for a more sophisticated backup that will literally snapshot the entire harddrive to an external drive. This way if my hard drive fails, I could boot from the external, buy a new hard drive and snapshot over to the new one so that I have not just the data back, but all the programs, drivers, etc. as well. It seems like this would be so much more valuable than a data backup, but few seem to do it. Do you know of a place that describes how to do such a thing? Or am I asking the impossible due to licensing or other issues? I'm fairly tech savy and am running Vista Home. Thanks in advance to anyone who can point me in the right direction.

11-03-2009, 10:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mister2 Microsoft MVP Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Lincolnshire, UK Posts: 121 OS: Windows 7, XP SP2	Re: Vista backup - data, programs, bootable, everything Hi jstbecuz, You need a drive imaging program such as Macrium Reflect or Acronis True Image. Both these applications allow a a boot CD to be created whereby you can easily restore the image of your old hard drive to your new one. Not sure if Acronis will allow booting from the external drive where you saved the image but Macrium will - see here for a tutorial. __________________ MVP (Consumer Security) 2007-2009 Never stop learning

11-04-2009, 05:22 AM	#3 (permalink)
spongmonkey Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Norfolk Posts: 86 OS: Windows 7	Re: Vista backup - data, programs, bootable, everything Yep, as Mister2 says get yourself some disk imaging software. You could have used complete PC backup which is a great Windows Vista feature but sadly only available in Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise __________________ MCITP, MCTS, Windows Vista