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Anyone have a recommendation for a reliable Drive partition backup and restore app?
I've been using Ghost and/or Drive Image for years, but Symantec has ruined Ghost and I need a new option.

/dave

Well I still use Ghost version 2003 and I still think it is great because I can do it all from a boot floppy without the need to install the program. You are right about the new version of ghost, I don't like it as it must be installed on your machine for it to work (as far as I know).
I have tried drive Image i think, but again you can't make boot floppies for it.

Still using that old floppy here too, don't remember when I last installed it...

I've just dowloaded the tryout version of Trueimage.
I haven't tryed it yet, but reading about it I seem to understand it's possible to create a boot media for system restore...

I just wonder if this media still works after the evaluation period.

Does anyone know about freeware for HDD bootsector copy?

If I make a complete backup of the DAW booting from a removable drive, then the only necessary thing for system restore could be the XP boot data in the DAW HDD boot sector...

[added]

Just found this; it's part of the windows nt resource kit.
But I've not tryed yet.

Anyone?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cochise on 2005-08-24 16:36 ]</font>

I agree with you, and it's what I'm doing at the moment.

But, tweaking memory settings (windows paging file) I had a crash that definitively compromised OS integrity:
I had corrupted the project file I was going to open, and a scandisk action reported lot of unusable file fragments; then, a lot error messages and freezes.

Since XP restoration points merely operate on the registry and not on the whole file system contents, I'm looking for ways to restore the whole system, OS+drivers+settings+software, without run hundred of setup wizards, before trying other tweaks.

I use Acronis's TrueImage and it's sweet. It can do a live backup (ie. no rebooting into DOS Mode), it's fast and you can do incremeantal backups.

It will either append changes to additional DVDs, CDs or at the end of an image on an external or 2nd drive.

What I'm trying to find is a nice incremental backup program for files and folders, so I can keep nightly incremental backups of my audio projects on an external drive. For Linux/BSD/OSX, there's rsync. But I can't find a freeware (or just cheap and usable) app for Windows.

Anyone have a fave they can recommend?

Sam

Yeah Stardust.
Doing backups at every sofware item installed it's a long, long way, and I'm using XP restoration points, as you suggested.
I have to do a backup before tweaking the OS settings, and another when the DAW settings will be complete and right working.

dehuszar:
I haven't tryed yet the "cheap" method outlined before:
a second drive with OS installed, from which boot up and launch a Microsoft backup session for the DAW partitions.
I have to verify if MS backup has incremental facilities and if it's really necessary to backup the boot sector of the DAW boot partition (I don't know about format utilities writing XP boot informations).

About Trueimage: Do you think it's possible to restore the system using a media created with the tryout version, but running the restore process after the end of the evaluation period?
For sure I think is not possible to increment the backup without buying...

On 2005-08-28 10:56, Cochise wrote:
I haven't tryed yet the "cheap" method outlined before:
a second drive with OS installed, from which boot up and launch a Microsoft backup session for the DAW partitions.
I have to verify if MS backup has incremental facilities and if it's really necessary to backup the boot sector of the DAW boot partition (I don't know about format utilities writing XP boot informations).

Sorry, my ideas are a bit confused.
If I use MS backup from another installation, I go to store the wrong registry.

I doubt it. But you'll have to consult with Acronis as I'm using the full version.

Sam

Thank you.
I'll ask to Acronis.

Hello Dehuszar, I'm working with Genie Backup Manager Pro http://www.genie-soft.com/products/gbmpro/default.html
, is great for incremental backups on a local folder or in a Cd-r-rw or DVD-r-rw.
This one for audio data, and for system restore my prefered program is ghost 2003 version, I can work with a bootable cd with no need to install it in windows.
Hope it helps you.

I'm considering to buy Acronis True image...
I'm wondering how come you're looking for another application, dehuszar.
Actual True imagine version support incremental; maybe your version does not ?

Sorry again, dehuszar, just now I realize you're looking for a file and folder backup manager.
I've tryied Genie Backup manager too, and it seems to be a good solution. I've the version 4, a full functional free version I've found in a CD-rom from a magazine.