Acronis or Re-Format?

Just got another HP laptop with Win 7 (without a disk). I'd like to start clean by uninstalling the bloatware and then making an image file with something like Acronis. My question is, when I decide say, in a couple of years that I want to clean up the laptop and start fresh, do I just load the backup 'file'(?) that Acronis creates? Does it just overwrite what I have on my (possibly fragmented) HD, or does it wipe it out and put an exact copy of the backup on? I guess what I'm getting at is, is this a replacement for reformatting?

 

Acronis could be used to restore a clean image on your system. It will format your drive and restore the image of your fresh system onto the hard disk. However the software on the image will be older, and drivers will also become outdated. I would prefer to install a fresh copy of Windows and install the latest drivers and software manually, but if you want to save the hassle then Acronis is a viable alternative.

 

Uninstalling the bloatware is a step in the right direction... however, various such software from laptop manufacturers sometimes embeds itself deep into the system, so getting rid of all of it might be problematic.

I simply do a fresh Windows install and keep my data on a secondary partition, and backed up on an external HDD.

I find a clean-install to provide the most efficient means of 'starting fresh'.
Besides, if the OS had numerous updates and bug fixes over time, you can simply install the OS with slipstreamed updates all in one go (which will result in a faster system than having to install them extra).

 

Ok, thanks for the great responses. My laptop did not come with any disks. I'm very new to laptops, however I have reformatted XP several times (unfortunately) on my desktop PC's. I've read something about the restore option on the laptops (I'm not sure how to do this), but will this not just restore all the crap and bloatware again? Do I have to go out and buy a copy of Win 7 just to do a proper reformat?

Sort of related, I am trying to refomat my older system with XP (that's already installed but takes about 5 minutes to get to desktop despite my best efforts) but am having an issue that is driving me nuts. I change the boot sequence to CD, put the XP CD in the drive and restart. It asks the 'Boot from CD':, I hit a key and it just goes directly back into windows again without running XP setup. I thought the keyboard might not be working (it wasn't - USB keyboards apparently don't work in DOS), so I switched to my 15 year old keyboard. Just to check, I put in an old boot CD and the keyboard was working.

From the A: prompt, I then switch to the I386 directory and try to run winnt.exe. I get an error saying that it can't find a place for the swap file and must exit. I recall why I hated DOS ;-) Tried typing format c:\s but that does nothing. For some reason I can switch from a: to c: and both seem to be the DVD drive. Searched online but I seem to be the only person on the planet having this issue. Any ideas??

 

Here is how I do it and it takes me 7 mins exactly to restore back to a fresh image that already has all my settings, folder locations and windows updates, then i can simply start installing all my updated apps and recover from any disaster:


1) Format

2) Install Windows

3) Configure Folders and Settings and Activate Windows

4) Perform all Windows updates

5) Backup with Acronis True Image FTW (Back up 1)

6) Install Office 2010 Professional Plus

7) Install new set of updates

8) Configure Outlook 2010

9) Backup with Acronis True Image FTW (Back up 2)

10) Install All Drivers

11) Backup with Acronis True Image FTW (Back up 3)

12) Install Adobe Illustrator CS 5.5, Photoshop CS 5

13) Windows updates if any including .NET framework

14) Backup with Acronis True Image FTW (Back up 4)

15) Then I continue to install my regular programs as usual

Anything goes wrong, then I can simply revert back to an old backup within 5 minutes! no more windows updating / activation crap

 

I guess I need more details on Step #1. My experience with re-formatting (like my latest frustration) is slogging through boot disks and DOS prompts. How does one re-format in a Win 7 environment with a laptop with no system CD?

 

You could use a Windows XP install disk to format your HD if that is your only goal. Just boot from the XP disk and perform the format from the setup steps but don't actually install Windows XP.

I am curious, if you don't have a Windows 7 install disk, what are you going to gain from formatting your HD except a laptop with a blank HD and no way to reinstall the OS?

You can make your own fully functional Windows 7 DVD from here http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...-7-download-links-just-like-vista-before.html. Use Method 2 at the bottom of the first post and you can create an exact copy of the Windows 7 retail DVD (only without a product key).

With this DVD you can format your HD and install Windows 7. You can use the Windows 7 product key on the bottom of your laptop to activate it as long as you install the same version of Windows that came with your laptop.

You can also use this link that has Windows 7 versions with SP1. http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...-digitalriver-windows-7-sp1-13-languages.html

 

My Win XP disk won't work to reformat...just boots into Windows (see my previous posts). Haven't done a reformat for 5 years or so, and I must have forgotten how it's done, because I can't figure it out. Maybe I need to start another thread on the reformatting issue.

As for Win 7, that's exactly why I'm asking...how does one reformat without the CD? What if your laptop crashes? It's a paperweight until you go and buy a boxed version of Win 7? I guess most people just take it somewhere and pay to have it fixed?

 

In order to boot from your Win XP disk you need to change the boot order in bios so your PC will boot from the optical drive before the HD. Then your XP disk will work.

I gave you links in my post to create a legal Windows 7 install disk. You don't need to buy a boxed version.

If your laptop crashes, what most people do, is to use the recovery disks (DVD's) that you should have made when you received your PC (or the Recovery Partition). HP has instructions on how to create these recovery DVD's on your laptop and guides you through the process. These discs will automatically reformat your laptop and restore a current working HD or a new HD with the OS and programs that your PC came with. The recovery DVD's you should have made returns your PC to an out of the box condition with regards to software and functionality. Start by reading this article on HP's site: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&docname=bph07143.

I am not saying by any means that the above is the ideal approach but it is what most people with limited computer skills do. It is free, solves the problem, and the software is provided by the manufacurer on the new PC. If for some reason you cannot make your recovery DVD set you can order a set for your particular HP model from HP for approximately $20 US.

 

you only need to format for the first time then you never need to format because in the future when you restore any of the backup images you created with Acronis True Image, your HDD is formatted then the backup contents are copied to your patition so it's the same thing but saving you a lot of hassle

Just insert the Windows 7 DVD then boot from it at start up by pressing any key, when you are prompted on which partition you want to install windows, click on C:. then click the Format button below then proceed to install

then Windows will automatically create another 100 MB boot partition

once you are in Windows, proceed with my guide to step 2

 

Did this already, like I've always done, but it skips the boot from CD (it does ask me...see my early posts) and boots from the HD, taking me right back into Windows. Seems to me I've always had to find a way into DOS (with a boot disk) before I could format, even on the different computers I've owned (used to upgrade every two years or so). Could it be my XP disk?

Your other tips about the recovery/making a Windows 7 disk are excellent, thanks. I understand the laptop process now.

 

Thanks, this is likely what I'll do. I'm tired of re-formatting all the time. Is it true that Win 7 needs to be re-formatted less than XP? I'm using Acronis as an example, but are there better programs out there?

 

That's true, you rarely need to format with Windows 7, but then again, when Acronis True Image is there, I usually like to restore an image and start installing update software as it takes only a few mins to revert back to an old clean image and start out fresh with a clean registry

And no, Acronis True Image is the best out there when it comes to disk imaging software

 

If your XP disk is a retail disk then the disk is probably OK as long as it isn't scratched. If you have a XP disk that you created then maybe it is non-bootable even if it has all the files on it. The easiest way to tell if your XP disk is good is to try to boot from it in one of your desktop PC's, if you can boot to disk then the disk is OK.

 

I would call up and request an OS CD. Dell stopped shipping their laptops with these, but if you call they will send out. Not sure about other companies . . .

Acronis 2012 I literally HATE, they used to be so good, what happened?

 

I use Achronis 2010. Great software and I've never felt any need to upgrade beyond that.

 

+1. Acronis is what I have used for years for backups. I am still using 2009.

 

I'm mixing messages here I guess. It is a retail disk and I am trying to reformat one of my desktop PC's (unrelated to my question about reformatting my Win 7 laptop). I know the disk works because I've used it several times to install windows after a reformat. For some reason though, I have to get into DOS and run the WinNT.exe from the i386 directory every time...it won't run the setup when you boot from it. Trouble is, I can't even remember how I did that now. I've got an EBCD boot disk (don't know what that means) that I used before to get into DOS, but something doesn't seem to be working right. I also recall having to load a CD ROM driver before I could get the drive to read the CD. Where can I get a fully functional boot disk for XP these days? The desktop system isn't REALLY old (Athlon XP 4000/8800GTS) but it is getting long in the tooth. It's plenty for my 9 year old son though.

 

I will try to get one from HP, thanks.

What is it that you hate about 2012? I'm guessing my only option now will be to get 2012?

 

I've read bad things about acronis 2012
Never used the ones before it

As personal experience, my main initial format image got corrupted once, even after it was verified. So all the incremental backups got screwed as well

 

Acronis 11 worked awesome on my old windows machine. like you said you could completely reinstall in 7 minutes or so. however i tried it with one of my newer computers and the boot disk wouldnt work. it would back up ok but you couldnt get the boot disk to work to restore the image. I read there were several updates to it. so maybe they fixed it. I just know that 11 didnt work for crap for me on one of my newer windows laptops.

 

Yep, I had the same issue when I first tried Acronis 11 I borrowed from a friend to try out. You couldn't create a working bootable boot disk. After some researching I found out that you could download an updated linux software program from Acronis to create a working boot disk if you had registered your purchased program. The person I communicated with at Acronis sent me a link at the time for a one time download of the required program.

Anytime you use any backup software for the first time it is wise (mandatory?) to make sure you can restore the backup before the need arises. This is where a spare HD really comes in handy.