Backing up Vista Home Premium

Hey guys, I just bought a Everex XT5000T from Newegg and I was wondering if there is a way to backup the OS in case I ever had it crash. Obviously I never received the recovery disk (which was expected) so I was wondering if I can create one or find one without having to buy the whole OS again.

If you can't help me with that, do you know how to separate the HD so that the OS is on one partition and the other partition is everything else I install onto the computer?

Thanks.

 

For backing up the whole system, files, etc - basically everything, why don't you invest in Acronis True Image. I have used this for several years and it has enabled me to try out many Linux distros, then return to my XP or Vista setup as I left it, in minutes. You can keep the backup archive on another partition, or on one or more DVD's, add to it as you add/rem stuff from your system, keeping it up to date (or make another full archive). I have never had a failiure using it. Use the program to make a recovery DVD to boot from and you'll be fine. I have both my XP and Vista systems backed up and kept up to date.

 

I dont really care to backup files and such, i just wanted to know if there was a way to create a disk image of the OS without spending money to do it, thats all.

 

Insert the disc into the CD ROM, and run Magic ISO, in order to make an ISO Image file of the disc. Then burn the ISO file onto a disc, using Magic ISO, or better, use the Alex Feinman Vista Edition ISO recorder:

(Simply use the Free Trial Version of MagicISO)

http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/Vista.htm

http://www.magiciso.com/

 

i dont have a cd rom of vista, i only have what is on my computer because the computer came with vista preloaded. If there is a way to take the OS off of my computer and put it onto a disk, that would be what I am looking for. Thanks for the help though.

 

I think he misunderstood you....back to what lesinlondon said, it is the easiest solution, but it is by no means the only solution. The trick here is how many intermediary steps do you want to do?

Before getting into that, Acronis has a 15-day trial period which will actually accomplish your goal for the cost of a couple DVDs

You simply burn a boot rescue disk (option is given in acronis) and then burn an image of your disk to a dvd. Then, should anything happen, you simply boot with the emergency rescue disk, it prompts you for the backup dvds and away you go.

There are other solutions, but they will involve additional hardware...another computer, perhaps, maybe a 2.5inch harddisk adapter to place it in a desktop, or at least a network store.

For example, selfimage will allow you to backup an image to a network store, then you need to install it on a BartPE disk...that way, you can restore from the network store later

http://selfimage.excelcia.org/
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

You will need a windows xp cd of some sort to make the bartpe

 

1. Microsoft purposefully left out any possibility of using the included backup software within Windows Vista Premium to make full backups. This was done in an effort to sell the Vista Ultimate upgrade to us lemmings.

2. Acronis True Image is a beautiful backup option. The current version 10 is available at Best Buy for $39.00.

3. I was hesitant to buy the Acronis software until many people here convinced me of the superiority of the product, even to Windows Ultimate's version of a backup solution. The people here were right. Acronis is the only way to go.

 

Definitely go Acronis. I've used it countless times to put my computer to normal after Linux, Vista, XP, or OSx86 adventures.

And yes, Microsoft deliberately crippled every other version of Vista but Ultimate, in effort to make people buy Ultimate. It's one of those fun things you can do with a monopoly and unbridled greed.

 

little too much Microsoft is evil stuff going on here....if Symantec, Acronis and others can make a buck selling an "imaging" feature, why not Microsoft.

Also, consider the problems Microsoft has had in the past when they include too much in the core OS--lawsuits from browser and music player companies due to "monopoly" and anti-fair trade practices.

I'd cut them a little slack, in the interest of fairness.

For what it's worth, for people who invest in the upcoming Windows Home Server, there is a very nice back up over the network feature built into the client package that comes with it.

ANd as long as there are free alternatives, it seems a little grouchy for people to complain that an OS doesn't do everything...

 

alright guys, thanks a bunch, i'll go try it out.

 

So I tried that Acronis out and it works for the whole backing up and stuff. I went to go try and test the bootable dvd and i got to the screen where you choose full or safe restore or whatver and everytime I choose one it takes me to a blank screen. Am I supposed to insert the backup disk at this point or did my bootable dvd have something wrong with it? Thanks.

 

Did you read the manual

http://us1.download.acronis.com/pdf/TrueImage10.0_ug.en.pdf

Not sure if you have a bad disk there or not...I have True Image 7 and don't know if there have been changes.

 

Was it nothing in your PC when you buy it, like tell you to do this...???

I have an HP Pavilion DV6540EO, only 1 week old, and the info was start with do a backup/rescue disc's:

8x CD-ROM
2x DVD+/-R
1x DVD+/-R Dual Layer

I made a: 1x DVD+/-R Dual Layer - Rescue-Disc

Only valid for one backup only, why ??? (I don't know, afraid of re-produce Windows Vista to friends or sell them maybe...)

And my HP have everything installed to do the Rescue disc's, no need to download or buy anything, look in your computer or in some instructions, maybe it works with your PC, but you don't know it yet...


Good luck !

 

Well i tried doing a recovery last night from a USB drive using ATI 10.0's backup archive and i was unsuccessful. I ran multiple backup archive tests to ensure the .tib backup was working properly before trying to do the recovery and everything appeared to be ok.

After trying the recovery, my notebook tried to boot into the OS but i received an error message stating there was something wrong with the OS, and i had to insert the OS disk into the optical drive to "repair" the system. The backup was obviously corrupted (ATI didnt catch it) and i ended up having to do another clean install.