Backing Up Win 7 machine

Have Win 7 up and running on new machine.  Would like to do the first backup.  Used Acronis clone on spare hard drives with old XP.  Seemed to work good.  Bought a new spare HD for the new machine. Should I continue to use Acronis or use the built in "Create a System Image" that comes with Win 7?  Any thoughts.

Thanks, Johnny

Personal preference I dare say would be the answer for the most part, belt and braces would be both, or stick with what you know works is the alternate option, sorry there is no clear answer from me, but due to the variables I mentioned as reasons, there is probably no single answer better than another in this instance.

So lets try and expand on the reasoning behind my response:-

Personal preference; simply put everyone has their favourite ways to do things, simple as that really.

Stick with what you know; as above really, but increased possibly with the knowledge that it is tried and tested, and you know it works, and are comfortable in doing it this way.

Belt and Braces; do both, should one method fail to work, the other one may\should work, add to that you should never rely on a single backup, if that backup becomes corrupted then you have nothing.

Obviously these are very simplified responses, and there is a much deeper meaning and reasoning that goes into this if you want to get really involved, but I leave that to others who know more than I do, but there are other factors to take into account as well, not only should you not rely on a single backup, you should also store backups in more than 1 place, eg a single hard drive, if that drive dies, then everything is gone.

Luckily storage media is much more affordable these days, so using a hard drive within the system to save to is fine, but it would be wise to also save to an external drive as well, this way if the system takes a hit, you have the external backup to fall back on if the worst happened, but remember the backup is only up to the date it was made, so everything since the last backup is not protected, so if you are always updating\increasing your data that needs backing up, you should get in the habit of weekly or monthly (depending on need\importance) either create a new backup, or use incremental backups to save time, but you probably know already know all this if you're used to doing it, but hopefully this gives you some idea what is best for you.

If you don't mind spending some money, got  with Acronis. Otherwise I would recommend Macrium Reflect Free.

I've read of too many problems with the built-in Windows backup to trust my data to it.

As 8210guy said though, strictly a matter of personal preference.

I use Acronis on this computer, Macrium (free) on my works computers and DriveImage XML (free) on my web server.

I also run a program called Mirror Folder which I use to backup my important data to a 2nd internal hard drive and in some cases to a hard drive on another computer over my network. Every month or so I backup to an external hard drive as well.

There is no such thing as too much backup.

I prefer Windows 7 backup image - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/back-up-programs-system-settings-files#1TC=windows-7

Well, the backup with Acronis didn't go well.  Finally got the machine to recognize the usb HD and got the program to start the backup when the computer turned OFF half way thru.  Got everything going again and completed the backup but I noticed I now have a "new" partition on my HD.  Have no idea how it got there or what it is. 

Also, when I now attempt to run Acronis, I go thru the setup and it shuts down the computer and when the machine attempts to start up, instead of Acronis starting, the machine attempts to start windows.  Windows startup fails and I have to insert the Emergency Rescue Disc into the drive and do a repair. 

I would like to remove this new partition and return the space to C but don't want to do anything without expert help.

Windows Explorer shows no files in F but disc manager shows something there. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

JOhnny

📎discmanager.jpg

The 100MB partition is not new, it would have been created when Windows was installed.

Goolge can tell you all you ever want to know about it 100mb partition windows 7

Thanks for the Google links.  Very interesting.  I never saw this partition till I had the backup hickup.  Maybe it was hidden.  I would just as soon let sleeping dogs lie and let it alone.  I'm still left with Acronis crashing my machine when I attempt to do a backup.  Can I get into more trouble by making C the "active" partition? 

Thanks, Johnny

If it boots asis then leave it alone, Changing the active partition will render in un-bootable.

I noticed I now have a "new" partition on my HD.

 

Just remove the letter F (not the partition) so it exists without being seen. Less confusion.

Any shadow copy will always include that partion when you copy C: regardless of the software used.

 

Any shadow copy will always include that partion when you copy C: regardless of the software used.

far as i'm aware a "shadow copy" is a windows os feature, so don't know what other software will always backup any other partitions if you specify to only backup the c partition but i very much doubt they will.

http://www.howtogeek.com/129188/htg-explains-what-are-shadow-copies-and-how-can-i-use-them-to-copy-or-backup-locked-files/

maybe your confusing shadow copy with being the same thing as an image backup? obviously they are not the same thing and it's image backups the op is using/talking about.

i know for a fact using most backup software if you do a drive image backup then yes all partitions will be included, but if you choose to image backup just the c partition then it is only that partition that is backed up, it won't include anything else like the mbr or other partitions on the hard drive.

or maybe it's me that is confused about what info you were actually trying to convey to the op with your post?   

I can live with the F partition.  I don't know where it came from but I'll let sleeping dogs lie.  The computer boots and runs fine. 

The problem now is that Acronis crashes the machine every time.  I need to get some backups going.  Making clones on spare HD worked well on my old XP.  Since the failure of Acronis started with the appearance of the F partition, I assumed there was a connection.  Whatever is going on, I have to figure this out.  As someone said, "you can never have too many backups" and I'm a firm believer in that philosophy. 

My total uneducated guess, Acronis loads in C and the computer is booting from F, gets confused and crashes.

I do have one backup on a spare HD.  It has the F partition on it.  Am thinking of installing that drive and messing with it to try and get Acronis working.  If I mess up the boot sector or anything, it won't be the end of the world. 

Any thoughts greatly appreciated,

Johnny4

 

 

Any shadow copy will always include that partion when you copy C: regardless of the software used.

 

As far as i'm aware a "shadow copy" is a windows os feature, so don't know what other software will always backup any other partitions if you specify to only backup the c partition but i very much doubt they will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since when is the term "shadow copy" for the exclusive use of Microsoft?

System image/ system shadow copy/ system back-up copy/ System ISO image and other names used including "reflect copy" (for those of us who use Macrium), all refer to the same thing surely (?)  

I just swaped out my CPU and made a reflect copy of C: after a bit of system housework.  My system reserved 100mb does not show because I removed the drive letter long ago as with more than one HDD in my PC I have enough drive letters to worry about. I can assure you though, that small hidden partition is part of my Reflect backup image because it has my boot loader on it. Macrium Reflect recognises it (as I'm sure Acronis would to) and includes it as well  as C: as the boot loader is essential to my C: backups (that have been used many times over the years).

Johnny4,

With only one HDD with a system reserved and C: partions only showing, it's probably fine to leave things as they are

PS edit:

Just so you know: What is the System Reserved Partition? and more info HERE that mentions that it is "not supposed to have a drive letter".

 

System image/ system shadow copy/ system back-up copy/ System ISO image and other names used including "reflect copy" (for those of us who use Macrium), all refer to the same thing surely (?)

no actually they are not the same thing, there is a big difference between copying files to make a backup and making an image to create the backup.

same as there's a big difference between imaging a partition and imaging a complete hard drive.

when you do a copy, all the files may be backed up but they will not occupy the same position on a hard drive as they currently hold unlike if you made an image.

and like i said in earlier post an image of a single partition will not include any other partitions like a boot partition unless you create a drive backup.

 

(for those of us who use Macrium)

+1, liked macrium myself when i used it.

 

The problem now is that Acronis crashes the machine every time.  I need to get some backups going.  Making clones on spare HD worked well on my old XP.  Since the failure of Acronis started with the appearance of the F partition, I assumed there was a connection.  Whatever is going on, I have to figure this out.  As someone said, "you can never have too many backups" and I'm a firm believer in that philosophy. 

 

My total uneducated guess, Acronis loads in C and the computer is booting from F, gets confused and crashes.

 

I do have one backup on a spare HD.  It has the F partition on it.  Am thinking of installing that drive and messing with it to try and get Acronis working.  If I mess up the boot sector or anything, it won't be the end of the world. 

 

Any thoughts greatly appreciated,

 

Johnny4

would need more info to help you here, what type of backup are you trying to do, a single partition or complete hard drive? incremental or full backup?

does it crash when making the backup or just when trying to do a restore of one of your previous backup images?

the problem could very well be your trying to restore a backup of a single partition of c drive and the missing needed info from the boot partition is causing the crash like you believe or something along those lines, i have a vague memory of acronis having problems because of the new way windows introduced with their partitioning setup but can't remember the exact details and the problem was solved but i think only with the loss of previous backups and needing to do a fresh new backup and start incrementing that.

personally i would download the latest version of acronis then make a complete new backup image of the hard drive (not just c) then try and restore that and see if it still crashes.

What version of Acronis do you have? They recently offered an upgrade to 2014 for $19.99.

I've been using the free WD Edition of Acronis.  Build 5962.  Has limited functionality but does the HD clone. 

I liked the HD clone of the XP machine because I could plug it in and be up and running in 5 minutes.