back up

horsemen_ · Post by **horsemen_** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 1:46 am

i was listening to Leo Laporte a couple weeks ago

He said you could install windows all the updates drivers and the programs you know you will always want to have and get everything updated then you could make a bootable backup disk and the next time you need to reformat/reinstall windows you could do it all off that back up disk and said the program to use to do this i just cannt recall the program anyone knows how to do this?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 1:55 am

http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/

The Dude · Post by **The Dude** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 6:38 pm

Something is really messed up. I have been trying to post a link to Acronis true image but it won't show up. When I click edit it shows up with the correct tags, but doesn't show up in my post.
Acronis True Image
Ok that was weird, it wouldn't let me link to that page. I shortened the link to just acronis.com and it works?

Futurama_fan · Post by **Futurama_fan** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 7:41 am

I could recommend you to use True Image for it. I recently started using it, and I think it's the easiest backup program. You’ll just be able to create an image of your HDD and bootable CD (it takes not much space due to compression). Then if you need reformat/reinstall windows or if the system suddenly crushed, you could use your CD. And the most important: using backup disk systematically you'll never loose any data. The disk backup file contains the exact copy of a hard disk, including all the computer data, operating system, and programs.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 8:06 am

Yup you're looking for imaging/disk cloning software

Symantecs Ghost and Acronis True Image are two of the more popular ones, I use both...mostly Ghost just out of habit...used it thousands of times over the years.

Basically they take a "snapshot" of your hard drive at the time you run choose. You store that, and if you need to restore your hard drive, you can put that snapshot back on your hard drive. Can even restore that image to a completely blank hard drive. Or use it for rolling out large networks of workstations...you unbuckle one computer...do all your software/updates, etc....sysprep (not needed for stand alone home setups), shut down, and copy that image to the rest of the workstations (assuming hardware is the same).