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imaging & partitioning queries

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tomos:
I’m trying to get my head around imaging & how it relates to planning the partions in a new PC

Was thinking along the lines of partitioning drive so:

1) Windows (XP) + programmes + App data etc: 
dunno :-[  :D
current system (with roughly 1GB each for paging file, hib file, recycle bin & App data etc) takes up less than 10GB
so say 30GB win partition in case I want to install Vista sometime ... 2) Have to read up about putting paging file on seperate partition - I know it’s been a topic here again lately.3) Probably keep my docs & often-used files on next one 4) then „Storage“ - less often used filesWill have a second drive for imaging, backup & more „stuff“

But hey, I’m getting distracted here,
my main query is about imaging - if I take an „image“ of the Windows-etc-partition shortly after install, if win goes wonky later on I can always restore that image, right?
But if I’ve installed a lot of programmes in between do they get lost if I go back to that image of the fresh install? Seems a fair trade off if you get a clean windows.
If thats the case I’d want to decide in advance whats important, install that stuff, give it a once over test-run so-to-speak & then do my imaging.

If I’m understanding anything incorrectly maybe ye’d let me know!
Or if ye think I should be doing the partitions differently somehow...

Normally I’d go ahead and just try it out, (I've never used imaging software, have copy of Acronis older version) but I’m not going to bother with it on this old machine & as I say, it affects how I install & partition etc on new pc

steeladept:
It depends on how you image it, but essentially it sounds like what you are saying is correct.  An image is just a snapshot of the state of the PC at the time of the image.  If you only image the one partition, it will leave other parts of the disk alone.  If you image the entire disk, it will take that snapshot of every partition on the disk.  When you go to restore the image later (and I strongly suggest you try to put the image on cd's or dvd's and restore to your "image disk" as a verification process), you can restore it to a partition or the entire disk just as you imaged it. Either way, however, it is restored to EXACTLY how your system is setup at the moment the image was taken - no rollback to how it was, no easy way to recover any lost data.

At work, one of the ways we use imaging is to setup a base image of how every PC in the corporation needs to be set up, complete with all enterprise licenced software and settings.  Then we image the machine and it is the base image.  (Make sure you do a disk cleanup and defrag before you take the image if you want it to be clean when it is restored....).  We then have a baseline of what we KNOW will work a certain way.

At home, I do something more like what you are talking about (I think).  I will install Windows and all my software (No data) to the way I want it, complete with all updates as of that time.  Then clean it up and take the image.  Now I don't need to take several hours to reinstall the software.  It becomes a 15-20 minute ordeal at most.  With Acronis, I can take Differential Images as well, and use those as updates to the original.  I do this so the original stays relatively pristine, while the differential images allow for software updates to be included in the image.  When you keep your data on a different partition, that becomes a rather elegant method of backing up the entire system without clutter.  (I backup the data at the same time, but in a different job so as to keep the data and the programs separate as much as possible).

tomos:
thanks steeladept!

I imagine windows gradually deteriorating in terms of performance, wear & tear, glitches, etc.
If you make differential images,
would you not be afraid that this deterioration would be included - or,
do you think more in terms of restoring the image if windows somehow totally screws up -
i.e. the image being to get you going again in case of disaster as opposed to being like a new install -
of course with the differential images you have the option of going back as far as you like...
hmmm....
sounds v.good  :)

tomos:
I strongly suggest you try to put the image on cd's or dvd's and restore to your "image disk" as a verification process
-steeladept (July 16, 2007, 07:57 AM)
--- End quote ---

forgot to say I'm not quite sure of what you mean by "restore to your "image disk" as a verification process"

also, hadnt thought of the defrag bit - good tip

steeladept:
In reverse order -

What I mean is to make the image, then (on another drive) verify that the image was made and made correctly.  It really sucks to think you have been backing up the system all this time just to find out it didn't make the image correctly and/or the data is corrupted.  That means you wasted all this time because you have to start over again anyway.  The reason I say check it on another drive is two-fold.  1st - It guarantees that the image is good as otherwise you couldn't recreate the data on another drive.  2nd - If it is bad, you still have the original to make an image from.

As for the differential images, it is true, you can get some garbage in there over time.  This is particularly true when you delete programs that don't totally remove themselves or you have your data in the same partition (some programs actually require this,  :down:).  How I handle that depends on how long it has been since my original image and how much my system and/or requirements have changed.  If it has been a long time and/or I have many upgrades, etc... I just start over from scratch and essentially toss out my old images.  I take a snapshot of the start menu using screenshot captor and print it out to ensure I remember all the programs I want to reinstall, then I wipe the machine and start over.  If it hasn't had many changes or the image isn't so old, then I just recreate the base image.  This is why -RW media is so nice.  Reformat the media and make a new image :Thmbsup:.  Again, don't forget to test the image.  Differential images aren't nearly as critical to check, but the base image absolutely is.

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