Crash
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Thread: Crash

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
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    Crash

    Hi ,
    Im on windows xp and I was thinking, if my comp did
    crash and everything was wiped ... wot would I do ?

    I seem to remember there was some way of putting your
    entire comp onto discs.
    I think I did it once using CDs ... with one of my old computers.
    Could I do the same using DVDs ? it would mean less discs .
    Ive forgotten exactly what I did back then,
    thanks for any advice and suggestions.
    Desk Top
    windows home 10
    intel (r) Pentium (r) cpu n3700 @1.60 ghz
    8 GB RAM
    64 BIT OP SYSTEM

  2. #2
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    You are talking about cloning. The software is built into Win 7, but for XP you need to use 3rd party software.

    Acronis True Image is excellent:

    Acronis True Image Home
    Nick.

  3. #3
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    No, it was around 8 years ago and I remember feeding about 4 cds into my comp and I had the whole system on disc as a back up.
    Some time later my comp did crash and a comp expert came
    round, and using my discs he restored the system... plus
    all my document files ( that had been lost in the crash )
    Desk Top
    windows home 10
    intel (r) Pentium (r) cpu n3700 @1.60 ghz
    8 GB RAM
    64 BIT OP SYSTEM

  4. #4
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    No telling what was used. But 4 cd's isn't close enough to being able to clone a drive.

    Visit the link SuperSparks posted.
    If you're happy and you know it......it's your meds.

  5. #5
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    8 years ago, it would probably have been Norton Ghost. Acronis True Image is a much newer and better program, but it does the same thing as Ghost did.
    Nick.

  6. #6
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    New computers are sometimes supplied with a utility that you can use to create recovery CDs. That may have been what you used. 4 CDs might work for an XP system that was new and did not have any data or new applications installed. For a system with data and programs, Acronis or something similar is the way to go.

  7. #7
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    98, Ghost, 4 cds sounds about right.
    But my C:\ drive has 140 GB used so I use USB and 2nd or 3rd hdds now for backing with Acronis.

  8. #8
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    zzstevo--It may also be best to acquire a USB external drive and putting the backup on it. External means that it will not be affected by a crash on your PC--just a modern variation on using the multi CD's you used before.
    Jim
    WIN7 Ultimate SP1 64bit, IE 11, NTFS,
    cable, MS Security Essentials, Windows 7 firewall

  9. #9
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    As Welshjim says, they are not that expensive.
    http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...al-Hard-Drives

    I rotate with a couple I keep off site.

  10. #10
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    No probs, I can get a terabyte external usb for around
    £40... thats 1000 gig .
    it would be a lot cheaper if I could do it on 6 or so DVDs !

    I found this on the web....


    Click on "Start" then "All programs." From the all programs menu, select "Accessories," "System Tools" and then "Back Up" from the drop-down menu. This will open a Microsoft wizard to lead you through the recovery disc creation process.


    Insert a blank CD when the recovery disc wizard requests you to do so. Depending on the individual configuration of your computer, you may need more than one disc.

    I think thats what I must have done, all those years ago...
    I ve just been to accessories etc....
    but cant find.. Back Up in the drop down menu !
    Desk Top
    windows home 10
    intel (r) Pentium (r) cpu n3700 @1.60 ghz
    8 GB RAM
    64 BIT OP SYSTEM

  11. #11
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    Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA
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    If you Acronis to create a system image, it can create the DVDs. With compression, you may be able to reduce the size of your used space by 25-30%, then figure how many 4.7 GB DVDs you would need.

    Finally, decide how many of the DVDs might not read when you go to restore.
    A DVD set for off-site storage might be OK, but a hard drive copy is probably better.

  12. #12
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    The recovery disk creation procedure in WinXP makes a set of 6 bootable floppy disks (which you can download anyway if you ever need them).

    Bootdisks

    I'm pretty sure what was done 8 years ago was to use cloning software such as Ghost. Thinking back, Ghost on high compression didn't use all that many CD's, particularly if not much software was installed. Or if programs were installed to another partition, which used to be fairly common practice.
    Nick.

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