How do I restore my backup?

[tigersty1e]

So I downloaded the free software that comes with Seagate drives and I've gone through the faq, but can't find my answer.

So let's say I make a backup copy of my current drive to another external hard drive and my main internal hard drive fails.

How would I even restore my orginal hard drive? I would have to access the external hard drive image some how, but my main hard drive would be corrupt or non-usable....

 

[dunkster]

Most HD manufacturer's HD utilities do not offer backup/restore functions - instead they offer disk-cloning. Cloning makes an exact copy of one drive to another, usually with choice of auto-scaling or manually adjusting partition sizes during the clone.

I'm assuming you mean that you 'cloned' the contents of one HD to another HD.

After cloning, you have two functionally identical drives. If one fails, you can physically remove the failed drive and physically replace it with the cloned drive. You can clone as frequently as you like, always having a replacement HD available with reasonably current data state.

Usually 'Backup' refers to a process of writing only sectors of an HD or HD partition that contain data to a backup 'image' archive. Also, the page file and other temp files are not written to the backup archive. You can backup whole disks, or only individual partitions. Some level of compression may also be used. Restoring writes all information from the backup archive back to the source location (disk or partition).

So, the answer to your question is that to 'restore' your source HD, you would replace it with the clone of that HD.

Hope this helps!

 

[tigersty1e]

I'm not sure if this is right.... but....

There was an option to create a bootable copy of the basic Acronis program. I assume I just boot with the program and then use the program to copy my backup image onto the new disk.

Correct?


BTW, I got an error trying to backup the contents of my hard drive. If I have 256 GB filled in a 500 gig drive, I only need another 256 GB drive to backup to, right? I don't have to have another 500 gig drive...

 

[dunkster]

Please accept my apology!

If Seagate is providing the equivalent of Acronis True Image, then you should have full capabilities for all imaging and cloning operations.

I'm currently using Acronis TI10, and it has been 100% reliable for all operations, including multiple restores of my OS partition. I use TI to backup my OS partition to another partition on the same drive and also to DVD media. Successful recoveries from both archives.

Recovery should be very straightforward, just follow the menu.

Again - I apologize for my faulty assumption!

BTW, I got an error trying to backup the contents of my hard drive. If I have 256 GB filled in a 500 gig drive, I only need another 256 GB drive to backup to, right? I don't have to have another 500 gig drive...

The image backup is always smaller than the source, so available space is probably not the problem. Does the error message refer to a 'secure zone'? Acronis recommends archive storage to a 'secure zone', which is basically a hidden partition.

Hope this helps!

 

[tigersty1e]

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=204441


I posted the question here and emailed support, but I haven't rec'd an answer.


There could be a problem with my external drive, but I doubt it.


BTW, the way I described above about restoring a backup is correct?

 

[pugh]

I happen to walk up on that site. very nice place to get tons of info on NOD32 And Acronis. highly recommended!!