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Is there a way to make a image CD that will restore windows while keeping all the data?

Yes, you can do it but to "keep all the data" you have to have your data kept on a different partition. When you restore a image it wipes everything from the partition you are restoring and overwrites it with the image you made previously. This image only contains the data that was on it when it was created, anything that has been added to this partition since then will be overwritten.

I partition my drive with 2 partitions, a "C" partition for my OS and apps, and a "D" partition for my data. I point my "My Docs" and as many other apps to save data to my D partition so the data is stored in one place. I manually backup things like bookmarks about once a week so if I have to re-image I don't lose my latest data.
 
I don;t mess around with a CD . . . an image has to be restored, and that itself is a pain. I use a duplicate HDD instead . . . have drive 1 and 2 in 5.25" mobile racks with on/off switches. I simply cone the drives once a week and then only turn one of them on. The complete system restore, data and OS, is only a key switch and a reboot sway.

To make it even nicer, I keep all transitory data on an external Firewire drive that is available to both. Ergo, none of my email files or work files need to get involved.

Takes about 25 minutes to totally clone a GB drive. I do it every Saturday, and then I rotate the drives so one always gets a week off. 🙂
 


<< Yes, you can do it but to "keep all the data" you have to have your data kept on a different partition. When you restore a image it wipes everything from the partition you are restoring and overwrites it with the image you made previously. This image only contains the data that was on it when it was created, anything that has been added to this partition since then will be overwritten.

I partition my drive with 2 partitions, a "C" partition for my OS and apps, and a "D" partition for my data. I point my "My Docs" and as many other apps to save data to my D partition so the data is stored in one place. I manually backup things like bookmarks about once a week so if I have to re-image I don't lose my latest data. >>



I'm wondering, how big do you make each of the partitions? Also, if you should do a restored on your OS and apps partition (your C🙂 then does that mean all the programs that you've installed on the hd that you originally didn't backup on the CD will have to be reinstalled? Lastly, when you say data, do you mean all the saved word processing docs, spreadsheets, saved games, bookmarks and other non app/program stuff? If so, then the D: partition wouldn't have to be very big since apps/games/programs take the most space.
 
I have used Drive Image to make backup CD's for my OS and all the apps that i consider must have's, as well as drivers and such. Having built the system, i usually have to go through a 3 hr marathon to load all the drivers for everything and all the goodies that i just have to have on the system. With Drive Image, i do a clean install, load all the drivers, and apps, then make an image, burn it to cd, and i can reinstall a "clean" system whenever i need to. I also use a second partition for data, and mp3's, and i put all the current stuff there before the reinstall so that i dont lose anything 🙂
 
corky-g, that's a nice backup solution. Have you run into any caveats? I can't think of anything that might be an issue with your method. I'm thinking of switching from unreliable/slow/expensive/annoying tape to your approach.
 
After a long time of screwing around trying to save money on lesser solutions, I now do the same thing as corky.

There just isn't any other completely safe way to backup. Burning backups to CD in Ghost is flaky and very slow. Not to mention, you have to completely erase a CDRW before you can burn a Ghost image to it. This takes 15-20min per disk just for erasing! Then you have to burn the image, then you have to check the image. It takes most of the day... no way!! Backing up to a separate partition does nothing if you have a hard drive failure.

I differ in one small way though. I write an image from my main drive to the backup drive instead of cloning the drive. I do this because I can store 4-6 images on the backup. In case of a disaster, I have several backups and can go back to a version several weeks old if necessary.

With the price of hard drives these days, it just makes no sense to do any less.
 
I do it exactly like Bglad. I have an 80GB HDD that I use just for backups. 40gigs is partitioned for data backup and the other 40gigs is for my Drive Image backups. I keep backups for all to OS'es I run. I keep successive images so I can "go back in time" so to speak. I have almost 20gigs of backup images on my drive. Each Win2000 image is about 600Mb (that's for OS +apps running Drive Image's 50% compression), each WinXP image is around 850Mb (again, OS + apps, larger size is due to "XP bloatware").



 
I go for the cd method, but with a slight twist.

I install the OS and then tweak it out as i desitre it, get all the drivers etc sorted out, install all my apps, and then heck all the stuff i require to be backed up regularly to be in the same place. I have my (and the family's) My Documents, desktops, OE email stores, Addressbooks, Favourites, IM histories etc all into one folder on another partition.

I then back up the OS('s...dual boot)+Apps with ghost....i then test the image after ive broken it up and burned it to my own bootable cds...and after that i can reinstall the OS+apps to a fresh state in about 10mins and just leave from where i was since all the data is still in the same place as it was when the image was made. Great for when you screw windows over 😛

This also enables quick 4min backups at the drop of a hat by burning neccessary stuff out of that folder onto cd.
 
i already did all you guys said, but i need a way for other people to restore an EASY way. Those guys DON"T have tons of hard drives or room. I think voodoo or alienware has a CD that can do this.
 
You can delete your Windows folder and reinstall the OS. You will keep your data but you will have to reload all of your programs.

To make a backup CD, wipe your drive, load a fresh install of Windows then image the drive to CD immediately before loading any software or data. Then you can use that to restore in the future. But you still have to reload everything.

And, to restore from that CD later, you will have to have enough space on another drive or partition to move all your data away from the C: drive. Restoring will wipe all your data. You are asking the impossible. If you don't have the space to store a backup, then you don't have the space needed to move all the data around and reinstall this way. Thats why everyone is telling you to get another drive for backup.
 
yeah, guys i need something for newbies. I know how to do all this already, you don't have to tell me. I need something a business guy can do if he screws something up.
 
I don't get where you're going with this post? Some excellent backup & restore strategies have been posted and you say YOU already know how to do them, yet you want a solution an average businessman can do. Most company's have IT Depts for doing backups and system restores. While they don't ask me to run payroll or bid a major contract, I don't ask/expect the accountants or VP's to do system restores either???
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JEEZ

We gave you the options. Maybe if you keep asking you will raise your post number and alienate everyone who was willing to try to help you. I doubt you will get a different answer though.
 
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