How-To Geek Forums / Windows 7
@Rick
(28 posts)
Back up the Documents Partition Files to another HDD using Xxcopy or Robocopy.
http://www.xxcopy.com/xcpydnld.htm
http://technet.microsoft.com/e.....y/cc733145(v=ws.10).aspx
Basic difference, Imagining will handle OPEN files that have DENY READ attributes. Files like DLL's for instance or files that are locked. Process how to do this varies by imaging programs. Copy will just copy what it can.
What you want to do might not work though. If the second partition is only DATA FILES you could be OK. If it includes programs or files referencing items on the OS partition, you could have a problem using those files. In these cases you'd need to restore the document partition but also re-install programs on it once the OS partition was completed.
Irv S.
Shawn, no, not really. I use an imaging program, Norton's Symantec System Restore 2013 for my needs. I do NOT keep any disk partition as a single use repository of only Data files. I have 3 partitions on 3 hard drives I use (and 2 other partitions as well). On an SSD I have the basic OS, basic as it also has a few programs on it as well. A second partition is on a large drive (along with the 2 others, the Dell recovery, which is small and OBSOLETE, Vista, but I'm not going to bother using it, and W7 that I cloned over to the SDD) and there I put all the 'other' programs and all the data I can direct to that drive. The last drive is a single partition I use to for scratch programs and data, stuff I don't care if I lose, and the repository of my images... taken once a week of the 2 used partitions... and 5 iterations of each. I can recover something in the last 5 weeks that way.
The best way really is a restore strategy, in case you lose something or should be hit with a bad virus. It does happen... and worse, a drive crash due to a h/w failure.
Irv S.
When I had installed the current (now old) copy of Windows 7, I had the 100MB boot partition. I wanted to have the boot info AND OS in the same partition and they only way I knew how was with diskpart. I didn't want to accidentally overwrite all my documents because I'm not the best with CMD.
And I needed to make a backup of my documents, hadn't done it in a while.
Yep. better safe than sorry. I've found the separate boot partition useful myself when dual booting and stuff...I can reimage it and the Linux boot is gone and also if I thought there might be malware there a quick reimage puts my mind at rest. As always, it's different strokes... :)
Irv,
I use Macrium to image my OS partition and usually my documents partition. I'm going to look into some other options for my document partition that will allow me to just back up files that have changed.
StringJunky,
That's not a bad idea for dual booting. Good way of getting rid of GRUB. If I have Windows and a Linux distro installed I have one disk for Windows and one disk for Linux.
Rick,
That what I did and once I had Windows installed I went into the Windows Disk Management and shrunk the (C:) partition down so that I could create my (E:) partition. That way I had the Complete Drive Geometry.
With DiskPart I thought you were going to make all partitions first and not have to fool around with shrinking and such. Everyone should make a Bootable USB PR/RE and if they use SSDs should also make a Bootable USB with Parted Magic for resetting the SSDs back to factory condition. :)
No one asked about tools much but I have many references posted on Best of Breed "Sticky" Topic up top.
Yeah, i did it with W7 and Linux Pinguy. The boot on Pinguy kept messing up and just reimaging the boot partition made it nice and easy to start again . When I got fed up with it I just reimaged for W7 boot only and Pinguy's sat there in its partition doing nothing until I can be bothered! :)
Many imaging programs Shawn have file/folder backup capability, as well as 'diferential' or 'only changed' files. I don't think there is one overall image program that has ALL those features or work the way you might want it too. You have to look at them all to decide which you'd like better. I know the Norton products for imaging do have some, but they really 'annoyed' me with the lastest Windows 8/Ghost fiasco. No update yet, and I had to go to SSR for coverage. Looked at Paragon, Acronis, Macrium as well and decided to stay with Norton and get SSR. Mainly because it was backward compatible with Ghost. I keep 'old' images on an external drive such as the initial install of W7 and W8 so I can get back to those immediately if I need/want too.
I daily save away my e-mail (Thunderbird) client and Profile every day for instance. Only need one instance...
Irv S.
@Rick,
I couldn't remember how to make multiple partitions with DISKPART and I needed to start the install so I didn't run out of time that night. What is a Bootable USB PR/RE? I think I have a CD with Parted Magic on it, an older version though, it needs to be upgraded.
@StringJunky,
I have Windows 7 on one drive and I'm going to put either Ubuntu, Linux Mint, or Zorin on the other. I haven't decided which. I want to avoid dual booting on the same drive, the last time I did it (with Ubuntu 10) I had a heck of a time getting Windows 7 to boot again. I didn't know nearly as much as I do now.
@Irv,
I don't like Norton projects. Anytime I had their Anti-Virus it made my computer really slow, but that was 6+ years ago. I haven't used Paragon or Acronis, I will have to look them up and see if they will work for what I would like to do. I use the web version of Outlook.com. I've though about using Office Outlook but never go around to it. Is Thunderbird better that Office Outlook in your opinion?
Newest Parted Magic ISO
http://sourceforge.net/projects/partedmagic/
Use Newest Rufus to make Bootable USB Stick
http://rufus.akeo.ie/
PE/RE Tools
http://www.sevenforums.com/tut.....reate.html
http://technet.microsoft.com/e.....y/cc748899(v=ws.10).aspx
http://social.technet.microsof.....7&ac=8
http://technet.microsoft.com/e.....25144.aspx
