Alternative backup and restore solution

[Menaice]

Hey guys, I have been using UBCD4WIN for years now with the acronis true image plugin, for backup and restore of files. Since the UBCD is basically built on a windows xp foundation it will blue screen when trying to load on newer machines. I am looking for a bootable alternative that will allow me to backup and restore full images or just files from that image. I have tried the new acronis 11.5 and not really all that impressed with it. Anyone have any suggestions? I was really hoping there would be an UBCD made to work with windows 7 and windows 8 machines.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

*reads text* .... *reads text again* .... *reads text yet again to make sure reading correctly*

You prefer true image over 11.5? How come?

 

[Menaice]

On several occasions with 11.5 i have had issues where it won't read external hd's (this has happened to several externals as well) that i am trying to backup to. Or it will see the HD then all of the sudden when you go to backup its not listed. So i have to shut it down replug in the external reboot into 11.5 eventually it see's the drive. Now... this doesn't happen all the time but it gets quite annoying when this has to be done. I have done this ALOT more times in 11.5 then i have ever in UBCD4WIN. For some reason, i don't know why 11.5 seems to complicate the backup and restore process. the acronis plug for UBCD is extremely straightforward.

Maybe i just need to get used to 11.5, but its really frustrating when you see something like the acronis plug is so straight forward then you get into this 11.5 and it seems they made it so convoluted

Also there were so many advantaged to UBCD its a great enviroment that if you ran HDtune on the drive and it was bad, there is a plug for Data Recovery called "GETDATABACK" Basically everything available in one environment

 

[Menaice]

Let me explain a typical situation

Customer brings pc in, I back the system up to an external hard drive. Then i create a folder on the SAME external hard drive labeled "customername" then i restore data to that folder. Not the entire image just some key file and folders. I do this just in case of a reload i already have there raw data files ready to transfer to the new installation.

I do not keep customer backups around the shop, i only keep the images while the system is in the shop.

It seems that i am unable to accomplish above said task inside in acronis 11.5

 

[angry_geek]

This same thread seems to be popping up every other day, so I'll give my stock response.

Disk2vhd. Free. Vhd format. Can be mounted in Windows 7, 8, *nix, etc. Can be opened with 7zip. Fast. Easy recovery, file or image. Free. Free.
Also can be easily fired up in virtualization software.

 

[Menaice]

There has to be away to accomplish this task. As i am sure this situation applies to so many other techs....

Why would they not make software that you can just pick out the data files from the image and restore what you like to a folder. Acronis True Image allowed you to do this with ease... 11.5 its impossible.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

i just browse the acronis backup directly, it lets you navigate like any other folder. im not really experienced in using it from a boot disc.

 

[16k_zx81]

This same thread seems to be popping up every other day, so I'll give my stock response.

Disk2vhd. Free. Vhd format. Can be mounted in Windows 7, 8, *nix, etc. Can be opened with 7zip. Fast. Easy recovery, file or image. Free. Free.
Also can be easily fired up in virtualization software.

Angry I had seen you, and a few other guys on here write about d2vhd, so thought I would give it a shot.

Yesterday I pointed it at a disk, gave it a folder to write to, and hit GO - it said 'snapshotting volumes' and then a few seconds later "export completed successfully", but produced nothing.

The hard disk is about 100gb so should probably have taken a lot more than a few secs to run.

I tried running as Admin. same result.

Checked paths - all good - same result.

Tried another slaved hdd - same result.

Any ideas why it does this?

Still keen to check it out but a bit perplexed why its not actually doing anything

 

[angry_geek]

Angry I had seen you, and a few other guys on here write about d2vhd, so thought I would give it a shot.

Yesterday I pointed it at a disk, gave it a folder to write to, and hit GO - it said 'snapshotting volumes' and then a few seconds later "export completed successfully", but produced nothing.

The hard disk is about 100gb so should probably have taken a lot more than a few secs to run.

I tried running as Admin. same result.

Checked paths - all good - same result.

Tried another slaved hdd - same result.

Any ideas why it does this?

Still keen to check it out but a bit perplexed why its not actually doing anything

I've not seen this. However, here is what I do to achieve best results: yank drive from machine, hook it up to bench rig (usb, etc, but fastest on sata), use d2vhd to back up all partitions to a folder. The only failures I've had are with damaged drives.

 

[16k_zx81]

I've not seen this. However, here is what I do to achieve best results: yank drive from machine, hook it up to bench rig (usb, etc, but fastest on sata), use d2vhd to back up all partitions to a folder. The only failures I've had are with damaged drives.

Yeah. Thats what I am doing. Pulled disk from machine. Slaved via SATA. Its all legit, but the app just mis-reporting job completion and no output of file. Weird.

 

[mikeroq]

Is there a problem with your Volume Shadow Copy Service? That could be why it is failing as it relies on that service. As with Angry the only issues I have had relate to failing hard drives.

 

[Rob_NNCC]

+1 for disk2vhd.

I have not had any problems with it. Then again, I have not tried to use it where ddrescue is the way to go.

can you post a screen shot of how you have it set up before you hit 'go'?