Acronis TI v10 and Vista

[Noreen]

I really don't know, I'm out of my depth, Rik. I'd assumed that a reference is kept somewhere in Vista. When I started to make the backup with my external drive plugged in, the backup program jumped straight to the external drive. All it asked me was to confirm that this is where the backup was to go. Unfortunately my very good Vista book only says to follow the prompts when restoring.

[Rik]

You know my paranoia when it comes to backups, so it won't surprise you to know that my TI images are stored on five separate hard drives, two internal and three external. I'd be vary wary of a system which doesn't allow the backup to be backed up.

[MoHux]

Steve mentioned System Restore, which reminded me of something that puzzled me the other day, the answer may help someone.
It applies if you dual-boot.

For no particular reason I decided to make sure that SR was set up OK (in Vista (business)).  When I looked to see how many days had been saved, I found there was only the one I had just made!!
On then checking how much space was allocated, it appeared to be plenty.  Certainly enough for a lot more than one.

After a lot of faffing about I found the answer.  If you change from one OS to the other, all system restore entries are erased!  In Vista anyway.  I haven't checked the other way yet.

While here, perhaps someone can put me straight.  I use two 160GB internal HDD.  XP (Home) on one - Vista (Business) on the other.
When I want to do a full backup when in Vista say, do I include the other HDD with XP on it?  Or just the HDD with Vista + a data partition?  The same would appply when in XP of course, should I only include that HDD?

If it came to having to restore, would it restore both systems OK?  Or throw a wobbly?? 

[Rik]

I would have thought that you'd need to have separate restore points for each OS, Mo, as restore points include registry snapshots, and these won't be the same for both OS. I can't understand why it would erase one on a different HD at all. That said, I don't dual boot, so I have no practical experience.

[MoHux]

Sure, system restore is separate on each OS.  It was only the Vista one I noticed had lost all entries bar one.
When I came to look up the help & support section (last of course!), changing OS was the reason given. 

Mo
 

[Rik]

Weird, why would XP want to delete entries for another OS on another HD - doesn't make sense to me, but then much that MS do doesn't make sense to me, Mo.

[MoHux]

I think it is the act of changing OS which does the erasing Rik.  Like if there were six entries in Vista now, and I re-booted into XP, Vistas would be gone before XP loaded.  I would expect XP to still have it's entries.

Whether XP would lose it's entries when going the other way, I haven't explored yet! 

Mo

[Rik]

So it's the boot menu that's doing it, presumably? I still can't think why.

[Noreen]

Mo, from my Vista book...............

Here's a warning to anyone who dual-boots between Vista and Windows XP. For some extremely technical and extremely unfortunate reasons, starting up in Windows XP deletes all your shadow copies and restore points. The only workaround is to turn off the hard drive that contains these files before starting up in Windows XP. Microsoft is very sorry.

BTW it's not a Microsoft book.

[Rik]

Useful. Thanks, Noreen. 

[MoHux]

Yes, thank you for that Noreen.  You have saved me a few hours of wasted time I reckon. 

Mo


Memo to self; Look in your own Vista books first next time!!

[Noreen]

My Vista book is "Windows Vista: The Missing Manual" by David Pogue. I have found it extremely useful and I recommend it. It goes into great detail and explains things in a way that's usually suitable for both technical and non-technical people. There are 826 pages to it.

[Rik]

Who's the publisher, Noreen?

[Noreen]

It's an American book published by O'Reilly Media Inc, Rik. David Pogue is a technology columnist in the New York Times. I also had his similar book on XP, it was my Bible.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_b/202-6059841-2899031?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=david+pogue&Go.x=10&Go.y=12

[Rik]

Thanks.

[Noreen]

Note my edit, Rik.

[Rik]

  I wonder if there's anything to be learnt from 'iPod - the missing manual'?

[Sebby]

I wonder what there could possibly be to know; the things are so simple!

[Rik]

That's what intrigues me, Sebby. Perhaps there's a whole world of functionality concealed from us by some arcane key combinations.

[Noreen]

Well, Vista is a bit different and a printed manual is a real asset, to me at least.

This item on Wilders has been suggested to me on another forum http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=185731&highlight=Vista and although I only make full drive images it has been suggested that I make the changes anyway. I've replied that it didn't appear necessary for what I do and haven't made any changes. I'm nervous of making any "internal" changes to a new machine especially when I don't understand it or whether it would affect anything else especially when it doesn't appear to be necessary. Any opinions?

[Rik]

I always buy one or more books on an OS, Noreen. There are too many things to learn for me to do it through the help system, I prefer a book anyday.

[Noreen]

Another edit to look at, Rik.

[Rik]

What's being suggested looks OK to me, but that's from an XP perspective. See what others have to say before you try it, but it should work. OTOH, from what I read, if you do a full disk backup, you wouldn't have an issue.

[Noreen]

I wish now that I'd never started all this Acronis business. I got the software this morning from the Royal Mail Delivery Office. When I looked at the actual software package I found that although it was Acronis TI v10 in an Acronis box, on the back it said that it was "Republished in the UK by Computrolley co.uk. Inside there is a Registration card for them but when I looked up their site I didn't find anything. They do have an postal address of course and a phone no. Their website is supposed to be computrolley.com I can get that but then nothing for the UK. The box and CD have all the Acronis copyright notices. Not sure what to do now.

[Rik]

It looks like they may be the UK distributor, Noreen:

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=6974

The reviews here aren't too good though:

http://www.kelkoo.co.uk/m-5835923-computrolley.html