Re: A question about backing up in Acronis TrueImage 11

On Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:10:56 +0100, "Dr.Hal0nf1r£$"
<femail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Gary wrote:
On Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:49:44 +0100, "Dr.Hal0nf1r£$"
<femail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Gary wrote:
On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:04:47 GMT, Gary <gary_w1@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I am backing up my c: drive whose total capacity is 111 GB. Only
24 GB is in use. My Acronis backup, it talls me, is going to be
111 GB.

Why? Is there a way to get a 24 GB backup?

Thank you for all your answers. You were all right. As it turns
out, Acronis told me the backup would be 111 GB but it turned out
to be 24 GB. So I'm happy.

Now I have one more question, if I may. As a new user, I chose to
start backing up because of a repeated need to reformat my hard
drive and reinstall Windows XP Home and all my applications because
of repeated worm and virus attacks (I'm protected by McAfee...that's
probably not enough).

So if I find myself in the position of being attacked again and
having to recover my computer to the last backup, what's the
process? Do I restore using a possibly infected Acronis? Is there
some way to re-boot my computer to some sort of recovery CD (how do
I create it?)? Or do I have to reformat, reinstall Windows and
Acropnis, and then restore?

OK first thing to do is ditch McAffee and install AVG8, which is a
free antivirus/antispyware solution yet is much more effective than
paid-for McAffee and has a smaller footprint. (Uses/wastes less
system resources.) It's not perfect or infallible - There is no such
thing as a perfect or infallible antivirus - But it's better than
McAffee, as are most avs.

Secondly; reinstall Windows - Just Windows only, as well as any
drivers you need. Don't install any of your files or anything from
your backup, but do install AVG8, Spybot Search and Destroy, and
Adaware 2007 free version - All 3 programs are free and are
available on the internet by googling for them. (Ensure you install
the Lavasoft version of Adaware 2007 Free; anything else is an
imposter and could contain all types of malicious crap.) Having done
that scan the entire system with ABG, then with Adaware, then with
SS&D: Having done that you are now 99.999% certain that you have a
new installation which is totally free of spyware, crapware, and
viruses.

Back it up. Label the media; be it a DVD, a file on your HDD,
whatever, "Virgin Backup". Now experiment; add files from your other
backup to the installation one by one, to whatever extent such is
possible, (Unbelievable patience required.) make detailed notes of
exactly what you're doing as it happens, and scan for viruses after
every addition or set of additions. If AVG detects a virus or
spy/malware make a note of the details, at what point you
encountered it, etc, and send it to AVGs virus vault or delete it or
whatever. When you're done after hours of time and gallons of coffee
or whatever; you'll end up with an installation just as you normally
have it which is completely virus and spyware-free. Back it up also.
label the media "Restore Disk".

Use your computer as normal from this point onwards; and every time
you remember the toil I've made you undergo to get it free of
nasties then also think, as you complete a voodoo effigy of me to
stick pins into, how much less hassle you'd have had if you'd
scheduled a daily incremental automatic backup job in the first
palce.

This seems like a very carefully thought out plan (and funny
comments). I thank you for your thoughts. It is so appealing to me
that I will tryto follow it. One thing occurs to me when you refer to
each addition or set of additions: When I install a program, it
creates a folder (e.g., Adobe Photoshop) which I am easily able to
add. But it also creates registry changes and perhaps other changes
(shortcuts, etc.) I am less aware of. How do I incrementally add
those?

It's easier to just reinstall the program from the .exe file or the
self-extracting installer if u can download them online: Let the comp sort
out the rest.

Makes sense! So what I should concentrate on is

1-collecting together (perhaps on one or a few DVDs) all the installed
applications' installation files so I don't have to hunt for them, and
I can reinstall them in a logical sequential manner.

2-figuring out what a freshly formatted and installed application
would be missing (e.g., macros I have written for my editor, or
databases used by my application such as Agent's list of newsgroups,
etc.) and concentrate on backing these up periodically.

The process is beginning to take some shape, and I thank you again for
presenting it thought through.
.

Relevant Pages

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