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Backing up entire machine versus just current user context

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Hi folks- Actually I have a few questions.

I'm running ATI Home 2012, Update 2.1 build 7133, on a Dell XPS15 notebook, dual boot Linux/Win7x64Home Premium, i7-2.00GHZ w/ 6GB RAM, single internal disk.

I'm backing up via WiFi (g) to a Home style NAS, attached via Ethernet.

I'm not backing up unused space, and the total backup is about 90Gb. it's about a 12 hour window for a FULL backup (with a VERIFY). It's been a while since I backup, but I'll switch to inrcremental/differential now with a fresh image

Is this a reasonable time window?

Since I have one one drive, I can't clone - is there a way to snapshot to the NAS?

I have read that Acronis, even if I do a FULL backup of all the Windows partitions, it ONLY captures the CURRENT USER CONTEXT (the current user's data file structures, etc.) when doing backups. Is this true?

Is the best way, if I want to capture the Full Dual Boot platform, to backup ALL partitions in one backup? can I do an incremental/differential and add those volumes? is that even smart?

thanks in advance!!
D

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David,
I'd make 2 or 3 full disk image back up, then another full, with incrementals going forward. These can be saved to different folders on the NAS directly.

There are a few caveats when making images of dual boot systems. The dual boot windows / Apple or boot camp option rarely works and is not smooth.

A dual boot linux / Windows environment has a much better chance for success, but we have seen issues where the GRUB/Lilo boot loader get confused/broken on a disk that has been restored. This can often be repaired. A problem if it occurs usually depends on what boot manager was used first. Existing windows, linux distro added etc.

In any event, a full disk image is always the best type of back up. Why... Because an image can always be mounted and browsed. Individual files and/or partitions can be recovered or restored from. You have the most flexibility when a full disk image is made.

That said, I would recommend performing a restore to another disk as a test before considering yourself "protected" from a back up perspective. There are too many software configurations linux flavors for someone to say definitively that every scenario will work.

Thanks Shadow good stuff... I had asked some other questions, but my post is long so I'll summarize for anyone else that feels like weighing-in

~80Gbs from Win7 over WiFi to Ethernet NAS (home type of technology) with validate. So far it's taken about 16+ hours...it's frozen for the last 30 mins that I have been watching it on Time Left: 47 minutes. Is this normal, for the minutes to not updage? - is this a reasonable time window? perhaps it has frozen?

Since I have one one drive, I can't clone - is there a way to snapshot to the NAS?

I have read that Acronis, even if I do a FULL backup of all the Windows partitions, it ONLY captures the CURRENT USER CONTEXT (the current user's data file structures, etc.) when doing backups. Is this true?

David:

Unless you have some of the latest Wi-Fi techology on your network, the standard Wireless-G network is only capable of data rates of 22 Mbps, which is about 2.75 MB/s (megabytes per second). To back up 80 GB (80,000 MB; I'm rounding off here) would take (80,000 MB/2.75 MB/s) or 29.1 thousand seconds, which is a little over 8 hours. If your Wi-Fi signal isn't full strength then you won't achieve the 22 Mbps data rate. So perhaps the 12 hours in your first post is not unreasonable. Why is a different time (16+ hours) quoted in your reply #2?

If possible you should consider using a wired Ethernet connection for this task. If you have a Gigabit LAN and conventional spinning hard disks in your NAS, the data transfer rate will not be limited by the network; it will be limited by the disk transfer rates on both ends. If you have fast disks that can transfer at 60 MB/s then an 80 GB image should take (80,000 MB/60 MB/s) or about 22 minutes. I routinely achieve this on my wired network.

To answer your last question, if you are doing a full-disk backup (as opposed to file backups) then you are capturing everything on the source disk including the user contexts for all users as well as everything on your Linux partitions.