If a computer is lost, how to use Acronis backups to set up new computer?
Assume all the following: (1) one's current computer was lost, (2) there is an Acronis File backup (Documents, Pictures, Favorites) on an external drive that is not lost, and (3) Acronis is installed on a newly purchased computer. In these circumstances, is it quick and painless to restore the Acronis File backup to a new computer? [reports from experience please, rather than presuming it works well] Does the new computer have to have the same operating system as the lost computer, e.g. Win 7 64-bit? If the above Acronis File backup is easy to use, what about a disk backup in the same circumstances? Some experienced pros have told me that the disk backup is good mostly for restoring to the same computer. Trying to use it to restore to a new computer is possible but extremely cumbersome, if I understood them correctly. I have also tried an Acronis online chat, but those answers conflicted with some outside qualified experts--I don't know who is right here. I have tried to ask my question more clearly in this forum than previously elsewhere, hoping for authoritative clarity in the reply. Again, my inquiry is about the case of total loss of a computer (leaving it behind, dropping it from a height, having it stolen, a sudden and fatal hardware failure, etc.). The case of an operating system failure that can be overwritten by an Acronis image is a common one, but it is not my area of inquiry here. Thanks in advance.
Hi, I do not intend to hijack this thread. I have a related question to shadowsports. OP was talking about restoring only pictures, documents and favorites. How about to restoring the whole C-partion from the lost/dead computer (with a saved backup tib) to a new computer with the same Win 7 OS? Thaank you.
Hi, I do not intend to hijack this thread. I have a related question to shadowsports. OP was talking about restoring only pictures, documents and favorites. How about to restoring the whole C-partion from the lost/dead computer (with a saved backup tib) to a new computer with the same Win 7 OS? Thaank you.
Yes, of course, this is a core function of True Image.
But, it would be much safer to do a full disk backup, selecting entire disk and not just C partition. PCs are often configured to require other partitions in order to boot. If you backup and restore only C following a disaster, your system may not be bootable.
Jorge.
This is the type backup recommended by MVP Tuttle above as well as myself.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/38691
Having this type backup ( or singles backup of every partition) provides the data necessary to create a replacement disk.
Thanks for the useful information. Full back for 1 tb-C-drive with a few partitions would be too tough . It would take a long time and the final backup file size would be too big. I might try to make a full backup soon. Thanks.
Thanks for the useful information. Full back for 1 tb-C-drive with a few partitions would be too tough . It would take a long time and the final backup file size would be too big. I might try to make a full backup soon. Thanks.
You'll have to decide that. We've given our best advice, that a full disk backup captures everything, and is the simplest, safest backup method.
Note that backup size is much less than in-use disk space, as the backup is a compressed archive. If it's still bigger than you can do, you can always exclude certain file types. For my normal image backups, I backup the full disk but exclude music files. My music files are backed up via a different method.
Tuttle,
>I backup the full disk but exclude music files
Exclusine of some file types during backup is a wonderful tip.
One of the partitions in my C-drive is for images. If I exclude jpg and NEF files, the final size would be much less.
That would facilitate backup.
I appreciate your comment.
How about to restoring the whole C-partion from the lost/dead computer (with a saved backup tib) to a new computer with the same Win 7 OS?
It doesn't matter what OS was on the old system disk - you will get the OS from the backup. On Windows 7 and single partition backup it also matters it hidden system partition did (or did not) exist both in backup ans on the new system - it may be required to delete exising partition(s) first in order to restore partitions from backup.
Last night I thought about the comments given by Tuttle and GoverH.
I have 1 tb c-drive with two partitions: C-partition (180 gb) and P-partition (760 GB). Approximate 45% of data are occupied in both partitions. Backing up of the whole 1 tb c-disk with ATI would take about 3-4 hours. My main intention is to clone C-partition into a new computer. So this is what I came out with:
I would simply delete the P-partition (because all data in P-partition was already backed up in a separate portable drive). Its space now would become free or unallocated space without any data in. The size of the space occupied in the whole C-disk becomes about 100 ± GB (from C-partition). Then, backup the whole c-disk would be quicker (about 30 min ?) and easier to clone it into a new disk. I wonder whether this approach would work or not. Please advise me.
Jorge,
Don't forget, TI only images used sectors, from within Windows 4-5 hours sounds too long for a 1TB drive to be imaged.
Is your P partition imaged using TI or another imaging software?
Beware mixing the terms image and clone in the same sentence, they are two completely different things in acronis land.
Why not tick the complete disk, then untick the 'P' partition and then make the image, this will save you having to delete a partition and will also image your MBR.
This morning, I decdided to backup the whole C-disk in one of my computers with ATI v. 2013.
As shown in the figure, The 1 TB c-disk contains two partitions: C and P.
The backup of the whole c-disk (actually about 470 GB out of 1 tb disk) took 1 hour 34 min and verification took 1 hr. 18 min.
I wish to shorten the time for both backup and verificaiton.
As tuttle and Coiin B suggested, I tried to exclude P-partition and/or mp3, mp4 and jpg files.
But I could not find any option menu in "disk mode" to exclude those during the backup.
Is there such option in v. 2013?
yes, the same exclude options exist in disk mode as exists in partition mode.
Click my Signature link #2 below. this link covers a great deal of information helpful to you in the creation of a working task.
Look specifically at figure #14.
Grover H. Thanks for your tip.
I followed your instsruction. Something is wrong.
Please take a look at the attached Option.gif. In the Exclusion tab, "P:\" partition is added and saved it as default.
Backup_config3.gif is a screen capture just before starting a backup. As shown in the picture, P-partiton was not removed.
In another words, exclusing is not working. When I started backup, I see that it is backing up 320 GB. So the backup was aborted. I repeated this process three times. I am getting exactly the same result.
I am wondering whether I missed another step or it is a bug in 2013 ATI version.
