Skip to main content

Is it safer to perform backups of C: from bootable rescue media?

Thread needs solution

Is it safer to perform backups of C: from bootable rescue media when making disk/partition images (ie not file archives)?

I'm a little nervous about making backups of the system drive (C:) from within windows (Vista), because the OS will probably be moving/creating/deleting files during the backup process.

So I was wondering: would it be safer to boot the Bootable Rescue Media, and perform a backup from there?  At least that way the system drive would be fixed (ie not changed by the OS) during the backup process.

Thanks

0 Users found this helpful

I've done ALL my backups from within Windows and NEVER had a problem during the many restores I've needed to do.

I've had the same success as TheWeaz and Seekforever.  Never any problems.  My backups are scheduled to run at 3 AM over-writing the previous day's TIB file.  Restoring a backup I use the Rescue Media CD in that restoring requires a re-boot anyway.  Seems to work well.

Thank you for the replies :)

Were you all backing up the system drive as a disk/partition image (ie not file archives)?

It's no biggee to be backing up a win system/boot disk while win is running -- the OS is designed to allow that. Restoring a system/boot disk, now that's a horse of another color -- for that you have to boot from a Cd or other drive (or boot from the target drive but with a diff OS)  so that the OS on the target drive is not running while you are writing system files onto the target.

Despite ATI's many faults, warts, and sometimes suicidal tendencies, backing up a win disk while win is running is not one of them.

Zork wrote:

Thank you for the replies :)

Were you all backing up the system drive as a disk/partition image (ie not file archives)?

Yes - Disk/Partition image.