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Can't restore system state

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I am running True Image 11 (latest build) on a Windows XP system (with all the latest service packs and patches). I am trying to restore a system state backup that's stored on an external USB drive. I boot from the Acronis bootable CD I made, it see's the external drive but when I try to restore the system state backup it gives me the following error, "Backups of this type cannot be restored from a removable media." What?????? Where else am I supposed to restore from if my C drive won't boot?

Any thoughts, suggestions, or answers?

Thanks in advance!!!

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Mike:

I've never understood exactly what is contained in a "System State" backup and would never trust one even if I did understand it. The TI User Guide describes it like this:

"System State (file-level backup of the boot files, registry, protected Windows files, and COM+ CLASS registration database). Backing up the System state allows you to recover the system files, drivers, etc., but not the data files and folders you use in your work."

I have no idea what good this does. It may allow you to recover under some limited set of circumstances, but is not what I would consider an adequate backup plan. And yes, as you found out, TI cannot restore a "System State" from the boot environment, so what good is it?

The only adequate backup plan, in my opinion, is an image of the disk or of the partition(s) of interest. This is TI's core competency and the task it does best. With an image you are backing up everything on the partition; all programs, user files, settings, the registry, boot files, system files, everything. No guesswork, nothing omitted, everything. If the disk fails or if a software glitch, virus, etc. strikes then you just restore your backup image and you're back in business.

Hope this helps...