Create Bootrable C Drive
I have had Acronis for about four years and I've never been able to feel safe when my C Dr. needs to be replaced. So I would do a format of the C Dr. and install all my programs. After reading 64298: Restored Operating System I felt it was time to get down to the fact.
I have two things that I would like to accomplish
1. Create Custom Incremental Backup Scheme. - Assuming I have been back in the my C Dr. every day for the last 30 days, I decide to bring my C Dr. to where it was on the 20th day. When searching and help I cannot find the word "chain". I would like to know what is meant by this. I'm also uncertain to how to get the system to run the 30 days of backups.
2. If I had a full backup of my C Dr. I would like to save it to a newly purchased drive. My thought is that I would then be able to use this drive as my boot, since it is actually a duplication of the original C Dr..
In the past I could pick a file here and there to replace damaged files. I never been successful working with the C Dr.. In the C Dr. is my most demanding drive
Bob
Amerifax,
Much help is available but it will take some research on your part. MVP Tuttle suggestions is a good place to start.
This Acronis help link explains how to recover disk or single files
http://www.acronis.com/en-us/support/documentation/ATIH2014/index.html#…
My signature link #3 below can also help. Inside that link, item 1 and item 2 shows how to recover partitions or disks.
Item 3 shows how to use a backup to overlay drive C only.
Item 5 shows how to recover single files or folders.
-------------------------------
We know nothing of your system or your needs so can only comment in general.
As MVP Tuttle has indicated, a backup of C drive only may be leaving with a backup which will not create a new disk. This is especially true if you are using Windows 7 or 8 or even if using Vista. To assure that you have all your partitions included within your backup, click on my signature link 2-A and following the instructions listed in the very first picture. You want to make a disk image backup which will include all your partitions.
This next link below is the same as my signature link 2-A.
GH0. 56872: New! Grover's How to Backup 2014 from within Windows.
----------------------------------------------
It is NOT a good idea to depend upon 30 days of incremental backups. When you need to restore, all incremental's will need to be readable and trouble free in order to perform the restore. Read the next link so you understand the difference between the two types. You would be better served by having fewer incremental and more frequent fulls or by using the full plus differential type.
GH25. Understanding differences between Inc and Dif for Safety
This user help link has assistance from the left margin can help.
http://www.acronis.com/en-us/support/documentation/ATIH2014/index.html#…
To cover yourself for backups, you have many choices.
Full only every day, or (example GH11)
Full plus 6 incremental's with custom cleanup of"store X chains" (Example GH12)
This could be daily every day of the week, or
Full plus 6 differentials with custom cleanup of "store X chains" (Example GH12)
This could be daily every day of the week
A chain is one full plus all inc or all diff files created after the full but before the next full. Acronis uses "versions" to indicate chains.
A backup task is needed to initiate the backup (my signature link 2-A)
----------------------------------------------------------
You need a separate storage disk for your backups. Multiple backup disks even better.
Your topic subject makes it sound like you want a 2nd disk identical to your current disk so if your main computer disk fails, you could insert this disk into the computer and boot up immediately. You could use your backups (if they are full disk image backups of all partitions) and could restore your backup onto a new disk and your newly restored disk would be as current as your backups used on the restore. This is the purpose of having your backups so you do not need to have a prior restored non-current disk hanging around and a current restore would accomplish the same. Of course, you do need to have a 3rd disk available as a possible restore target and the disk containing the backups would not be available for creating the replacement disk.
Most definitely, I would encourage you to test performing restores and creating replacement disks so you are prepared when the time comes when you must to the restore for real--and that time will come--sooner or later.
---------------------------------------------
The more time you invest in reading the available material, the better off you will be as there is no avoiding the learning curve which all of us must complete. The 2014 web help file along the left margin can assist.
User Les has a video here for assistance plus other videos for assistance.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/61316
Here are other video's which can help.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/55960