The most basic backup and recovery routine
I am looking for the simplest way to protect my computer and my settings. Is the best and simplest way to create a Acronis Bootable Media Disk and then create an Image of my HDD? Will taking these 2 steps allow me to get my computer up and running and take my computer back to the day I imaged the drive? All my settings and programs and data should be exactly how it was on the day I tood the image right?
Then I use another backup program once a week to back up my data only.
Am I correct with my assumptions and does it make sense for a low maintainance backup and restore routine for a novice computer guy?
Then I use another backup program once a week to back up my data only.
Do you mean that you ALREADY use another program to backup your data? Or are you asking if you NEED another backup program to handle your data?
If it's simplicity you are going for, Acronis can do both the imaging you described and the data backups if you wish. You could do a full backup of your system (OS, programs, and data), and then schedule automatic incrementals once a week. If you ever had to do a restore you could get your programs AND data back simultaneously, going back to what ever week you wanted. If for some reason you needed only the data, you could mount the image as a drive and access whatever data you need, without having to restore the OS/programs.
Chris,
You have us at a disadvantage in that we do not know your operating system, type of computer, nor what Acronis backup program you intend to use.
As Dogma properly stated, TrueImage Home can help you do what you want to do. As Yana stated, if you go the ISO route, you do not even have to install TrueImage onto your computer. Plan on making your backups to some type hard disk. Do not plan on using DVD as your storage media. Many of us do use supplemental backup programs--just for safety sake of having more than one choice. TrueImage can do an excellent job of backup and recovery of your system.
Performing backups are only part of the task. You must test your recovery plans to make sure that TrueImage will do what you want it to do. Performing a restore to a spare disk works the best.
Being able to recover your system begins with having the correct type of backup. If you want to restore only your C drive, then a backup of the C partition is all you need. But a backup of only the C partition will NOT suffice if you need to move to a replacement drive--either the same or larger. So, for safety sake, always have a current backup of the entire disk which include all partitions. In other words, when you get to the screen where you choose what partitions are to be included in your backup, checkmark them all for that disk. This type backup is often called a "disk option" backup.
As a novice, we were all there once but that does not mean you can't learn. Click on the index in my signature below. Read the items in #2 and both listings under 7A. As you have some spare time, examine the remainder of the index and you can find the answers to many of your questions. Item #12 tells about how others use the TrueImage software.
As you begin to know a little more about TrueImage, the helper programs listed in my signature below (Chain2Gen & DrvNotify) could also help to make your backups painless.
Download the trial version and test it before buying.
Here are also a couple links of interest.