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System Backup: how to?

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Hello everybody,

this is my first post here, hope it's the right place to ask.

This is how partitions are on my computer (OS: Win 7 Pro 64):

Partitions_thumb.gif

C: OS + some programs

D: paging

E: remaining programs

F: data

G: data

I use True Image WD Edition.

I have never had to use a backup (luckily), from time to time I create a system backup including partitions C and E (stored on an external USB drive). This should cover a possible failure of Disc 0 (I... think).

But I asked myself a question recently: what if Disc 2 fails instead?

In that case the backup I have will change my C partition too and I don't want that.

So my question is: would it be better to backup C and E separately?

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Joe, welcome to these user forums.

I would normally recommend doing a separate backup for each physical disk drive (and its partitions) but you have made that more complicated by splitting where your programs are installed to, i.e. programs installed on both C:\ and on E:\.  Is there a particular reason for why you have done this?  

I would have thought that your C: 120GB drive capacity should be large enough to hold all of your programs, but then I do not know what those programs are and you may have some which have very large disk space requirements?

If you lose either your C: or your E: drives, then you would need to ensure that any backups that you restore to the new drives that replace C or E match what is installed on the other drive, i.e. if you restore your C: backup to a new C: drive, then will you lose any Windows Registry entries for programs installed on drive E: since that C: backup was made? (or in reverse).

If you make an 'Entire PC' backup that includes all 3 disk drives, then this gives a greater guarantee that all the data & programs etc from all drives will be matched, but then the backup image size will be that much larger, and a restore of a single drive or partition a little more complicated than having separate disk backups.

If you did lose your C: drive then you would also need to have created (and tested) the Acronis Rescue Media that would be needed to recover your backup to that drive, as you would then be in a non-Windows environment, or a bare-metal recovery situation.

In reply to by truwrikodrorow…

Hi Steve,

thank you for your reply.

To answer your question, I split the programs because the system drive is a SSD and, according to some readings I did at the time about SSD lifespan, I installed on it only some programs, either system-related (like True Image) or that I prefer to be more responsive. I installed other programs (e.g. browsers) on the HDD. I don't know if this make any sense, anyway that's the reason.

 

So, if I understand your reply correctly, I better backup C and E separately.

This way I should be able to restore one or the other (or both). Is this correct?

 

Joe, there shouldn't be any real issues with SSD lifespan provided you leave sufficient free space (say 20% minimum for over-provisioning) and have backups of the SSD.

If you are backing up C and E separately, then keep these synchronised with each other, i.e. do the backups on the same day even though you are doing them separately.

Yeah, I've been told that :) but at the time it seemed it could be so I thought better safe than sorry.

As long as this won't cause me troubles in restoring, I'm ok with it.

 

Yes, I meant exactly what you said, to backup them separately one after the other.

So that's the way to go.

 

A good piece of advice is to test the Rescue Media (in my case a USB thumb drive). Gotta do that.

 

Thank you very much for your kind help and your time!

Joe, glad to offer help & advice.