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**TERRIFIED** New User..do I quit..(while my station is still working..!)

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I am brand new to Acronis.

Having bought the software I am now so nervous about using that I wonder if I should just not use it until some of the bugs have been fixed.

All I want is back-up for my radio automation software and MYSQL.

But if I load this and it corrupts my PC I don't just lose my PC I lose my radio station. There is a lot riding on this software working and I'm so nervous about doing a simple hard drive clone that I really don't have the b@lls to do it.

What steps can I take to try to protect myself from Acronis software failure?

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Hi Max

There are options that don't include installing the programme. You can register the programme at the Acronis site and then download an ISO file that you can burn to a CD and then boot the CD and do backups from there.

But firstly a bit more information about what you need and what risks you are prepared to take.

What is your computer configuration

Is your need to be able to replicate your system drive in the event of corruption or hard drive failure?

Is your need to backup a database that could be reloaded after re-installing Windows and the radio automation software?

As you state that you could lose your radio station then it would seem your tolerance for risk is low and you need a belts and braces approach.

How important is it to quickly recover from a problem? Minutes, hours, days?

As I have suggested before in postings my view - which coming from my risk management background - is that before deciding on a solution (Backup with True Image) is firstly to:
determine the potential problems that could occur, secondly how likely are they to occur (if possible),
thirdly identify what solutions are available to mitigate them (may include True Image) and
then decide how much residual risk are you prepared to accept?

For example I have a minimal tolerance for losing all my photographic data so I have three copies- one on the desktop, one on an external USB drive stored at home and one on a USB drive stored remotely at work.

I store them in the native data format using Karen's Replicator so minimising that risk that file corruption will lose all the pictures if they were stored in a single file made by True Image.

Hence I have taken steps to mitigate against file corruption, HD corruption, theft and fire
Anyway I have rambled on for long enough.

Post some more information about what you are trying to achieve (with what hardware) and people may be able to offer some more options.

Thanks for your professional and courteous reply!

My PC is an HP Pavillion with 40 gig harddrive which runs SpatialAudio's SAM Broadcaster. 1g RAM and a mere 2g spare space left.

There are 3500 songs and matching album cover jpegs on the system.

The need here is to create a back-up of the main station PC so in the event of theft, PC failure or fire that I simply plug in the back-up and we're back on-air.

The set-up right now is best described as an eggs all in one basket scenario. If my main PC fails all station station broadcasting stops. So there can be zero tolerance for failure.

So; How to recreate what I have with minimal risk to the main PC is the task ahead.

I think in your case the answer is to buy a spare hard drive and clone it - at least until you feel happy to try other options.

If this appeals (and there is space in your PC to add a second drive) then we can advise on the best way of doing that using TI.

There is of course no such thing as 'no risk'.

Yes there is space for a 2nd hard drive. This has been suggested as an option and I just hope that the job can be done safely. It has to be done one way or another!

As another alternative, you might consider putting a HotSwap quick removal tray in one of your 5.25 enclosures.

This makes for a very quick and easy swap of a SATA hard drive. Shutdown and the swap takes seconds.

This is one of several possibilities--available from Staples or NewEgg, etc.
http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=MjA2OQ==

Keep in mind that a duplicate replacement drive is only good for that specific computer. If the computer itself fails, you would not be able to simply attach the old or new drive to a new computer. You would have to do a complete install of your music software but the audio and jpegs would still be usable. A new computer would be completely different so the old disk with an old operating system is not an easy match.

Hi Max

Based on what you said I suggest your backup strategy (and it is important to look on it as a strategy rather than a task) can be dividing into:

Short Term
Clone the existing hard drive to a drive that will be located in the spare bay. That spare drive will not be connected during normal operation but will give you the ability to just swap some connectors and boot back into the radio operation. It will also ensure there is a copy of the songs and jpegs and radio automation programme

Longer Term

Restoration of Computer
I would look at other options such as a disk caddy so you could rotate cloned drives.
It depends how current you want the cloned drives. You could have as many as you need esle

Security of Songs and Album covers
I would use Karen's Replicator to back them up to an external USB drives. YOu could then store one of them off site

I would clone from the Bootable CD mentioned in my first post. Have a look at GroverH stickys for some advice or post here