Windows XP backup & restore?

I want to backup my whole window XP (C:drive) Along with the installed software.because some time windows fail to boot & hardware engineer come & install fresh windows XP & charge me 200/-. Is there any Software which restore my full C: drive without any trouble & with compressed so it copied in DVD 4.7GB.

If i backup my whole C drive in to E drive is there any way to restore from E drive when my windows fail to boot.

or

i have to make backup into the DVD?

you can try EASUS todo backup or Macrium Reflect FREE Edition. not sure if it'll compress to 4.3Gb else you'll need multiple dvds.

Better to learn reinstallation of XP yourself! It's a child's play if you know what you are doing! :-D

Anyway.. personally never used such backup software, but heard Norton Ghost is a good solution.

@hirenjp: The Backup Utility is available in Windows XP Pro...which will do the job for u...

vineet369 said:
Better to learn reinstallation of XP yourself! It's a child's play if you know what you are doing!

installing XP is like taking a 30min break. but installing the softwares & drives, thats the hard part.

IMO, for drive imaging acronis is good, compresses more.. but its commercial, if u want a good one in free edition try clonezilla

Sam said:
installing XP is like taking a 30min break. but installing the softwares & drives, thats the hard part.

Well, for me the later part is another 1 hour break. :))

It isn't a problem if you have the driver CD in one hand and software's DVD in another.

S

What I do is keep a partition where I put up installation files of essential software like drivers, antivirus, etc... After reinstall, I run the installers one after the other from the partition... This is much faster...

Arun

^^ That's good, with just a teenee weene problem.

If say, your computer is infected with a virus, and you need to format the OS drive, the setup's of those softwares won't be reliable enough. And if you decide to first scan them with an updated antivirus, then, trust me, DVD would be the better and wise decision. :-D

thanks for your help i used Nero backup but it save backup of my system drive with compressed(16GB Data to 12 GB)so, it is difficult to burn in DVD (i.e use 3 DVD )so, now i am looking for the software which make compressed image file of whole system drive shall i go with Norton ghost or Acronics true image or any other software which make image file which burn in to DVD.

I have not used it for years but what I remember and by experience norton ghost is faster and better then acronis.

hirenjp said:
thanks for your help i used Nero backup but it save backup of my system drive with compressed(16GB Data to 12 GB)so, it is difficult to burn in DVD (i.e use 3 DVD )so, now i am looking for the software which make compressed image file of whole system drive shall i go with Norton ghost or Acronics true image or any other software which make image file which burn in to DVD.

I don't think there wud be any which will compress such huge data to 4.5GB DVD :chinscratch:

Zangetsu said:
I don't think there wud be any which will compress such huge data to 4.5GB DVD

Yes you are right Zangetsu i also tried norton ghost the backup size still more then 12 GB. it is impossible to to compressed.but after google search faster & smoother way is use norton ghost & backup system drive to secondary or extarnal hard disk.so now i am trying to use this method to backup.but i don't know how?

you can not fit it in a DVD but I remember Norton ghost give an option to Backup in DVD's by dividing them according to size you wish.. say here you divide it in 4GB X 3 disc = 12Gb Data

clmlbx said:
you can not fit it in a DVD but I remember Norton ghost give an option to Backup in DVD's by dividing them according to size you wish.. say here you divide it in 4GB X 3 disc = 12Gb Data

If i save backup in my E drive then boot fail due to virus attack & windows cant start then how can i recover that backup from E drive.is there anyway

create Norton ghost startup disk. now when your computer fails to boot .. insert that startup disk and boot from it.. computer will start norton ghost and then you can recover whole data.. I believe it will also show your disks so you can select your Backup when it asks to restore from which Image.. or something like that...

I have not used it for a while so better check this

clmlbx said:
create Norton ghost startup disk. now when your computer fails to boot .. insert that startup disk and boot from it.. computer will start norton ghost and then you can recover whole data.. I believe it will also show your disks so you can select your Backup when it asks to restore from which Image.. or something like that...

I have not used it for a while so better check this

yesterday i downloaded software but i don't know how to make start up disk for the same.

check all options you will get it. look in ghost utilities, look for boot wizard,

clmlbx said:
check all options you will get it. look in ghost utilities, look for boot wizard,

thanks.i found it in tools tab.

verify the process now when everything is working.. to be safe from frustration when your windows actually crashes and Norton ghost does not work because you miss something..

Do whole process till last checkpoint.. or do that too if you have most recent Backup..

clmlbx said:
verify the process now when everything is working.. to be safe from frustration when your windows actually crashes and Norton ghost does not work because you miss something..

Do whole process till last checkpoint.. or do that too if you have most recent Backup..

i backup my C drive.now in E drive there is backup folder in which two file present first one is C drive (Symantec image file) & second one is (Symantec recovery environment).

now if my windows crashes today then how to recover my windows.

bro did you create startup disk/boot disk ..

clmlbx said:
bro did you create startup disk/boot disk ..

no i tried but didn't successful that how to create boot disk is there any way to create it?i only have norton ghost setup file & my system backup folder.

anyone knows if the Western Digital version of Acronis work on non-WD HDD? and how it compares to free alternates?

ok which version of norton ghost do you have

clmlbx said:
ok which version of norton ghost do you have

norton ghost 14

option is in Task Tab --> create recover Disk

what error did had when you tried last time

clmlbx said:
option is in Task Tab --> create recover Disk

what error did had when you tried last time

i attached image of error.i backup my full c drive in D Drive & i am making Rescue CD From task tab---> Create recover disk then i got error message.
see the image i attached.

Symantec stores the Symantec Recovery Disc image in the installation folder. You don't seem to have the necessary recovery disc image in your installation. You have to download the SRD separately.

lywyre said:
Symantec stores the Symantec Recovery Disc image in the installation folder. You don't seem to have the necessary recovery disc image in your installation. You have to download the SRD separately.

ok i downloaded SRD.nw tell me if i want to make bootable rescue usb rather than bootable rescue disk any procedure for it or simply copy to the pendrive.