The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Once backed up with Respawn what then?

    Discussion in 'Alienware M11x' started by DeeVu, Aug 10, 2011.

  1. DeeVu

    DeeVu That Compsci/Psych Major

    Reputations:
    440
    Messages:
    1,062
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Hey guys,

    I'm getting my R3 tomorrow and first thing I am going to do is back it up to a external hard drive just incase of hard drive failures, etc. It'd be nice not to have to use the CD.

    Anyway, once I back up the 30 or so GB on to a HDD how does it work, do I boot from that HDD?

    Thanks
    DeeVu
     
    DeeVu, Aug 10, 2011
    #1
  2. Vallejo

    Vallejo Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    51
    Messages:
    176
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    As far as i know, you CANT create the backup with the respawn on an external HDD (I already try it using DellDataSafe backup, and it didnt work)
    You will have to use a CD/USB :/ .

    Answering your other question: If you want to backup with the CD/USB you should have to put from what kind of driver you want to boot your Pc (You can choose that in the boot by pressing i think f11/12). After that you will see on-screen instructions. There you will have 3 options: "Factory state" and other 2 that at the moment i cant remember. After choosing what kind of reformat you want to do, your m11x will start to re-install everything :) (this process takes around 30 min)

    EDIT: By the way, they are not 30Bgs of "backup" info., just about 8 gigs. Or at least 8gigs on r1
     
    Vallejo, Aug 10, 2011
    #2
  3. dredd1893

    dredd1893 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    23
    Messages:
    172
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    it's 40 GB in my r2, the main reason why I flatten the factory image and start a clean install..

    But I have to admit that this recovery media worked well (it worked without needing respawn/datasafe installed, or the recovery partition in the HDD as well)
     
    dredd1893, Aug 10, 2011
    #3
  4. DeeVu

    DeeVu That Compsci/Psych Major

    Reputations:
    440
    Messages:
    1,062
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Interesting. Well the main reason I wanted to use it was because I can't stand needing to use the CD. Its not viable to carry around an external CD drive when I'm not at home and in University.

    Mmmm...
     
    DeeVu, Aug 10, 2011
    #4
  5. DeeVu

    DeeVu That Compsci/Psych Major

    Reputations:
    440
    Messages:
    1,062
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    55
    What about this?
    A full system image would work for just a factory set computer.
     

    Attached Files:

    DeeVu, Aug 10, 2011
    #5
  6. dredd1893

    dredd1893 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    23
    Messages:
    172
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    you mean trying to restore factory setting on smaller-sized aftermarket HDD/SSD you installed? I have a 250 GB hdd I tried to restore the factory image to last month, it worked, but I've never tried on HDD so small...
     
    dredd1893, Aug 11, 2011
    #6
  7. DeeVu

    DeeVu That Compsci/Psych Major

    Reputations:
    440
    Messages:
    1,062
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Yes. Just backingup the factory restored version I am receiving with the laptop. That is a partitioned drive by the way. I wouldn't imagine its more than 40-50gb since it has nothing on it besides the usual alienware garbage (insert french accent).
     
    DeeVu, Aug 11, 2011
    #7
  8. dredd1893

    dredd1893 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    23
    Messages:
    172
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Yes, but there's been posts regarding failures in restoring factory images in smaller partitions.

    Why are you backing up the factory version instead of imaging the system?
    I have no clue in backing up using win 7 default utility, but if it's more versatile than system imaging, I'll convert :p
     
    dredd1893, Aug 11, 2011
    #8
  9. DeeVu

    DeeVu That Compsci/Psych Major

    Reputations:
    440
    Messages:
    1,062
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    55
    What do you mean imaging? I dont have a hard drive larger than 120gb and I would rather not use a CD fir that defeats the purpose of me asking. :)
     
    DeeVu, Aug 11, 2011
    #9
  10. dredd1893

    dredd1893 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    23
    Messages:
    172
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    um, this? I mean, it's a factory image nonetheless, so it produces the same result with restoring factory image from the recovery media
     

    Attached Files:

    dredd1893, Aug 11, 2011
    #10
  11. DeeVu

    DeeVu That Compsci/Psych Major

    Reputations:
    440
    Messages:
    1,062
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    55
    oh yes. thats what i was thinking about doing. we will see how it works!
     
    DeeVu, Aug 11, 2011
    #11