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    Backup Entire Drive - Lattitude 830

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by swordfish01, Dec 25, 2007.

  1. swordfish01

    swordfish01 Notebook Consultant

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    I currently have my windows vista business 830 exactly the way I want it with programs and such.

    I currently backup my documents, but would like to image the entire drive in case I need to load a copy.

    How are you guys doing this? what is the best way?
     
    swordfish01, Dec 25, 2007
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  2. Alemaker

    Alemaker Notebook Consultant

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    Vista Business you say?

    Control Panel>System and Maintenance>Backup your computer>Back up Computer button. BINGO Complete Image of your HD! :D

    Alemaker
     
    Alemaker, Dec 25, 2007
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  3. swordfish01

    swordfish01 Notebook Consultant

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    fantastic... and I backup to an external and if something doesnt seem right, I can just restore the backup?
     
    swordfish01, Dec 25, 2007
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  4. Alemaker

    Alemaker Notebook Consultant

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    yup,
    I have an external HD that I backed up to.After making a Complete PC Restore image, to do a Complete PC Restore you do need the Vista installation disc. You boot from the Vista disc and select repair (at the bottom of the screen). A menu comes up and choose Complete PC Restore. It will check for images on an external drive, or if you back up to DVD, it will ask to insert the dvd. A brief note-if you've never done this before-- with dvd's it actually requires inserting the last dvd first, because that is where the index for the backup exists. Once it sees the index, it then will say "wrong dvd": lol- then insert the first dvd and away you go.
    :)

    Alemaker
     
    Alemaker, Dec 25, 2007
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  5. swordfish01

    swordfish01 Notebook Consultant

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    I had the program tell me my Harddrive is not formatted with nmfs or something like...

    Do I need to format my external completely? it is a 500gb and i have lots of other stuff there...
     
    swordfish01, Dec 26, 2007
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  6. Alemaker

    Alemaker Notebook Consultant

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    ohh- Yup, Windows Complete PC Backup can only backup to NTFS volumes,not FAT or FAT32. Two options then,

    1) Save your stuff from the external HD on your laptop temporarily and format the external HD to NTFS. (not sure if you can partition the HD and format specific partitions)

    or

    2) Backup your laptop using dvd's
     
    Alemaker, Dec 26, 2007
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  7. star882

    star882 Notebook Evangelist

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    You can also use Knoppix and dd the drive to a file.
     
    star882, Dec 26, 2007
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  8. swordfish01

    swordfish01 Notebook Consultant

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    If I go DVD's.. it will be several eh? I have about 60GB of use on here now..
     
    swordfish01, Dec 26, 2007
    #8