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The backup program provided with Vista will only allow me to backup data.
I also have Norton 360, which only allows the same.

I have made the recovery disks, which will allow me to restore to the 'purchased state'.
But I want to do a full backup, so I don't need to re-install everything if I have an unrecoverable crash.

Does anybody know how to do this?
I don't mind paying (a small amount) for software which will allow a full backup and restore,
but free would be better.  ;)

Vista seems ok, but some older software I have, won't run after installing.

Micro$oft has spent billions of £££ preventing you from doing that rather than making a system that works. Not sure if the advanced disk copy/clone programs like ghost will work with vista.

The way micro$oft sees it is that if they allowed you to do an entire backup of the complete disk, you might just stick it back in more than one computer. :P

It's part of Vista Business, Ultimate and Enterprise.

The way MS see it, is that a full system backup is a more advanced user option, and if you want it, you pay for it. It's a feature, or an extra if you like. Much like with most products. Take a car for example. Some come with a couple of airbags, some with ABS, TCL, ESP etc. But, with the basic models you don't always get it all.

You still get system restore points, and the ability to backup your data; which essentially is the most important thing on your computer - especially if you are a home user. If you are a business user, and your HDD goes pop, you want to restore straight away, so you can carry on working. It's a financial insurance. Home users don't in general need that insurance, but if they do, they can pay for it as a premium, in the top flight edition 'ultimate'.

Vista works fine, and MS haven't spent millions preventing you from doing things. They give you the option to purchase which edition you want; much like car manufacturers have different engine sizes, trim levels and specification.

Quote from: dtw on March 15, 2008, 18:53:12
Does anybody know how to do this?
I don't mind paying (a small amount) for software which will allow a full backup and restore,
but free would be better.  ;)

Acronis True Image - http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/features.html

It will do everything you need for about £25. It is highly recommended. If you need any further help with Vista, or problems with any applications, and are seeking alternatives - feel free to post.

Tim

Thanks, I'm downloading the free trial now, if it's good, then I'll purchase it.

This laptop came with Home Premium, there's an option to upgrade to Vista Ultimate, but the links to buy it don't work.
They don't reveal the cost, but I suspect it's considerably more than the backup software above.

Thanks. :D

Home Premium to Ultimate upgrade is about £100. I'd hazard a guess you don't need remote desktop (RDP) functionality, and the networking centre. I personally couldn't live without those.

Tim

Try Western Digital " Data lifeguard tools" for Windows,

look under utils,

Ps its free

Always check your hard drive manufacturers site for copy progs


mrf94

Acronis software works superbly, it compresses the data too.
I shall purchase it when I've got some spare cash.

The western digital tools is mainly for creating disk images.
I don't have enough space on an external drive to perform a full backup yet.

Thanks chaps & chapesses. :D

If you check you will find one of the manufactures has acronis free as one of its tools


mrf94

or you could just use robocopy thats built into vista and use the mirror mode - thats free and already installed just install a second hardrive to backup to, if the first one dies just swap the cable and your off again from the point you lat run the copy

If you go to the Seagate web site and search for Seagate DiskWizard - this is a free download of a re-badged (and slightly less featured version I think) of Acronis True Image. It works fine with non-Seagate/Maxtor hard drives.

Seagate disk wizard didn't work for me, it says at least one seagate drive needs to be installed.
However it did offer me a 40% discount on Acronis true image.  :D

Quote from: dtw on March 18, 2008, 13:10:09
Seagate disk wizard didn't work for me, it says at least one seagate drive needs to be installed.

shoud work with Maxtor drives as well

but strangely it might be cheaper to buy a brand new seagate/maxtor hard drive than buy the backup software!!! 80GB is about £25 160GB £35

Can't promis but.....see if this helps

http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/#comment-91161

Have fun.

As a pensioner I couldn't afford to pay out for software like that, I use Ubuntu OS and have thousands of FREE software applications available to me. Hewlett Packard are the best printer manufacturers as they have a database of drivers for Linux. I recently bought a mono laser for £60, it does extremely good mono photos. When the other colour printers pack up I shall switch to colour laser (I have seen one for £100).

thanks for the link Rentawreck.


I've tried ubuntu linux, but couldn't get anything to install.
Too much faffing about for me, I just want to install an application and use it.
Not hunt around renaming and compiling files in some illogical, inconsistent manner.

Quote from: dtw on April 22, 2008, 12:32:31
thanks for the link Rentawreck.


I've tried ubuntu linux, but couldn't get anything to install.
Too much faffing about for me, I just want to install an application and use it.
Not hunt around renaming and compiling files in some illogical, inconsistent manner.

I don't know what you were doing wrong, it installs automatically from the CD, you just answer a few questions and it does the job. Did you download the ISO file to burn to a CD (you do NOT copy it).

I downloaded the latest version (8.04, issued this month) last night and have installed it this morning in about 1/2 hour.

It installs much faster than Windows and is much less demanding on the system. Virus free as well. I do not rename and compile files, I use Open Office for Office work, The Gimp for photo work, Firefox for the internet and Thunderbird for email.

I have fitted my computer with a Super Rack and I have alternate systems for use for different purposes. I keep one HDD with Windows XP just for controlling Windows specific equipment, it is not used very often, I do not use it for the internet.