complete pc backup produces inconsistance results

Hi,

I installed a clean XP Pro and the Vista Business upgrade along with a few
of my production apps.

I tried the new complete pc backup feature to create an image of the clean
installation just in case I had problems later.

When creating the image on the hard drive, it used about 10Gb. I did the
exact same backup straight after and it fit onto a single 4.7G dvd.

That didn't give me much confidence in the actual backup so I bought a third
party solution.

Any one else had this? It complained that it needed 20G to do the backup in
the first place.


regards

Justin.

"Justin Time" <> wrote
> Hi,
>
> I installed a clean XP Pro and the Vista Business upgrade along with a few
> of my production apps.
>
> I tried the new complete pc backup feature to create an image of the clean
> installation just in case I had problems later.
>
> When creating the image on the hard drive, it used about 10Gb. I did the
> exact same backup straight after and it fit onto a single 4.7G dvd.
>
> That didn't give me much confidence in the actual backup so I bought a
> third
> party solution.
>
> Any one else had this? It complained that it needed 20G to do the backup
> in
> the first place.

PC Backup does not compress the image when it's created on a hard drive, but
it does compress it when created on a DVD. That's about a 2:1 compression
ratio which is good. The real test though comes in by checking that it will
restore. If you don't test it, then you can't rely on it.

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

Right. You have to willing to possibly sacrifice your system and test your
backup. If you don't you will always be uncertain as whether, or not, it
works.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban MVP
Microsoft Windows Shell/User


"Rock" <> wrote in message
news:...
> "Justin Time" <> wrote
>> Hi,
>>
>> I installed a clean XP Pro and the Vista Business upgrade along with a
>> few
>> of my production apps.
>>
>> I tried the new complete pc backup feature to create an image of the
>> clean
>> installation just in case I had problems later.
>>
>> When creating the image on the hard drive, it used about 10Gb. I did the
>> exact same backup straight after and it fit onto a single 4.7G dvd.
>>
>> That didn't give me much confidence in the actual backup so I bought a
>> third
>> party solution.
>>
>> Any one else had this? It complained that it needed 20G to do the backup
>> in
>> the first place.
>
> PC Backup does not compress the image when it's created on a hard drive,
> but it does compress it when created on a DVD. That's about a 2:1
> compression ratio which is good. The real test though comes in by
> checking that it will restore. If you don't test it, then you can't rely
> on it.
>
> --
> Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

"Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
news:...

> Right. You have to willing to possibly sacrifice your system and test your
> backup. If you don't you will always be uncertain as whether, or not, it
> works.

I actually found the complete pc backup feature in ultimate to be very fast
& reliable.
I did many restores using it & it worked fine.

I also. But, until that first time you try it your really don't know. There
is always a doubt in the back of your mind that it may not work.

Better to try it on "your terms" rather than wait for a failure - 4 hours
before that critical paper is due for submission to the boss.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban MVP
Microsoft Windows Shell/User


"Isaac Hunt" <> wrote in message
news:UkTSh.38$...
>
> "Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>
>> Right. You have to willing to possibly sacrifice your system and test
>> your backup. If you don't you will always be uncertain as whether, or
>> not, it works.
>
> I actually found the complete pc backup feature in ultimate to be very
> fast & reliable.
> I did many restores using it & it worked fine.
>
>
>
>
>
>

Yes, true, it is worrying that 1st time you do a recovery.
I bought Ghost 10 & it backed up but *never* restored once for me, at all.
Won't be going there again.
Acronis all the way for me on XP.
Still say it's a shame Drive Image was assimilated into the Symantec
collective, that was a great, reliable product which never failed me once.

But if I had stayed with Vista, i'd have just used the built in utility.
I wasn't bothered about it not compressing the backup to a HDD as it made
backups faster...also restores were faster than Acronis.

"Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
news:...
>I also. But, until that first time you try it your really don't know. There
>is always a doubt in the back of your mind that it may not work.
>
> Better to try it on "your terms" rather than wait for a failure - 4 hours
> before that critical paper is due for submission to the boss.
>
> --
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban MVP
> Microsoft Windows Shell/User
>
>
> "Isaac Hunt" <> wrote in message
> news:UkTSh.38$...
>>
>> "Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>
>>> Right. You have to willing to possibly sacrifice your system and test
>>> your backup. If you don't you will always be uncertain as whether, or
>>> not, it works.
>>
>> I actually found the complete pc backup feature in ultimate to be very
>> fast & reliable.
>> I did many restores using it & it worked fine.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>