Most people probably heard of this: A program to backup the complete installation of a computer. With all the installed apps, drivers and such. A snapshot of the HDD on DVD, that can restore the whole system in minutes, in case of a system crash. Or if the system becomes painfully slow.

I want to make a new OS installation on my computer with all my programs, etc, etc. And then take a snapshot on DVD. I don't want to have a program that sits on my computer, updating the snapshot (somehow) or whatever. Once the OS is installed, my music apps, the browser, and the millions of passwords... I don't want to change it anymore.

All I need is an application that can take this snapshot, and burn it to DVD. Of course the application has to know the difference between installed applications and the empty HDD. Meaning: All my installations use (for example) 3Gb, and there is 150Gb empty space on my HDD. I don't want the empty space to be a part of the snapshot. - Makes sense, or? The snapshot should only contain the installed data. - And with the DVD I should be able to restore my system in minutes.

It should be freeware, because freeware is very cheap. No... - Over the years, I've learned to appreciate a lot of freeware. Many times, a freeware app is built to do just one thing, but that very good. Without any fluff. I hate bloatware! - I've seen some commercial backup software..., that had like millions of functions (I didn't care about). Hundreds of Megabytes. And then, this program sits on my HDD, and it's talking to me. No thanks. - I just want to take a snapshot of a perfect installed system, and not be bothered anymore. Put the DVD (...or two ) in a safe place, and not have to worry about a system crash any longer.

OS would be Win XP 32.

There are so many of those programs. I don't want to weed through yet another technology..., it always turns into a science project. I want to make music.

Maybe somebody here has heard of a simple straight-forward backup application that just works, that has made a name for itself. Something that is approved by many people that used it.

This works fine for me.

http://www.todo-backup.com/?gclid=CKCC6Y3Ji6gCFYEc4QodrBLSCw

You're talking about disk imaging, whether you realise it or not.

Have a look at Macrium Reflect Free. Personally I dont see the point in backing up to DVD since most disk images are going to be larger than 5Gb and writing DVDs is damned slow, but Reflect will do it.

But seriously consider a separate drive or drive partition for your disk images. A fairly busy XP SP3-and-apps install will still fit on a £15 16gb USB stick whereas these days you'll be lucky to squeeze it onto a single DVD.

...taking a look at those two, right now. Thanks.

The DVD (as a carrier for the backup) is an obvious choice. It can be a USB stick or an external USB HDD too.

Most important is the simplicity and reliability of the whole operation.

"Snapshot (Image), done."

See my post in this thread:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=201085&start=1 20

In fact it was whyterabbyt who recommended Drive Image XML to me.
And he knows what he is talking about! It will back up (clone image etc)
any partions or disks you tell it too. He is right about Macrium Reflect
too - it is one of the top programs, but some users have had issues.
The worst I have heard about Drive Image XML are that it might be a tad
slow or miss some non-essential functionality. You can browse the files
from within windows once the image is made as well.

You are talking free here, but I would whole-heartedly recommend this
program over payware like Acronis True Image which used to be the king...

Either way there are about ten free programs for you to choose from
and a guaranteed to work boot disk if things go t*** up.

So, definitely Macrium OR Drive Image XML. Just try them out.
They are both on the boot cd I am talking about.

In fact do an image with both and then wipe your system for your own piece
of mind. If you know what you are doing that is. It will give you the kind
of warm fuzzy feeling you need to 'compute with confidence'. Knowing for
a fact that things can be definitely restored. Because sooner or
later that will happen and you don't want to have a load of work or have
spent 6 months building your system only to find out that the image you
made does not work!

As I said the hardest thing is having a working boot disk if your HD goes
down. It is all very well making an image in windows, but if you lose
windows you lose the program and the ability to restore.


You just want to make sure you do a cold-image as opposed to a hot-image.
That is - make the image from outside your OS with the program you
will be using to restore. You will be able to browse and restore
certain files from windows then if things get a bit untidy and you
need to just re-install the odd file here or there.

All the programs you need and even the boot cd which they are on are here:
http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd

Read my post and you will be on your way.........

Maybe whyterabbyt might have something to add if I have omitted
something.

Oh and thanks whyterabbyt for sugessting Drive Image XML in the first
place.

Edit:
Drive Image XML will let you 'span' the backup archive into chunks if
you do insist on burning to DVD. Obviously, the best solution would
be a USB disk drive or stick as rabbyt suggested.

This one divides the image in 4GB files for DVD backups:

http://damien.guibouret.free.fr/en/index_frame.html

Nope. I shouldnt really have omitted mentioning DriveImage XML in the first place...

Macrium Reflect Free looks decent.

I'm not sure if I was precise about it; Macrium Reflect could take an image of my system, and create a rescue DVD? Lets say my computer explodes (like so many times ), I go to the store, get the exact same model, throw in the DVD, and everything is the same it was within minutes? Cause that's what I'm looking for.

The way I use my computer is pretty safe. I can go without a re-installation for a year or two. Usually I re-install my system when it gets painfully slow. Installing the OS and setting up everything takes me like a day. With the programs and Internet and everything. And I hate it. - Just waiting for Windows alone drives me up the wall! I don't know when I can get myself to do this again, that's why I was looking for the heads-up of this backup/rescue-technology.

In essence, yes. In actuality, possibly not quite, depending.
Firstly, any software authorised against a machine ID will possibly need reauthorised.
Secondly its possible that even in two machines with the same model number that there will be minor differences in the hardware, ie motherboard revisions, different brand optical drive, that kind of thing. That may or may not require reinstalling or upgrading drivers.

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