jcboy3 wrote:
This is not required if backing up data; only operating systems. Image backups are not useful for data, unless you have random access to the data files. Otherwise, you need a lot of free disk space and a lot of time to access a single file because you have to restore the entire image.
Actually not quite true. You can load the image as if it was another disk drive and just extract a single file. A bit clumsy but doable.
It is good to do the occasional reinstall of Windows as it clears out the crap that accumulates with time. However you do lose all the tweaks you have made to mold Windows to your liking, all your preferences, all the program linking, any data layouts, desktop layout etc. In my case weeks of work to get it back to how it was so an image backup is essential to me. Plus a reinstall of an image only takes a couple of hours and you are back up and running again almost as if nothing had happened. In 12 years I have only had to reinstall Windows once (right through Upgrading from Win 7 etc). My wifes PC in that same 12 years has never been reinstalled and it is still running fine. I have restored images about 6-8 times on mine, usually drive C" upgrades and about twice on my wifes PC. I do always keep a spare system drive handy.
So it is essential to me to know always that an image restore will work. Macrium has always but Acronis didn't (several times). In fact during the cross over period I had to use Macrium to make the drive bootable after restoring with Acronis. Then I swapped completely over and no trouble since.
chrissybabe wrote:
Actually not quite true. You can load the image as if it was another disk drive and just extract a single file. A bit clumsy but doable.
It is good to do the occasional reinstall of Windows as it clears out the crap that accumulates with time. However you do lose all the tweaks you have made to mold Windows to your liking, all your preferences, all the program linking, any data layouts, desktop layout etc. In my case weeks of work to get it back to how it was so an image backup is essential to me. Plus a reinstall of an image only takes a couple of hours and you are back up and running again almost as if nothing had happened. In 12 years I have only had to reinstall Windows once (right through Upgrading from Win 7 etc). My wifes PC in that same 12 years has never been reinstalled and it is still running fine. I have restored images about 6-8 times on mine, usually drive C" upgrades and about twice on my wifes PC. I do always keep a spare system drive handy.
So it is essential to me to know always that an image restore will work. Macrium has always but Acronis didn't (several times). In fact during the cross over period I had to use Macrium to make the drive bootable after restoring with Acronis. Then I swapped completely over and no trouble since.
Actually not quite true. You can load the image as... (
show quote)
I have recovered several Acronis backup files of my Windows OS, without issue. I’ve also done that when upgrading my SSD to a larger capacity drive.
Mark
2 messages to Acronis online chat not avalible no reply to email and no ticket ##
jcboy3 wrote:
This is not required if backing up data; only operating systems. Image backups are not useful for data, unless you have random access to the data files. Otherwise, you need a lot of free disk space and a lot of time to access a single file because you have to restore the entire image.
As stated above, Macrium Reflect allows you to mount an image backup and use an explorer like interface to access individual files/folders. It's a simple right click on the image to start Macrium Reflect and mount.
I always have Reflect verify the image after creation (just verifies everything is readable). But I've reinstalled an OS image several times (e.g. after fingering in a number of configuration changes that didn't work as expected, just easier to use the image to recover rather than trying to back out the changes).
issue resolved, thank you for the advice. i will look into the suggested other ways to BU.
If you want to reply, then
register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.