Vista’s Backup Function

[Big Booger]

Windows Vista includes a backup utility that provides enough functionality for most home and small office users. Windows Vista makes it easy to back up and restore by including both functions in a single window. To access the backup function, click Start, Control Panel, System and Maintenance, and select Backup and Restore Center.

Windows Vista presents two options for backing up your computer: Back up files and Back up computer. The first option, Back up files, is used to create backup copies of your files and folders. The second option, Back up computer, is used to create a Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore image of your entire computer. This can be used to recover from a hardware failure. Both of these options are designed to provide recovery and should be used together.

When you click the Back up files button, a wizard will prompt you to select a location to save your backup. You can choose a hard disk, CD, DVD or network location. Choose your backup locations and click Next. Now you can choose the files and folders that you want to back up, the frequency of the backup (such as daily), and the time of day when the backup should run. A general rule of thumb is to run your backups when your computer is not being used. Complete the wizard by clicking Save Settings and Start Backup.

Simply backing up your folders and files is not enough because this backup can not be used to restore your computer in the event of failure. The CompletePC Backup, on the other hand, makes a backup image of your entire computer. In the event of something such as hard drive failure, you can use the image backup to restore your computer. The image created includes applications, system settings, files as well as a backup of your boot volume and system volume.

To perform a system backup, click the Back up computer button within the Backup and Restore Center window. Choose the backup location and click Next. Click Save Settings and Start Backup.

Source:
The Lockergnome Newsletter

[Gary]

This will NOT be available in all flavors of Vista


Source: MS

[d000hg]

Wow, you don't get much in the Home Basic version do you?!

[cash_site]

i agree Doohg, there are some major limitations on each of the different versions... you'd need the Ultimate Version if you wanted to do anything more than surf the net and email!

It is so silly not to include the photo and media stuff in the business version - what happens if you work in a media company? I guess stick with Apple Mac OSX you've been using forever!!

I think you're better off with buying XP HOME or PRO on eBay, unless you can afford Ultimate!! Just download the little apps for XP

M$ is making it easy for people to upgrade... i wonder how many will actually buy retail version? I'd go OEM perhaps with new system, obviously depending on the actual version given - i'd ask the system builder to revert back to OEM XP PRO

[veronica]

I tried to backup my vista PC. It said I didn't have enough space. It had 10 GB. I want to at least backup the operating system. Any advice?
Thanks

[Conan]

Acronis True Image will have a smaller footprint for the backup. I save my backup images to another hard drive.

[veronica]

Thank you.

I had an external Fantom Hard Drive. It was warrantied for 1 year. It malfunctioned and lost all my data after 6 months.

[cash_site]

That is a little badluck Veronica, typically HD's have mean time before failure of 100,000 hours or something ridiculously large... Your best bet might be to backup to an external drive, and then span the image to multiple DVDs. I have my cousin's XP PRO image with everything installed on 2 DVDs

Can you use TrueImage (et al) on Vista installations on SATA drives?

[veronica]

Can you use TrueImage (et al) on Vista installations on SATA drives?

I don't know. Why would there be a difference?

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To all:

Can I use Acronis True Image to back up, JUSt, my operating system and software?

Thanks