Windows System Images

I take a system image to an external HD. It works with a fixed name, and
just overwrites if one already exists. So I have to remember to cut and
paste the previous one into a folder. But that creates a situation
where, if I were to restore with a bootable Win7 Repair disk then it
would only detect the latest one.

I can't but feel that I'm missing something here since the repair option
goes looking for image files before telling you what it's found; and it
only finds my latest one.

Ed

On 11/3/2011 5:33 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
> I take a system image to an external HD. It works with a fixed name, and
> just overwrites if one already exists. So I have to remember to cut and
> paste the previous one into a folder. But that creates a situation
> where, if I were to restore with a bootable Win7 Repair disk then it
> would only detect the latest one.
>
> I can't but feel that I'm missing something here since the repair option
> goes looking for image files before telling you what it's found; and it
> only finds my latest one.
>
> Ed

I don't know why you would want an older version, but could the best
solution be to put multiple partitions onto the backup disk?

I use clones, so I'm not a lot of help on this one.

--
Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools,
and accepted by idiots.
"Anon"
http://www.bobhatch.com
http://www.tdsrvresort.com

On 03/11/2011 13:28, Bob Hatch wrote:
> On 11/3/2011 5:33 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>> I take a system image to an external HD. It works with a fixed name, and
>> just overwrites if one already exists. So I have to remember to cut and
>> paste the previous one into a folder. But that creates a situation
>> where, if I were to restore with a bootable Win7 Repair disk then it
>> would only detect the latest one.
>>
>> I can't but feel that I'm missing something here since the repair option
>> goes looking for image files before telling you what it's found; and it
>> only finds my latest one.
>>
>> Ed
>
> I don't know why you would want an older version

Because of (effectively) impossible-to-remove malware which exists on
one or more previous images. You'd need to be able to go back to an
image before infection to be sure of getting rid of it.

--

Jeff

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:48:31 +0000, Jeff Layman
<> wrote:

>On 03/11/2011 13:28, Bob Hatch wrote:
>> On 11/3/2011 5:33 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>> I take a system image to an external HD. It works with a fixed name, and
>>> just overwrites if one already exists. So I have to remember to cut and
>>> paste the previous one into a folder. But that creates a situation
>>> where, if I were to restore with a bootable Win7 Repair disk then it
>>> would only detect the latest one.
>>>
>>> I can't but feel that I'm missing something here since the repair option
>>> goes looking for image files before telling you what it's found; and it
>>> only finds my latest one.
>>>
>>> Ed
>>
>> I don't know why you would want an older version
>
>Because of (effectively) impossible-to-remove malware which exists on
>one or more previous images. You'd need to be able to go back to an
>image before infection to be sure of getting rid of it.

Agreed. Having only a single backup is just one step away from having
no backup at all. I care about my data, so that's way too risky for
me. I have multiple full disk images that go back to April of this
year.

--

Char Jackson

On 11/3/2011 10:51 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
> On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:48:31 +0000, Jeff Layman
> <> wrote:
>
>> On 03/11/2011 13:28, Bob Hatch wrote:
>>> On 11/3/2011 5:33 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>> I take a system image to an external HD. It works with a fixed name, and
>>>> just overwrites if one already exists. So I have to remember to cut and
>>>> paste the previous one into a folder. But that creates a situation
>>>> where, if I were to restore with a bootable Win7 Repair disk then it
>>>> would only detect the latest one.
>>>>
>>>> I can't but feel that I'm missing something here since the repair option
>>>> goes looking for image files before telling you what it's found; and it
>>>> only finds my latest one.
>>>>
>>>> Ed
>>>
>>> I don't know why you would want an older version
>>
>> Because of (effectively) impossible-to-remove malware which exists on
>> one or more previous images. You'd need to be able to go back to an
>> image before infection to be sure of getting rid of it.
>
> Agreed. Having only a single backup is just one step away from having
> no backup at all. I care about my data, so that's way too risky for
> me. I have multiple full disk images that go back to April of this
> year.
>

My data is "never" on my C: drive. C: is for OS and programs only. D: is
for data. H: is a double back up of D: done every 12 hours. All pictures
are copied to my wife's laptop every time I upload new images.


--
Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools,
and accepted by idiots.
"Anon"
http://www.bobhatch.com
http://www.tdsrvresort.com

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:12:32 -0700, Bob Hatch wrote:

> On 11/3/2011 10:51 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
>> On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:48:31 +0000, Jeff Layman
>> <> wrote:
>>
>>> On 03/11/2011 13:28, Bob Hatch wrote:
>>>> On 11/3/2011 5:33 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>> I take a system image to an external HD. It works with a fixed name, and
>>>>> just overwrites if one already exists. So I have to remember to cut and
>>>>> paste the previous one into a folder. But that creates a situation
>>>>> where, if I were to restore with a bootable Win7 Repair disk then it
>>>>> would only detect the latest one.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can't but feel that I'm missing something here since the repair option
>>>>> goes looking for image files before telling you what it's found; and it
>>>>> only finds my latest one.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ed
>>>>
>>>> I don't know why you would want an older version
>>>
>>> Because of (effectively) impossible-to-remove malware which exists on
>>> one or more previous images. You'd need to be able to go back to an
>>> image before infection to be sure of getting rid of it.
>>
>> Agreed. Having only a single backup is just one step away from having
>> no backup at all. I care about my data, so that's way too risky for
>> me. I have multiple full disk images that go back to April of this
>> year.
>>
>
> My data is "never" on my C: drive. C: is for OS and programs only. D: is
> for data. H: is a double back up of D: done every 12 hours. All pictures
> are copied to my wife's laptop every time I upload new images.

That does not in any way invalidate what Jeff Layman and Char Jackson
said, except, of course, for you alone. Oh, maybe a few other people
too, but *not* for everyone.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

"Jeff Layman" <> wrote in message news:j8u9k1$sjd$...
> On 03/11/2011 13:28, Bob Hatch wrote:
>> On 11/3/2011 5:33 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>> I take a system image to an external HD. It works with a fixed name, and
>>> just overwrites if one already exists. So I have to remember to cut and
>>> paste the previous one into a folder. But that creates a situation
>>> where, if I were to restore with a bootable Win7 Repair disk then it
>>> would only detect the latest one.
>>>
>>> I can't but feel that I'm missing something here since the repair option
>>> goes looking for image files before telling you what it's found; and it
>>> only finds my latest one.
>>>
>>> Ed
>>
>> I don't know why you would want an older version
>
> Because of (effectively) impossible-to-remove malware which exists on one or more previous images. You'd need to be
> able to go back to an image before infection to be sure of getting rid of it.
>

I totally agree.
I've never had it happen to me, and have never heard of it happening to anyone else, but. . .
I create images with ATI, booting from the ATI-created boot CD and use a couple of different drives for these images. If
I inadvertently created an image of an already-infected system, what are the chances of that virus infecting my back-up
drive, thus invalidating all the other images? Since I'm not in Windows when creating this image, is the virus
automatically isolated from the rest of the external drive and its other images?
Like I said, I've never heard of it happening, but was just curious if maybe you had.
--
SC Tom

On 11/3/2011 11:35 AM, Gene E. Bloch wrote:
> On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:12:32 -0700, Bob Hatch wrote:
>
>> On 11/3/2011 10:51 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
>>> On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:48:31 +0000, Jeff Layman
>>> <> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 03/11/2011 13:28, Bob Hatch wrote:
>>>>> On 11/3/2011 5:33 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>>> I take a system image to an external HD. It works with a fixed name, and
>>>>>> just overwrites if one already exists. So I have to remember to cut and
>>>>>> paste the previous one into a folder. But that creates a situation
>>>>>> where, if I were to restore with a bootable Win7 Repair disk then it
>>>>>> would only detect the latest one.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I can't but feel that I'm missing something here since the repair option
>>>>>> goes looking for image files before telling you what it's found; and it
>>>>>> only finds my latest one.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ed
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't know why you would want an older version
>>>>
>>>> Because of (effectively) impossible-to-remove malware which exists on
>>>> one or more previous images. You'd need to be able to go back to an
>>>> image before infection to be sure of getting rid of it.
>>>
>>> Agreed. Having only a single backup is just one step away from having
>>> no backup at all. I care about my data, so that's way too risky for
>>> me. I have multiple full disk images that go back to April of this
>>> year.
>>>
>>
>> My data is "never" on my C: drive. C: is for OS and programs only. D: is
>> for data. H: is a double back up of D: done every 12 hours. All pictures
>> are copied to my wife's laptop every time I upload new images.
>
> That does not in any way invalidate what Jeff Layman and Char Jackson
> said, except, of course, for you alone. Oh, maybe a few other people
> too, but *not* for everyone.
>

I never said it did. My point in was to give an additional, and safer
option for data storage than on drive C:. No matter what happens to my
C: drive, my data is safe. I have data that has followed my OS's from
before Windows 98 all the way up to Windows 7, and across several
computers. True, I've had to move the data to larger drives, but when I
buy a new computer all I have to do is move the D: drive from the old
computer to the new one. :-)

--
Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools,
and accepted by idiots.
"Anon"
http://www.bobhatch.com
http://www.tdsrvresort.com

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:31:12 -0700, Bob Hatch <>
wrote:

> I never said it did. My point in was to give an additional, and safer
> option for data storage than on drive C:. No matter what happens to my
> C: drive, my data is safe. I have data that has followed my OS's from
> before Windows 98 all the way up to Windows 7, and across several
> computers. True, I've had to move the data to larger drives, but when I
> buy a new computer all I have to do is move the D: drive from the old
> computer to the new one. :-)


You are kidding yourself and flirting with danger. It is always
possible that a hard drive crash, user error, nearby lightning strike,
virus attack, even theft of the computer, can cause the loss of
everything on all your drives. As has often been said, it's not a
matter of whether you will have such a problem, but when.

The only really safe way to protect yourself against loss is backup to
external media.

If you have never lost everything, consider yourself lucky. But your
comment "No matter what happens to my C: drive, my data is safe. I
have data that has followed my OS's from before Windows 98 all the way
up to Windows 7, and across several computers." is like saying "I've
always driven without a seatbelt on and never had a problem."

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:31:12 -0700, Bob Hatch wrote:

> On 11/3/2011 11:35 AM, Gene E. Bloch wrote:
>> On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:12:32 -0700, Bob Hatch wrote:
>>
>>> On 11/3/2011 10:51 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
>>>> On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:48:31 +0000, Jeff Layman
>>>> <> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On 03/11/2011 13:28, Bob Hatch wrote:
>>>>>> On 11/3/2011 5:33 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>>>> I take a system image to an external HD. It works with a fixed name, and
>>>>>>> just overwrites if one already exists. So I have to remember to cut and
>>>>>>> paste the previous one into a folder. But that creates a situation
>>>>>>> where, if I were to restore with a bootable Win7 Repair disk then it
>>>>>>> would only detect the latest one.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I can't but feel that I'm missing something here since the repair option
>>>>>>> goes looking for image files before telling you what it's found; and it
>>>>>>> only finds my latest one.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ed
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I don't know why you would want an older version
>>>>>
>>>>> Because of (effectively) impossible-to-remove malware which exists on
>>>>> one or more previous images. You'd need to be able to go back to an
>>>>> image before infection to be sure of getting rid of it.
>>>>
>>>> Agreed. Having only a single backup is just one step away from having
>>>> no backup at all. I care about my data, so that's way too risky for
>>>> me. I have multiple full disk images that go back to April of this
>>>> year.
>>>>
>>>
>>> My data is "never" on my C: drive. C: is for OS and programs only. D: is
>>> for data. H: is a double back up of D: done every 12 hours. All pictures
>>> are copied to my wife's laptop every time I upload new images.
>>
>> That does not in any way invalidate what Jeff Layman and Char Jackson
>> said, except, of course, for you alone. Oh, maybe a few other people
>> too, but *not* for everyone.
>>
>
> I never said it did. My point in was to give an additional, and safer
> option for data storage than on drive C:. No matter what happens to my
> C: drive, my data is safe. I have data that has followed my OS's from
> before Windows 98 all the way up to Windows 7, and across several
> computers. True, I've had to move the data to larger drives, but when I
> buy a new computer all I have to do is move the D: drive from the old
> computer to the new one. :-)

OK, got it.

I confess that I read your reply as an attempt to contradict the post
you replied to, so although you never *said* that it invalidated what
Jeff Layman and Char Jackson said, I interpreted it that you meant to
*imply* as much.

Thanks for setting me straight.

Although I did have a bit of fun composing my slightly sarcastic reply
:-)

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)