In addition to the tasks I described here, I am now testing Acronis TrueImage, to create complete images of my hard disk. So, in case of a hard disk failure I would be up and running in no time (at least in theory).
However TrueImage makes me feel a bit uneasy, as it lets me continue working while it creates the image! Anyway, I am quite sure TrueImage works correctly, as it gets rave reviews everywhere and everyone recommends it.
Also I’ve made up my mind that my next notebook will have two hard disks and a RAID controller (like this one), so I can have mirroring.
I use Acronis at work except when I create images, I use the boot CD and make the image outside of Windows. It has worked really well for me.
Comment by Ben Kubs — November 27, 2005 @ 21:12
Is there a reason you created the image using the boot CD? Is it safer to use the boot CD option for creating the image?
Comment by Dimitris Giannitsaros — November 27, 2005 @ 21:47
Hello, I use True Image too.
Create the image is one option and bootable CD is another.
You could create image and keep it on your HDD/external HDD or DVD/CD. (As for me I keep on DVD.)
If you create bootable CD you could boot from it even when you couldn’t boot OS, and restore your Image.
But to my experiance I’ve never had any problem with create/restore image. I tried both ways: restore from CD and during OS run, everything was clear.
So it safer to have the boot CD, but I didn’t find any difference, just as you wish.
Comment by IG255 — November 28, 2005 @ 11:16
FYI, George Lioutas (rings any bells? :-) ) through one of the group companies he works for, represents Acronis (buy online, support) for Greece/Serbia/Cyprus etc…
http://www.oration.gr/index.html
Comment by evris — December 2, 2005 @ 12:12