BACKING UP DRIVES AND DATA
USING ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE
Presentation by
Mike Boesen and Terry Bibo
for the PC Users Group
14 April 2009
Version: 2009_04_15
FEATURES OF A GOOD BACKUP STRATEGY
 Easy to remember
 Uncomplicated; few steps
 Easy to learn
 Affordable cost for
o hardware
o software
 Fast or runs unattended
 Robust and flexible
 Dependable outcome - when recovery is needed, it
works!
BACKUP WHAT?
 Registry
 Restore points
 Selected files and/or folders
 All the content in a partition of the
drive
 The whole drive
BACKUP TO WHAT?
 Master hard drive (not good)
 Secondary internal drive (better)
 Other drive on network (better still)
 Host server on the Web - e.g. Google (??)
 USB flash drive, thumb drive (limited
capacity; not cost-effective)
 CD, DVD (slow; limited capacity)
Continued …
BACKUP TO WHAT? - cont.
 Drive in removable caddy
o slides into a cradle inside the PC
o complex but very good
 Drive in external enclosure
o High Speed USB 2 (good; cheap; common)
o e-SATA (external Serial ATA) – (uncommon; a little
complex; but best of all)
o Firewire (good but uncommon)
 Note: 2.5” and 3.5” drives for enclosures or caddies:
o 2.5” - cheap; light; but use Y-cable
o 3.5” – cumbersome; swappable for internal drive;
fast
WHAT IS ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE?
 Backup application for XP or Vista PCs
 Supported file systems: FAT, NTFS, Linux Ext2/3, FS,
SWAP, sector by sector
 Supported backup devices/media: all
 Alternatives: Casper, etc
VERSIONS OF ACRONIS
 Current payware version: Acronis True Image Home
2009:
o Replaced Version 11
o No restriction on brand of drive
o $70
 Free old version of Acronis True Image Personal:
o Version 8 Build 892
o Limited functionality
o Will create compressed archives but not clones
o No restriction on brand of drive
o Problems with some mice and/or laptops that have special
partitions
Continued …
VERSIONS OF ACRONIS – contd.
 Free rebadged versions of Acronis:
o Seagate DiscWizard and Maxblast 5 – identical
o One temporarily or permanently visible drive needs to be a
Seagate or a Maxtor
o Reduced functionality but will create both compressed
archives AND clones
o On Seagate site: Version 11 Build 8053 (but some problems
creating Rescue CD)
o No problems creating bootable CD with Version 10 Build
5028 (see Mike)
o Problems with some mice (radio, bluetooth)
 Bootable CD created from Acronis payware version
COMPRESSED ARCHIVE BACKUP
 Backed up stuff is compressed into a single file (or linked files)
with a ‘.tib’ extension
 With payware versions can be selective in what’s to be included
in the archive:
o
o
o
o
partition/s
folders
files
email system
 Can read and/or extract files and folders from the archive
o In Windows, simply ‘mount’ the archive as a virtual drive then copy
stuff from the mounted archive
 Cannot boot your PC from the archive
 Complete “fire drill” has some risk - recreate total contents of the
source hard drive (if the archive has everything in it) using the
Acronis recovery CD and then boot using the recreated source
drive
CLONE BACKUPS
 Clone of the source DRIVE is normally a bit for bit mirror image
of the source drive
o No compression
o All partitions are included
o Contents directly visible in any Windows explorer application
o Contents operable on directly
 Can read and/or extract files and folders from the clone using
any Windows explorer application
 Can boot from the clone drive
o Boot by swapping the source drive with the clone drive, or
changing cabling, or changing drive jumpers, or changing
drive order in BIOS
o Sealed USB enclosures hinder swapping
 Complete “fire drill” relatively easy and risk free if you can boot
using the clone
RECREATING THE MASTER DRIVE
 Can recreate the master drive from backup archive (if
archive contains total content)
o Will require Acronis recovery CD to boot PC and perform the
recovery
 Can recreate the master drive from a clone
o Might not require Acronis recovery CD to boot PC and
perform the recovery
 Problems with recreating master drive from backup
archive or clone, for some dual boot systems if one
system is not Windows (MBR)
COMPRESSED ARCHIVE DEMONSTRATION
BY TERRY BIBO
 Creating the compressed archive using
free Version 8.0.0.892
 Acessing stuff in the archive using Mount
DEMONSTRATION OF CLONING
 Using free rebadged version – Seagate DiscWizard
Version 10 Build 5028
 Using Acronis True Image Version 11 build 8101 via
rescue CD
CREATE BOOTABLE RESCUE CD
 Create a “BOOTABLE CD” and test it to see if it IS
bootable and functional
 Demonstration of bootable CD – Acronis V11 build 8101
BACKUP PLAN A - COMPRESSED ARCHIVE OF WHOLE DRIVE

Create a rescue CD and test it to see if it is bootable

Every 5 to 10 days:
1. Connect backup drive in caddy or enclosure
2. Make enough space on the backup drive for the backup archive
to be created (delete stalest backup archive if necessary)
3. Create backup archive comprising a compressed image of the
whole of the master drive
4. “Validate” the backup archive (ideally configure Ssettings to do
that automatically)
5. “Mount” the backup archive and inspect contents. See if files
and partitions can be accessed; do some cutting and pasting
6. Store caddy or enclosure in a safe place

Once only: shut down PC, connect backup caddy or enclosure, boot
PC using the recovery CD and see if it looks like you would be able
to revert the master drive from the backup archive

Optional: daily Syncback updates for selected folders: put on any
drive other than the master drive (e.g. backup drive, 2nd internal
drive, network drive)
BACKUP PLAN B - CLONING THE WHOLE DRIVE TO A BACKUP
DRIVE
 Create a rescue CD and test it to see if it is bootable
 Every 5 to 1010 days:
1.Connect backup drive in caddy or enclosure
2.Create a bit-for-bit clone of the complete master drive onto the
backup drive
3. In Windows Explorer (yuk! – xPlorer2 is better!) check the
contents of the backup drive to see if it looks identical to the
master drive; do some copying and pasting
4.Store caddy or enclosure in a safe place
 Once-only fire drill if you have the skills: shut down PC, swap the
backup drive for the master drive, boot using the backup drive, see if
it behaves just like your master drive. If everything works OK, shut
down, swap backup drive out and master drive in.
 Once-only test of rescue CD: boot using the CD and rehearse cloning
from backup drive onto the master drive – but don’t action the last
step.
 Optional: daily Syncback updates for selected folders: put onto any
drive other than the master drive (e.g. backup drive, 2nd internal
drive, network drive)
LINKS
 Terry Bibo
www.users.on.net/~tbibo/
 Mike Boesen
www.pcug.org.au/boesen/
 Acronis
www.acronis.com.au/homecomputing/
 Seagate’s Diskwizard and Maxblast 5
www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/