How can you determine if the image you created works?
I don’t know how.
The goal we’re all chasing here is to possess a comfortable level of confidence that when our systems turns to crap we’re able to restore things with minimal time, effort, frustration, and with no loss of data. Although achieving this in one giant step would be nice, it’s simply not possible, so we must sneak up on our goal in tiny steps until we’re so close that we feel it’s within our grasp. For this, we need a plan.
Disk imaging can fail in two big ways: We may not have used the program correctly, and the program itself may not work properly.
I’ll assume that we have an empty disk or partition available for images. Recent posts to this thread indicate this is a popular approach, and I agree that it has the compelling merit of simplicity, thus reducing opportunity for errors. Throughout this post, I’ll assume C: as the main system disk or partition, and D: as the disk or partition we anticipate will contain images. We’ll prove to ourselves that the imaging software works, and that we know how to use it by making and restoring images of D:, our spare partition.
Copy a load of data to D: perhaps 100 meg or so. Although a little will work just fine, we want plenty so that the imaging takes enough time that we become familiar with its operation. Few learn much from observing software that completes in a few seconds. Now, make an image of D:, storing it on C:. Be sure to explore the options you’re likely to use, such as compression. Erase D: and verify that the disk is empty. Restore D: using the image you made. Check that D: now contains the original data. If things are OK at this point, you’ve determined that you’ve mastered your working imaging software.
Once you’re comfortable working with ‘Dummy Data’, you’ll want to create an image of your C: drive. You should have no trouble with this as you’re now with familiar software. Just make sure the appropriate boxes get checked and the image gets named appropriately and stored where you want it. When done, check that you indeed have an image, and its size is as expected. Drive Images compresses a disk to a file roughly half the size of the original data. A ‘vanilla’ Win98, with Office fits into 150meg.
Don’t test this – at least just not yet. Make an image periodically over the next few days until you have a few put away.
You’ll want to have a backup of your system. Win98 comes with backup software, but it isn’t always installed. You may need to add it to your system from the Win98 CD, using Control Panel, Add Remove, Windows Setup, Accessories. You’ll also need a bootable floppy that can read your CD.
With Win98 backup, make a full backup of your system, storing it on D: Be sure everything on your disk gets included, since Win98 backup allows you to pick and choose, and it’s easy to leave something out. You’ll notice that Win98 backup seems like molasses when you’re used to Drive Image’s speed.
Have your Windows CD available. Have your Product key available, because if you need your CD, you’ll need the key too. If you lost it, use RegEdit to find it in your Registry.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]
"ProductKey"="XXNXX-XXXXX-XXNNX-XXNNX-XXXXN"
To make a long story short, you’ll need to reload Win98 to a blank disk in order to run Win98 Backup if you need to restore your system from the backups created by Win98. Be prepared to do this work if needed.
At this point, you should have a few images, a Win98 backup, and the Win98 CD, bootable floppy, and Product key. You’ll be prepared for the worst. Make doubly sure your system will boot from the floppy and can read your CD. Check Rich’s reply 2103 on this thread for additional boot floppy suggestions: It’s a classic.
It wouldn’t hurt to run ScanDisk on your image drive. If any problems are found, you cannot have confidence in the integrity of the data. Don’t try fixing the files – too much is at stake. Format the drive and start over again.
To test your imaging, restore your C: drive from the latest stored image. In a few minutes, your system should be exactly as it was at the time the image was made.
I’ve suggested that you build two safety nets, an image and a backup. Either can let you down, but the chances of both failing together is much lower. Although not perfect, this method will reduce your exposure to the exigencies of Murphy’s law, and if your experience with imaging’s reliability and convenience matches those of other participants on this thread, you should be pleased with the result.
Cheers, PW. |
