Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Floating World]

Ok, so I got an ex hdd.

THREE main questions.

Question 1.

I backed up my lpatop and it took up 350gb of my 500gb ex hdd.

about 150gb was the backup and then the same again, roughly, for the system image.

My issue is, I want to make the back up size smaller by not including some of my downloads library files inthe backup - eg include movies but not tv shows.

Problem is if I choose the advanced (I get to choose all files and folders etc) rather than general backup option (Computer / hdd manager chooses automatically) - I am not sure what I need to back up with regards to anything other than my movies.

Do I need to back up desktop? My computer?

I have no clue!

What i want to do is backup all of my movies AND everything I need to get my laptop working again should the laptop's hdd stop functioning.

Is that possible? To back up my SYSTEM (ie my OS, settings, programmes etc, a virtual copy of my laptop in effect i guess) so if my hdd crashes, I can re-load it all via the ex hdd.

Or is a back up only for saving data such as mvies, docs and favorites?

I have no clue!

What is a sytem image?

Help please....

I was going to delete all the tv shows from my laptop hdd etc, then do back up so I have movies only on the ex hdd (along with whatever else)and then re-download the tv shows on tothe laptop after the backup is done so as to save space on the ex hdd - but that seems a little time intensive and maybe the wrong way to go about it, so thought I'd check here first.

So again, as well as my movies - what else do I need to back up - and how - so as to be able to essentially use my os and laptop as normal from my ex hdd in the event of my laptop hdd crashing - and is that what a backup is?

Question 2.

ALSO - when I did the 1st backup, it winzipped the files. So a movie was saved in like 4 or 5 pieces of 200mb each and all winzipped. I didn't like that and wanted each movie saved as one file just like it is on my laptop hdd in 'downloads.' So after deleting the backup, I also uninstalled the free winzip. When I do my next back up, now that winzip is gone - will it save the movies as whole files (I'm assuming it didn't before only because winzip zipped the files automatically or soemthing....)

Question 3.

Actually I'm fine with the backup or the image size if the ex hdd does the auto back up where it chooses the files etc - if I only need one of them. I can handle 150gb of space taken up.

Do I need both?

How are they different.

Cheers.

[The Floating World]

Ok, I think I'm on to a plan....

In windows backup it says windows WONT backup files that are in the recycle bin!

So I can just move the tv shows etc I don't need for my back up and sytem image (it says I need this as it can help restore my computer) into recycle bin, do the back up and image thing and then when it's done, eject the ext hdd and then just go to recycle bin and restore the files to the onboard hdd.

Right..?

[eamo]

I don't bother doing back-up's of anything except my photos and home movies......which I back-up to DVD-R because I think they're more reliable than an HDD.

Important documents go on my USB drive.

All these movies......are they movies you won't be able to get again? I do burn the occasional movie to DVD-r but very rarely nowadays. Really, in the last few years there hasn't been a single film that I haven't been able to download somewhere.

I wouldn't waste so much HDD space on a back-up for re-obtainable media.

Also, I don't even back-up my OS partition. Because I like to re-format and start with a new Windows installation periodically.......although this seems to be not so needed with Windows 7 because it doesn't seem to get clogged up and slow down the way XP installations used to.


So, my POV is only back-up what can't be replaced.

[The Floating World]

The movies - I am building a film library. So yes, they are very important to me.

Documents is a non issue seeing as my whole docs library only takes up 500mb.

But what if my onboard crashed - to restore my system and os etc - don't I need to back-up? I'm of the understandign that this or the system image thingy essentailly will restore everything.

I don't have a win7 disk as it's pirate from yongsan.

Could anyone address all 3 of my questions if they have time....?

[ttompatz]

Just copy (drag and drop) the stuff (files or complete directories) you want saved to the external HDD and don't sweat the rest.

.

[The Floating World]

[ttompatz]

[The Floating World]

No, I didn't get a mainboard recovery dvd.

How could a tech download onto my laptop in the event f hdd death, if there was no os to download through?

So if I do a full backup using w7 backup wizard will my os be backed up?

I got this infor from windows xp website on which files the backup wizard WILL NOT BACK UP...

�System files (the files that Windows needs to run)

�Program files

�Files stored on hard disks that are formatted using the FAT file system

�Web-based e-mail that is not stored on your hard disk

�Files that are in the Recycle Bin

�Temporary files

�User profile settings

I guess I should downlaod a new copy of w7 ultimate to dvd...? Or is there a way I can save my os to my ext hdd?

What about the drivers my hp machine uses etc...?

Man this is doin my head in, barely slept last night due to all the confusion.

What is the one simplest way to make sure my movies AND my os and system fiels are backed up? Scew the space issue, I just wan quick and easy, one click option...

cheers.

[The Floating World]

[The Floating World]

Well I did a full backup and system image.

All my docs were fine and opened, but it saved my movies in parts and they wouldn't play from the ext hdd.

So I deleted them from the backup and then just copied and pasted them into the ext hdd and they saved as whole files and play as normal!

From the backup I just kept

1. everything that wasn't a movie, prgrammes, windows files etc

2. and also the whole 125gb system image file.

Those should be enought to reboot windows and get my system working again if my onboard hdd dies?

[The Floating World]

All I need is the system image to get my laptop working fully functionally with my OS and settings etc if my onboard hdd crashes?

[Skippy]

Sounds like a good plan. Here is what I would consider doing. First partition your main drive to two drives. So instead of C:\ you will have C: and D:. There is free software that will do this and work around your system. You will just need some extra space. So clear off the library and repartition the drive.

C: will be smaller and will your system and software. I think 25 GB is fine. I think. Do not really know with Win 7

D: will be your document drive. Here you put all your movies, documents, other stuff. Basically all the non system related files.

What will happen is you will back up all the D: stuff to externals drives and/or DVD's. So when your HD starts grinding you will just need to copy and move over to your new drive/ computer. All done with a simple file explorer. Still check into specialty copy programs like TeraCopy. They help insure good copies happen.

In the end your movie library does not really need to be backed up with backup software. All you need is just bit buckets like said DVD-rs/External HD's.

The C: is a little trickier. What you want in the end is an image of the drive. The image is like a big copy of of the drive in one file. Like a CD or DVD image. You have seen those files called .iso or .nrg. Sort of like that. So if your C: drive /OS get so crazy. You can just install the backup image of the drive. Some problems will doing this. If it is another computer then the image would be useless. A new hd same computer might need you to prepare the new drive like the old. The image will also be just as the computer was when you made it. So if you installed new software or updates they will be gone. Of course you could just image regularly.

Here is a start. Read this Check out the other two parts.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/partitioning-hard-drives-1.htm