Emergency System Backup - System is too big

[rmhodgson]

I have studied the documentation regarding creating a CD based Emergency System Backup - all seems reasonably clear.

But the Windows Diretory is too large to fit onto one CD as required - it amounts to just over 1 GB and compesses down to about 750 MB. I am wondering if there are any bits I can safely exclude - creating a separate backup for those to be restored as a second step after the main system restore. The biggest bits (over 50 MB) are as follows

FONTS 91 MB - could omit some but which are required for Windows to work OK

HELP 107 MB - can I run without HELP temporarily and restore that later

OPTIONS 260 MB ??

PROFILES 94 MB (Two users - may main data backup centres around here but coul I omit all of it for ESB

SYSTEM 229 MB

Any ideas or pointers would be appreciated

[Barry]

Hi

You may exclude the Application Data folders from each of the profile users, ‘My Documents’ if that is under profiles (Family login active?).

Having said that we lifted the single CD restriction in version 1.6, you must use AISBackup to set-up each CD but you may still use a third party CD mastering program is the internal CD Writer does not work on your system.

We have tested this with a 4 CD ‘Emergency System Backup’, but to be honest this is not what the Emergency System backup was really intended for.

Try and test the restore using a spare hard drive to familiarise yourself with the restore process.

Please let us know if this helps.

Barry

[rmhodgson]

Your reply has created some confusion I'm afraid.

Your website www.aiscl.co.uk/emergencyBU.htm states "With the current version of AISBackup the Emergecy System Backup must fit on one CD" this contradicts your reply

The same site also states "Unlike ordinary backups re-running ESBscripts refreshs the backup and does no add new file generations. Mine does seem to add new file generations in that if I rerun it selects only a handful of files rather than the 8,000 it first time round. I am running 1.6.3 under Windows ME on a Dell Expiron 5000e laptop. If I delete the hard disk target directory then re-run all works as expected. Is this a bug or am I missing something.

Going back to your reply ...

I have run an ESB script which creates an ESB folder on my hard disk - contents of this being greater that 1 CD.

If I want to create a bootable CD based on the Windows Start disk (with your bits added and smartdrv included) using Adaptec authoring software how do I split the ESB folder to allow me to create the required two rather than one CDs ?

Omitting the My Documents folders within the two profiles as previously suggested is a step in the right direction but is still not enough to achieve a single ESB bootbale CD with the whole of the windows directory included

Finally- testing the result - assuming I ever get there - is not that straightforward as I do not have a spare drive. I planned to follow "Checking the CD" as per www.aiscl.co.uk/BackupS2.htm.

I await your comments

[Barry]

Hi Roger

The web-based information was a little out of date. The help files with AISBackup are okay though.

I have updated the web-pages, if there is anything that is not clear please let me know.

Here is how to create am Emergency System Backup:

http://www.aiscl.co.uk/BackupS1.htm

Here is the page you referenced as contradictory:

http://www.aiscl.co.uk/emergencyBU.htm

Here is the procedure for copying to CD using the AISBackup integrated CD writer:

http://www.aiscl.co.uk/Backup-s2-a.htm

Here is the procedure for copying the backup to CD using a third party CD mastering application. The example uses Roxio Easy CD Creator:

http://www.aiscl.co.uk/BackupS2.htm


Barry