I started taking about apps you can't do without and 'best practices'. One of the things I forgot to mention, as part of best practices, is that everyone should get into the habit of creating restore points after any major event, usually the installation of an application, driver, patch or update. I got into this habit with Windows XP and I've extended it into Vista.
Windows allows you to create 'restore points' which are basically 'images' or 'snapshots' of your computer's configuration at certain points in time. Windows ordinarily creates these points automatically, although I usually do it manually.
If a problem should occur in your system after the installation of an app, you can always go back to the point before the installation to restore your computer to the most recent working state. However, this is not a foolproof method since some security products like Kaspersky and Norton prevent the proper functioning of this tool. These products have a Self-Defense mode activated by default that interferes with the system restore tool. Read it here.
Nonetheless, in Windows (XP and Vista), go to Start Menu-All Programs-Accessories-System Tools-System Restore. You'll then be presented with an intuitive, self-explanatory dialog box that will allows you to restore your system or create and label your restore points. Now you can go back in time, as it were, to the last known working state. In theory, the Restore System function does not affect any stored files such as documents, music or videos. It only deals with applications, drivers, registries and libraries. However, just to be safe, store your personal files on a separate disk partition as mentioned previously in this blog. Read the full process as explained by a Windows expert. Pay careful attention to the sections that deal with Device Drivers and Compatibility Issues.
This expert, Joli Ballew, also recommends using the Restore System function as a last resort. Usually, a malfunction can easily be fixed by a system reboot. If that doesn't work, the other option is to press the 'F8' key when you boot your system. This brings up a DOS menu with several options. Use the arrow keys to highlight 'Last known good configuration' and press 'Enter'. This method usually works well most of the time.
If you have any experience with Windows, then chances are you've used some or all of these techniques in the past. On a difficulty scale of 1 to 10, I give this process a rating of 3-4 for anyone with average computer skills: more than a beginner but less than an expert and able to locate and use basic system tools such as changing the desktop themes, the disk defragmenter, or the most common word formatting funtions.
The second to the worst case scenario is that the operating system may need to be repaired, NOT reinstalled. This requires the original Windows OS installation disk. There are several forum sites that discuss the procedure which is too lengthy to describe here. However, this one is well illustrated and quite easy to follow and understand.
The worst case scenario is a complete system reinstall, something we want to avoid at all cost because you lose everyting. The plus side is you start with a totally clean system.
As mentioned earlier, the Restore System function may cause errors due to antivirus programs. Because of this, I have since decided to deploy a different solution.
Acronis True Image Home 2009
Because of my line of work, I'm always installing and uninstalling software products to try out. This causes great havoc with the registry entries and library files. Often, I'm left with orphaned entries that affect my computer's performance.
So, instead of having to depend on Windows to get me out of a fix, I chose to go with Acronis True Image Home 2009 for my new laptop. Acronis is a company that specializes in disk management, backups and disaster recovery both at the consumer and enterprise level.
ATIHome 2009, like Windows' Restore Point function, creates an image of your entire system. But that's where the similarity ends. Acronis, as opposed to Windows, is a comprehensive solution offering a wide array of options and a high degree of of granularity.
The main dashboard layout presents the user with 4 four backup tasks and chores (Backup, Manage and Restore, Task Management and Try and Decide) and 6 disk management utilities (System Information, Protection Tools, One-Click Protection, Clean Utilities, Search and Help).
Below, I outline the procedure I followed.
1. System Information
The first step is to go to System Information and get a visual of your disk partitions and their current state. The top part of the interface lists the first 3 tasks that have to be carried out to get started: System Volume Backup, Acronis Bootable Media and Acronis Startup Recovery Manager. These three tasks will have a red 'Not Initiated' tag right next to each one. To start the individual tasks, simply click on each one.
The most important of the 3 tasks is the System Volume Backup which creates a FULL backup of your system including application configuration and settings. You will be asked to save your backup file (.tib) in your choice of folder and partition.
The Acronis Bootable Media is not necessary if you've already created the Windows Recovery Disks. Otherwise, create a bootable DVD/CD.
The Startup Recovery Manager allows you to boot and recover your computer in case of system failure.
To be on the safe side, I executed all three.
Below these three tasks, Acronis presents a visual of the status of your disk. Right below, the user can create Aconis Secure Zone (ASZ). ASZ os a hidden, unaccessible partition that Acronis creates (if you so choose) to store your different backup files. When you create ASZ, the program will automatically determine the amount of disk space needed. In any case, you are allowed to manage (increase, decrease, remove) this disk partition via the Protection Tools feature of the program found on the main screen.
2. Schedule backup tasks
Once the System Volume Backup has been created, you can now set up the frequency of your backups (manually, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) via the Task Management utility on the main screen.
The nice thing about Acronis is that it is intuitive and easy to navigate. Task Management presents you with a three month calendar and 3 tabs: Scheduled Tasks (planned backup schedules), Unscheduled Tasks (backups performed manually) and Log (a register of the backup actions taken). Clicking on any of these tabs changes the contextual menu on the title bar (top of screen).
Click on the Scheduled Tasks tab and select the 'Create Backup Task' icon on the title bar. You will then be presented with several options: My Computer, My Data, System State, My Email, and My Application Settings. Below each is an explanation of the kind of backup that will be created. Ordinarily, choose My Computer which creates an image of the entire disk, and thus, is the most comprehensive of the options.
The utility then takes you through a process to specify the destination disk of the backup file (this is where you can designate ASZ to store backups), the frequency (dates and times) of backups, and the type of backups (full, incremental or differential).
In my case, I configured Acronis to perform an incremental backup every Monday morning at 2:00 am,and to store the consolidated file in the ASZ partition. By default, Acronis chooses the Incremental Backup method, provided you've created the Full Backup mentioned above. Whether you choose Incremental or Differential, you will need the Full backup to proceed.
So what's the difference betwen Incremental and Differential?
Incremental backups record only the changes made to the system since the last incremental backup, which in turn is based on the first full backup. In other words, if we were to number the logical sequence of the backups, it would look something like this:
- 1st full backup: filename.tib(1)
- 1st incremental backup: filename.tib(1)1
- 2nd incremental backup: filename.tib(1)1.2
- 3rd incremental backup: filename.tib(1)1.2.3 and so on...
As you can see, each succeeding backup is based on the previous one. Incremental require less space since they only record the latest changes. However, to restore from an incremental backup file, it is absolutely necessary to have ALL previous incremental backups and the original full backup, since the backups are all interdependent.
Differential backups, on the other hand, only record the changes made to the Full backup. It requires less space than a full backup but more space than an incremental backup. Differentail backups are almost as reliable as full backups since the backups are not dependent on each other but only the original full backup. The logical numbering sequence would look something like this:
- 1st full backup: filename.tib(1)
- 1st differntial backup: filename.tib(1)1
- 2nd differential backup: filename.tib(1)2
- 3rd differential backup: filename.tib(1)3 and so on...
As you can see, each backup is based on the original full backup and not the preceeding differential backups. To restore from a differential backup, you only need the latest differential backup and the original full backup.
SUMMARY:
- Partition your hard disk to safeguard personal files.
- Secure your system with a comprehensive security solution.
- Create 'Restore Points' after the installation of any application, driver, update, plug-in, patch or Internet download.
- If you require a more comprehensive backup solution, choose an application that creates volume images rather than one that simply creates copies of files and folders.
- Employ a 'best practices' approach to your computing and surfing habits.
Next: Acronis Try and Decide function
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