Make bootable dvd..

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For Win 7. I would like to make a bootable dvd backup of the OS and Programs Only…..not data. I did a backup using the Win 7 facilities and ended up with 16 dvds. Backing up data is no big deal. What I want is a way to reinstall the system and other software programs should I have a failure in the system that I can’t readily fix…..but I don’t want the bulk of all the data included.

It would be helpful if the software to do this worked on xp, vista also.

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Hello Kenneth and welcome to the Lounge!

To do selective backups of the sort you want to do, the OS and Programs only, you will need to use a full featured imaging and backup program such as Acronis True Image or Macrium Reflect Pro. Macrium has a free edition, but is limited to doing whole partition backups – OS, program files, and everything else in the partition.

Have you considered purchasing an external USB drive to do your imaging on? It is much faster and you can store multiple images on one. It is also good to backup to DVDs like you stated. You can never have too many backup media involved. It is a good safeguard to ensure your ability to restore your backup when the time comes.

I encourage you to check out the many threads in the Security & Backups Forum concerning image backups. The tutorials are very helpful.

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For Win 7. I would like to make a bootable dvd backup of the OS and Programs Only…..not data.

Kenneth,
Hello… How do you have your “Data” and “OS” configured now ? Is it all on one partition ? separate internal external hard drive ? Depending on how you are doing things, will effect the backup strategy . As far as the “DVD” thing, in my experience your wasting your time and energy… much better served with other methods. Regards Fred

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I second the external USB drive and backup software option. The backup software will create a boot disk to allow you to recover the OS / data from the USB drive.

cheers, Paul

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Imaging!!!! I happen to use Acronis True Image 2011 and Acronis True Image 2010 (wife’s PC). Gerald mentions 2 of the most talked about here, but there are others, GParted, Ghost, etc. Just pick one and Image. I also am a very firm believer in reimaging as changes take place on your PC. Keeping your Image up to date makes for a very easy restoration when disaster strikes, or like me, I screw something up when “playing: with my OS.

I do use a 1 TB USB Ext HD for my images. I have over a dozen Images stored for 3 different PC’s and have only used about a third of the available space. If I have an older Image I will never consider reusing, I delete it.

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Ted, me still.

You mentioned Gparted as a backup/clone app. I have Gparted but never, yet !, saw that option in it. Light my candle.

Be good……..Jean.

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Ted, me still.

You mentioned Gparted as a backup/clone app. I have Gparted but never, yet !, saw that option in it. Light my candle.

Be good……..Jean.

I may have mis-spoken I used Gparted and another app called Clonezilla when I was experimenting with Linux. GParted was the partitioning app and Clonezilla was the imaging app. Sorry for the confusion. Just sad to see another year slip past. They seem to be getting shorter all the time.

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Ted, do not be that way.

>>> Sorry for the confusion. Just sad to see another year slip past. They seem to be getting shorter all the time.

All right on the confusion, I was for a while.
It is not the years getting shorter that worry me, it is my legs getting longer and making it tougher to lace my shoes.

I have used Gparted a lot and could not remember seeing that option. Two days ago, I was playing with a bad HD, it would not run properly in my daughter’s server. I replaced it and kept it to play with. SATA ! It was installed in my Acer and I used the initial DVDs that were made whenI got the Acer, it loaded Vista. On rebooting, it gave an urgent warning to backup the data as the S.M.A.R.T was bad. I got to BIOS and disabled SMART, it then ran good except for some warning from MIcrosoft, but ran fine, That is the one that would not accept a clone. Knowing that it was iffy, I did not use it very long in spite of the no-problemo. Gparted could not save its skin, I drilled a 1/8″ hole in the device and it is now garbage. There comes a time when there is no use trying, it had run 24/7 for 4.5 years in that server.

Only a FWIW………Jean.

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