No, my only RAID is external. The power supply problem is one reason I keep a weekly completely offline.
Your experience reinforces my belief that these systems are too complex to mess with when it comes to simply getting up and running. No RAID, no third-party boot loaders, just a simple MBR that is going to get me into the system partition. Let me play around and see what I can find out about the rest. I am considering breaking my RAID and running it as two independent drives. I would then think about putting a Secure Zone on one and using the other for a secondary backup location. The reason is that, once in a while, TI seems to have some problem cleanly or completely disconnecting from the RAID setup. There is nothing wrong with those drives at all, and the only time any error ever shows up in the logs is after TI has accessed the externals. So I am thinking about making that much of a change. Yuki Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 10:49:21 AM, you wrote: JB> No, I meant restore an image file (from a WinXP pro system JB> on a raid partition) back onto the same raid partition. JB> Is your C: partition on a RAID1 drive? Or is it only your JB> external USB HD? JB> My computer HD system is organized as one small (75GB) and JB> fast (10krpm) RAID1 system drive, and one larger (500GB) JB> RAID1 drive for files, and backups. I also have an external JB> eSATA/USB single (not RAID) 500GB HD for a global secondary JB> backup location of all my computers. This external HD is JB> only switched on when I do a backup. Otherwise I physically JB> switch it off. (I have a friend who lost all his RAID5 JB> system and drives when his power supply failed an fried the JB> computer). So, maybe your "Auto" setting has some use after JB> all. JB> I prefer to create an initial clean system install with a JB> few applications as possible except for firewall/AV and JB> updates, customized menus, folder locations themes etc. I JB> back up this initial installation and keep it always. JB> I did not change anything in the system. I had WinXP pro SP2 JB> installed on RAID1, and backed up regularly. Then a few JB> months ago I tried to install SP3 and everything fell apart. JB> I could not restore back the images I had of SP2, and spent JB> 2 weeks trying to figure out where the problem came from JB> (replacing everything from motherboard, memory and HD). Not JB> much fun!. After restoring the image the system would not JB> boot. I found out by coincidence that if I disable the RAID1 JB> in the BIOS my system would boot ok. The only solution was JB> to start from scratch. JB> Ever since than I am leery about my backups. JB> I downloaded the demo version of the server version of IT. JB> what I find disturbing is I can figure out how to specify JB> the destination of the backup unless I use the "secure zone" JB> partition (which I would like to avoid) and I can't figure JB> out how to specify a secondary backup location if it is on a JB> partition other that C: (I only can select a folder not a JB> drive). JB> If you have any info on these 2 items and it is possible, JB> your inputs will save me some time... JB> -- JB> Joseph Biran JB> ____________________________________________ JB> -----Original Message----- JB> From: [email protected] JB> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Yuki Taga JB> Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 12:18 AM JB> To: J. Biran JB> Subject: Re: [amibroker] [OT] Acronis True Image and system JB> backup [was Re: Re: Curing AmiBroker slowdowns with a system JB> restore] JB> I have successfully restored systems from the RAID1 drives, JB> yes. JB> (You said "restore onto" but I think you meant "restore JB> from", yes?) JB> In fact, after many, many years (I think since 2002), I JB> finally JB> decided to do a clean install of XP. (Photoshop CS4 would JB> *not* JB> install, because of some legacy Adobe and Macromedia stuff, JB> and even JB> their tech support finally threw up their hands and JB> suggested I JB> reinstall the OS.) JB> The first thing I did was to clean install XP to a virtual JB> machine, JB> making sure it was fully updated, fire-walled and JB> anti-virused. Then JB> I installed some key apps, including Photoshop and AB. JB> There were JB> absolutely no problems. When I had all my myriad custom JB> settings JB> matched in both the real and virtual systems, I backed up JB> the virtual JB> machine to the USB RAID setup, and with a full system backup JB> there, JB> too, (just in case) I attempted to use Universal Restore to JB> restore JB> the VM XP system partition to my real system partition. JB> Absolutely no problems whatsoever. (It's been about 3 weeks JB> now, and JB> I haven't yet nuked the old system backup, but I'm getting JB> ready to.) JB> If your backup destination is a network drive, I suspect you JB> would JB> have to have the server version of the software, but I am JB> not JB> positive about that. Maybe not; maybe just the workstation JB> version, JB> but I doubt that the home version of Acronis will do it. JB> There is at least one other thing I know that you might need JB> to JB> consider: The two versions of XP (Home and Pro) are not JB> equal. It is JB> impossible, for example, to install the TI Agent on Home JB> versions. JB> So you may have some trouble doing what you want JB> network-wise if you JB> have the Home version of XP. You can find a lot of JB> information about JB> this stuff at the Acronis site. JB> I'm surprised you could even try a restore once you changed JB> the RAID JB> configuration. Usually, changing RAID configurations wipes JB> all the JB> drives. But maybe I did not understand what you did. JB> The newest USB RAID setups can be configured to run either JB> on 'Auto' JB> or 'Manual'. And I don't even know why anyone would JB> consider 'Auto'. JB> The auto setting (it's a toggle switch on back of the unit JB> with mine) JB> means that the unit is powered up *ONLY* when it is getting JB> a USB JB> signal from the OS. Yes, this means that when you remove JB> the device JB> with Windows safe removal option, the OS stops sending a USB JB> signal JB> there, so the device powers off automatically, even though JB> the power JB> switch is in the ON position. I find this really odd. You JB> have to JB> switch OFF, then back ON to power up the unit again, or JB> reboot. JB> But booting with the setup on auto is an odd experience. JB> Apparently JB> the OS (or the BIOS, or something during boot) sends, then JB> stops JB> sending, then finally again sends a USB signal. So the JB> device will JB> shutoff, then come on, then shutoff again, then once again JB> power on. JB> Very disconcerting to me. JB> More importantly, it seems to bother the Acronis recovery JB> program run JB> from a boot CD. If you leave the unit on auto, for some JB> reason JB> Acronis does not seem to see it until you power off and then JB> power on JB> again, being sure to power on while the "Loading Acronis" JB> message is JB> displayed on the screen. But in manual (drive always on JB> unless you JB> flip the power switch), it's apparently seen immediately by JB> the JB> Acronis program when it loads from boot. The problem seems JB> to be JB> that after initially getting a USB signal at some point JB> during the JB> boot (power to the unit then goes ON), the signal then is JB> cut when JB> the bootable CD is detected, which cuts the power to the USB JB> unit JB> just when you want the now-loading recovery program to JB> detect it. No JB> thanks; I don't want to play around like that. At first, I JB> thought JB> the recovery program was never going to be able to read that JB> RAID JB> setup, and that I had a real problem. But I finally figured JB> it all JB> out with a little trial and error, and the manual from the JB> RAID gear JB> explaining Auto and Manual. Default was Auto. As I say, no JB> thanks. JB> I just think I'd rather turn the drive off myself when I JB> want it off JB> -- one can configure these drives with either cache enabled JB> (*potentially* better performance, but the possibility of JB> data loss JB> if you do a hot unplug) or disabled (I think my performance JB> is the JB> same because when my system is writing to that setup I have JB> nothing JB> else going on, so there is not really any need for the JB> system to JB> cache anything anyway), which allows you to unplug the drive JB> without JB> any warning or preparation, assuming you are not going to JB> unplug it JB> in the middle of a backup operation, of course. ^_^ JB> I've heard horror stories about Ghost, but some people swear JB> by it of JB> course. Since they insist on .NET now, I have no need to JB> even review JB> the product. JB> Yuki JB> Sunday, January 4, 2009, 4:00:35 PM, you wrote: JB> JB> Yuki, JB> JB> Did you have the opportunity to actually use Acronis JB> True JB> JB> Image to restore your complete system (bare metal JB> restore) JB> JB> onto the raid1 drive you use? JB> JB> The reason for my question is that I was using Norton JB> Ghost JB> JB> and felt secure until I needed to restore my system from JB> an JB> JB> image I created (from a raid1 HD). It failed to restore JB> to JB> JB> the same raid1 drive but if I disabled the raid JB> everything JB> JB> functioned ok. I had to start reinstalling windows from JB> JB> scratch in order to keep my raid configuration ;( JB> JB> Also, does Acronis True Image work with a backup JB> destination JB> JB> that is a network drive? (this would apply to a backup JB> of a JB> JB> laptop). JB> JB> -- JB> JB> Joseph Biran JB> JB> ____________________________________________ JB> JB> -----Original Message----- JB> JB> From: [email protected] On Behalf Of Yuki Taga JB> JB> Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2009 4:04 PM JB> JB> To: Lester Vanhoff JB> JB> Subject: Acronis True Image Re: [amibroker] Re: Re: JB> Curing JB> JB> AmiBroker slowdowns with a system restore JB> JB> Lester, on what do you base your claim that USB drives JB> are JB> JB> any less reliable than others? I've got a Buffalo twin JB> 1-TB JB> JB> in a RAID1 configuration, and I've never had a hint of JB> any JB> JB> problem. And a six-year-old Buffalo 120 GB USB is still JB> in JB> JB> perfect operating condition, other than the fact that I JB> JB> cannot use it for an entire system backup anymore, JB> because JB> JB> of the size. (Thank you, 15 megabyte RAW files.) JB> JB> Also, a tip for something I *finally* solved in JB> conjunction JB> JB> with Acronis and my backup configuration. For a long JB> time JB> JB> with this RAID setup, I was getting ftdisk or disk JB> errors in JB> JB> the System log, for about 1 to 2 hours after a nightly JB> JB> backup was completed. Then the errors would stop (about JB> 5 JB> JB> am in the morning). I could not solve it until I JB> finally JB> JB> looked at each and every item in Tools > Options > JB> Default JB> JB> Backup Options > Additional Settings. Unchecked by JB> default, JB> JB> is a line item: "Dismount media after backup is JB> finished". JB> JB> I checked that, and from that moment on I never had JB> another JB> JB> ftdisk or disk error in the System log. I should add JB> here JB> JB> that the errors did not mean anything -- the data was JB> fine. JB> JB> Oddly enough, as far as Windows is concerned, the USB JB> drives JB> JB> are still mounted in the morning. So the "dismount" JB> must be JB> JB> Acronis from the drives, rather than the drives from JB> JB> Windows. But I think Acronis ought to fix this so that JB> it JB> JB> doesn't spit out dozens upon dozens of yellow triangles JB> in JB> JB> the log. (Why the default would be not to dismount JB> prior to JB> JB> program close, I cannot imagine.) They could overhaul JB> that JB> JB> interface, too. The sub windows (such as the one you JB> get to JB> JB> above) are much too small and don't stay sized, and JB> resizing JB> JB> them has an clunky feel about it. When I "drill down", JB> I JB> JB> like to see where I've been, as well as where I am and JB> where JB> JB> I'm going. ^_^ JB> JB> Excellent program however. I've accomplished numerous JB> JB> restores and never had a bit or a byte out of place to JB> my JB> JB> knowledge. That's what we pay for: peace of mind. JB> JB> I'll add that in your "the way it works" explanation, JB> maybe JB> JB> you forgot to say that one has a choice, too, of either JB> JB> restoring entire partitions, or just restoring files or JB> JB> folders. And in the later case it's sometimes just as JB> easy, JB> JB> or even easier, to simply mount the image and do a JB> manual JB> JB> copy across, than to sort through all the dialog options JB> for JB> JB> a restore. JB> JB> BTW, I've always had an uneasy feeling about the Secure JB> Zone JB> JB> feature of Acronis. To me, that just adds one more JB> layer of JB> JB> complexity between a restore and the data. (If, for any JB> JB> reason, TI cannot solve the Secure Zone -- that it JB> exists on JB> JB> the drive -- then I cannot see how it can possibly JB> restore JB> JB> the data that resides there, nor can I see how one could JB> use JB> JB> the OS to make that data visible to the JB> JB> program.) So I never used it and still don't. But TI JB> has JB> JB> never failed to restore (never had an unreadable JB> backup), so JB> JB> I have no particular reason to think it might fail to JB> JB> decipher the Secure Zone. JB> JB> I just like to keep things as simple as possible. JB> JB> Finally, I never bother to verify my images after JB> writing JB> JB> them anymore. First, I've never had an image that did JB> not JB> JB> verify, and second, according to posters on Acronis JB> forums, JB> JB> a verified image still is no guarantee that the image JB> can be JB> JB> restored or mounted. So I don't bother with verifying JB> now. JB> JB> (The verify process only verifies that *all* data on the JB> JB> image can be read; it does *not* compare data on the JB> image JB> JB> with source data.) JB> JB> Yuki JB> JB> Sunday, January 4, 2009, 6:24:26 AM, you wrote: >>>> I can take a product like this and save my complete hard JB> JB> drive on say >>>> a usb hard drive and it will automaticly backup the JB> JB> complete hard >>>> drive when ever I want it to do it. JB> JB> LV> 1) The backup can be stored on your disk, in the JB> secure JB> JB> partition JB> JB> LV> which is not visible to Windows XP / Vista. On the JB> JB> screenshot below JB> JB> LV> it is shown as "Logical Disk - Unknown (BC) and has JB> no JB> JB> drive letter: JB> JB> LV> JB> JB> JB> http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/7749/01032009160435kv5.pn JB> JB> g JB> JB> LV> 2) Another method is to store the backup on an JB> external JB> JB> hard drive. JB> JB> LV> USB drive is not a good idea because they are not JB> very JB> JB> reliable. >>>> Then if I have hard drive problems, I can put the copy JB> JB> that is on the >>>> [external] hard drive on my machine hard drive and it JB> JB> will be just >>>> like it was, with all programs and files the same as the JB> JB> last backup? JB> JB> LV> That's right. The backup copy has it's own mini-OS JB> (it JB> JB> doesn't need JB> JB> LV> Windows). You boot into the external drive (or into JB> the JB> JB> secure JB> JB> LV> partition) and follow the prompts. JB> JB> LV> My Windows XP takes about 8 GB of disk space and JB> JB> restoring all this JB> JB> LV> from Acronis secure partition takes about 4 minutes. >>>> This type of software is something everyone should have. JB> JB> LV> Absolutely correct. >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: Lester Vanhoff >>>> >>>> Microsoft's System Restore is very unreliable. It's JB> JB> just dumb luck >>>> that it worked for you. Consider getting a disk JB> imaging JB> JB> application >>>> and do the disk image backup every day. One of the JB> best JB> JB> programs is >>>> Acronis True Image, I've been using it for years. The JB> JB> way it works, >>>> when you get into a problem, it wipes out (formats) JB> the JB> JB> whole disk >>>> (or selected partitions), including your operating JB> JB> system, and then >>>> restores everything from the backup image. >>>> >>>> JB> JB> http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/ JB> JB> ------------------------------------ JB> **** IMPORTANT **** JB> This group is for the discussion between users only. JB> This is *NOT* technical support channel. JB> ********************* JB> TO GET TECHNICAL SUPPORT from AmiBroker please send an JB> e-mail directly to JB> SUPPORT {at} amibroker.com JB> ********************* JB> For NEW RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENTS and other news always check JB> DEVLOG: JB> http://www.amibroker.com/devlog/ JB> For other support material please check also: JB> http://www.amibroker.com/support.html JB> ********************************* JB> Yahoo! Groups Links
