> Now I find it easier to restore a minimal verion ow Windows from a > Linux-made > backup rather than reinstall after a major Windows-doesn't-boot-anymore > grade disaster. (happens every few months). Everyone using this system > has been warned to avoid putting any essential data on the C: partition. > Not that that's entirely avoidable.
I use Novastor's "Instant Recovery" to back up my Gatesware system to CD-ROM. Guess what it does... (you're gonna love this): it shuts down Windows, boots a very minimal Linux system off the Instant Recovery CD-ROM, and then writes the entire contents of your Windoze disk partition (whatever one you choose) to CD-ROMs. That way you can restore the exact disk image, including the infernal "Registry" and whatever other fragile and unpredictable "system states" (which you can't do from a running Windoze system, of curse). I capture a new image of the C: partition that way every so often, so I'll have a system in a reasonably current state of installation to fall back on if I get a complete crash. (As an interesting side-note, Novastor had this Linux-based backup system talking to my CD writer *long* before they were able to get their regular Windows-based backup system to talk to it... took them almost another year to get the Windows drivers to work). BUt... > My conclusion? I consider Linux an essential maintenance tool > if you are going to run Windows. you've got a really interesting point... my Windoze drives are mounted as VFAT partitions and visible from within my Linux system, so I should be able to dispense with "Insatant Recovery" and just run tape backups on the VFAT partitions. Hmmm... Actually... I could just mirror the VFAT partitions somewhere onto my Linux drive... then I could just *copy* the stuff back over to the Windoze drive if it goes T.U. (Thanks... I think I'll get right on that.) My intention, ultimately, is to entrap the Gatesware within VMware under Linux, anyway... but I'm wondering if installation of new Windoze apps from within a VMware workspace will work or if I'll have to actually boot on the Gatesware drive to do that. I guess I'll find out - -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]