backing up on vista

[bword]

question regrding backing up. I actually did a back up on a external HD and then ran a recovery console. After I got it back up and running with the recovery console. I went into the properties and I have 2 partitions I right clicked the C drive properties and clicked the backup button. I chose the advanced tab and selected my external HDD and when it asked me to chose folders or files, there was also check box to select everything. I chose to select everything. And once it was done I looked around on my laptop and noticed nothing was back .. no documents or programs that was installed prior to the recovery. Does it sound like I backed it up incorrectly?

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Did you check the external after backing up to see if there was a backup?

 

[bword]

When I went into the extern hdd I did see a huge file named backup the date on it. So I guess I did it right?

 

[bword]

When I went into the extern hdd I did see a huge file named backup the date on it. So I guess I did it right?

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Did you try to restore from the backup?

 

[bword]

I thought I was is there a different way then what I described?

 

[Tweak]

Sometimes problems arise when different versions are used for backup, if that is a factor here I do not know but just thought it worth mention.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

I thought I was is there a different way then what I described?

You described that you did a backup and mention nothing about trying to restore from the backup except you did something in recovery console, like you simply don't understand the concept. This is tech101 basics here. Its a three step process. You make a backup, load a system, then go back in and restore from the backup. Unless you are using an enterprise version of Vista that has built in imaging capabilities. In that case it is a two step process. Create image then restore image. I'm no Vista expert but I've backed up and restored more machines then I could ever count with OSX. OSX has about 4 or 5 different ways to do this. Some are fairly new, but imaging capabilities have built into OSX since its conception. In the Windows world these abilities have been around for a long time but only in third party utilities until Vista.

Here is a link to give you a picture of what I'm talking about.

 

[bword]

okay stupid question. If i used the backup utility properly would it give me the same results as say using a restore point? Where as everything is exactly the same as earlier, desktop backround and all that.

 

[Methical]

okay stupid question. If i used the backup utility properly would it give me the same results as say using a restore point? Where as everything is exactly the same as earlier, desktop backround and all that.

I think you should Google the difference between a System Restore point and a Backup