Data recovery
by
mdhealy
·
about 16 years, 5 months ago
In reply to Best system recovery method
Well, for data recovery I believe in combining multiple methods. I use Acronis True Image to make image backups — and also a recovery CD. In between full image backups I often backup critical files to a USB keydrive. In the past I’ve used various other backup tools.
For getting data off a system that won’t boot my preference is a Linux “LiveCD” such as Knoppix or Puppy Linux.
However, the MOST IMPORTANT thing to do is get actual PRACTICE using your recovery method BEFORE you need it. Here’s a simple way to do that which I’ve done a number of times:
1. Buy two disk drives: one internal drive and one external USB drive.
2. Make a full backup, by your preferred method, onto the external drive.
3. Take the internal drive out of the computer and put it in a safe place. If all goes well, that drive will never again spin.
4. Install the new internal drive in the computer.
5. Perform a full restore.
If, at the end of these steps, you have working system then you have TWO known-good full backups of your system — the old internal disk that you have replaced and the external disk onto which you did the full backup. You also have gained practice doing a full restore under non-emergency conditions.
If you run into difficulties during the restore, then you can put the old disk back into the computer and you have not lost anything — but you have learned that your backup method is NOT working properly and you had therefore better find a reliable method BEFORE you have problems!
As a bonus, unless the computer is very new the chances are the new disk you have just installed is faster and more capacious than the one it replaced, so you should get a performance improvement along with the data integrity protection.