dells OWN system restore

Why would you want to do this? You can use Acronis without removing the all important system restore image.

Just making sure you realize what you are doing, and you do. There are hidden partitions that Acronis will see, but you cannot.

 

Here is what I do when I get a New Dell

 

1. Install Acronis and Image the entire Drive, usually 3 partitions, and save this if I ever want to sell the PC I can restore it to Like new condition. (I turn off system restore first, this will reduce the size of the image)

 

2. Do a Clean Install of my flavor of XP (deleting all partitions, then making a new C partition using all the available hard drive space), and all my favorite proggy's. If it is a Large Drive you can slice off lets say 40GB for the C partition and leave the rest for D partition, this way if you have to reinstall XP you will not have to move a bunch of data off C.

 

3. If you just want to eliminate the partitons, you can boot from the XP CD and run setup and then delete all but the C partition and reboot, then use partiton magic to merge the freespace back into C:

 

Clean install is the best way in my opinion

why?

 

because the dell image, doesnt include any of 'my software' and includes a TON of -ware, aol, tiscali, mcafee, plus about 20 other more other programs that i dont want.

 

if i deleted that, and created an acronis image, i will have it how i like, with all my software, whenever i restore.

Excuse the intrusion but I was curious as to where you back your image up with Acronis.

I have Norton Ghost and True Image but with a 40 gb h-drive I would need 15 cds or 5 dvd's. I tried the external h-drive but it would not restore(Western Digital 80 gb -they admitted it could not do the restore). I ask b/c my 40 gb is quite small comared with new pcs.

Also, I understand that in the backup and restoring you could lose everthing in the process. 

I back up to and restore from my external usb drive all the time

 

"in the backup and restoring you could lose everthing in the process"

 

I do not know where you are getting your information but it is all wrong, I have been using Acronis since version 6, no problems. You can even restore from an image on a network, USB is no problem for Acronis, unless you are using an older version that does not support your hard drive enclosure chipset.

Yes, my information is about eight years old when I had a feeble win 98 se H.P.

I was told in a forum that going from one hard drive to another can result in loss of everything -I'm glad it is not the case.

May I ask ,"What type of usb are you backing up to?"  I'm assuming it is an external hard drive with a usb connection to your machine. I'd be interested in knowing the make and model(# of gigs too). Thank you.

The hard drive makes no difference, it is the usb chipset inside the enclosure that does the translating, that does. I cannot remember which chipset it is, you cannot buy it any more, this stuff changes every time I go to buy an enclosure.

 

Just use the latest version of Acronis (10) any you will have no problems. Once you buy it you get free upgrades for that version, as they come out.

 

http://www.dealsonic.com/usb20enfor52.html           here is the last one I bought, I know its ugly but the reason I choose this type is because the power supply is built in, I hate power bricks. Also they are big enough for a cdrom, gives the HDD breathing room. Cheap too. Looks like they are discontinuing these, better hurry

 

http://www.dealsonic.com/3usb20en.html   Look at all the Plumax brand that are being discontinued.Probably coming out with a new design.

I'm only an average user so a few things sliiped thru the cracks in the floor. Ultimately, how many bytes are you backing up?

It was nice of you to send the referrals, thank you.

Thank you for the time and information.

Thank you for the time and information.

15gb to 150gb