What program generates a backup image of a series of .INP files?

Nope, these .INP files are not from Abaqus.  I've done all the simple Google searches on this - trust me, this is not documented anywhere on the 'net!

We have figured it out after days of trial and error with various Dell software.  The Dell technician used a USB key which I believe is called a Dell Direct USB Key - it contains two flash disks inside, one which has Windows Home Premium and one which has a Dell application called Dell Recovery & Restore.

We had sent the technician away (in rage) when we found out he had deleted our data.  However we were able to get the USB disk back from him a few days later when we suspected we might need it.  I'm still unable to find a copy of the disk for download.  Dell Australia Support had no idea what the disk was and couldn't supply me with one.

When booted from this disk, it analyzes the system and offers to rebuild your system.  It will make a backup of all user data onto an external disk, which are in the format of a series of .INP files and two .XML files, include.xml and migr.xml.  If the host OS is Windows XP, it creates them in a different format, one of which is a .exe launcher and the others are a series of .DSB files.  Later in the program it will then wipe your built-in hard disk and reinstall Windows.  After which, it restores the data from your external hard disk using the .INP and .XML files.  When you then reboot the machine, all user data is retained rather seamlessly.  If it is restoring from Windows XP data, the .exe and .DSB files are copied into C:\Backup and these run on first login, restoring user data.

Unfortunately in our case, the Dell tech used this program, but afterwards realized that the license on the machine is for Windows 7 Professional.  He then used another USB disk with Windows 7 Professional to install but it doesn't do the same procedure with backing up data to an external disk, so the disk was wiped and data lost save for the residual .INP/.XML files on the external disk.  The tech was incompetent and reckless - he didn't know what he was doing.

We got the USB disk back from him a few days later and found that during the backup process, you can select an existing backup on your external hard disk.  It then installs Windows 7 Home Premium on the laptop and all the user profiles are restored as-is.  It took us several days to find this solution, but it works, given you have the magic USB disk and a spare laptop you don't mind wiping.

A few minor details on this if anyone else is stuck doing this process.  Sometimes the USB disk would boot and give an error "Unable to continue the booting process. Some informations are corrupted or missing!!"  This seemed to happen intermittently - just reboot and try again and it'll usually work.  We also had warnings that we were using this software on an unsupported product - but this wasn't an issue, we just hit Continue when prompted.

Altogether, a disastrous mess left for us by an incompetent Dell (subcontracted to Unisys) technician, resolved with lots of trial and error and a scratch laptop.  I haven't managed to properly make a duplicate of the Dell USB key since it's two separate disks - I think it may have some sort of copy protection on it.

Dell Backup and Recovery software which comes preinstalled on the Dell Inspiron and other computers (and can be downloaded) will backup your system with INP files.  There are two ways that it can back up your files.  If you use the Backup feature, it will save selected data as INP files.  This backup will not have the include.xml and migr.xml files that the original post of this thread mentions.  The Backup and Recovery software can Restore these files easily.

However, if you select the option to restore a previous image of your hard drive, the software will offer to back up your data first and then automatically restore it.  It will save the data as INP files and the include.xml and migr.xml files.  However, there are two major flaws in the software design (in my opinion) that can be a huge source of grief for customers, and is the reason for this thread.

1.  While the software will automatically backup and restore your files while restoring a previous image of your drive, it does not have the ability to see or restore the INP files it makes at any other time.  So, if you interrupt the process for any reason, or if your hard drive subsequently crashes, or if a Dell technician restores your drive to factory settings, Dell Backup and Recovery will not be able to load and restore your data from the INP files that it had previously created. 

Luckily, there is another software program, called the Migration Restore Utility that can be used to recover data from these INP files.  This fact is not recorded in the help notes of Dell Backup and Recovery.  I only found out about it after 2 hours on the phone with Dell tech support.  This software will recover your data to a separate Windows backup folder.  You will then have to move the files you want into your normal windows folders - but at least your data isn't lost.

http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/19/KCS/KcsArticles/ArticleView?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&docid=539013

2.  A second flaw in the Dell Backup and Recovery software design can still cause you to lose your data however.  The software doesn't save by directory, such as the MyDocuments directory.  Instead it saves by file extension, such as music or movie files.  Therefore, when I restored my drive to a previous image, it automatically backed up my data (or so I thought), and then restored my files.  I had placed all my important files in the MyDocuments folder so they would always be backed up.  During the automatic backup however, the software will NOT save any files with extensions it is not looking for.  So it did not save any of my programming files.  If you use your computer primarily for Word and Excel you should be ok.  If you use your computer for programming, creating animations, audio or art, it may not back up your files - even if they are stored in your MyDocument directory.  This cost me a LOT of work.  Had I known, I would not have lost my data.

The details of my experience may be helpful to Dell or those trying to restore INP files:

After purchasing my Dell Inspiron, the computer prompted me to make Recovery Media disks, which I did.  Later the computer suffered a problem that prevented it from booting to Windows.  It could only access the bios.  So I booted from the Recovery Media Disk and it gave me the option to back up my data and restore the drive to a prior image.  This saved my data as INP files with the include.xml and migr.xml.  When this didn't fix the problem I called Dell and they had me mail the computer to a repair center.  They replaced the motherboard and a windows hardware key and reimaged the drive - wiping it clean in the process.

I spent two weeks trying to find a way to restore the INP files, including 2 hours with Dell on the phone.  Afterward, I was able to restore the data with the Migration Restore Utility only to find that the Backup and Recovery software had saved my music and movies, but none of my programming files - which is what I needed most.  So Dell's Backup and Restore software had given me a false sense of security in thinking it was backing up my files, when it really was deleting them. 

To Dell I would have two requests. 

- Add notes to the Dell Backup and Recovery help file that explains that the software can't restore its automatically backed up files and tell the user about the Migration Utility.

- Automatic backups should always backup the contents of the MyDocument folder, regardless of file type.  Perhaps have the software ask the user what file types they want to backup or what directories they want backed up.