Backing up EVERYTHING sure comes in handy

[Rokket]

So... I finally started doing system image backups. I never thought I'd have to use it, but...

I got a new laptop. It was on sale and it's an ASUS, but anyhow. It has a huge HDD, and a screaming nVidia video card.

I took everything off the old beast and was ready to install. I restored from backup all my music, all my folders in My Documents, all my pictures... everything EXCEPT my runtime(s). Why is that a big deal? Because I got ahead of myself and reset the old beast to factory default so I can give it to my son.

I panicked a bit. There were 4 runtime(s) with more than 12GB of stuff! I tried a few different tricks, but nothing worked. I didn't backup the runtime(s) when I backed everything else.

Enter System Restore From System Image. I am doing that now. Once it's restored, I'll copy my runtime(s) over and be done with it.

One sad thing: I am going to lose 3DS Max because I didn't keep the installation DVD. Oh well, I hardly used it anyhow. It was free to me, and my friend may still have it. I hope I see him again.

Bottom line of my mini rant: backup your stuff! You never know!

I am going to bring it out to get on WIFI tomorrow so I can download Poser and DAZ again. I will be up and running soon! I will also have to download a few other nice to have things, like Wings 3D and UVMapper Classic...

 

[Terre]

Disaster averted. Good.

 

[Rokket]

Not really.

It's not going as smooth as I expected. The steps involved in using an image file require a repair disc be made. I made one, however...

The CD/DVD drive on my laptop died a few years ago. I couldn't get it fixed, so I bought a USB CD/DVD drive. The computer keeps looking for the dead drive, and won't recognize the USB drive. I can't get it done because I don't know how to get it to recognize the recovery disc.

Anyone know how I can change the drive to the USB (now F drive)? I tired everything I could think of and nothing works. I entered the boot order, nothing. I went into the BIOS, nothing.

 

[Dylan]

Have you tried renaming the USB drive in Windows to the same letter as the dead one?

 

[seachnasaigh]

My guess is that the BIOS does not have a driver for the add-on optical drive.

Might work: Reformat a flash drive to NTFS, then copy your rescue disk to the flash drive. In that format, the flash drive will be a bootable drive. Obviously, the flash drive has to be at least as large as the rescue disc contents.

That's how I installed Win7Pro onto the hard drives of C1100 server blades, which have no optical disc drive. The r610 blades have an optical disc drive - ah, luxury.

Here's a web tut on how to reformat a flash drive into a bootable drive.

Might be less grief to replace the optical drive, if you can find a replacement. Most computer repair shops keep some dead laptops to cannibalize for parts, if you can't find a new replacement.

 

[Rokket]

Have you tried renaming the USB drive in Windows to the same letter as the dead one?

I can change the drive letter, but not the name of the drive.

 

[Rokket]

My guess is that the BIOS does not have a driver for the add-on optical drive.

Might work: Reformat a flash drive to NTFS, then copy your rescue disk to the flash drive. In that format, the flash drive will be a bootable drive. Obviously, the flash drive has to be at least as large as the rescue disc contents.

That's how I installed Win7Pro onto the hard drives of C1100 server blades, which have no optical disc drive. The r610 blades have an optical disc drive - ah, luxury.

Here's a web tut on how to reformat a flash drive into a bootable drive.

Might be less grief to replace the optical drive, if you can find a replacement. Most computer repair shops keep some dead laptops to cannibalize for parts, if you can't find a new replacement.

I will see how large my rescue disc file is and see if I have one that will work. Thanks cousin! Without internet I can't update the driver for the external drive either... This has been a pain in the neck for the last few days.

 

[Terre]

I hope that works.

 

[seachnasaigh]

For the old laptop to boot, it only has the drivers in BIOS to work from; it will likely not have a driver for an external optical drive connected via USB port, and you can't add that driver to BIOS (unless you're uber-geek).

But it will have a driver for the USB port, and if a flash drive is reformatted from FAT to NTFS, then it can boot from that flash drive.
Boot ~order~ isn't really important; BIOS will try every bootable device until it hits a live one.

When I boot the server blades, they first check each aethernet port (they have two) for a PiXiE boot command file (essentially a Start! command with a copy of the entire OS attached); finding nothing there, they look at the USB ports; nothing there either, so they then begin looking at the hard drives (four slots). I have a Win7Pro boot drive (a C: drive) in the 0 slot, so the blade sees that and boots to Win7Pro.

If the recuse disc is a CD (max capacity usually 700MB, occasionally 800MB), then a 1GB flash drive will do.
If the rescue disc is a DVD (max capacity about 9GB), then it might need a 4GB or 8GB flash drive. Even a full Windows 7 install will fit on an 8GB flash drive.

 

[Rokket]

It WORKED!!!!

I am backing up my runtimes as I type!!!

Thank you cousin! You saved my bacon once again!

I am happy now!

 

[eclark1894]

You know, I'm getting so much crap about backing up stuff, even from people that actually surprise me. Now I recognize that people don't like the CP download fee. I don't either, and hope they've done away with it. THAT SAID, I back up EVERYTHING. What if a store goes away, like YURDital or RDNA or you can't download your old stuff from Poserworld because you're not a member anymore. Funny how no one complains about that.

 

[seachnasaigh]

It WORKED!!!!

I am backing up my runtimes as I type!!!

Yay!

 

[Rokket]

Alright!

That was a pain in the buttocks, but it's done. We are out to sea AGAIN, so I have to wait until we get back to download and reinstall PP11. Then I will be back up and running. I forgot that I had a couple of renders that I didn't save. I am going to go through all my stuff with a fine tooth comb and get everything transferred to the new laptop.

 

[Rokket]

I also want to post a render of yet another version of my Supergirl suit. This one is pretty cool. I am learning the Superfly materials now, and am able to take advantage of its new processes.

 

[Miss B]

So Rokket, what type of laptop did you get? I'm seriously thinking of getting a new one, but haven't decided on what to get.

 

[Rokket]

I bought an ASUS that was on sale at the Navy Exchange. I was looking specifically for the nVidia graphics card and it was the only one in the limited supply they had that had it. It has Windows 10, and I can't go back to Windows 7 on this machine because the WIFI and other things are tied to the OS. There are no physical switches to turn it on and off. I am still looking for a work around for that. Hopefully I can find one. I am not a fan of the Windows 10 OS...

 

[Miss B]

I've heard ASUS was a good brand, but I also refuse to deal with Windows 10, and am actually thinking of switching to Linux. I've had enough of Microsoft to last another lifetime.

 

[Rokket]

ASUS has come up in status over the years. They were a very cheap alternative when they first came out, but now they are fairly competitive. I am happy with it so far, OS aside.

 

[Terre]

No physical switches? As a laptop it has a battery...... So if the owner pulls a stupid and falls for a scam and lets someone else into the computer that they shouldn't they can't interrupt the hack by turning it off by any means other than trying to use the software command. Which the hacker might try to stop. Not good.

 

[Rokket]

Yeah, it's a thing I am trying to overcome right now.