Computers!

October 21, 2017
I run 3 Lenovo laptops. All have the same dual boot setup so that I can swap hdd between them. Critical data usually goes to google drive which is auto synched, apart from when in Linux.

OS's are windows 10 and Linux Mint 18.2.

I still rely on partition imaging for OS partition backup.
It gets more complex every year though = GPT disk geometries and UEFI.

The imaging app should ideally be able to do the following:

1.
run in either windows or linux, AND from a bootable usb stick.

2.
access and image all OS and data partitions, when running from the other OS, or from a usb stick.

Linux Mint run from usb, does not auto mount paritions on the hdd.



3.
restore saved images to the original and non-original locations and hdd's.

4.
work with external usb hdd's.
Bootit Bare Metal has issues with this.

5.
complete an image when bad sectors are encountered. 


Tools I use are

- Mint 18.2 run off a usb stick. It comes with "Disk" which does imaging.

- I am yet to test Windows 10 imaging apps in Win10 for imaging the Linux partitions.

- I am yet to test Linux apps within Mint to image the Win10 partitions.



Bad Sector Issue Resolved: 

hdd developed bad reads (bad sectors) in linux mint 18.1 partition, and bkup partition had bad reads (sectors reported as ok).

Solution:

1. 
boot into other OS in a dual boot system, or live boot Mint 18.2 usb.
run Win10 disk check or Linux Mint 18.x gparted to scan and fix bad sectors.

2. 
use BootIt Bare Metal OR Gparted to resize/slide/ copy/paste partition to different physical location on hdd.
(sliding and resizing a linux mint 18.2 partition did not effect booting.)




Imaging partition to external usb hdd. 

BootIt Bare Metal from usb.
+ can boot off usb
+ slides, resizes, images, copies.
-  unreliable with usb hdds.
-  unable to scan and repair bad sectors before imaging.

Macrium Reflect (free) run from usb
+ boots off usb
+ no issues with usb external hdds.
+ images and copies.
+ can do scandisk and repair before imaging.
+ fast

Clonezilla
+ boots off usb.
+ images and copies.
+ doesn't slide or resize
+ recognizes usb hdds.

Gparted
- does not do images, only copies.
+ check disks and repairs.


However it is unreliable in working with external usb hdds.
USB booted Macrium Reflect (free) seems more reliable.
Clonezilla is slow and lots of steps and risk to make error.
Gparted does not do imaging, just partition copying.



__________________________________________________________

2014 -  original blog entry



Back in 1989, I learned my lesson well about the value of backing up data and operating system.
Recently, a friend had her computer rendered pretty much useless due to infection with trojan/virus whatever.

This prompted me to review my own XPP laptop strategy, and search for advancements in this area. Further, one of my main tools was becoming increasingly more redundant due to its limitations with externally connected usb drives, and discontinued upgrades.

What I do now :

1. XPP backup app is used to schedule data full and differential bkups from a separate data partition (D:) to a bkup specific partition (E:).

2. OS Protection from viruses and malware is accomplished with a return to stable state program called Reboot Restore Rx. This works by returning the computer to the state it was in when last booted, by making all disk writes and deletions in a user session temporary. This strategy is used widely by libraries, schools, internet cafes, and large corporations. With this strategy, one can get by without invasive resource hungry anti-virus or malware software.

3. HDD BACKUP is now performed with  Macrium Reflect. I will regularly image c: and d: partitions to an external usb hdd; and from time to time clone the whole drive to another hdd which is used in a 2nd identical notebook.

4. More and more, I am putting files I use most often onto google drive, just as much for the universal access as for the backup advantages. I am still a novice user, but find having a google drive on my home and business laptops, smart phone, and in the cloud, all synching, has real productivity advantages. However, every week I find some new limitation with google's functionality, whether spreadsheet function, file sizes that can be synched, etc.