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8:23 am
January 9, 2012
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Ted
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Gary Baker, Ed Rudel and/or Foster Braun,
I am Ted from Canton, who was on the air with you guys last Saturday. After my call, you suggested that I post additional info about my Windows Backup/Restore problem to the Forum – so you could give me more specific advice. Here's a more detailed description of my problem. Please help. Thanks!
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Early last December, the graphics card in my 3 year old HP HDX16t laptop PC stopped working. The PC was still under warranty, so HP told me to send it to them for repair. The operating system on the PC was Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit and it had a 250GB hard drive.
HP couldn't repair the PC so the HP rep offered to give me a new HP Pavillion dv7t notebook PC. After negotiation, I accepted the offer. The new PC has the Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit operating system and has a 750GB hard drive.
The HP rep promised to send me the hard drive from my old PC, but HP discarded the hard drive. Fortunately, most of my data files and some settings files were backed up online through Carbonite – about 21,000 files totaling about 50GB. But Carbonite doesn't backup video files and some other large files.
Though I wasn't aware that I could backup individual data files using Windows Backup, I did perform a "Windows Image Backup" of my old PC to an external hard drive a few weeks before the old PC died. That backup is supposedly an image of the entire hard drive of the old PC – that includes all software, settings, data (C: drive) and the recovery drive (D: drive). The backup created a "WindowsImageBackup" folder on the external hard drive includes 2 folders: "Backup 2011-10-29 154804" folder and "Catalog" folder.
This "Backup 2011-10-29 154804" folder contains:
- a "Virtual Machine Hard Drive Image" file, about 160GB size, named "d506cc56-c681-11dd-ba55-806e6f6e6963", and
- a second "Virtual Machine Hard Drive Image" file, about 10GB size, named "d506cc57-c681-11dd-ba55-806e6f6e6963", and
- 10 XML files: the first nine files are between 2KB and 13KB size each - the tenth file is about 3.5MB size.
The "Catalog" folder contains two files:
- "BackupGlobalCatalog " (7KB size)
- "GlobalCatalog" (8KB size).
I need to get the data files (videos, old photos, perhaps old emails), that are in this Windows Image Backup residing on the external hard drive, into my new PC. I thought of trying to restore the whole 170GB+ backup, from the external hard drive to a third PC (which I don't have) that has at least the same size hard drive as my old PC, by using a Vista system recovery CD and Vista Restore. Then I could copy files from the third PC to my new PC via a thumb drive or an external hard drive.
On the air, you suggested that I restore the Windows Image Backup to a new external hard drive – and then copy the files I need to my new PC. But I don't understand the process of restoring from my existing external hard drive to a new external hard drive – without negetively effecting my new PC. Besides getting help at a computer shop, do you know a way that I can get access to the data files contained in the Windows Image Backup?
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3:27 pm
January 11, 2012
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erudel
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OK, I had to do some reading on this topic as I did not realize that Windows Vista support the disk imaging feature. Apparently the Vista Imaging and Windows 7 imaging utility are compatible and you should be able to use a feature in Windows 7 that allows you to mount an VHD image file and browse the mounted image drive, thus allowing you to recover specific files.
I found the following article that provides step by step instructions. It is a user forum and a lot of people are commenting on the advice but it sounds about right. I will copy and paste the steps below.
1.You must be logged in as an administrator (such as the first account made on the computer when you installed Windows 7)
2.Go to the Start menu > Computer, and go into the drive where you made the image backup
3.Right-click the WindowsImageBackup folder and go to Properties
4.Go to the Security tab > Advanced > Owner tab > Edit…
5.Select your username, and check Replace owner on subcontainers and objects
6."OK" everything and close all windows
7.Go back to the drive where you made the image backup, right-click the WindowsImageBackup folder and go to Properties > Security tab > Advanced
8.In the Permissions tab click Change Permissions…
9.Select your username, click Edit…
10.Tick all the Allow boxes then OK
11.Tick both bottom boxes then OK
12."OK" everything, close all windows
13. We need to mount the backup image as a drive. To do this, open the Start menu, right-click on Computer and select Manage
14.In the left pane, under Storage, select Disk Management
15.Go to the Action menu, then Attach VHD
16.Click Browse…, go into the drive where you made the image backup. Go into to the WindowsImageBackup folder, then the [NAME OF PC] folder, then the Backup [DATE] folder. There should some .VHD files in there. Select the one with the largest file size and click Open, then OK.
17.It will now have mounted in Computer as a hard drive. You can browse through it and retrieve your files!
18.When finished, we need to dismount the VHD drive. Go back into Disk Management as before, find the drive from charts on the bottom pane (such as Disk 3), right click on where it says the disk name (such as Disk 3) and select Detach, then OK.
19.All done. Make a new backup from scratch (delete the old one) if you like since we messed up its permissions.
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10:02 pm
January 11, 2012
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Ted
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Thanks so much, Ed. I'll give it a try tomorrow and reply to this post to let you know how it works out.
One question. Step 19 says, "All done. Make a new backup from scratch (delete the old one) if you like since we messed up its permissions." Does "messed up its permissions" mean that I can't go back to that VHD file additional times and retrieve more files in the future? In other words, do I only get one shot at retrieving files?
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6:41 pm
January 13, 2012
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Ben Carpenter
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| Member | posts 144 | |
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Ted said:
The HP rep promised to send me the hard drive from my old PC, but HP discarded the hard drive. Fortunately, most of my data files and some settings files were backed up online through Carbonite – about 21,000 files totaling about 50GB. But Carbonite doesn't backup video files and some other large files.
Though I wasn't aware that I could backup individual data files using Windows Backup, I did perform a "Windows Image Backup" of my old PC to an external hard drive a few weeks before the old PC died. That backup is supposedly an image of the entire hard drive of the old PC – that includes all software, settings, data (C: drive) and the recovery drive (D: drive). The backup created a "WindowsImageBackup" folder on the external hard drive includes 2 folders: "Backup 2011-10-29 154804" folder and "Catalog" folder.
Ted
Carbonite normal settings does not back up certain file types and video files are one of the types. If you go to carbonite info center and the setup area you can check a box to allow colored dots for the different files when you observe files in my computer. You can then click on files to highlight them and then right click them and then click on the carbonite option and you will be allowed to tell carbonite to back this up.
As for retrieving the files from the image back up I will have to leave this up to someone else.
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Ben Carpenter – http://www.benc.com
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9:35 am
January 14, 2012
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Ted
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Thanks, Ben.
To be safe, I held off trying to access the Windows Image Backup files via the method that Ed provided. I'm waiting to see what Ed's response is to my last question about "only getting one shot at retrieving files" from the Windows Image Backup.
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12:06 pm
January 14, 2012
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Ben Carpenter
| | Adrian, Mi | |
| Member | posts 144 | |
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Ted said:
Thanks, Ben.
To be safe, I held off trying to access the Windows Image Backup files via the method that Ed provided. I'm waiting to see what Ed's response is to my last question about "only getting one shot at retrieving files" from the Windows Image Backup.
Ted
I do not know how big the image file is, but if you have room I would suggest that you make a backup of it before you try to do something with it.
With all my photo's and short video's I make a backup and then work from the back not the original. If I mess up I can always start over. I also make sure they all get backed up on Carbonite.
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Ben Carpenter – http://www.benc.com
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5:28 pm
January 14, 2012
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Ted
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Thanks, Ben.
Don't have enough extra hard drive space. I'll wait to see what Ed's response is to my last question about "only getting one shot at retrieving files" from the Windows Image Backup.
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4:10 pm
January 28, 2012
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Ted
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Ed Rudel,
Before I venture down a path of no return, I was hoping you would reply to my follow-up question (in blue below) from January 11:
One question. Step 19 says, "All done. Make a new backup from scratch (delete the old one) if you like since we messed up its permissions." Does "messed up its permissions" mean that I can't go back to that VHD file additional times and retrieve more files in the future? In other words, do I only get one shot at retrieving files?
Please help.
Thanks.
Ted
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4:34 pm
February 3, 2012
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asi
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Ben
Glad to hear you are on the mend.
Thanks for the info about Carbonite and accessing their additional settings. I've never used Carbonite, but the info was very interesting and informative. At present I use a USB HD dock for backing up info. However with the extreme number of files I now need to backup I will definitely be checking them, Carbonite, out.
J. R.
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9:46 am
February 4, 2012
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Ben Carpenter
| | Adrian, Mi | |
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asi said:
Ben
Glad to hear you are on the mend.
Thanks for the info about Carbonite and accessing their additional settings. I've never used Carbonite, but the info was very interesting and informative. At present I use a USB HD dock for backing up info. However with the extreme number of files I now need to backup I will definitely be checking them, Carbonite, out.
J. R.
J. R.
Carbonite has at least two different plans. One plan is for one computer and it is a yearly charge. The other plan covers more than one computer and it is (as I remember) a monthly charge and depends on how much you back up.
I use the one computer plan, but I have two internal hard drives as well as a USB hard drive connected. It will only back up the internal drives.
I like the fact that once setup it is automatic and it is off site. When I first started using it it took several days to get the first back up finished, but now it backs up things I change or add when ever the computer is idle or at a slower rate while I am using it.
They have a multi year rate that is cheaper than year to year rate. I chose the multi year rate. A year ago when I was gone for a month and the computer was shut down I got email messages stating that the back up had not been completed since (and stated the date or number of days(I do not remember which now)).
When I first started I got a free trial period and during that trial period I tried restoring a couple thing to make sure it would work. If you remove something from the computer that is backed up it will after a period of time remove it from the backup.
I guess my biggest like is I do not have to remember to do any thing it is automatic.
Yes I am doing much better. Thursday I had a doctor appointment and he told me that I could do any thing I wanted, but if I got tired to slow down or stop and rest. Monday I go to rehab and to get tested during work outs.
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Ben Carpenter – http://www.benc.com
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1:54 pm
February 4, 2012
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Ted
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Was desparately hoping that Ed Rudel would respond to my follow-up question. Perhaps he hasn't seen it. Here's the follow-up question again:
Step 19 in the process you recommended says, "All done. Make a new backup from scratch (delete the old one) if you like since we messed up its permissions."
Does "messed up its permissions" mean that I can't go back to that VHD file additional times and retrieve more files in the future? In other words, do I only get one shot at retrieving files?
Thanks.
- Ted
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2:20 pm
February 4, 2012
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Ben Carpenter
| | Adrian, Mi | |
| Member | posts 144 | |
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Ted said:
Was desparately hoping that Ed Rudel would respond to my follow-up question. Perhaps he hasn't seen it. Here's the follow-up question again:
Step 19 in the process you recommended says, "All done. Make a new backup from scratch (delete the old one) if you like since we messed up its permissions."
Does "messed up its permissions" mean that I can't go back to that VHD file additional times and retrieve more files in the future? In other words, do I only get one shot at retrieving files?
Thanks.
- Ted
Ted
I sent an email to Ed asking him to respond to you but I see he has not.
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Ben Carpenter – http://www.benc.com
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6:23 pm
February 5, 2012
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erudel
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Step 19 was referring to changing the permissions of the original Windows Vista backup image files. Because the backup file has the security information of Vista, you can’t mount it in Windows 7 unless you change the security permissions as detailed in the instruction. You may not be able to use the Vista backup image if you wanted to use it to restore Windows Vista as a whole image onto a computer. But you can continue to use it in Windows 7 and mount it and view and copy files from it.
If you are concerned about changing the Image permissions (because you may want to restore it as a Vista image) make a copy of all of the Vista Image files and put them in another folder on the external hard drive or another folder.
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12:49 pm
February 9, 2012
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Ted
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Thanks so much, Ed. You da man!
I'll try the procedure soon and report the results.
- Ted
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11:15 am
February 19, 2012
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Ted
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IT WORKED! Thanks so much, Ed Rudel and Internet Advisor. You guys are the best!
I now have access, on my new PC (Windows 7), to all the videos and other files from the Windows Image Backup (Windows Vista) of my old PC that died. These are files that my Carbonite couldn't backup.
It was a bit scary, making sure I followed your recommended Procedure to the letter. At one point, when trying to copy a large folder of files to the new PC from the external hard drive, the external hard drive kept churning away for a long time. But it eventually completed the copying. All of my thousands of files (totalling over 150GB) were eventually copied, in multiple copy sessions, to my new PC.
To play it safe (as you and Ben recommended), I got a good deal on the purchase of a second external hard drive – onto which I copied the Windows Image Backup files from the old external hard drive – before starting the Procedure on the old hard drive. So, if the Procedure messed up, I still had an unaltered Windows Image Backup as a spare on a different hard drive.
After 2 months, I'm finally almost back to full functionality with the new PC. And I'm sold on the value of multiple backup methods simultaneously: real-time Carbonite, daily key file backup via Windows or Norton or other software, and Windows Image Backup at least quarterly (if not monthly).
I am not happy with the american PC manufacturer, who:
- decided to throw my old PC in the trash because they wouldn't stock the defective part
- promised to return the hard drive from the old PC and then lost the hard drive
- gave me a new PC to honor the warranty of the old PC, but tried to give me a new PC that was in many ways inferior to my old PC – I fought for a better one
- couldn't help me with the WindowsImageBackup restore procedure that you helped on
- didn't communicate well from their overseas customer assistance center.
After buying multiple PCs, printers and handheld devices from them ove the past decade, they won't see my business again.
Thanks again, you guys. A school media-specialist friend, who I got to listen to Internet Advisor, is now hooked on your show.
-Ted
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