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Brian
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DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Oct 13th, 2005 at 1:21am
 
http://www.runtime.org/dixml.htm

DriveImage XML is a freeware imaging app that could be useful to those who have yet to buy imaging software and would like to see what imaging is all about. I've tried it for imaging but I haven't tried a restore yet. It is easy to use and does hot imaging, restoring, copy drives and image browsing.

There is a plugin for BartPE so that you can restore the system partition or do everything from BartPE.

It shows promise. Any opinions?
 
 
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Rad
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #1 - Oct 13th, 2005 at 1:52am
 
I am all for freeware.

http://radified.com/Articles/freeware.htm

version 1.00

do you think they're simply offering it free for a limited time, while users serve as (free) bug-testers?

a back-up image is of such critical nature (to me, anyway), that you don't want to trust its restore to a prgm that hasn't been fully developed.

i would never use it as my *sole* back-up image solution.

but i am being paranoid. it may very well be a reliable piece of software.

i will add the prgm to both the freeware guide & the ghost guide.

do you know when the prgm was first released? or when v1.00 was released?
 
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Brian
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #2 - Oct 13th, 2005 at 3:04am
 
Rad,

I think you are correct about its future duration as freeware. Probably short. I only heard about it today, on the Reatogo BartPE plugins page. I can't determine when it was first released.

On the basis of any imaging app is better than none, that's how I'd suggest it be used at present. Only if you have no other app.
 
 
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #3 - Oct 13th, 2005 at 3:04pm
 
Other low-cost backup image solutions include:

   Paragon Exact Image:  http://www.snapfiles.com/get/pexactimage.html
   Image for Windows:  http://www.snapfiles.com/get/imageforwin.html
   Active@ Disk Image:  http://www.snapfiles.com/get/adiskimage.html

Personally, however, I consider backup to be so important that the selection of a tool ought to be based upon factors more critical than price:  reliability (of the tool and of the company), technical support, updates/upgrades, ease-of-use, etc.  One ought not to be "pound wise and penny foolish," right?
 
 
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Rad
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #4 - Oct 13th, 2005 at 3:08pm
 
RE:
I consider backup to be so important that the selection of a tool ought to be based upon factors more critical than price
.

and

any imaging app is better than none


Yes, I couldn't agree more.
 
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Brian
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #5 - Oct 14th, 2005 at 12:15am
 
I just did a C: drive restore from BartPE. On a redundant WinXP installation. No problems.

I like the app, although I don't intend to use it for backups. It's easy to use and has worked as it should. Compressed Backups take about 3 times longer than Ghost 9 but the image is about 10 % smaller so that may be part of the explanation. The Restore process was about twice as long as Ghost 9.

There is no Scheduling and no Verify process which is a disadvantage. Hidden partitions can't be imaged but images can be restored to hidden partitions.

It shows promise. Time will tell.

As Pleonasm mentioned, there are many other imaging apps. This one took my interest only because it was Freeware.
 
 
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #6 - Oct 18th, 2005 at 4:14pm
 
Okay, it took a while, but I finally updated the Ghost guide to include this freeware prgm. Also include one of the shareware apps mentioned by Pleo: Exact Image by Paragon (US$40), as that's one I hadn't seen before.

http://ghost.radified.com/ghost_1a.htm
 
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #7 - Oct 27th, 2006 at 4:48pm
 
New to Forum

A question with which I'd appreciate help:

Situation

Looking to clone 9GB boot /system drive/partition to second drive (where an identical sized 9GB partition was already created)so that I can replace the boot/system drive with an 80GB.  (I feel a bit of a time crunch so that this PC will be "ready" when the tech guy comes in a few days to install DSL.)

Thefreecountry.com directed me to DriveImage XML (new) (among others) and I successfully and apparently without errors cloned the 9GB info to the first partition of the 2nd hard drive which I had already matched to the same size as the boot drive.

I am assuming that all the Security Updates for XP Prof were copied as well, apparently leaving me at the state that I can physically install the 80GB in place of the 9GB boot drive, and "copy back/restore" this to the new hard drive.

Question:

Since DriveImage XML "cannot restore the image to the system drive ...it is currently (using)", I'm to "use their BartPE plugin (what they call the "WinPE boot CD-ROM")  to create a BartPE CDROM and "restore (my) system partition after booting from the CDROM."

Here's my ignorance/question: Where and how do I get their BartPE plugin to create a BartPE CDROM?  It seems not to be available on the download of DriveImage XML.


Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Steve's 'wondrin

(p.s. I note from pcstats.com and Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows Slipstreaming Windows XP with Service Pack 2 that this process might originate an uptodated install but it involves something I'm trying to avoid: E.g., with the molasses dial-up speed I hope to soon dump, I just updated 35MB of Security updates in a "cool" seven hours!  Hence the move to DSL in a few days.

Nevertheless, since I've apparently already moved the mess to the second drive, is there a way to "piggyback" that process to make a CD-ROM  like BartPE apparently does?)

Many thanks.
 
 
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Brian
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #8 - Oct 27th, 2006 at 5:18pm
 
SWondra,

Here it is.

http://www.runtime.org/driveimage_xml.cab

Quote:
I am assuming that all the Security Updates for XP Prof were copied as well, apparently leaving me at the state that I can physically install the 80GB in place of the 9GB boot drive, and "copy back/restore" this to the new hard drive.

You should actually do this to confirm that it does work. Make sure you remove the old HD before allowing the new HD to boot for the first time. Let us know the answer.

Quote:
Since DriveImage XML "cannot restore the image to the system drive ...it is currently (using)", I'm to "use their BartPE plugin (what they call the "WinPE boot CD-ROM")  to create a BartPE CDROM and "restore (my) system partition after booting from the CDROM."

As I understand, you haven't actually made an image. You have made a copy of your OS partition (a "Clone") so there is really no need for the plugin. You will need it later if you start making images so that you are able to restore the images from BartPE in the event of a disaster.

Does the cloned HD boot?
 
 
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #9 - Oct 27th, 2006 at 9:04pm
 
Brian; 

8) Appreciated your prompt reply.

Embarrassed Don't know forum procedure yet to insert quote; for now, will paraphrase quote at issue]:

"Confirm that it does work" means what procedures?

Procedure 1

Assuming that I have a "full copy"(A clone?; not an image ?) in the first of four 9GB partitions of HD 1 (destination) made from the boot 9 GB OS + SP2, etc. currently in HD 0 (source), I should remove the old drive HD 0 and replace it with the new, "blank" 80 GB drive and try to boot. [Am I expecting the PC to "find" the viable "full copy" in HD1, the second (old) drive and to boot from there?]

Is this what you mean when you ask "Does the cloned drive boot?"  [If the "cloned drive" means the source, 9GB drive, it boots.  If the "cloned drive" means the destination drive as per the above, I believe that it is inactive and only the old, source drive still in place boots.  But if the old drive were removed?...would the unmoved destination drive boot?

If this boots, how do I move that full OS in the second drive back into the new 80 GB drive, so that it now performs/boots as did the original 9GB HD?  Do I now recopy the OS, etc. back into the new drive using DriveImage XML?

                             OR

Procedure 2

Embarrassed  Sorry for the sloppy language: I think I did download BartPE OK and am now understanding that the "image" it produces is an identical byte by byte copy that it puts on a CD to allow the equivalent of an XP installation disk complete with all the Security Updates I have already accumulated.

So here I should first make that CD-ROM image; then remove HD 0 (the old system/boot drive, a single 9GB partition) and replace it with the new 80GB drive, using the CD to reinstall the OS, etc. into the new drive.

                                       OR

Is there another set of procedures you suggest to get me back into operation with everything that was on the old 9GB hard drive now on the new, replacement 80GB hard drve?

Thanks for your patience.

Steve
 
 
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Brian
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #10 - Oct 27th, 2006 at 9:38pm
 
Steve,

This is what I think you have done. Installed the 80 GB HD as a slave and made four 9 GB partitions. The remainder of the 80 GB HD is free (Unallocated Space). You then used DriveImage XML to "Copy directly from drive to drive". So you now have the first partition on the 80 GB HD identical to the 9 GB HD.

I'll stop here. Is that correct?
 
 
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #11 - Oct 27th, 2006 at 10:42pm
 
Brian;

Sorry if I've confused you.

No hard drives have been mechanically changed.

Drive 0, the extant 9GB HD, system/boot has XP Prof. with all the latest SP2 updates, plus some applications.

Drive 1, the extant, approx. 40GB HD, has four partitions, each of the first three set up to be the same size (9GB) as Drive 0.

On Drive 1, I "slid their partitions to the right" via Partitiion Magic, then formatted the first partition so that it was identical to that of Drive 0.

I used DriveImage XML to clone Drive O's contents into the first partition of Drive 1.  I think this was successful and I imagine that that first partition of Drive 1 is a "twin" of the entirety of Drive 0.

The new 80GB HD is still in the box.

I want to replace Drive 0 with the new 80GB HD but leave the new drive with the same contents that now fill the old 9GB.  I hope not to lose any of the contents of the old drive, especially do I want to preserve all the SP2 updates.  I'm hoping the 80GB will operate just as did the original 9GB HD 0, except of course, with 71GB additional space.

What procedures/applications do I need to accomplish this?

Will I need to use the BartPE plugin (you located/I downloaded) to create a BartPe CDROM to get the new 80GB operating?

Was/Is the clone in the first partition of HD1 necessary to accomplish any of the above?

TNX

Steve



 
 
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Brian
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #12 - Oct 27th, 2006 at 10:58pm
 
I'm clear now. Steve, give me a few minutes and I'll let you know the easy way to do it.
 
 
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #13 - Oct 27th, 2006 at 11:30pm
 
OK. You want to finish with 80 GB HD as master and 40 GB HD as slave.

Remove your 40 GB HD slave and install the blank 80 GB HD to the same cable connection (jumpered as slave or Cable Select if thats what you are using).

Boot to your Partition Magic floppies or CD
Make sure you select the 80 GB HD. Create a primary partition which will eventually be your new Operating System partition. It can be any size over 9 GB. You should think to the future and make it around 20 GB. Don't bother formatting. Make formatted partitions for the remainder of the drive. Whatever you want. Click Apply.

Now delete the primary partition you initially created. Click Apply. The initial space will be Unallocated Space.

Select the 9 GB partition. Click Operations, Copy and copy the OS partition on the 9 GB HD to the Unallocated Space on the 80 GB HD. Click Resize to fill unallocated space if asked. Don't let PM assign any drive letters. Drive letter should be None. This may be the case from DOS anyway. When finished make sure the first partition on the 80 GB HD is marked Active. Click Apply if needed.

Shut down and remove both HDs. Install the 80 GB HD as master (don't forget jumpers). Start your computer and it should boot into WinXP.

Shut down. Install the 40 GB HD as slave. Start your computer and delete the first partition on the 40 GB HD. You could do this from the PM floppies before you start the computer if you like.

Does it all make sense? I hope I haven't left out any steps.
 
 
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Re: DriveImage XML. Freeware imaging
Reply #14 - Oct 28th, 2006 at 12:39pm
 
Brian;

Your suggested procedure makes perfect sense; in fact, when I saw your Oct 27th, 2006, 7:38pm post thinking that I had "installed the 80 GB HD as a slave", I said to myself, "Dummy, of course that's the way to go."

I am willing to follow your suggestions to the letter however I wonder if I could learn a bit more about DriveImage XML and perhaps use it to good effect as follows:

After installing the new, blank 80 GB Hd jumpered to the same/slave  cable connection as was the removed 40GB HD, I probably could boot the 9 GB HD and go through Start; Settings; Control Panel; Administrative Tools; Computer Management; to Disk Management to partition/format 40 GB of the 80 GB. (I'm going to leave the 2nd 40 GB unformated/available to setup Linux as a dual boot later.)

Since the 9 GB still has DriveImage XML on it, can it not act as the 9 GB source to clone itself (along with all the SP2 updates, etc.) into the 80 GB slave drive's first/40 GB partition?

If so, I should be able to shut down; change the 80 GB HD jumper to Master; swap it out with the old 9 GB HD as drive 0; then re-insert the old slave 40 GB HD back where it was running as drive 1.

If the cloning worked, with the 80 MB drive contents identical to before (the 9 GB; including a copy of DriveImage XML), shouldn't it just boot without argument? (I assume the 40 MB drive placed back into its original location would work as the slave drive as before.)

Although I have the original XP Prof. CD, etc. , would the fact that the boot drive is a clone mean that I would likely not have to again go through the nuisance of an MS activation call, etc.?

I'm thinking that if things go way wrong, I can always re-install XP, Partition Magic, and, once DSL is conneded, again download all those SP2 Security Updates without pulling out the remaining few hairs I have on my head.

Before I proceed with anything, please let me know what you think.

tnx a google,

Steve



 
 
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