Desktops & All-In-Ones

[chriskv]

Yes, a DVD recovery option for this computer would have been logicial especially since this model includes a DVD burner!

I have a USB hard drive with 2 empty seperate 80GB partitions and one used 775gb logical partition.  Can I use one of the empty 80gb partitions to copy the recovery?  The instructions on your link say that everything will be deleted.  Does that mean everything on the partition or everthing on the USB hard drive?

[finlux]

I agree with your opinon, that there should be an option!

My desktop (Win7) creates a recovery DVD, yet my laptop (Win8) creates a recovery USB yet both have optical drives.

As for your question, the eRecovery program automatically formats the device before writing to it. I don't know whether it's the entire device or just the partition. I will try to find out for you.

[finlux]

Something I learned today: it is Microsoft's decision that OEM's must have recovery backups on USB memory stick and not on disks. I guess it is so Ultrabooks and Windows Tablets have a common recovery system!

As for using the hard drive, it will be highly likely that the entire drive will be formatted, so you would lose everything that is on there. That is IF it works - it may be looking for a smaller flash drive.

So, I think the best thing to do, is to fork out for a 16GB USB stick and use that!

[chriskv]

Hey Ace, remember that this drive was previoulsy formatted.  I learned that File History is the app in windows 8 for making an backup image.  All you do is select the drive where you want the image stored and then turn on the app.  It took a couple minutes to copy file there and it was done.  I was not sure if drive had to be a primary drive or if logical partition would suffice so I put image on both.  Size of file was only a little over 4gb.  No formatting of previosly formatted drive required!  I would also like to put an image on windows skydirve but apparently that is not possible.  I will ask softie to confirm this.  I understand that acer also has some free cloud storage.  Do you know if my image can be stored there?

[chriskv]

Correction.  The 4GB file created in previous post was not an image of c drive but what Windows 8.1 does to backup your data (doucments, photos, desktop folders, etc.).  In File History app there is also an option to backup your system image.  It is in the lower left corner of the app.  My image was about 40GB and it took about 30 minutes to make a copy to my USB 2.0 hard drive.  BTW - there is also an option to copy it to DVD disks or a network drive.  I did not check out DVD cause I figured it would take too many disks, but if you had a BlueRay burner that would work nicely.  Glad that I did not waste my money on a 16gb thumb drive cause it would have been way too small, also since I had a usb drive already formated it was not necessary.  Now if anything happens to my C hard drive then I have an exact copy as of today and can restore it.  I would also like to have a 3rd C drive image copy located off site, but the free cloud drives seems too small and uploads would be extremely slow I think, opinions on off-site copy? 

[finlux]

The thumb drive would only backup the eRecovery program and files, that would freshly install Windows, and NOT the image of C:  As you've said, its like a "picture" of your C: partition as it is.

As for off site copies, well, personally I'm not sure if I'd trust it! I understand though, that it might just be me

[chriskv]

My opinion on off site data - necessary 3rd layer of defense for data recovery.  Free insurance especially for disaster (ie. fire,flood,tornado,theft, etc., and also another layer of protection if 1st two lines of defence fail. 

I called up softie and they said they offer no OS phone support for these computers, but they did direct me to a link on there site for backing up, and imaging.   They also said that you can use their free cloud Skydrive for data backup as long as files are not too large and yes, uploads will be painfully slow.  I will try to upload the recovery partition for reinstalling 8.0 and see how that goes.  With my luck I will have 1 bit too much, crashing the whole upload after 24 hours!

Please tell me what Acer's free cloud storage is called, what size it is, what your maximum upload speed is for the free service, and why don't you trust Acer's cloud storage?

[finlux]

It's not that I don't trust Acer's storage, that isn't true at all! Their storage will be as good as anyones (if not better)! Please understand this is my personal opinion of cloud storage, whether it is Acer's, Microsoft's or whomever!

I guess I'm a bit old fashioned. I backup my data to 2 different external drives, the same too with my system images - on two separate drives. Important data, I also do a yearly backup to DVD.

Is this necessary? Yes!

Is this excessive? No!

Am I mad? Quite possibly

But, I've never lost any data. Except, many moons ago when I first got into computing and I didn't back up anything. Boy, that first hard drive failure was hard!!! Never again!!

There is nothing wrong with Acer's cloud. If you're happy to use it, then go ahead!

Acer's Cloud can be found here. I'm sorry, I have no idea on Maximum upload speeds, but what I gather, most cloud services can vary and are not overly speedy.

[chriskv]

"Quite posibly" - I love it.  Me to, as after too much analyisis, I have decided to purchase a 16gb usb flash drive for seven dollars to copy the windows 8.0 original operating system reinstall partition.  Just as you originally suggested!  Haven't decided how to use clould yet, but think it will be more for the most important files. 

Thanks again.

[finlux]

You're welcome