Create a backup/image of hard drive?

tencentpiece

tencentpiece

New member
Nov 11, 2010
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Melbourne, Australia
www.linknarwhal.com
So I am about to reformat my PC because it's slow as shit at the moment and it's starting to piss me off. I seem to do this about every 2-3 months, mostly because I download a whole heap of useless shit and forget to uninstall it.

What's the best way to create a backup/image of my hard drive so when this happens in another few months time I can just click a button and revert to a fresh install? Preferably something free, but I am happy to pay as long as it's not ridiculously priced.

Running windows7 if that makes any difference.
 


how about you do this instead,

go through your programs and remove everything you don't use or haven't used in a while.

Then

grab hijack this, remove all teh bad shit
grab spyrobot, remove all teh bad shit
grab malwatebytes, remove all teh bad shit
grab combofix, remove all bad shit
grab ccleaner, remove everything.
grab jkdefrag which is no mydefrag, defrag the bitch
 
If you're having to do that every few months, then you aren't cleaning your registry, cache, temp files, start up programs, etc. regularly.

Two free tools will fix you right up.

1) CCleaner
a) Install
b) Options >> Advanced >> Uncheck only delete files older than 24 hours.
c) Options >> Settings >> Check secure file deletion, choose Gutman
d) Tools >> Startup >> Disable and then Delete any entries that have no business running on startup, these just hog resources (If I want iTunes/QuickTime/Google to load, I'll open it myself).
e) Cleaner >> Windows/Application Tabs >> Check every box except wipe free space
f) Run Cleaner
g) Run Registry and fix issues.
​
2) Glary Utilities
a) 1-click maintenance >> Tracks >> Select Tracks to erase >> Check everything
b) Run 1-click maintenance
c) Modules >> Clean & Repair >> Uninstall Manager >> Bulk Uninstall
d) Check everything you want to uninstall >> check the box to remove all excess folders when you're uninstalling so it removes anything left behind (pay close attention that it doesn't randomly try and remove a program you want to keep)

​
After you've removed everything, run CCleaner and 1-click maintenance in Glary again. You should be squeaky clean. I'll do this whenever I get a new computer and make a fresh backup/startup disk.

If you run both programs once a week, you will have a computer that runs like new all the time.
 
Rexibit said:
If you're having to do that every few months, then you aren't cleaning your registry, cache, temp files, start up programs, etc. regularly.

Two free tools will fix you right up.

1) CCleaner
a) Install
b) Options >> Advanced >> Uncheck only delete files older than 24 hours.
c) Options >> Settings >> Check secure file deletion, choose Gutman
d) Tools >> Startup >> Disable and then Delete any entries that have no business running on startup, these just hog resources (If I want iTunes/QuickTime/Google to load, I'll open it myself).
e) Cleaner >> Windows/Application Tabs >> Check every box except wipe free space
f) Run Cleaner
g) Run Registry and fix issues.
​
2) Glary Utilities
a) 1-click maintenance >> Tracks >> Select Tracks to erase >> Check everything
b) Run 1-click maintenance
c) Modules >> Clean & Repair >> Uninstall Manager >> Bulk Uninstall
d) Check everything you want to uninstall >> check the box to remove all excess folders when you're uninstalling so it removes anything left behind (pay close attention that it doesn't randomly try and remove a program you want to keep)

​
After you've removed everything, run CCleaner and 1-click maintenance in Glary again. You should be squeaky clean. I'll do this whenever I get a new computer and make a fresh backup/startup disk.

If you run both programs once a week, you will have a computer that runs like new all the time.
Click to expand...

Cheers, I'd still like to have a backup copy of a fresh install though - any suggestions on what to use for that?
 
tencentpiece said:
What's the best way to create a backup/image of my hard drive so when this happens in another few months time I can just click a button and revert to a fresh install? Preferably something free, but I am happy to pay as long as it's not ridiculously priced.
Click to expand...

backup:
paragon-software.com

something more fun:
returnilvirtualsystem.com
 
I hve an HD image using Acronis Drive Image and whenever things have got ropey, i roll back using that. Takes about 20-30 minutes to do your first image (you need to have another HD to store the image) and about 5-10 minutes to reinstall as was. You also burn yourself a bootdisk, so if the system goes completely tits up, you don't even need Windows.
 
tencentpiece said:
So I am about to reformat my PC because it's slow as shit at the moment and it's starting to piss me off. I seem to do this about every 2-3 months, mostly because I download a whole heap of useless shit and forget to uninstall it.

What's the best way to create a backup/image of my hard drive so when this happens in another few months time I can just click a button and revert to a fresh install? Preferably something free, but I am happy to pay as long as it's not ridiculously priced.

Running windows7 if that makes any difference.
Click to expand...

Win 7 Already has a mirror image of ur drive with a few diff dates.

I had to use it a couple of months ago -- sadly I was soo pissed off at the time (I know it was fuckin FF that caused it I hate fuckin FF) I can't remember how to access it.

In about an hour when my brain wakes up I'll post back here.

It was really easy to do

Win 7 fuckin rocks.

Yeah and get CCleaner like someone said -- really good freeware.
 
GerardWon said:
Win 7 Already has a mirror image of ur drive with a few diff dates.

I had to use it a couple of months ago -- sadly I was soo pissed off at the time (I know it was fuckin FF that caused it I hate fuckin FF) I can't remember how to access it.

In about an hour when my brain wakes up I'll post back here.

It was really easy to do

Win 7 fuckin rocks.

Yeah and get CCleaner like someone said -- really good freeware.
Click to expand...


OK i got it: Just Type 'Restore' into the search box at the MS Start Icon and it will come up.
 
Nice reminder to do some maintenance. Ran that CCleaner and had like 1200 errors, and this build is only like 6 months old. I cant even imagine what it would pick up on a machine that's 3 or 4 years old
 
-God- said:
I hve an HD image using Acronis Drive Image and whenever things have got ropey, i roll back using that. Takes about 20-30 minutes to do your first image (you need to have another HD to store the image) and about 5-10 minutes to reinstall as was. You also burn yourself a bootdisk, so if the system goes completely tits up, you don't even need Windows.
Click to expand...

This has saved me hours of work over the past few years. I highly recommend this. I learned about Acronis when I interned at a help desk. Got so good at setting and running everything that I'd get paid to sleep while a lot of computers would be imaging.

Although my main computer now is a Mac :)
 
Acronis is the best software. I have one image that is unaffected one and will be needed whenever my PC crashes. But, I have all the good antiviruses and antispywares.

Avira Antivirus
Super Antispyware
CCcleaner
Malwarebytes
 
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