General Guide to Save Partition with Partition Saving (NTFS)
I was requested to backup a partition of a PC, which will be very troublesome, if were to be reinstalled. The first thing that came to my mind was Norton Ghost. Since I was required to get a license for it, I search for open source alternative and I found Partition Saving. Here's how I did the backup, which I hope it would act as a general guide for you (and also for me to refer in the future).
PC Configuration:
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Pro
- Filesystem: NTFS
- Number of Partitions: 2 (1 for OS, 1 for Backup)
- Hard disk size: Approx. 80GB in each partition
Preparation:
- Go to windows explorer and rename your hard disk partitions to clearly differentiate them. I renamed my C: to "OS" and D: to "BAK".
- Download partition saving. Choose language, then find download link at side bar.
- Create a boot disk using format function in Windows XP.
- Unzip the downloaded savepart.zip.
- Copy the savepart files into the boot disk, except the "doc" folder.
Create blank files (only for NTFS):
- Run savepart.exe from your desktop (it would be slower to run from floppy disk).
- Choose "Create some files on NTFS drive." and then "Ok".
- Create as many files you want at your backup partition (e.g. backup01, backup02 ... backup15). The maximum file size for each backup file is 2GB. So, I created 15 blank files to backup 25GB of data in my OS partition. With 15 blank files, I can backup up to 30GB of data.
Save partition:
- Boot your PC with the boot disk you created.
- When the system show you "A:>", launch "savepart".
- Choose "Save an element".
- Select the partition you want to save, see the last column. I choose the partition labeled "OS".
- Then, go for "Occupied sectors".
- When you were requested to choose save file location, you must mount the drive first if you are using NTFS at backup partition.
- After mounting, select the file in the drive, e.g. backup01 that you have created. Then "OK" to overwrite.
- Select the maximum size. I go for the default, 2GB.
- Compression ratio, go for 2, as recommended in the long user manual.
- You will be prompted to choose file 2, 3... n until the backup ends.
- In the end, the program will prompt you whether you want to save a config file to future ease save/restore. Choose "Yes" then select a file.
That's it. You have completed your backup. I wrote this with what I still have in my mind, without much verifications. If you found something is missing, please update me.
How about restoration? Not now!
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Tags: backup, NTFS, Partition Saving, savepart
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