Introduction

Continuing with our articles on backups, let's talk for a minute about backsups in Windows. Sure, you've been raked over the coals by paying for Windows (and the subsequent "downgrade" back to XP), Windows Software, and the extra hardware you need to actually use Windows, so why should we have to pay for a backup solution too? Backups are important. Not having software to backup your computer with is no excuse to turn your back on this essential part of computer-ownership. There are so many solutions out there - Ghost, the integrated Windows Backup utility, or even the User State Migration Tool for a pseudo-backup. While Ghost can do the job, it isn't free. There's always the fact that Microsoft never actually released the source code, or drivers, for NTFS, so doing a partition clone is at your own risk. In my experience, cloning back to a drive from a Ghost backup leaves the system with certain inherent instability risks. Alas, in a time of need, an unstable backup is better than nothing. Who knows, your mileage may vary.

The Windows Backup utility is your first line of defense for backups. If you don't have it installed, you can find it on your Windows CD. The Windows Backup utility is a good option, in the fact that it will back up as little or as much as you'd like it to... but it won't make a partition clone. Restoring with the Windows Backup utility requires reinstalling Windows, then running a restore using the same utility. That's a hassle, and when your system goes down, you want it back up as fast as possible. The up side is that you don't have to worry about stability issues. The down side is reinstalling Windows before ever restoring your backup.

Enter Our Hero

As I said before, free is a big drawing point to any piece of software. Why pay for something that has a free counterpart that is as good as, or better than, software you have to pay for? Fortunately for us, there is a free alternative to Ghost. Enter: DriveImage XML. Runtime Software has bestown upon us this magnificent piece of software we know as DriveImage XML (we'll call it 'DIX'). What sets DIX apart from its competitors is its ability to use the Volume Shadow Copy. This lets us make a copy of our system while it's running. We can make a backup to a file, or we can even clone directly to another drive... all without having to reboot. Handy. Let's get down to it, shall we?

Preparation

First, we need to download DriveImage XML. You can find it on Runtime's website. Download, install, and launch. Whenever preparing your system for a backup, you should do some simple things to minimize the amount of data to be backed up, as well as keep some security issues in mind. I would suggest emptying your trash, clearing your caches, and removing any sensitive passwords you may have stored in your browser. This may not be a concern for everyone, and I certainly don't mind backing up my passwords, but emptying the trash only makes sense. From there, you need a location to backup to. I suggest an external hard drive, but another internal hard drive works just the same. Keep in mind, saving a backup of your drive to the same physical drive - even on a different partition - doesn't do you any good if you have a physical failure of the drive. Also, make sure there is enough space free on your destination before starting the backup. There's nothing like getting 2/3 of the way through your backup, and realizing your disk is full. All set now? Let's dive right in.

Backup

Once DriveImage XML is open, you will need to click backup. Hit the next button. The wizard will pop up, and again, hit next. You will be prompted for a backup location and several other parameters. The directory it prompts you for is where the backup file will be saved to - this is going to be quite large, depending on what you choose to back up. The files field shows you what will be backed up - probably C: with a file name of whatever you choose (default is going to be Drive_C). Under options, we can choose to use Raw mode, split large files, and compress our backup file, as well as the option to try to lock the volume first, or to use volume shadow services. The defaults are probably fine, but I would suggest trying to use volume shadow services first. You will want to use Volume Shadow Services if you are backing up your boot drive. Otherwise, you'll probably be fine with Volume Locking. Experiment with the options to find those that suit you best. Hit next, and wait. Two files will be created: a .dat file, and a .xml file. Keep those files together, wherever you move them. The .dat file contains your actual backup information. The .xml file contains the information that DIX needs to restore it.

Restore

With DriveImage XML open, choose the restore tab. Press next. You will be prompted for the .xml file that was created when you made your backup. Locate and select it. Hit next. Choose the partition to restore the backup to. Hit next. Restoration is under way. Please keep in mind that you will be unable to restore to your boot volume. In order to restore a full backup of your Windows drive, you will need to use a live cd.

Backing up and restoring from a Live CD

There are some cases when you will want to backup your drive without actually being booted into Windows, or you will want to restore your backup to your boot volume. In such cases, you'll need to use a Live CD - a bootable CD that allows us to run programs directly from the disk. Instructions on creating such a disk for use with DIX can be found here. Using the Live CD is as simple as setting your computer to boot off CD, making sure the CD is in the drive, and rebooting. When the system comes back up, it will load into a Windows environment that will allow you to run DIX as though it was a normal Windows installation. Follow the steps above to backup and restore your drive. When backing up from a Live CD, try Volume Locking before Volume Shadow Services.

Final Notes

DIX isn't perfect, but it's free, and a lot better than no backups at all. With the added bonus of being able to back up while you are running Windows, there's really no reason not to use it. It is very straightforward to use, in both backing up and restoring. The added ability to use it off a Live CD makes it a fantastic piece of software to add to your lineup. If I missed something, or you have any questions at all, please feel free to leave a comment.