Rescue disk - Linux or Windows faster?

[jbraner]

Hi all,

I think I'm going to get the Drive Image Suite this weekend (moving away from my current backup solution).
I really only use a boot (rescue) disk to backup and restore my two Windows partitions and a Data partition.
I can experiment with both - but is there any advantage to using a linux or Windows CD (DVD?) to backup/restore? In other words - is one any faster than the other?

Thanks.

[Bob Coleman]

Image for Linux (IFL) is generally recognized as being faster than Image for DOS (IFD), but I'm not sure what is meant by "Windows CD (DVD?)".

[jbraner]

Hi Bob,

Well, I'm assuming I can boot with either a linux CD (IFL?) or a Windows CD (WINRE or WINPE made by IFW?) to accomplish the same thing - ie running the backup program to backup my partitions.
I'll work on getting the terminology right - but they don't make it easy

I think I'll just install IFW on my Windows partition - and see if I have to install IFL to use makedisk to make a linux rescue disk. It is conceivable that IFW will let me make a linux boot disk to backup my Windows partitions - but I'll find out...

I bought it today - so I'll play around in the next few days.

[Logman]

I've backed up my Win 10 and Linux OS's within Windows and find the IFW version is quite a bit faster than doing it in IFD (not IFL )

Like Bob, not sure what you mean by a Windows CD/DVD, I usually have a bootable Win USB thumbdrive made with makedisk for an emergency boot disk, but I can image/restore using either within Windows or from the BIBM boot manager.

[jbraner]

[quote] not sure what you mean by a Windows CD/DVD,[/quote]
I'm not sure what's difficult to understand - maybe it's the way I'm saying it.

[quote]I usually have a bootable Win USB thumbdrive made [/quote]
well, if it was a CD or DVD (depending if it's >750MB or not) rather than a thumbdrive - would that not be a Windows (PE or RE) CD/DVD?

I'm still assuming that I can make a rescue disk that boots either linux or WIN (PE or) RE - to run the backup program.
I was just wondering if one was faster than the other.

I think IFW will be helpful because I can extract files from images, and/or mount images - from within Windows.
I don't think I'll be backing up my Windows partitions from within Windows though - I still think it's better to boot a rescue disk and back up that way (I hadn't thought of doing it from within BIBM or BIU) - that way there is absolutely no problem with open files/file locks etc.

Anyway - I guess all will be revealed soon...

[Logman]

jbraner wrote:
> [quote] not sure what you mean by a Windows CD/DVD,[/quote]
> I'm not sure what's difficult to understand - maybe it's the way I'm saying it.

No, nothing wrong with the way you're saying it.I guess I personally don't understand using a CD/DVD instead of a thumbdrive, to me, it harkens back to the days of using floppy disks, but that's just me I suppose
We all have our ways of doing things, nothing wrong with doing it your way.
>
> [quote]I usually have a bootable Win USB thumbdrive made [/quote]
> well, if it was a CD or DVD (depending if it's >750MB or not) rather than a
> thumbdrive - would that not be a Windows (PE or RE) CD/DVD?

Yes, it would..
>
> I think IFW will be helpful because I can extract files from images, and/or mount
> images - from within Windows.
> I don't think I'll be backing up my Windows partitions from within Windows though - I
> still think it's better to boot a rescue disk and back up that way (I hadn't thought
> of doing it from within BIBM or BIU) - that way there is absolutely no problem with
> open files/file locks etc.

I've never had a problem backing up while in Windows, and I do like the quicker speed doing image backups/restores compared to doing it from BIBM.

Once a month I do a complete system backup using BIBM ( not from within Windows ) to an external HD via USB3 for extra safety, it has saved me from grief occasionally
>

[jbraner]

> I've never had a problem backing up while in Windows, and I do like the quicker speed
> doing image backups/restores compared to doing it from BIBM.

I might take a look at this when I'm all set up.

>
> Once a month I do a complete system backup using BIBM ( not from within Windows ) to
> an external HD via USB3 for extra safety, it has saved me from grief occasionally
> >

Well, I'm going to try a CD/DVD/Thumb Drive - and see how that works
Hopefully I'll find some choices to make either a linux or Win boot device - and see if either is faster

[Logman]

jbraner wrote:
> > I've never had a problem backing up while in Windows, and I do like the quicker
> speed
> > doing image backups/restores compared to doing it from BIBM.
>
> I might take a look at this when I'm all set up.
>
> >
> > Once a month I do a complete system backup using BIBM ( not from within Windows
> ) to
> > an external HD via USB3 for extra safety, it has saved me from grief
> occasionally
> > >
>
> Well, I'm going to try a CD/DVD/Thumb Drive - and see how that works
> Hopefully I'll find some choices to make either a linux or Win boot device - and see
> if either is faster

I have never tried using IFL in all the yrs I've used TeraByte products, so I would be interested in seeing your results.

[jbraner]

OK - I'll report back here. I don't know if installing IFW will let me build a linux disk or if I need to install IFL. Since I'm not running linux - it doesn't seem to make sense to install IFL - but we'll see.

I do find all these different products confusing. Not actually using the products - but figuring out what does what...

[Logman]

jbraner wrote:
> OK - I'll report back here. I don't know if installing IFW will let me
> build a linux disk or if I need to install IFL. Since I'm not running linux
> - it doesn't seem to make sense to install IFL - but we'll see.
>
> I do find all these different products confusing. Not actually using the
> products - but figuring out what does what...

You can build a Linux disk with makedisk while in Windows, read the manual in the ifl zip folder for instructions.
You can use either a USB drive or CD to make the boot disk.