Backup and Recovery in Windows
A Backup Article Contributed by Anand R
Backup Recovery Utilities
The backup and recovery utility in Windows XP Professional helps you protect your data in the event your hard disk fails or files are accidentally erased due to hardware or storage media failure. By using Backup you can create a duplicate copy of all of the data on your hard disk and then archive it on another storage device, such as a hard disk or a tape.
If the original data on your hard disk is accidentally erased or overwritten, or becomes inaccessible because of a hard–disk malfunction, you can easily restore it from the disk or archived copy by using the Restore or Automated System Recovery Wizards.
Steps to Recover Data
To start Backup or to access Restore and Automated System Recovery Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Backup.
Windows XP Backup, Restore, and Automated System Recovery all function when Windows XP Professional is functioning. If your computer does not start properly, you may need to use Recovery Console. Recovery Console provides a command line during Startup from which you can make system changes when Windows XP Professional doesn't start.
Backup Recovery Console
You can use Recovery Console to perform many tasks without starting Windows XP, including: starting and stopping services, reading and writing information on a local disk drive, and formatting drives. However, you must install Recovery Console while your computer is still functioning. The Recovery Console feature should be used only by advanced users. Before using Recovery Console, it is recommended that you back up your information on a tape drive, because your local hard disks might be reformatted-thus erased-as part of the recovery. You can also run Recovery Console from the Windows XP CD.
Installing the Backup Recovery Console
Log on to Windows XP Professional as an administrator or as a user with administrator rights. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may prevent you from completing this procedure. Contact your network administrator for assistance. Insert the Windows XP Professional CD into your CD ROM drive. If you're prompted to upgrade to Windows XP, click No.
From the command prompt-or from the Run command in the Start menu-type the path to the appropriate Winnt32.exe file (on your Windows XP Professional CD), followed by a space and /cmdcons to reference this switch. Follow the instructions that appear
Recovery Console for Windows XP
Restart your computer, and then choose Windows Recovery Console from the list of operating systems. Follow the instructions that appear. Recovery Console displays a command prompt. Make the required changes to your system. registry backup is done automatically. This backup utility can be used in case OS is not starting up.
Windows Backups and File Sharing Problems
If you have ever tried to delete or rename an exe file that being executed, you probably know that locked files can sometimes cause serious problems. This is even more true when creating backups since many of the files that you backup will probably be locked by other programs when the backup operation is started. If you, for example, are using outlook when a scheduled backup operation starts, the whole operation could fail if the backup software attempts to lock the email database.
WinBackup never tries to lock files and will continue a backup operation even if a file could not be read. Any missing files will be added to the log and will be backed up the next time the backup job is executed. Since WinBackup doesn't lock files it will not prevent you from using your computer for other tasks while a backup operation is in progress. This is very important if you want to run scheduled operations in the background while you are working.
