darklife41
Distinguished
- May 18, 2006
- 9
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- 18,510
Just so this is clear, I'll try once more to explain it.
RAID is setup in a separate configuration before windows boots. Usually this is accessed by pressing cntl/I or cntl/s immediately after BIOS loads. It may also have settings in your BIOS (usually to turn it on/off). The disc controllers are also part of the motherboard's chipset. Only the drivers are needed by the operating system.
In order to load an image, the image must first be created. This requires that you have the operating system running with the proper RAID drivers in the first place. You also need to create an Acronis boot disc. The RAID drivers are indeed installed on the boot disc for every RAID version since Acronis True Image 9. Upon booting to the boot disc, it will see the array as a single disc. If it doesn't, the array is either corrupt or has not been properly configured/turned on.
Once you have both a boot disc and image file, you can safely reformat the OS and install the image to the same RAID array over and over. You can delete the array and recreate it, as long as you use the same type and the size isn't smaller than the image file. There's no more need to load the drivers separately after reformatting. You can even install to a different motherboard as long as it has the same chipset (ICH7, ICH8, etc.). Boot to the recovery cd, follow the directions, and load the backup image that you created when prompted, whether it be on CD/DVD, or on another hard drive via a network connection, or a USB device. As long as your RAID array is still setup correctly in BIOS, the entire hard drive will be restored the way it was when last backed up. Version 10 is also Vista compatible.
Your systems must be coming with the OS pre-installed, since you didn't have the RAID driver issue until you had to reformat. In this case, create the boot disc and RAID image right away, and you can always restore your system to the state it was in when you bought it without loading RAID drivers separately.
Now, if you build another system with identical hardware, but have not yet loaded the OS, simply create the RAID array, load the recovery disc, load the image when prompted, and presto! You have an identical system. So any nugget that thinks they know differently is wrong. I do this all the time.
You can give your customers a copy of the boot disc and a CD/DVD with the basic operating system, software, and drivers image with each system that you sell them. Its up to them to backup any data or programs that they install after that. However, if they want to spend $49.99USD, they can setup a backup schedule with either incremental or full system backup that can be used to reformat with everything updated. They can even password protect the backup. The only limitation is if you have more software installed than will fit on a DVD. However, by supplying OEM CDs with the software this can easily be remedied.
The reason I brought up a disc image in the first place was because of your delemna with your laptop after the review. Had you made a disc image, you wouldn't have had to reformat and fight with RAID drivers nor reactivate your OS. Try it, you'll like it.
Since our business only services South Australia, I see no reason to post a link to it here. However its easily found if you look at other posts by me on TG forums. It's part of my signature. For whatever reason, the mobile forum doesn't automatically include the same signature, and I can't be bothered with updating it. Our website needs updating, but very little of our business comes from the website so its not a priority. We're a custom computer shop, which means we build to each customer's needs. We carry a very small inventory, as this allows us to always be competitive with current pricing. About the only thing we don't do is main frames. We build notebooks, PCs, repairs, upgrades, deliver, setup, network small business and homes, etc.. We provide Linux, Unix, Linspire (Lindows), and MS support. Our business is not that big, and personalized service is our biggest selling point.
You claimed floppy disks were unreliable. That's the only reason I touched on the subject. They're not. I have kids in the USA and in AU that use floppys daily for transferring homework to and from school. The schools don't allow flash drives nor removable hard drives. Floppy disks are far from obsolete, regardless of what reviewers like to print.
Um.. for the record, all money values are "compared" against each other, including the US dollar. Its just that, a comparison of worth, dollar for dollar, yen for dollar, euro for dollar, etc.. Its called the exchange rate, so people can exchange currencies for whatever country they're in. Seeing as how I travel back and forth 3 times a year, I use it often. No other country in the world has their money "tied" to the US dollar. Life in Australia has been vedy vedy good to me.
RAID is setup in a separate configuration before windows boots. Usually this is accessed by pressing cntl/I or cntl/s immediately after BIOS loads. It may also have settings in your BIOS (usually to turn it on/off). The disc controllers are also part of the motherboard's chipset. Only the drivers are needed by the operating system.
In order to load an image, the image must first be created. This requires that you have the operating system running with the proper RAID drivers in the first place. You also need to create an Acronis boot disc. The RAID drivers are indeed installed on the boot disc for every RAID version since Acronis True Image 9. Upon booting to the boot disc, it will see the array as a single disc. If it doesn't, the array is either corrupt or has not been properly configured/turned on.
Once you have both a boot disc and image file, you can safely reformat the OS and install the image to the same RAID array over and over. You can delete the array and recreate it, as long as you use the same type and the size isn't smaller than the image file. There's no more need to load the drivers separately after reformatting. You can even install to a different motherboard as long as it has the same chipset (ICH7, ICH8, etc.). Boot to the recovery cd, follow the directions, and load the backup image that you created when prompted, whether it be on CD/DVD, or on another hard drive via a network connection, or a USB device. As long as your RAID array is still setup correctly in BIOS, the entire hard drive will be restored the way it was when last backed up. Version 10 is also Vista compatible.
Your systems must be coming with the OS pre-installed, since you didn't have the RAID driver issue until you had to reformat. In this case, create the boot disc and RAID image right away, and you can always restore your system to the state it was in when you bought it without loading RAID drivers separately.
Now, if you build another system with identical hardware, but have not yet loaded the OS, simply create the RAID array, load the recovery disc, load the image when prompted, and presto! You have an identical system. So any nugget that thinks they know differently is wrong. I do this all the time.
You can give your customers a copy of the boot disc and a CD/DVD with the basic operating system, software, and drivers image with each system that you sell them. Its up to them to backup any data or programs that they install after that. However, if they want to spend $49.99USD, they can setup a backup schedule with either incremental or full system backup that can be used to reformat with everything updated. They can even password protect the backup. The only limitation is if you have more software installed than will fit on a DVD. However, by supplying OEM CDs with the software this can easily be remedied.
The reason I brought up a disc image in the first place was because of your delemna with your laptop after the review. Had you made a disc image, you wouldn't have had to reformat and fight with RAID drivers nor reactivate your OS. Try it, you'll like it.
Since our business only services South Australia, I see no reason to post a link to it here. However its easily found if you look at other posts by me on TG forums. It's part of my signature. For whatever reason, the mobile forum doesn't automatically include the same signature, and I can't be bothered with updating it. Our website needs updating, but very little of our business comes from the website so its not a priority. We're a custom computer shop, which means we build to each customer's needs. We carry a very small inventory, as this allows us to always be competitive with current pricing. About the only thing we don't do is main frames. We build notebooks, PCs, repairs, upgrades, deliver, setup, network small business and homes, etc.. We provide Linux, Unix, Linspire (Lindows), and MS support. Our business is not that big, and personalized service is our biggest selling point.
You claimed floppy disks were unreliable. That's the only reason I touched on the subject. They're not. I have kids in the USA and in AU that use floppys daily for transferring homework to and from school. The schools don't allow flash drives nor removable hard drives. Floppy disks are far from obsolete, regardless of what reviewers like to print.
Um.. for the record, all money values are "compared" against each other, including the US dollar. Its just that, a comparison of worth, dollar for dollar, yen for dollar, euro for dollar, etc.. Its called the exchange rate, so people can exchange currencies for whatever country they're in. Seeing as how I travel back and forth 3 times a year, I use it often. No other country in the world has their money "tied" to the US dollar. Life in Australia has been vedy vedy good to me.
/www.ozforex.com.au/reference/factors.htm
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