Using Vista's Complete PC Backup utility


As you know, all of the previous Windows operating systems come with a backup utility to allow you to back up all the files on your hard disk. So too does Windows Vista. However, in addition to its standard backup utility, Windows Vista also comes with a hard disk imaging utility, called Complete PC Backup.

This utility can create an image file that contains the complete contents and structure of a hard disk. If you've ever used Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image, then you have a good idea of what Windows Vista's Complete PC Backup imaging utility is all about.

Caveats
Keep in mind that that the type of backup that Complete PC Backup creates can not be used to restore single files -- it can only restore the entire hard disk. For that reason, Microsoft recommends that even though you use Complete PC Backup, you still use the standard backup utility on a regular basis. Another thing to keep in mind is that Complete PC Backup and Restore is not included with Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Vista Home Premium.

Accessing Complete PC Backup
There are two ways you can access the Complete PC Backup operation. You can access it from the Backup and Restore Center by clicking Start | All Programs | Maintenance. You can also access it from the Backup Status and Configuration page by clicking Start | All Programs | Accessories | System tools. Both of these initial user interfaces are shown in Figures A and B.

Figure A

You can launch the Complete PC Backup utility from the Backup and Restore Center.

Figure B

You can also launch the Complete PC Backup utility from the Backup Status and Configuration page.

From either interface, launching the Complete PC Backup utility first brings up a User Account Control dialog box. You'll need to click Continue to actually start the Complete PC Backup utility.

Creating the backup image
Once Complete PC Backup launches, you'll see its opening screen, which first scans your system for available backup devices and then prompts you to select one. As you can see in Figure C, I'm going to back up to a DVD RW drive for this example, but I could have chosen a secondary internal or external hard disk.

Figure C

Complete PC Backup can save the image that it creates to either a hard disk or a DVD.

When you click Next, you'll see a confirmation page that provides an estimate of the number of disks the image will require. Once you click Start backup button, the Complete PC Backup utility will be begin its preparation operation.

You'll then be prompted to insert a DVD disk into the DVD RW drive, as shown in Figure D. Notice the progress bar in the background indicates the beginning of the preparation operation. The Complete PC Backup utility will then prompt you to format the disk. You'll then see the Format operation commence, as shown in Figure E.

Figure D

Once the Complete PC Backup utility performs it initial preparation, you'll be prompted to insert a disk into the drive.

Figure E

The actual format operation takes less than a minute to complete.

Once the DVD has been formatted, Complete PC Backup utility will begin imaging the disk. As the operation continues and the first disk is filled, you're prompted to insert and format subsequent disks. In my case it took three DVDs to backup my 26GB installation. The first two DVDs were filled at 4.37GB while the third required only 568MB, which comes out to about 9GB -- not a bad compression ratio.

Restoring an image backup
To restore a hard disk using the image, you'll need to boot from the Windows Vista DVD. You'll then see two Install Windows screens and will select your language in the first and then select the Repair your computer option in the second. When you get to the Windows Recovery Environment screen, as shown in Figure F, you'll select the Complete PC Restore option and follow the prompts to restore your system.

Figure F

The Windows Recovery Environment allows you to choose from a host of recovery tools, including Complete PC Restore.

Conclusion
In addition to its standard file backup utility, Windows Vista's Complete PC Backup imaging utility is designed to allow you to create an image of an entire hard disk.

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Talkback 19 comments

    Back up and then restore a single netword file.Anthony Cooper -- 12/03/07

    From everything I've read thus far, there is no way for me to back up my NAS with Windows Vista (any version) making the ability to restore a single networked file a moot point.

    DVD's not accepted by Vista Complete PC BackupAnonymous -- 26/03/07

    I have Memorex 16x DVD's for the backup, but I keep getting a message that there's something wrong with them. The computer hangs during validation. What could it be? My DVD is 8x, but that shouldn't matter, right?

    RE: DVD's not accepted by Vista Complete PC BackupNikola Tulimirović -- 16/07/07 (in reply to #320076870)

    It sure can matter but it is impossible to state whether it has been the only problem or not. Try with 8x disc, anyway.

    DVD Hangs During BackupAnonymous -- 05/09/07 (in reply to #320076870)

    I experience similar hangs during DVD image validation. I also see block errors and other physical error messages in the eventlog when I use a DVD. Backup to USB drive works fine. I have tried different DVD brands without success.

    Entire System BackupWalt Dubicki -- 31/07/07

    Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore
    is only available in Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. How can I back up Vista Home Premium? Nothing supplied with new HP that I purchased. I quess their hard drives don't crash.

    RE: Entire System BackupMatt -- 11/09/08 (in reply to #320083624)

    *NEVER* assume that a disk will not crash. I am a pc and server tech and see this happen all the time even with the most expensive hardware. If you want to use something for disk imaging on vista home/home premium, I recommend Norton Ghost. It also has the ability to image to and restore from server shares/network drives.

    RE: Entire System BackupAnonymous -- 01/12/08 (in reply to #320111699)

    Don't use Norton Ghost. It's crap.

    Try the new version of Acronis True Image

    BackupLyn Beckwith -- 15/03/09 (in reply to #320111699)

    You obviously don't get sarcasm. And you must work for Norton.Pfft!

    BackupAnonymous -- 20/09/07

    Recently, my computer crashed. I backedup all the data to a hard disk. then after restoring to factory settings, i copied the backed up folder into my own and tried a restore.. it doesnt find the file.. what am i doin wrong in here?

    no vista dvdAnonymous -- 22/03/08

    I have an HP and the hp revovery disk does not support this option so I am finding it difficult to restore.

    Vista Complete Backup failsStåle Rosland -- 10/06/08

    I made a complete backup (image) of my C:/ drive using Vista Ultimates built in tool (listed above).

    I recently got my computer back from repair (the cabinet was replaced with an identical cabinet, as the repair shop damaged the old one during another repair.)
    I created the image just before sending the machine away for a cabinet replacement.
    Unfortunately, the repair shop formatted the harddrive and reinstalled Vista before returning it to me.
    The hardware is identical to what it was prior to sending it to repair. The only thing different is a new cabinet, and a fresh install of Vista.

    There are only one partition per drive (as it was before I sent it away) and the two original drives (C: a Raptor HDD 150GB and D: a WD 500GB HDD) are the same as before.

    However, when I start the "CompletePC Restore" procedure it fails!
    Everything goes well up until it's time to actually start writing to disk (it finds the old image on my external 500GB "OneTouch" drive), but then aborts saying something like:

    "Your disk configuration has changed, there is not enough space to reinstall the image. Please correct the hardware problem and try again"

    Which is BS. The hardware configuration is identical to what it was when I made the image (it is actually the same physical HDD's). The partitioning is the same.

    What on earth is going on?
    Or more to the point, how do I solve this?

    BTW.
    When I select the image to be reinstalled from the dialog box, there's an option where you can add/remove a checkmark in front of "format the drives..."
    The only problem is the option is greyed out, so I cannot choose to 'not format' the drives prior to reinstalling the image.
    (I read in another forum that removing that checkmark also removed the error message of altered hardware)

    Grey'd check boxClint -- 05/12/08 (in reply to #320103775)

    I too have my box grey'd out. My issue is that my Complete Backup is of two partitions on one drive (one system and one boot- don't ask!). I want to restore to a larger drive physical. After the restore I had planned to extend the first partition to capture the addtional space for the first partition which is drive "C". So I used Diskpart and partitioned the drive so I had a very large "C" - larger than the orginal by a bunch and the same or slightly larger size for the system partition "S". Well with the grey'd out check box, Vista repartitioned and I lost all I had done. Now I have the same size partition for "C", the same for "S" and unsed after that. All I can do is Extend the "S" and not "C". Hope this makes sense. How do I get that box to be unchecked. A thought was to partition and FORMAT each partition first - about all I have not done so far. I've done a few Complete Restores but never saw that box unchecked or not grey.

    Backup ???!!!???Anonymous -- 24/07/08

    I used backup fter noticing my hard drive making a clicking sound on startup. I then bought a new drive put it in and attempted to restore....

    Cyclic reduncency error disk2 (of 8)...

    The disks are perfectly clean and only just done...

    What a croc dont trust it!

    Worked like a champAnonymous -- 26/09/08

    I recently upgraded a 120GB HD to a 500GB HD using this utility. It took some time to create the DVD's (5 of them), but I didnt' encounter a single error in the whole process. It even pulled and imaged the FACTORY Recovery Partition which I had completely forgotten about. The only item I didnt' like was it did not allow me to resize the partition to use the entire drive, and instead I now have the original 100GB partition and the remainder on a new partition.

    Vista Complete B...UpEn Kay -- 16/10/08

    Only problem is that, after cutting 5 back up DVDs in Vista Businessand trying to get the recovery done, fund that booting with the OEM installation disc that the "Install now" screen with "recovery" etc did not come up!!
    So had to reinstall everything and toss out the so -called recovery discs.
    No comment from MSas to this anomalyf, as per usual.
    No help anywhere on th net forums.
    Back Up became a B.... Up

    GarbageAnonymous -- 18/12/08

    I've tested this several times and have NEVER ended up with anything that reported "success" AND actually worked. Just like too much of the rest of Vista, it simply doesn't work in the real world.

    hopefully windows 7 improves thisClaude -- 22/01/09

    backups would never display success for me either; honestly i regret switching from xp to vista, i should've waited for windows 7.

    anyway, since i don't really need the full system backup, unless if i want to switch my hdd, but in that case i'm using Clonezilla http://www.clonezilla.org/, i'm sticking with backup4all which doesn't do full system backups - http://www.backup4all.com/ - but is excellent for file/folder other non-system backups.

    Failed if backed-up to hard driveAnonymous -- 18/02/09

    I have and Acer and due to some operating problems they required me to do a full pc backup then reinstall the factory settings. The problem is, having done this it now cannot find the image even though I can see it. I have now bought Acronis, however can't see how this will get me out of this.
    I have considered burning the image to dvd and trying to reinstate from them, but not sure if this will work.
    Any suggestions appreciated

    Upgraded to larger drive Vista shows as same size as old DriveMike Vranic -- 07/03/09

    My 150gig Raptor drive started making noise so I backed up using Complete PC Backup removed the drive replaced with a 300gig Velociraptor and ran the utility it worked just fine except now when I look at the drives in my computer it says I have 56 gig remaining of 150gig. What gives I have a 300gig drive what happened?

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