is it safe to remove EISA

billybellfoot · Dec 4, 2012

hi

can anyone tell me if it is safe to remove the EISA hidden partition?

someone suggested using this How to Remove an EISA Configuration Partition | eHow.com method

does anyone know if this is safe /ok to perform and if this method will work? thanks

richc46 · Dec 4, 2012

Hi Billy,
That partition is there for your protection. In the event of a problem, you can restore to factory standards. If you have a Macrium Backup and know how to use it, Macrium is much better than the partition. The partition goes back to day one and you have to reinstall all your stuff and software.
The Macrium should be current. No damage is done if you remove the partition, until you find out that its needed because Macrium is not working properly.

billybellfoot · Dec 4, 2012

hi richc46

thanks for reply.

but do i need that if i have performed a clean install of vista? also when i did re install i deleted all bloatware provided by acer including the acer recovery software to acess the acer recovery partition? as didnt think id need it as i have windows installation usb ?

so if i use macrium to back up my C: and D: partitions i could wipe my drive(using say DBAN) including the hidden eisa partition then use macrium to restore those partitions onto the wiped drive?

thanks again rich for help and info

regards

richc46 · Dec 4, 2012

billybellfoot said:
hi richc46

thanks for reply.

but do i need that if i have performed a clean install of vista? also when i did re install i deleted all bloatware provided by acer including the acer recovery software to acess the acer recovery partition? as didnt think id need it as i have windows installation usb ?

so if i use macrium to back up my C: and D: partitions i could wipe my drive(using say DBAN) including the hidden eisa partition then use macrium to restore those partitions onto the wiped drive?

thanks again rich for help and info

regards

Clean install or not, if you have problems and you have to reinstall the partition is a very good option. If you have Macrium, however, that is a better option. Bottom line, not needed if you have another way to reinstall if necessary.
As to the Macrium Question, yes, that can be done. Remember you cannot use Macrium on a partition that is smaller than the original.

billybellfoot · Dec 4, 2012

so if i can get macrium up and running then that would be a better option. and if/when i get that far i can use the macrium images but leave out the eisa one..

sorry when you say

Remember you cannot use Macrium on a partition that is smaller than the original.

do you mean my external HDD that i want to store my image on needs to be larger than the partitions on the pc i want to image eg. my pc HDD is C: 60GB and D: 60GB

my xternal HDD is 500GB with roughly 400GB spare (free space is that ok)

or have i misunderstood? thanks

_____________________________________________________________________
if this

No damage is done if you remove the partition, until you find out that its needed because Macrium is not working properly.

where the case though that macrium failed could i not install vista using bootable usb then use my macrium images again to get back ?

thanks

richc46 · Dec 4, 2012

billybellfoot said:
so if i can get macrium up and running then that would be a better option. and if/when i get that far i can use the macrium images but leave out the eisa one..

sorry when you say

Remember you cannot use Macrium on a partition that is smaller than the original.

Click to expand...

do you mean my external HDD that i want to store my image on needs to be larger than the partitions on the pc i want to image eg. my pc HDD is C: 60GB and D: 60GB

my xternal HDD is 500GB with roughly 400GB spare (free space is that ok)

or have i misunderstood? thanks

_____________________________________________________________________
if this

No damage is done if you remove the partition, until you find out that its needed because Macrium is not working properly.

Click to expand...

where the case though that macrium failed could i not install vista using bootable usb then use my macrium images again to get back ?

thanks

Macrium is always the best option, since your stuff will be on the drive. No need to reinstall software, etc.

If you have a partition that is 400 GB and you want to copy it and transfer to another drive, that drive must be at least 400GB.
I am talking about the size of the partitions and not the entire hard drive.
You can use the Bootable USB and then Macrium if the partitions are large enough and you have followed the procedure correctly.

billybellfoot · Dec 4, 2012

ok i think i get your meaning now on my external Hdd i would need to create partitions large enough to recieve the partitions off of my pc. so 2 x 60 GB partitions on my pc would require me creating 2 x 60GB partitions on my external HDD to recieve them?

brilliant thanks rich so i could say replace HDD get windows up n running again then provided the new HDD is larger or equal to those macrium images use macrium to copy my save images into that working system.

thanks again rich much appreciated

richc46 · Dec 4, 2012

You seem to understand, but dont cut it so close. 2, 60 GBs make it go to two 70 GB. Many times some of the space disappears on the receiving partition.

billybellfoot · Dec 4, 2012

ok thanks.. right thanks for that so is say 10GB more a good rule of thumb. so as you say create a 70GB for a 60GB?
could i just create one 140GB on my external HDD and put both on that or does each partition on my pc require its own destination partition on my external HDD

thanks rich

on a related topic.

i got the recovery iso (winpe) pre made from VF-member WHS skydrive. i have downloaded that but as i have no cd/dvd drive. how do i use the iso i downlded from him to create a bootable usb macrium recovery tool?

thanks

richc46 · Dec 4, 2012

Im not sure how you would use Macrium to put two images on the same partition. Im not saying that it cant, be done, but just not sure. I will contact WHS, so you can ask other questions directly.

billybellfoot · Dec 4, 2012

ok i just thought save creating 2 partitions i could store them on one. as eventually i want to back up(image) 2 machines mine and my fathers wich would mean four or more partitions.. or is it possible to just image the os. eg just the 30GB - 40GB for windows i mean could i just image the system C: drive partition. and then use macrium to shrink to the size to what windows OS occupies so i would end up with just the one image of my freshly installed os as my data is stored externally also id rather not loose it but it wouldnt be as important as the os.

thanks again for helping me out rich much appreciated

whs · Dec 4, 2012

You can put as many images on a partition as you like and from different source partitions - even different PCs. But I would recommend to create folders within that external partition and put each image of a particular partition into it's designated named folder. That way you can easily tell which is which.

At restore time, all the info you get is what is shown in the attached picture (in this or another form). Here I know that it comes from the Data Partition folder to restore my data partition. If I had not defined and used the 'data partition' folder, it would only say F:\. As you can see, the name is pretty useless. The only other info to go by is the date the image was taken.

A completely different alternative would be to rename each image file immediately after it was taken - then you remember what it is for. But that is not very elegant in my book.

billybellfoot · Dec 4, 2012

ok so i could put more than one partition on my external HDD (one partition) however from the sounds of what you just pointed out regarding naming. would the best option be to create a partition for each image and name each partition on the external HDD
for ease of use and future location of multiple images
as with the image you have provided its just a code isnt it. as you say you know its your data image. however 6 months a year down the line when it comes to needing to restore the image i would need to remember wich image is which so would be helpfull to have it named etc.

so do you suggest a named destination partition on the external drive for each partition on my pc (1 for 1)

thanks

whs · Dec 4, 2012

No 1 partition and then folders with the names of the partitions from where the images originate. And I make images of the OS partition and the data partition appr. 3 times per week. When I want to restore, I go by name of the folder and within the folder by date of when the image was taken.

You are complicating the matter. It is dead simple.

billybellfoot · Dec 5, 2012

hi sorry i am probably confusing the matter i am very new to all this and have no prior knowledge or back up/imaging experience.

so to clarify you have an external drive wth 1 partition within that partition you have named folders where you store your images. eg folder name (C: win OS) or (D:data) and within each folder you store your back ups 3 a week in order by date.

so in my case if i just wanted to do the 1 image to simplify things for me.. of my OS C: drive as thats most important to me as if something goes wrong i want to be able to get up and running quicker than a re-install and all updates programs etc

i would just have 1 partition with 1 folder named say (desktop OS C: drive) and in that folder i would store my image.

is that right?

thanks for help and appologise again for so many questions

whs · Dec 5, 2012

No need to apologize. We are here to clarify any doubts.

But you got that right. I gave you the long explanation only because I thought you wanted to image different partitions and even from different PCs to the same external drive/partition. That's when the folders are handy because you can easily id the origin of the images. If you always image from the same partition, then you can do that to the root of the external partition too. There can be no confusion in that case.

Btw. Imaging the system is important and if your data is on the C partition, then that gets imaged automatically with the system. But more important than the system is your data because once you lose that, there is no way to recover it (unlike the OS which you can always reinstall).

And frequent imaging is important. What good is an image from December 2012 when your system crashes in July of 2013. If you then use the Dec. 2012 image to restore, you lose all the updates and program installations from half a year - worse, if you have your data on C:, you lose all the pictures, documents, etc. that you have put on the system during this half a year.

billybellfoot · Dec 5, 2012

hi thanks and thanks for reply

But you got that right. I gave you the long explanation only because I thought you wanted to image different partitions and even from different PCs to the same external drive/partition. That's when the folders are handy because you can easily id the origin of the images. If you always image from the same partition, then you can do that to the root of the external partition too. There can be no confusion in that case.

thanks as i may want to do my fathers system and may want to do data etc images at a later date when i get more xperienced so the info was still very helpfull

Btw. Imaging the system is important and if your data is on the C partition, then that gets imaged automatically with the system. But more important than the system is your data because once you lose that, there is no way to recover it (unlike the OS which you can always reinstall).

thats good to know so all win updates and my programs will be imaged also so no need to reinstall the is that right?
and i get what you mean so once i have one the OS you reccmend doing the data (D drive also)

thanks

And frequent imaging is important. What good is an image from December 2012 when your system crashes in July of 2013. If you then use the Dec. 2012 image to restore, you lose all the updates and program installations from half a year - worse, if you have your data on C:, you lose all the pictures, documents, etc. that you have put on the system during this half a year.

gd point. so do a new image say every couple of months or if a lot of updates come in or if i make significant changes to system or data drives make a new image..

thanks WHS

whs · Dec 5, 2012

gd point. so do a new image say every couple of months or if a lot of updates
come in or if i make significant changes to system or data drives make a new
image..

I would make images more frequently. A couple of months is an awful long time and lot of things may change. But if you are certain that nothing has changed, then you can space the images accordingly.

I don't worry too much about the OS. But if you installed new programs or made additional settings, it would be ashame to lose those. And most importantly - if you added user data (new pictures, documents, etc.), you want to make sure that you do not lose those.

billybellfoot · Dec 5, 2012

ok so make data
D: images more frequent say 1 a week?

but as for OS
C: images less frequent unless there are lots of win updates?

thanks

on a related macrium issue

the recovery .iso i got from you is only used in the event of sytem failiure is that correct?
its not needed to actually create or restore images that can be done from within macrium (provided system is in a working state) is that correct?

thanks again WHS for all your help advice info it is very much appreciated.

whs · Dec 5, 2012

the recovery .iso i got from you is only used in the event of sytem failiure is
that correct?
its not needed to actually create or restore images that can be
done from within macrium (provided system is in a working state) is that
correct?

If you have Macrium installed on your system, that is correct. You need the CD only for recovery.

But, you can also make images using the CD. That may be handy when you want to image a system where Macrium is NOT installed or when your system is on the blink and you want to e.g. image your data partition.

is it safe to remove EISA

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