Best way to create a recovery disk - MSI GT70c

philstanbridge

philstanbridge

philstanbridge

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What would be the most efficient way to create a set of recovery disks? The laptop does not come with any and although there is a MSI Burn Recovery tool I am wondering if there is anything better? The provided tool needs about 20gb of recovery media judging by the look of things. I haven't even got a Windows 8 backup should the worst case scenario happen I would be pretty stuffed.
 
Assuming your system setup is the same as my GT70-2OD, there is a hidden recovery partition on the mechanical HDD. Pressing F3 during system POST boots recovery mode allowing you to either refresh or reset your machine.

The MSI burn recovery suite allows you to create a bootable recovery optical media, ISO creation or bootable USB drive.
 
Hidden partition sounds like a horrible idea, if the HDD dies, it will take the partition with it. Why don't you backup a full HDD image to an external drive?
 
I'm debating what to do - my system drive is rapidly running out of space already! Down to 19GB. Not sure where all the space is going to be honest.

I would prefer an entire backup but I haven't got any software to do it. The MSI backup facility will only let me backup to dvd or USB stick - I have a blank bluray disk here just for the backup - how annyoing lol. Instead it requires 6 dvds, of which I have none. I have usb sticks but nothing large enough. The other option would be to backup to my Synology but again that doesn't appear to be an option via the software. Also it would take an eternity. So I'm stuck still. I think I need some better software.
 
Acronis offering free trial. Backup disc restoration from dos will still work after trial. Its just the element of creating/restoring from a Windows environment that won't work after the trial ends.
 
I second 2013, just create the recovery disk and boot from it, it's very good. I use it for full image backups all the time.
 
I'm stuck! I've got True Image 2013 and I am trying to make a full bootable backup to BD-R (which it says it supports). But everytime I go to do it it comes back and says the disk is full, free up space. My image will be around 70GB when complete but I thought that would be fine. I've tried making a backup to drive D: which is my separate hd and that works fine.

The only thing I can think of is that my system drive is low on space - I'm down to 13gb. But surely that is fine. It works to DVD-R although that takes a ridiculous amount of disks, and my HD, just not bluray. Any ideas?

I've just noticed something else. When you choose backup to drive it says the E: drive is a CD-RW, and not a bluray. So maybe it isn't recognizing my drive?
 
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Well what I've done for now - I've created a trueimage bootdisk on a USB flash drive, and I've made a clone of the system drive on to my separate drive D: I can boot using the flash drive now, and can see the image on drive D: I'm hoping that with my new SSD I can just recreate the system drive.

I was running out of space on my existing SSD so I wanted to upgrade. But without any recovery disks it was a non starter. So I've got a 250gb one coming. But this doesn't get around my bluray problem which apparently is effecting lots of people.
 
thepharcyde said:
u can clone a drive to drive with acronis. it is what i did
Click to expand...

I've only got the trial of True Image 2013 which the clone drive feature doesnt work. Actually, isn't cloning the same thing as the backup? It's backed up all the partitions I just presumed it would put them all back too.
 
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Bit involved but a live CD of Clonzilla is awesome.

It will take a bit of reading to figure it out but it's worth it IMO.
 
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