IT Expert Voice

Virtualization is a useful tool, but it’s not a silver bullet. It creates new problems and exacerbates some existing ones. Here are some things to watch out for when considering virtualizaton as part of your disaster recovery strategy. READ MORE

For some reason, we still don’t know why, some Windows 7 installations are deleting Windows 7 Restore Points. Here’s what we know and what you can do about it.

One of the few original contributions to operating systems that Microsoft can claim is its Restore Points feature. First included with Windows XP and the now-forgotten Windows ME, Windows automatically creates copies of system and application files, at stated intervals or before changes are made. If a new program installation or other “learning experience” wrecked the user’s system, these backed-up file collection and system settings, called Restore Points, could be used to restore a PC to a working state. What makes Restore Points different from a mere automatic back-up system is that it doesn’t touch documents and other user work files. To say, “This was much appreciated” is an understatement, especially when it’s your work that was saved.

Restore Points — and System Restore, the program behind them — worked well… until it didn’t. It turns out that many users are having serious trouble with Restore Points in Windows 7 . Whether the Restore Points are made manually, automatically by the system timer, or invoked by installing new software, they may vanish after any system reboot like morning dew on a sunny day. READ MORE

Mobile users face large obstacles in keeping up with reasonable backups. There are several solutions available, each with a common denominator that requires us to remember to perform backups in the first place.

In some cases, Windows 7 BitLocker aids your capacity to encrypt removable and backup media, depending on the media involved.

Portable Hard Drives

Ranging in size from small to huge, portable hard drives are a fairly easy way to keep backups in order—especially backups consisting of just data. Windows 7, as in prior Windows editions, contains the infamous Backup.exe software in Professional+ editions. Backup.EXE allows compressed and regularly scheduled backups (so long as you remember to plug in the drive); drives can also be BitLocker-managed and encrypted. You can do a quick backup of just data files (example, your /user directory), or mixtures of the whole enchilada and all the data, or just those files that have changed, in your favorite backup combo.

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Backups are all well and good, but if you want to restore a dead system to working order or to set up a few dozen PCs to work alike, then you need imaging software. Learn what’s available and how to put it to use on your new Windows 7 system installations. READ MORE

Windows 7 offers new and improved methods of making backups and file access. This screencast video touches on the highlights of both.

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