Backing up the system drive - but also the MBR and Track 0??

[Guest Bill in Co.]

Like some others here, I've used Acronis True Image (11) to backup my system

partition to a USB hard drive enclosure, but I have a question.

 

If, in addition to backing up and restoring the system partition C:, is it

ever necessary to also backup and restore the MBR and Track 0 (which is also

presented as an option in Acronis)? When is THAT needed?

 

So should the MBR (and Track 0) also be backed up too? (I am guessing not,

as I've gotten away so far without doing it). But if you add or delete

programs, doesn't that affect the MBR (and the partition tables) at all?

Or is it only if you make a change to the actual drive partitioning that the

MBR changes?

 

I have a Dell, and the system is located on the second partition of the HD,

not the first (Dell uses the small, hidden, first and third partitions for

its own stuff).

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Backing up the system drive - but also the MBR and Track 0??

 

 

"Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

news:u%23GK71UcIHA.484@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> Like some others here, I've used Acronis True Image (11) to backup my

> system partition to a USB hard drive enclosure, but I have a question.

>

> If, in addition to backing up and restoring the system partition C:, is it

> ever necessary to also backup and restore the MBR and Track 0 (which is

> also presented as an option in Acronis)? When is THAT needed?

>

> So should the MBR (and Track 0) also be backed up too? (I am guessing

> not, as I've gotten away so far without doing it). But if you add or

> delete programs, doesn't that affect the MBR (and the partition tables) at

> all? Or is it only if you make a change to the actual drive partitioning

> that the MBR changes?

>

> I have a Dell, and the system is located on the second partition of the

> HD, not the first (Dell uses the small, hidden, first and third partitions

> for its own stuff).

>

 

You will find that Acronis backs up everything that is necessary

to restore your system. Installing/removing programs will NOT

affect the MBR.

 

Note that all backup systems that have not been tested constitute

the "hope" of having a backup, not the "fact" of having one. The

only way to know that your backup system actually works is to

perform a test recovery.

[Guest jorgen]

Re: Backing up the system drive - but also the MBR and Track 0??

 

Bill in Co. wrote:

> If, in addition to backing up and restoring the system partition C:, is it

> ever necessary to also backup and restore the MBR and Track 0 (which is also

> presented as an option in Acronis)? When is THAT needed?

 

It is needed, if you must preserve drive letters. If the disk id

changes, Windows invalidates all letters on next boot. But in a case

like yours, the partition just happens to get the same letter, so you

don't notice anything

[Guest Bill in Co.]

Re: Backing up the system drive - but also the MBR and Track 0??

 

OK, but I was under the impression that some entries for the Partition Table

(which indexes all the data and its location on the HD, right?) is recorded

in the MBR, so that if you add or remove programs, it could affect at least

some of those entries).

 

I guess, though, from what you are saying, the ONLY thing contained in the

MBR that would be of significance to us as users is if the drive is

repartitioned, or some partitions are deleted or added, and in that case,

and only in that case, would the MBR need to be saved and restored. So is

that correct?

 

I'm not sure about the Track 0 thing, however. Maybe that NEVER needs to

be saved and restored (it may just contain some bootup jump instructions)?

 

 

Pegasus (MVP) wrote:

> "Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

> news:u%23GK71UcIHA.484@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> Like some others here, I've used Acronis True Image (11) to backup my

>> system partition to a USB hard drive enclosure, but I have a question.

>>

>> If, in addition to backing up and restoring the system partition C:, is

>> it

>> ever necessary to also backup and restore the MBR and Track 0 (which is

>> also presented as an option in Acronis)? When is THAT needed?

>>

>> So should the MBR (and Track 0) also be backed up too? (I am guessing

>> not, as I've gotten away so far without doing it). But if you add or

>> delete programs, doesn't that affect the MBR (and the partition tables)

>> at

>> all? Or is it only if you make a change to the actual drive partitioning

>> that the MBR changes?

>>

>> I have a Dell, and the system is located on the second partition of the

>> HD, not the first (Dell uses the small, hidden, first and third

>> partitions

>> for its own stuff).

>>

>

> You will find that Acronis backs up everything that is necessary

> to restore your system. Installing/removing programs will NOT

> affect the MBR.

>

> Note that all backup systems that have not been tested constitute

> the "hope" of having a backup, not the "fact" of having one. The

> only way to know that your backup system actually works is to

> perform a test recovery.

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Backing up the system drive - but also the MBR and Track 0??

 

No, the MBR does NOT contain any file data. This is why it

is perfectly safe to restore it with the fixmbr command (under

the Recovery Console) or with fdisk /mbr (while booting with

a Win98 boot diskette). The MBR contains only the master

boot record program and information on how the hard disk is

partitioned.

 

"Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

news:eB5VrJbcIHA.748@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> OK, but I was under the impression that some entries for the Partition

> Table (which indexes all the data and its location on the HD, right?) is

> recorded in the MBR, so that if you add or remove programs, it could

> affect at least some of those entries).

>

> I guess, though, from what you are saying, the ONLY thing contained in the

> MBR that would be of significance to us as users is if the drive is

> repartitioned, or some partitions are deleted or added, and in that case,

> and only in that case, would the MBR need to be saved and restored. So

> is that correct?

>

> I'm not sure about the Track 0 thing, however. Maybe that NEVER needs

> to be saved and restored (it may just contain some bootup jump

> instructions)?

>

>

> Pegasus (MVP) wrote:

>> "Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

>> news:u%23GK71UcIHA.484@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>>> Like some others here, I've used Acronis True Image (11) to backup my

>>> system partition to a USB hard drive enclosure, but I have a question.

>>>

>>> If, in addition to backing up and restoring the system partition C:, is

>>> it

>>> ever necessary to also backup and restore the MBR and Track 0 (which is

>>> also presented as an option in Acronis)? When is THAT needed?

>>>

>>> So should the MBR (and Track 0) also be backed up too? (I am guessing

>>> not, as I've gotten away so far without doing it). But if you add or

>>> delete programs, doesn't that affect the MBR (and the partition tables)

>>> at

>>> all? Or is it only if you make a change to the actual drive partitioning

>>> that the MBR changes?

>>>

>>> I have a Dell, and the system is located on the second partition of the

>>> HD, not the first (Dell uses the small, hidden, first and third

>>> partitions

>>> for its own stuff).

>>>

>>

>> You will find that Acronis backs up everything that is necessary

>> to restore your system. Installing/removing programs will NOT

>> affect the MBR.

>>

>> Note that all backup systems that have not been tested constitute

>> the "hope" of having a backup, not the "fact" of having one. The

>> only way to know that your backup system actually works is to

>> perform a test recovery.

>

>

[Guest Bill in Co.]

Re: Backing up the system drive - but also the MBR and Track 0??

 

I understand that the MBR doesn't contain the actual file's data, per se.

But I had thought that some information (like how much of the HD is actually

being used, that actual size, in GB, and where the starting cluster of each

program file is located on the HD), would be saved in the Partition Table,

and any changes there would affect at least some entry in the MBR) But I

guess not. So is that a correct assessment?

 

 

Pegasus (MVP) wrote:

> No, the MBR does NOT contain any file data. This is why it

> is perfectly safe to restore it with the fixmbr command (under

> the Recovery Console) or with fdisk /mbr (while booting with

> a Win98 boot diskette). The MBR contains only the master

> boot record program and information on how the hard disk is

> partitioned.

>

> "Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

> news:eB5VrJbcIHA.748@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> OK, but I was under the impression that some entries for the Partition

>> Table (which indexes all the data and its location on the HD, right?) is

>> recorded in the MBR, so that if you add or remove programs, it could

>> affect at least some of those entries).

>>

>> I guess, though, from what you are saying, the ONLY thing contained in

>> the

>> MBR that would be of significance to us as users is if the drive is

>> repartitioned, or some partitions are deleted or added, and in that case,

>> and only in that case, would the MBR need to be saved and restored. So

>> is that correct?

>>

>> I'm not sure about the Track 0 thing, however. Maybe that NEVER needs

>> to be saved and restored (it may just contain some bootup jump

>> instructions)?

>>

>>

>> Pegasus (MVP) wrote:

>>> "Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

>>> news:u%23GK71UcIHA.484@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>>>> Like some others here, I've used Acronis True Image (11) to backup my

>>>> system partition to a USB hard drive enclosure, but I have a question.

>>>>

>>>> If, in addition to backing up and restoring the system partition C:, is

>>>> it

>>>> ever necessary to also backup and restore the MBR and Track 0 (which is

>>>> also presented as an option in Acronis)? When is THAT needed?

>>>>

>>>> So should the MBR (and Track 0) also be backed up too? (I am guessing

>>>> not, as I've gotten away so far without doing it). But if you add or

>>>> delete programs, doesn't that affect the MBR (and the partition tables)

>>>> at

>>>> all? Or is it only if you make a change to the actual drive

>>>> partitioning

>>>> that the MBR changes?

>>>>

>>>> I have a Dell, and the system is located on the second partition of the

>>>> HD, not the first (Dell uses the small, hidden, first and third

>>>> partitions

>>>> for its own stuff).

>>>>

>>>

>>> You will find that Acronis backs up everything that is necessary

>>> to restore your system. Installing/removing programs will NOT

>>> affect the MBR.

>>>

>>> Note that all backup systems that have not been tested constitute

>>> the "hope" of having a backup, not the "fact" of having one. The

>>> only way to know that your backup system actually works is to

>>> perform a test recovery.

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Backing up the system drive - but also the MBR and Track 0??

 

 

"Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

news:eRt$eVbcIHA.4436@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>I understand that the MBR doesn't contain the actual file's data, per se.

>But I had thought that some information (like how much of the HD is

>actually being used, that actual size, in GB, and where the starting

>cluster of each program file is located on the HD), would be saved in the

>Partition Table, and any changes there would affect at least some entry in

>the MBR) But I guess not. So is that a correct assessment?

>

>

 

Yes, that's correct.

[Guest Bill in Co.]

Re: Backing up the system drive - but also the MBR and Track 0??

 

Pegasus (MVP) wrote:

> "Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

> news:eRt$eVbcIHA.4436@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>> I understand that the MBR doesn't contain the actual file's data, per se.

>> But I had thought that some information (like how much of the HD is

>> actually being used, that actual size, in GB, and where the starting

>> cluster of each program file is located on the HD), would be saved in the

>> Partition Table, and any changes there would affect at least some entry

>> in

>> the MBR) But I guess not. So is that a correct assessment?

>>

>>

>

> Yes, that's correct.

 

OK. Thanks. I probably would do myself a big favor by reading up on it

a bit more.

[Guest Timothy Daniels]

Re: Backing up the system drive - but also the MBR and Track 0??

 

"jorgen" wrote:

> Bill in Co. wrote:

>> If, in addition to backing up and restoring the system partition C:,

>> is it ever necessary to also backup and restore the MBR and

>> Track 0 (which is also presented as an option in Acronis)?

>> When is THAT needed?

 

 

<invalid>

> It is needed, if you must preserve drive letters. If the disk id changes,

> Windows invalidates all letters on next boot. But in

> a case like yours, the partition just happens to get the same letter,

> so you don't notice anything.

</invalid>

 

Don't even *try* to understand the above paragraph.

It's nonsense.

 

*TimDaniels*

[Guest jorgen]

Re: Backing up the system drive - but also the MBR and Track 0??

 

Timothy Daniels wrote:

> Don't even *try* to understand the above paragraph.

> It's nonsense.

 

Which part is so nonsense?

 

I've read somewhere that when dealing with vista, this id is also very

important when booting with bootmgr