Backup of usb back on pc

[ilovemyjoggler]

I' d like a copy of my usb (mint tweaked with my add ons and changes) on my pc as back up so I can speedup rewriting when the usb fails...thanks Hawsey for this advice btw As I understand it, it's not a copy I need but to write it from usb to pc with win32diskimager. Before I do this, is there anything I need to be aware of? Stupid question or not I don't want to lose anything on my pc! Thanks!

[dwl99]

As long as you click on "Read" and not "Write" you should be fine.

[ilovemyjoggler]

Thank you!

When I select the usb drive (F in my case now called linux-boot) in win32blah I am faced with several loose files (not the single image I first wrote to the usb). Should I be reading these files individually? I kinda thought I would have a single image which I could rewrite when I needed - as at first.

Basically, what I'm getting at is that I can't figure out how to do it at all. This is even before I can get to click on read... I feel very stupid.

Can you bear to help?

[dwl99]

Don't bother looking at the contents of the drive in Windows Explorer, just select the correct drive letter in Win32blah and select "Read" and it takes a snapshot of the whole stick There is a lot of stuff on the stick that Windows will not see as it is in EXT3 format which Windows cannot read.

[ilovemyjoggler]

Crappity crappity I can't get it to work.

Normally...Usb to be read in slot. Open win32blah and select icon with usb pic on it, up pops a box. Browse for the file I want, click and it appears in the box. Select the drive to write to. Click on write, bob's your uncle.

NOPE. Usb in slot, open win32 and click on icon to get pop up box, browse for the usb then goes no further as it wants a file - which I'm not giving it.

So tried not putting anything in box, selecting the usb in the drive box then click read. Still nothing. 'An error occurred when trying to get a handle on the file. Error 8' (I get this all the time on both the pc and laptop, and all my usbs, I usually ignore it and it writes ok).

What am I doing wrong?

[dwl99]

You need to specify the name & location of the backup before it will read the source USB stick. The other error message is something that happens quite randomly. You can try a reboot or using another USB port or even a different PC.

[ilovemyjoggler]

Thank you! Your last post finally hammered it home! Hells bells how hard did I make that - I've obviously been a bit of an idiot.

Anyway...thanks again!

PS. Umm, do I want to know what would have happened if I had 'written' instead of 'read' to my hard drive?

[ilovemyjoggler]

Well thank god (or should that be the forum) for the backup. Have had to use it already....Not sure what's causing it so fail so often but with my backup I'm back up and running quickly. Thank you!!

[dwl99]

I assume you're turning the Joggler off properly with the shutdown button rather than just pulling the plug?

[ilovemyjoggler]

Yup, although frequently it just freezes and I have no choice but to pull the plug. Sometimes it will recover but sometimes not... I Haven't yet identified a regular pattern.

However, as much as a pain this may be, having the backup has made the WORLD of difference so again I thank you personally for your patience in helping me with that!

[ilovemyjoggler]

Can someone please help me get my head around these instructions for backing up my images. I have managed to do it once - last summer - but more recently I can't seem to get it right. I'm actually quite desperate to back up 2 sticks before the **** hits the fan. Again.

I've hit a mental wall and any step by step help would be really appreciated. Thanks!

[hawsey]

What software are you trying to use? As I need to do this as well and I can give it a try (tomorrow) as well.
Same as you I have backed up an image but it was a while ago and cant quite remember.
If I remember rightly you just point your back up software to your usb stick and it grabs a. Img off it.

[ilovemyjoggler]

I'm using windiskimager (think it's version 0.0.0.1 - downloaded last year and never been updated!).

Yes, as far as I understand, you specify the destination location in the 'address' box and select the usb drive then click on read. I can get it to 'read' the usb but the end result is usually twice the size of whatever was on the original image. If I try to write this new image I end up with nothing.

Maybe I should update the software and try again. I'm wary of doing this tho in case I end up with a less reliable version!

[hawsey]

Yes I think that was the one I used but will check , the image you create will be a complete image of say your 8gb usb stick rather than the smaller os image that you wrote to it I believe so the image would be 8 gb ish .
Will have a go tomorrow and report back .....

Sent from my BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps using Tapatalk 2 Beta-5

[ilovemyjoggler]

... the image you create will be a complete image of say your 8gb usb stick rather than the smaller os image that you wrote to it I believe so the image would be 8 gb ish

I'm not sure about this. The only successful backup i've made is of sqpos and the file is just shy of 2gb - which is about the right size. The stick that I'm running sqpos on is 8gb. The backups yesterday were coming in at 4gb.

It seems a simple process but yet again i've been stumped. Eagerly await to hear how you get on. Thanks again!

EDIT: Hang on a mo - when I create a name for the back up before I hit read, am I supposed to add .img at the end of it's new name? I haven't been. I'm not at home right now so can't try this out.

[hawsey]

I think i have this sorted now , this is what i did to back up and then restore a usb image .
1 Made sure my 8gb usb stick with Xubuntu (thank you BuZz)on booted up ok on my Joggler
2 Tried and faied to make any sense of Windiskimager
3 Sourced a free image tool from here http://www.alexpage.de/usb-image-tool/download/ donate if you find useful
4 Pointed it at my usb stick on my e drive and pointed the folder to write to a one called backupusb on my desktop and set it away
5 Re formated my usb stick using the HP utilities software
6 Re wrote the image back to my stick plugged it in to my Joggler and switched on
7 Success booted straight in to Xubuntu

It seems a great piece of software and very easy to use
Hope this helps

Enjoy

[pete]

It should create the ".img" at the end automatically.

This image tools works well for me in addition to the above mentioned ones.

http://www.alexpage.de/usb-image-tool/

The above one doesn't always work though so I "fallback" to diskimage.

[ilovemyjoggler]

Thanks guys.

Hawsey, I love point 2.

Can you just confirm that when creating the backup on your pc using this new software that you click on write (not read). I'm slightly terrified of writing everything off my pc. And then being in big trouble with my family who will probably never forgive me...

I'll give this a go tomorrow.

[hawsey]

Lol ILMJ

In Windows 7 I allways go to start/ computer and see exactly what drive letter your usb stick is and then i open up the program i use then do an OCD and check again so i dont go wrong .

On the tool i posted above from ALEX'S CODING page the buttons say Backup and restore, so basically you plug in your usb stick open the tool , select your usb stick then hit backup .Once you have your backup you plug in your blank stick and hit Restore

[ilovemyjoggler]

hawsey, hawsey, hawsey, you little beauty you! Worked a treat - thanks ever so much.