ERecovery on Acer

[ukthesis_76]

I have an Acer desktop PC. I backed up on DVDs the "factory" settings when I first bought it. However, I understand that periodically, I need to do "incremental" backups to take account of updates. These are "explained" on the Acer website, so they do exist (some thought otherwise). But the website with the description is for a different set of options than the window that comes up with the system I'm on (eRecovery Management screen).

On this PC, there are two options. The first is to save the factory settings, which I've already done. The second option is labelled as "create drivers and applications disc." There is nothing on this about incremental backups. Can anyone please advise what's going on?

 

[Ubrales]

Welcome to Tom's Hardware Forums!

As you probably know, incremental backups will keep the original backup and change/add just the new files that have been created/modified. This is a faster way of backups. However, every month, I perform a complete backup of the entire system just to be safe.

I would recommend that you do incremental backups every week and complete backups every month. Data is too valuable!

The second option that you are describing may be a 'recovery' disk. It's good practice to do that too. I do mine on re-writable DVDs.

 

[ukthesis_76]

Thank you and this confirms what most have told me. I have encountered two people who thought that once the "factory" settings are saved, that's the end. But it isn't. So this is something that's caused confusion.

To the specific issue I'm having. The eRecovery Management screen I have on this PC is not the one that Acer themselves show. This is the problem. I don't see on this screen anywhere to save incremental backups. Th only options here are to save the factory settings, which I've already done. And, as the other alternative, to "create drivers and applications disc." Is THIS the incremental backups option? Doesn't sound like it to me but that's all that they can offer me. What do you know?

 

[Ubrales]

Thank you and this confirms what most have told me. I have encountered two people who thought that once the "factory" settings are saved, that's the end. But it isn't. So this is something that's caused confusion.

To the specific issue I'm having. The eRecovery Management screen I have on this PC is not the one that Acer themselves show. This is the problem. I don't see on this screen anywhere to save incremental backups. Th only options here are to save the factory settings, which I've already done. And, as the other alternative, to "create drivers and applications disc." Is THIS the incremental backups option? Doesn't sound like it to me but that's all that they can offer me. What do you know?

"create drivers and applications disc." sounds more like a rescue disk. Go ahead and create this disc then you will know what Acer means by this terminology.

Sometimes, the English used by some of these programs creators is horrendous! They 'think' in their local language or their mother tongue which is not English and then try to translate words and phrases verbatim into English. The results is utter rubbish! I can recognize some of this on help screens in Microsoft Office.

 

[funguseater]

Hi ukthesis_76

Your two eRecovery options listed are for 1. Creating FACTORY RESTORE disks (these come from a hidden partition and will not have any updated information or drivers, it returns your PC to like new condition, software wise) and 2. creating the drivers disk (also contains all the Bloat-ware/crappy software from Acer)

What you are trying to do is a system back-up, you can save all settings software etc,etc. The initial Backup could be very large if you have a lot of data, media, programs. Then you can set it to back up weekly incrementally and it will only copy new files to your backup location. You set this Backup through START-->>CONTROL PANEL-->>BACKUP and RESTORE. This Backup should be kept on a separate HDD of course.

There is eRecovery software fore regular backups but the windows software is easy. Good Luck!!

 

[ukthesis_76]

Thanks again. Forgive my own confusion. I know about Backup and Restore function. I use it daily and this is Windows, right? This comes with Windows, doesn't it? The Acer backup facility is different. I was told on another forum that the Acer and Windows "backups" do separate things. If this is true, using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore function (that I am familiar with) doesn't address the issue.

 

[Ubrales]

Thanks again. Forgive my own confusion. I know about Backup and Restore function. I use it daily and this is Windows, right? This comes with Windows, doesn't it? The Acer backup facility is different. I was told on another forum that the Acer and Windows "backups" do separate things. If this is true, using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore function (that I am familiar with) doesn't address the issue.

Windows 7 Backup & Restore will address everything!

Just do a complete System Backup as you are accustomed to. Nothing more than this is required.

Like I suggested, do an incremental backup every other week and a complete backup every other week. Yes, I believe in belt and suspenders. A little extra protection goes a long way!

This is how I backup my computer. In addition to Win 7, I also use "EASEUS TODO BACKUP" - I alternate between the two. EASEUS is a free download.

 

[ukthesis_76]

Thank you. When you say you do an "incremental backup every other week and a complete backup every other week." All I am aware of, if you are referring to Windows 7 Backup and Restore, are the backups of folders and files (which I do daily). And the "system image" backup, which takes a lot longer, but seems to be more profound. You do that one occasionally, and I'm not sure if this is that "incremental backup" I'm talking about. I've also just seen an option on the Control Panel for a "Create a system repair disc." I have no idea what that's for. So there are a few crossed wires here, I believe.

 

[ukthesis_76]

Can I also ask why, if I don't need to bother with the Acer eRecovery Management system, either three or four people (most of them retailers of this stuff) do say that I need to use the Acer system. One of them also uses Windows Back and Restore, so why would he not say to ignore the Acer system, as you recommend I do?

 

[Ubrales]

Can I also ask why, if I don't need to bother with the Acer eRecovery Management system, either three or four people (most of them retailers of this stuff) do say that I need to use the Acer system. One of them also uses Windows Back and Restore, so why would he not say to ignore the Acer system, as you recommend I do?

How do you think it will look if he says "Buy the Acer, it is good, but ignore the Acer backup software which is crappy"?

And, Win 7 does not have incremental backup. For that I use "EASEUS TODO BACKUP" which is a free download.

All forms of advice including mine must be taken with a grain of salt. Regarding Backups, I had an expert (I respect this guy's knowledge and experience very much) from MicroCenter tell us at a seminar that all backups must be done on DVDs, not on a hard disk. His reasoning is that hard disks use magnetic media and are subject to failure. From a pure technical standpoint he is correct. His theory is sound but I am constantly reminded of "In theory, the bumble bee cannot fly!"

Needless to say, I continue to do my backups on an external hard disk stored in a separate place. And I have two separate external disks exclusively for backup purposes. Lots of irreplaceable Autocad designs, technical reports (mostly authored by me), files, photos on them. Hence the redundancy.

I hope this sheds a better light on backups, the importance, and the frequency!

 

[ukthesis_76]

Thanks for that. I have been on forums where if I query an answer given, I'm liable to get a very shirty reply. Some people basically don't like being queried, to the point of being aggressive. But yours is very informative.

 

[Ubrales]

Thanks for that. I have been on forums where if I query an answer given, I'm liable to get a very shirty reply. Some people basically don't like being queried, to the point of being aggressive. But yours is very informative.

Aggression is usually a sign of weakness and ignorance. People should answer in a polite, firm, and informative way backing up their answers with 'facts and data'. Opinions are fine too and if opinions are expressed they should state that it is an opinion, and not necessarily fact.

I welcome a healthy discussion along with a reasonable amount of questions and challenges. I am here to learn and to share what (little) I know.

Some manufacturers make wild claims about their products. An interesting example in the US is the claims made by automobile manufacturers. They all claim to make the best cars in the world! Just watch some of the commercials on TV. In the US such wild claims are permitted by the legal system because in the opinion of the Courts, no one believes such claims! Interesting reasoning!

 

[ukthesis_76]

That's very true. Because I'm not that technically sophisticated, I do visit several forums if I have a particular problem. And the quality of the advice given varies greatly, which isn't any good when I'm already uncertain. Some of the posters I've encountered are adamant that "their" own view is correct and when I try to find out why, delving a little deeper, that's often the point when their "why do you doubt it?" approach comes into play. The worst is also when I get completely conflicting advice.

 

[ukthesis_76]

I don't know if you want to reply. But the man who sold me this Acer PC is today adamant that I only need to use the Windows Backup and Restore function regularly. This saves folders and files created on my desktop. Then, I've already saved the Factory Settings for the Acer computer, in case that goes down.

So he definitely says that I don't need to do anything more and I can forget all about these incremental backups. All I need is to use Windows Backup and Restore.

 

[Ubrales]

I don't know if you want to reply. But the man who sold me this Acer PC is today adamant that I only need to use the Windows Backup and Restore function regularly. This saves folders and files created on my desktop. Then, I've already saved the Factory Settings for the Acer computer, in case that goes down.

So he definitely says that I don't need to do anything more and I can forget all about these incremental backups. All I need is to use Windows Backup and Restore.

Yes he is correct! All you need is Windows 7 backup regularly. Incremental backup is just to save time. I personally prefer a complete (not incremental) backup.

 

[ukthesis_76]

Right. So I used the Acer eRecovery for the "factory" settings, burning them onto a set of DVDs. Then I forget about Acer, unless I need to restore the settings later if the system fails. After that, I rely on the Windows 7 Backup and Restore function.

 

[Ubrales]

Right. So I used the Acer eRecovery for the "factory" settings, burning them onto a set of DVDs. Then I forget about Acer, unless I need to restore the settings later if the system fails. After that, I rely on the Windows 7 Backup and Restore function.

Yes!