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Old 10-13-2017, 06:58 AM   #1
Colox
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Default Big backup/restore method thread, 3rd party software

I've just upgraded Win8.1 > Win10. My GOD what a job it is to get the same setup working again. Especially re-installing all 3rd party plugins, I'm still not done and I've spent probably 36 hours (effective time) doing it. Getting cross-eyed from all the menus and settings. I've had to cancel a studio date because of the workload. Horrible.

I've done this many times before, dozens of times, and each time I improve on my 'as-automatic-as-possible' backup system, so that a re-store after re-install will be even more quick and painless. Still, it's a friggin' nightmare. I just don't want to do this again. And I know I'm not alone feeling that, right?

I would like to discuss- and/or collaborate to create some kind of workable solution to prevent this, and/or cut down the time for this. And I'm not afraid going very far to do so, including making dedicated software for it.

Currently, I'm using a backup program which creates a mirror of selected folders on the backup location. I include as much of 3rd party plugins and software as I can. But many of them needs an installation process to function properly, so I can't just backup everything. It won't work from just putting each file back into place.

My own solution is to use 1 plugins folder, c:\program files\vstplugins. Reaper itself offers a great backup option, with which I always do a ReaperZip before I run my ordinary backup program.

Then, in the program files/vstplugins folder, I got subfolders 32 and 64, to separate the plugins when needed (most VST compatible programs reads through an entire folder).

Some 3rd party plugins don't need no installation process. At most, some of them requires a serial number input but no more. I've put most of those in a subfolder beneath either the "32"- or "64" folder, called "NoInstall". All others are placed in a subfolder beneath the "32"- or "64" folder called "Install".

I can live with the NoInstall plugins. But those plugins I've put in the "Install" folder, are different. They usually require of me to install them, because the installation process places material belonging to those plugins inside the "program files" folder, the "ProgramData" folder, the C:\Users\Username\AppData\ folder, the system registry, and sometimes also needs a regsvr run before they even work.

I have tried attacking this problem head on, by figuring out how I can backup things in such a way that all those installed features gets recorded and fused back into the system again. But I haven't been able to figure out a way to do it that literally - yet. Perhaps I'm attacking things from the wrong entry point?

How do you approach backup up your 3rd party setup and systems settings to make it as painless and quick as you can?
Can you think of other ways of achieving what I'm trying to achieve? Solutions that some of us maybe never heard of?


One more thing, I will not use backup solutions based on disk imaging. Partly because such solutions also backs up all the unwanted material, all the crap in the system registry for example, as well as all the wanted stuff. It counteracts the idea of re-installing the operative system.

Let's talk
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Last edited by Colox; 10-13-2017 at 12:36 PM.
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Old 10-13-2017, 10:38 AM   #2
Philbo King
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Here's my method, based on long and bitter experiences with Windows:

1) Never ever store any data you care about on the C: drive. Windows will, sooner or later, cause it to be deleted, whether by OS crash, OS re-install, or just plain wickedness and stupidity.

2) Use a separate physical drive for data. Use yet another separate physical drive for backing up data and for 'install' data. 'Install' data is a collection of all the install programs and CD/DVDs for every program you would want to install if you needed to rebuild the system from scratch.

3) Maintain a backup schedule where at the end of every session, any files or projects changed during that session are copied to the backup drive. Don't use automatic backup programs or anything that encrypts your backup data, you will regret it one day if you do; just keep an updated duplicate copy on the separate physical drive.
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Old 10-13-2017, 12:29 PM   #3
serr
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Always make 1:1 clones of any system drive to a backup drive. Don't pick and choose files and folders to backup! Manage your drive storage as you will and then clone the whole thing 1:1.

In addition, make a master .iso disk image file for your system drive as soon as you have everything configured for an ultimate backup should the backup clone drive get corrupted.

You want to be able to boot from your backup clone and be able to write that iso image to any fresh drive and simply boot back into your system. Keep old system iso masters in your archives.

Cloning apps (like Carbon Copy Cloner) are worth the investment for the ease of use features but your stock Disk Utility app will let you clone a drive 1:1.

Now if you upgrade machines to the point that an older OS install is not compatible with the new hardware, you really have no choice but to do a clean install. That's just that.

As for various authorized software, keep a simple text file with all your authorization codes. Add to it every time you buy something.

Keep OS installers in your archive! Some companies get severe amnesia with their older products (cough Apple cough). Keep app installers in your archive for important stuff. Always assume it will be deleted from the webpage the next time you go looking for it.

That's what I think I know.
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Old 10-19-2017, 05:53 PM   #4
Colox
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Quote:
Originally Posted by serr View Post
Always make 1:1 clones of any system drive to a backup drive. Don't pick and choose files and folders to backup! Manage your drive storage as you will and then clone the whole thing 1:1.
Mmmmm .. I don't know ...

Things are a bit different for mac, which I see you use. Mac is a bit better at keeping things clean inside. In Windows, things are overwritten and changed by 3rd party apps more. That's why one re-installs when using Windows; resets everything and cleans out all the added 'dirt' that rasps up functionality and smooth system operation.
Storing all that dirt inside a disc clone isn't a fresh re-install; it's just a re-introduction of the system state which made re-install a necessity.

That's also the reason one shouldn't do a system clone right before re-install.

It would make sense to make a disc clone right after a re-install, when things are as fresh as possible. But it also means that the clone I will be using is old, 6-12 months old or so. So much have changed since then (at least with the way I work). New versions of apps and plugins, configs, drivers/hardware, differently configured DAW etc.
And that disc image will only work on the same computer it was made on. If I upgrade central hardware - motherboard for example - then the restore won't work, probably won't even be a working software environment to run, because it will restore the drivers for the former hardware config, not the existing.

I don't know, just don't know ...
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Last edited by Colox; 10-20-2017 at 06:11 AM.
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