USING A "VMWARE PLAYER" VIRTUAL

MACHINE TO PERFORM A PRACTICE/TEST RESTORE TO A "VIRTUAL HARD DRIVE"

Summary: You can use the "VMware Player" virtual machine program to perform a practice/test restore of an "Acronis True Image Home.." "backup image file set" to a virtual hard drive to get some practice with the restore process and to make sure that your backup "image file sets" are good.

DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURE Acronis True Image Home.." is a popular commercial software application for performing backups of entire hard drives. However, few home computer users ever perform a restore with the "backup image file sets" that they create with "Acronis True Image Home". You can use "VMware Player" virtual machines to perform a "fire drill" restore of a "Acronis.." "backup image file set" to test its validity and to get some practice with the restore procedure. The basic procedure is as follows: Action 1: If you have not already done so, use the "Acronis True Image Home.." program (running from inside "Windows.." to create either a "Rescue Media" CD disc or an .ISO file that represents the "Rescue Media CD disc. Action 2: Start the "VMware Player" program.

Action 3: Create a new "virtual machine" using the "VMware Player" program. Action 4: Name the new "virtual machine" as follows: Test Restore of Acronis True Image <year> of <description of the real computer that the Acronis image was created from> Action 5: Make sure that the "virtual hard drive" of the new virtual machine is at least as large as the real hard drive in the real computer that the Acronis "backup image file set" was created from. Action 6: Attach the Acronis "Rescue Media" diskette or an .iso file that represents the "Acronis "Rescue to the newly-created "virtual machine". Action 7 Attach the external hard drive where the Acronis "backup image file set" resides to the new virtual machine. Action 7: Adjust the amount of RAM that is allocated to the new virtual machine. Action 8: Start the new "Test Restore.." virtual machine. Action 9: Click once inside the Windows of the new "Test Restore.." virtual machine. Action 10: Press once on the "Esc" key of your keyboard. Action 11: Select the "Boot from CD/DVD" option. Action 12:

The "Acronis Rescue Media" CD will boot up and start the "standalone mode of "Acronis True Image Home". Action 13: Perform a "Recover" of the "Acronis backup image file set" to the newly-created virtual hard drive of the new "Test Restore.." virtual machine. Action 14: Shut down the "Test Restore.." virtual machine. Action 15: The "Test Restore.." virtual machine is not bootable because its "hardware abstraction layer" is not compatible with its virtual hardware. Because of this, do not ever try to boot the "Test Restore.." virtual machine. The "Test Restore.." virtual machine is only there because it contains a virtual hard drive that is a "spitting image" of the original real computer that the "Acronis backup file set" was created from. Attach the virtual hard drive of the "Test Restore.." virtual machine to an existing, functional "Windows.." virtual machine. Action 16: Start the existing, functional "Windows.." virtual machine. Action 17: Use "My Computer" or "Windows Explorer" to browse the files and folders of the virtual hard drive of the "Test Restore.." virtual machine. Action 18: Use "Error-Checking" to scan the virtual hard drive of the "Test Restore.." virtual machine.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Locate either the .ISO file that represents the Acronis "Rescue Media" CD or that actual "Rescue Media" CD disc.

Step 2: Locate the external hard drive that contains the Acronis "back image file set" and connect it to the computer where "VMware Player" is installed.

Step 3: Start the "VMware Player" program. Step 4: Click on "Create a New Virtual Machine":

Step 5: A "New Virtual Machine Wizard" dialog box will be displayed:

Step 6: Select the "I will install the operating system later." option:

* Step 6: Click on the "Next" button:

* Step 7: Make sure that operating system and version match the operating system and version of the real computer that the Acronis "backup image file set" was created from.

* Step 8: Click on the "Next" button:

Step 9: Name the new "virtual machine" as follows: Test Restore of Acronis True Image <year> of <description of the real computer that the Acronis image was created from> .

Step 10: Modify the location of the virtual machine, as required.

* Step 11: Click on the "Next" button:

* Step 12 Set the size to the new virtual hard drive to a size that is a little bit bigger than the real hard drive of the real computer that the Acronis "backup image file set" was created from:

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* Step 13: Select "Split virtual disk into multiple files":

Step 14: Click on the "Next" button.

Step 16: Ignore the "Ready to Create Virtual Machine" notification:

* Step 17: Click on the "Customize Hardware" button:

* Step 18: A "Hardware" dialog box will be displayed:

* Step 19: Adjust RAM to a reasonable amount for the operating system of the new "Test Rescue.." virtual machine.

* Step 20: Click on "New CD/DVD" to highlight it:

* Step 21: Use the "Connection" area to either connect to the .iso file that represents the Acronis "Rescue Media" CD or connect to the real Acronis "Rescue Media" CD disc.

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* Step 22: Click on the "OK" button of the "Hardware" dialog box:

* Step 23: You will now be back to the "New Virtual Machine Wizard" dialog box:

* Step 24: Click on the "Finish" button:

* Step 25: You will now be back at the main "VMware Player" Window. The newly created "Test Rescue.." virtual machine should be at the top of the list and it should be highlighted:

* Step 26: Click on "Play virtual machine":

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* Step 27: Click once inside the Windows of the new "Test Restore.." virtual machine. Press once on the "Esc" key of your keyboard. Select the "Boot from CD/DVD" option. The "Acronis Rescue Media" CD will boot up.

Step 28: The Linux-based "standalone mode of "Acronis True Image Home" will start up. Step 29: Click on "Recover":

Step 30: Click on the "Browse for backup" button:

Step 31: Browse to the Acronis "backup image file set" on the external hard drive:

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* Step 32: Click on any *.TIB file in the "backup image file set":

* Step 33: Click on the "OK" button:

Step 34: If a "You have selected a remote resource.." box is displayed, click on its "Yes" button:

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* Step 35: Your "backup image file set" will now be displayed in the "Images" area:

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Step 36: Use the right mouse button to click on your listed image. A pop-up context menu will be displayed. Click on "Recover" in the pop-up context menu. Step 37: Make sure that "Recover whole disks and partitions" is selected:

* Step 38: Click on the "Next" button:

Step 39: Checkmark all of the partitions that you wish to recover.

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Step 40: Click on the "Next" button:

* Step 41: Select the virtual hard disk that is to be the destination of the recovery process:

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* Step 42: Click on the "Next" button:

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* Step 43: Click on the "Proceed" button:

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* Step 44: Click on the "OK" button of the "Recover operation succeeded" dialog box:

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* Step 45: Try to avoid starting/booting up the "Test Rescue.." virtual machine. If you accidentally start/boot it, you will get this unfriendly error message: This error message reminds you that the "hardware abstraction layer" of the virtual hard drive is not compatible with the virtual hardware of the virtual machine. This is an expected situation. The "Test Rescue.." virtual machine will never boot up because the virtual machine needs to have a different "hardware abstraction layer" than the original physical computer that the Acronis image backup was taken from.

* Step 46: Click on the "X" icon in the upper right-hand corner of the "Test Rescue.." virtual machine.

* Step 47: Click on the "Yes" button of the "Are you sure.." dialog box:

In the remaining steps, you will attach the newly-created virtual hard drive to an existing working "VMware Player" virtual machine to view the files and folders on the newly-created virtual hard drive. Step 48: Re-start the "VMware Player" program: Note that the newly-created "Test Rescue.." virtual is at the top of the list of virtual machines.

* Step 49: Click on the functional virtual machine that you want to use to look a the virtual hard drive of the newly-created "Test Rescue.." non-functional virtual machine.

Step 50: Click on "Edit virtual machine settings":

* Step 51: A "Virtual Machine Settings" box will be displayed:

* Step 52: Click on the "Add" button:

* Step 53: Click on the "Yes" button if you get a "User Account Control" dialog box. Step 54: A "Add Hardware Wizard" dialog box will be displayed. Step 55: Make sure that "Hard Disk" is highlighted:

* Step 56: Click on the "Next" button:

* * Step 57: A "Select a Disk" dialog box will be displayed:

* Step 58: Select the "Use an existing virtual disk" option:

* Step 59: Click on the "Next" button:

* Step 60: A "Select an existing disk" dialog box will be displayed:

* Step 61: Click on the "Browse" button:

* Step 62: Browse/navigate to the virtual hard drive of the "Test Rescue.." virtual machine:

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* Step 63: Click on the "Open" button:

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* Step 64: Click on the "Finish" button:

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* Step 65: Click on the "OK" button:

* Step 66: You will now be back at the "VMware Player" main window with the selected functional virtual machine still highlighted:

* Step 67: Click on "Play virtual machine":

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* Step 68: Click on the Windows "Start" button:

* Step 69: Click on "My Computer" or "Windows Explorer":

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* Step 70: Locate the virtual hard drive of the "Test Rescue.." virtual machine. Double-click on this virtual hard drive:

* Step 71: Browse various files and folders to make sure that they are functional.

* Step 72: Use the right mouse button to perform a click on the hard drive of the "Test Rescue.." virtual machine.

* Step 73: A popup context menu will be displayed:

* Step 74: Click on "Properties" in the pop-up context menu:

* Step 75: A "..Properties" dialog box will be displayed:

* Step 76: Click on the "Tools" tab of the "..Properties" box:

* Step 77: Click on the "Check Now" button: *

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