How do you backup your HTPC?

[makryger]

I'm a busy guy, and so when things randomly go wrong with my HTPC, it's a pain to have to search for the solution, when everything was fine previously. Sometimes it's just easier to reinstall W7 and start fresh (which of course, takes time too). Most recently, when my computer randomly turned off and corrupted the entire C drive, I had to spend hours trying to get things up and running again, trying to remember what settings I had for what program, what files went where, etc.

So I FINALLY had some time over the last day to get a handle on all the things that involve setting up my own HTPC. I took all the files I needed (mostly backed up in various locations), put them on a thumb drive, and the Piece De Resistance was a command line script I wrote that puts everything in the proper places.

It installs all the registry items that make my Media Center Standby tool work as it should and turns off the WMC startup animation.
It copies my autohotkey script and all subscripts into the proper folders, then it puts a shortcut to the script into the startup folder so it always runs.
It copies all my other command prompt scripts that control volume, turn the TV on and off, and switch to the HTPC input when I turn HTPC on.
It copies my backup My Movies file into the right folder, and some intro videos I put at the beginning of my film collection.
It sets up media center studio, which I still use, and puts a shortcut on the desktop (its a complicated arrangement explained well by hack7mc- I just put it into a cmd script).
It installs a up a bunch of scheduled tasks: the old MCSFix, the NetflixWatcher, and one of my own related to my tv on script.

So now, all I do is run this one batch file, and in a few seconds, it puts most of my HTPC setup back to where it should be. It was a bit tedious to create, but I am certain it will save time in the future! I would recommend creating one for yourself too.

[Scallica]

Nice, but I think it is easier to schedule a weekly system snapshot. Below is XML code that you can import into Task Scheduler. Copy and paste the code into a text editor, and save as snapshot.xml. Then, in Task Scheduler, select Import Task, and select the XML file.

The script takes a snapshot of C: to D:, but you can tweak accordingly.

You can restore the snapshot created by booting off a Windows CD.

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>
<Task version="1.2" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2004/02/mit/task">
  <RegistrationInfo>
    <Date>2012-01-20T17:53:28.9295435</Date>
    <Author>SYSTEM</Author>
  </RegistrationInfo>
  <Triggers>
    <CalendarTrigger>
      <StartBoundary>2012-01-29T22:00:00</StartBoundary>
      <Enabled>true</Enabled>
      <ScheduleByWeek>
        <DaysOfWeek>
          <Sunday />
        </DaysOfWeek>
        <WeeksInterval>1</WeeksInterval>
      </ScheduleByWeek>
    </CalendarTrigger>
  </Triggers>
  <Principals>
    <Principal id="Author">
      <UserId>SYSTEM</UserId>
      <LogonType>InteractiveToken</LogonType>
      <RunLevel>LeastPrivilege</RunLevel>
    </Principal>
  </Principals>
  <Settings>
    <MultipleInstancesPolicy>IgnoreNew</MultipleInstancesPolicy>
    <DisallowStartIfOnBatteries>true</DisallowStartIfOnBatteries>
    <StopIfGoingOnBatteries>true</StopIfGoingOnBatteries>
    <AllowHardTerminate>true</AllowHardTerminate>
    <StartWhenAvailable>false</StartWhenAvailable>
    <RunOnlyIfNetworkAvailable>false</RunOnlyIfNetworkAvailable>
    <IdleSettings>
      <StopOnIdleEnd>true</StopOnIdleEnd>
      <RestartOnIdle>false</RestartOnIdle>
    </IdleSettings>
    <AllowStartOnDemand>true</AllowStartOnDemand>
    <Enabled>true</Enabled>
    <Hidden>false</Hidden>
    <RunOnlyIfIdle>false</RunOnlyIfIdle>
    <WakeToRun>false</WakeToRun>
    <ExecutionTimeLimit>P3D</ExecutionTimeLimit>
    <Priority>7</Priority>
  </Settings>
  <Actions Context="Author">
    <Exec>
      <Command>WBADMIN</Command>
      <Arguments>START BACKUP -backupTarget:D: -include:C: -quiet -allcritical</Arguments>
    </Exec>
  </Actions>
</Task>

[richard1980]

I prefer creating a base system image that is always retained separate from any periodic images. That way you have the option of rolling back to a recent image or the original image. Either way is much faster and easier than reinstalling and configuring Windows and all the other programs.

[makryger]

Also both good ideas... but sometimes I just like to start off fresh with a completely clean install. It happens a few times a year.

[STC]

I'm in Richards boat. I image using quite an old version of Acronis before any minor or major system change as a precaution. I have only had to use one once to restore after a rather weird GPU driver problem. HTPC OS was installed July 2009 which was when I got my hands on an official license for Win7 Pro. Every 24 hrs, mostly at night, a quick snapshot is taken by Storage Server 2008 (WHS2011 in disguise but with more clients) of all machines on my LAN.

[newfiend]

I also made an image of my HTPC after getting everything configured/updated... When things go south I just pop in the windows repair disk and wipe and restore c:.. Saves a lot of time.

[3rob3]

But the big question is.......does it install MyChannel Logo's and restore your custom channel logos? Hehe.

[STC]

Anyone else using a 2009 install? I'd be interested to know. I wonder if I am pushing the boundaries lol.

Rarely updated. SP1 with a few other patches at the time that's it.

If it works, no touchie....

[mcewinter]

I've been coasting on my install since 2009 on my living room machine with no reinstall or recovery during that time. I'm confident I could have made from October 2008, when windows 7 was released, but I upgraded to SSD in '09 and I insisted on a clean install. I've had minimal issues while running a handful of add-ons and Windows updated regularly. Since then I've moved and procreated, and at this rate, I could use more tuners but the PC is still chugging along.

[DavidinCT]

I use Acronis, I do a weekly backup and save it on a network location. I keep 30 days of backups (every Sun morning at 4:30 am it creates it).

So, if I have a failure (I can even do this remote if needed), I copy the backup on to one of the extra drives (a media storage drive, not the C: drive), start up Acrois, select restore, it will reboot the computer, restore and be back up in 20-25 min. I've had to do this a handful of times over the years. I only keep the OS on the C: drive, all other content is on other drives.

As scripting everything else is a cool IDEA, but, putting back the WMC folders could bring back problems that you already had and defeats the point of doing a rebuild.

As only thing I would need to backup is custom channel lineup and scheduled shows, everything else it on other drives. with SeansWMC backup does scheduled series fine (backup and restore, easy, few clicks), and Guide Tool takes care of custom lineup. This takes a whole 5 min to backup and restore after a rebuild.

If you can get a backup package like Acronis and save a weekly backup that would be the best bet, as it's painless just to click restore and your back to where you were before.

The ONLY flaw with your plan is if you have DRM cablecard recordings, then you would be unable to watch them. This is where a full system backup is NEEDED.

Anyone else using a 2009 install? I'd be interested to know. I wonder if I am pushing the boundaries lol.

Rarely updated. SP1 with a few other patches at the time that's it.

If it works, no touchie....

I was till about a month or so ago, I had a power outage and something got corrupted where it would start recording then after a while would go to "no signal" and cut off shows (I have a thread open for that issue). I was on an original install and 2 weeks before I cleaned up all old backups. So I had to rebuild.

Biggest thing I was worried about is finding all those custom addins but, I was able to find all the ones I use, and I still use Media Center studio, I think I have every theme I can find for it (like 70 or so), setup, I added more and now just copy a folder out to back up.

It was about time to clean it up anyway, over the years, with all the 3rd party WMC apps installed then removed, it was getting cluttered up a little, it helped with performance to do a "nuke"

[makryger]

I just changed the topic name, as this has turned into a different (but still very valuable!) conversation.

[DavidinCT]

I just changed the topic name, as this has turned into a different (but still very valuable!) conversation.

You did a batch file, so you did your work on it, would you be willing to share your batch file with us/me ? Even though I prefer full backups, would love to see your script and modify it to my needs, Just in case.

It's always good to have a few tools in the MC tool box

[DSperber]

I treat my HTPC just slightly different than I treat all my other machines (as well as for friends and family), simply because the WMC HTPC records copy-protected WTV content which requires decryption through a key that is Windows-based and is time-sensitive. So if you restore a "system image" from last weekend, that means any copy-protected recordings made SINCE that "system image" was taken will NOT be playable through the just-restored image... since the Windows encrypt/decrypt key implicit in the "date/age" of that just-restored image is older than the key used for the more recent recordings. That key in the just-restored Windows cannot be used to decrypt NEWER recordings, but can only be used to decrypt recordings of its own age or older.

That said, whereas on "normal machines" I use Macrium Reflect to automatically take ONE "system image" backup (of the C partition) per week to an external USB 3.0 drive, on my HTPC I schedule TWO such "system image" backups (of C on the HTPC). That means in worst case if I have some Windows integrity disaster that does force me to restore a "system image" as the ultimate last gasp solution, at least I will only lose at most about 3 days of copy-protected recordings. And with cable channels broadcasting these programs multiple times each week, I can inevitably re-record a new airing of that show which I've now lost the ability to play with the just-restored Windows. This has actually happened to me once or twice over the past 5 years that I've been using WMC and Ceton.

Just because I'm paranoid, I retain 3 weeks of twice-weekly "system image" backups (i.e. 3x2=6 total image files), although I've never not been able to use the most recent one and recover from a disaster.

For the rest of the "normal data" (either in C:\Users or in folders/files on any of the other partitions D-M that I have on the four internal hard drives in my HTPC), I do "data backups" using Novastor's NovaBACKUP product. I take a monthly FULL backups on the 1st of each month, and then each subsequent day of every month I also take nightly INCREMENTAL backups (to capture any files create/updated during the past 24 hours).

I retain 3 complete past monthly "sets" (i.e. FULL from the 1st + all INCREMENTAL for that month), not counting the current month's FULL plus all of its ongoing current nightly INCREMENTAL for the current month. This "data" backup and retention mechanism gives me "daily recovery" capability for any file I had on any night (when the backups get taken), for any day in the past 3-4 months. Using NovaBACKUP I can retrieve any folder/file as of any individual day represented by the total accumulated collection of all backup files. NovaBACKUP makes it easy for me to specify, i.e. "get me the MOST CURRENT version of this folder/file AS OF this date", and it knows from its own database catalog exactly which one or more backup datasets must be used to retrieve all of the data requested, to satisfy this specific "most current AS-OF" date request.

I do NOT backup my WTV recording folders (one "live" and multiple for "hold for eventual playback" overflow, during special periods like The Olympics when "live" recording capacity gets stressed).

[richard1980]

on my HTPC I schedule TWO such "system image" backups (of C on the HTPC). That means in worst case if I have some Windows integrity disaster that does force me to restore a "system image" as the ultimate last gasp solution, at least I will only lose at most about 3 days of copy-protected recordings.

Instead of backing up the entire OS partition on your HTPC, you could just backup the file that contains the keys. %ProgramData%\Microsoft\PlayReady\mspr.hds.

[Mountainbreeze]

I too make periodic backups (disk image) in case of a disk crash as I believe it will happen, it's only a matter of when. What I'm not sure of though is, will this image be useful if it's the motherboard that fails and is replaced by a newer model?

[STC]

No copy once here on any channel thankfully. Not sure how long it will stay that way....

[glugglug]

Nightly Macrium Reflect incremental images of system/application drive. Monthly full images of it.

Recordings/Videos/Music/documents/etc. are in a Stablebit Drivepool pool, which provides raid-like redundancy (better IMO since each physical drive still has a normal NTFS partition, a complete copy of each file can be recovered from at least 2 of the drives without installing the software), and some of the smaller key directories on the pool are also backed up with Macrium and periodically copied to the same external backup drives.

[Jim5055]

I take a whole disk snapshot and restore if things go the hell and gone - as they will
Pretty quick to restore to the SSD. Boot from restore CD and wait.
I used to use Acronis to keep this master image - known working image - but last time I reeeeally needed to do a restore Acronis refused to restore and I had to do a complete windows re-install and basic config to get a new reference copy . .grrrrrr. I now use EaseUS - free version.

What is annoying is when a clean restore does not fix an issue . . . and I do mean clean - very clean ie the snapshot taken of a clean install of Windows 7 and after basic WMC configuration.

[bobstr]

I'm a busy guy, and so when things randomly go wrong with my HTPC, it's a pain to have to search for the solution, when everything was fine previously. Sometimes it's just easier to reinstall W7 and start fresh (which of course, takes time too). Most recently, when my computer randomly turned off and corrupted the entire C drive, I had to spend hours trying to get things up and running again, trying to remember what settings I had for what program, what files went where, etc.

So I FINALLY had some time over the last day to get a handle on all the things that involve setting up my own HTPC. I took all the files I needed (mostly backed up in various locations), put them on a thumb drive, and the Piece De Resistance was a command line script I wrote that puts everything in the proper places.

It installs all the registry items that make my Media Center Standby tool work as it should and turns off the WMC startup animation.
It copies my autohotkey script and all subscripts into the proper folders, then it puts a shortcut to the script into the startup folder so it always runs.
It copies all my other command prompt scripts that control volume, turn the TV on and off, and switch to the HTPC input when I turn HTPC on.
It copies my backup My Movies file into the right folder, and some intro videos I put at the beginning of my film collection.
It sets up media center studio, which I still use, and puts a shortcut on the desktop (its a complicated arrangement explained well by hack7mc- I just put it into a cmd script).
It installs a up a bunch of scheduled tasks: the old MCSFix, the NetflixWatcher, and one of my own related to my tv on script.

So now, all I do is run this one batch file, and in a few seconds, it puts most of my HTPC setup back to where it should be. It was a bit tedious to create, but I am certain it will save time in the future! I would recommend creating one for yourself too.

I kind of cheat - I have Windows Server Essentials 2012 (I used to have Windows Home Server 2011 before they ended that product). With these, you 'join' the PC to the Server and it gets setup for an automatic daily backup. It does an image and then picks up the changes on the next backup pass.

It makes it brain dead simple (and notifies you if backups aren't working) - and gives you a place to store your movies, music, pictures, etc. that also gets automatically backed up (you can configure it to use an external drive).