Thankyou Atsuko!!

chuckebaby
Im a bit reckless myself (sure some may even call me a fool) But I don't do disk images anymore.
I used to But it was useless for me as I have gone almost 10 years without a problem.
At one point I had 2 PC (DAW And a Surfer) with a mouse keyboard box (KVM Switch) but that got old.
Because sometimes I had focus problems when switching from PC number 1 to PC number 2.
 
So about 2 years ago I decided to only back up Projects only. I don't frequent unfamiliar sites, always have my Anti Virus up to date and just take caution. I am aware that not matter how safe you are there is always a risk.
However there are ways to decrease your chances of an attack.
-Don't open attachments you are not sure about.
-Don't click on links sent you in emails (unless you know exactly who they are) Some links, using prefixes and familiar name beginnings. Example: FaceBooks com. Attackers are getting smarter by the minute.
-Don't ever download something you are not sure about.

I totally agree Chuck,but i still do disk imaging it saves alot of heartache,i had an unrelated problem and could not access my projects,a lightening strike,put my resent backup drive in and i was back in bizz after not having any problem for about five years and the new battery backup i use now helps the electrical situation alot.

Although my backup routine includes automatic daily data backup and weekly offsite drive rotation, reading this thread has reminded me of vulnerabilities to address before the next drive failure (just a matter of time) or malware invasion (possible despite best practices). It is very easy to drift away from ideal intentions as files migrate across additional drives and routines gradually fail to accommodate the various changes. I've been lax about system disk imaging, and I see that my current automation misses things that should be included and I haven't been good about disconnecting backup drives in between backups, so this thread lights a fire under me to close the gaps right away.
 
Thank you (and deep sympathy) to the OP for sharing this dramatic reminder of what can happen. And thank you to everyone else who posted useful suggestions.

The Grim

jpetersen
Backups only save projects.
 
The time-consuming part is re-installing and re-registering all software.
 
Making regular ISOs after every install is also required.
 
If you pay, you finance the attack on the next victims.

i think when most people (at least i do) say 'back up' they mean making a disk image, so there is no time lost reinstalling etc, 15/20 minutes and you are up and running as if nothing happened.

Can you tell me the easiest way of doing this or recommend a software for doing an ISO back up please as its something I have not done.
thanks John

The easiest way is to use what's already in Windows. You can (REALLY SHOULD!) make a copy of the recovery partition, usually with the tools supplied by the manufacturer. This is a once-only thing, when you set up your PC for the first time.
 
Then, whenever a new software is installed, make a complete system backup. Windows has tools for this, but lately Windows insists on an external hard drive. It will not accept thumb drives, even if formatted NTFS. This is a pain.
 
I prefer to keep a generation or two, in case the malware has been lying dormant for a while.
 
And then there's the regular backups of the projects themselves. 
 
There's backup software that does this better. I'm sure someone will jump in and offer some insights, I have no experience with 3rd party backup tools.
 

i would use something like 'acronis true image' i have used it for a while now, never had an issue with it, works like a dream. it will do disk images (backup whole disk and/or partitions, or whatever folders/files you choose) i always just do complete drive images everytime, takes a bit more space, but hey, i back up my project files and other stuff manually to a couple of different locations regularly so if disaster strikes i haven't lost much and can be back up and running in 15/20 minutes.

The Grim
i would use something like 'acronis true image' i have used it for a while now, never had an issue with it, works like a dream. it will do disk images (backup whole disk and/or partitions, or whatever folders/files you choose) i always just do complete drive images everytime, takes a bit more space, but hey, i back up my project files and other stuff manually to a couple of different locations regularly so if disaster strikes i haven't lost much and can be back up and running in 15/20 minutes.

Definitely Acronis True Image, is the most versatile and flexible backup system I have tested among many.
Here I do a disk backup (ISO) of all my hard drives to an external hard drive, via Acronis True Image; and for them not to get too big, I do Incremental Backups, maximum compression, also excluding some unnecessary files and folders, things that this software allows.
In case of a calamity, it is easy to recover everything.
And for the most important Sonar projects, I do an immediate backup via FreeFileSync, as I explained here.

rogeriodec

The Grim
i would use something like 'acronis true image' i have used it for a while now, never had an issue with it, works like a dream. it will do disk images (backup whole disk and/or partitions, or whatever folders/files you choose) i always just do complete drive images everytime, takes a bit more space, but hey, i back up my project files and other stuff manually to a couple of different locations regularly so if disaster strikes i haven't lost much and can be back up and running in 15/20 minutes.

Definitely Acronis True Image, is the most versatile and flexible backup system I have tested among many.
Here I do a disk backup (ISO) of all my hard drives to an external hard drive, via Acronis True Image; and for them not to get too big, I do Incremental Backups, maximum compression, also excluding some unnecessary files and folders, things that this software allows.
In case of a calamity, it is easy to recover everything.
And for the most important Sonar projects, I do an immediate backup via FreeFileSync, as I explained here.

Macrium Reflect Free is probably best for first timers, though.  It can step you automatically through building your Windows PE rescue environment on bootable media (optical disk or thumb drive), with all the drivers you need to boot your system and restore a backup system image.  The user guide is very complete and user friendly.
 
It's one thing to make an image, but quite another to discover that you cannot restore it.  I have heard of a few problems with Acronis in this regard.  Maybe it was just pilot error, but Macrium makes the process relatively bulletproof.  And it's free. http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

Windows PE rescue environment improvements

If additional drivers are required for disk or network access, they are now automatically identified and if possible copied from the host operating system.

restoring is easy, just select restore, point to the image, click, walk away for 15 minutes, come back to a fully functional machine.
 
i don't install acronis on my pc's, i just use the bootable disk to do everything, easy as.

The Grim
restoring is easy, just select restore, point to the image, click, walk away for 15 minutes, come back to a fully functional machine.
 
i don't install acronis on my pc's, i just use the bootable disk to do everything, easy as.

Acronis = $59.99
 
Macrium = Free
 
Windows Image Backup (included with Windows 7+) = Free
 
Does the same job ...