Windows 7 Backup with Intel Rapid Storage Technology Installed.

[Francis2]

Is anyone using Windows 7 to backup and restore a PC using Intel Rapid Storage Technology? I am using a a 32GB SSD to accelerate the main 1TB Hard drive. I am not sure how to proceed here, I don't want to experiment, I am looking for someone who is using a caching disk and how they go about backing up and restoring in windows 7. It seems like the Intel Rapid Storage Technology ads a level of complexity that is less than ideal. Possibly It might have been better to spend the extra money and go with just a SSD rather than trying to save money and add extra layers of work.

Any help or insight would be appreciated.

 

[c627627]

I'm posting to subscribe to the thread and see what others have to say about the actual answer to the question you are asking but initially, it seems that since periodically there are very good deals on SSDs and since each successive generation of SSDs provides speed increases 'you can feel'... installing Windows only on SSD is the way to go.

There was a 64GB SSD on sale for around thirty bucks last week on a newegg Shellshocker page. If you install large applications/games elsewhere and keep Windows only on SSD, then this will not only effectively resolve your problem but it would make imaging/reimaging Windows faster and easier.

I have a 180GB SSD and have multiple operating systems on it.
My Windows 8 partition sits on a 35GB SSD partition and I reimage it in a couple of minutes whenever there's a slight hick up let alone an actual problem with Windows.

 

[Francis2]

I appreciate your response, but it kind of hijacks the thread, I am really looking for some help on this issue, not a debate about it's use. I am not trying to be rude either, I just really need some help om this particular configuration.

Thanks.

 

[RGone]

May help and sort it out a little.

.
http://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/How-it-Works-Intel-SSD-Caching-148/
How it Works: Intel SSD Caching

Because of the positioning of the 'cache SSD' there should be no need to Image/Backup anything but the information that is on the HDD as the SSD is only acting as a temp location for data as it is pulled from the HDD.

The IRST driver and configuration information is stored within the Operating System on the HDD and the SSD acts only as buffer/cache of data as it is called up for quicker use on the SSD. Or said another way the SSD in IRST is acting just about like when Win 7 sees you plug in a Usb memory stick and asks if you want to use it to speed up your Win 7 computing. You don't image that Usb stick as it is acting as a temporary buffer/cache as I understand it and you would not image the SSD in IRST mode since it is only acting in a caching or temporary position.

Or still even another way to look at the situation is that you don't try and image the information in the motherboard ram since it is only temporary information and the SSD in an IRST setup is only acting as slightly slower ram feeding the system ram from an HDD.
RGone...

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Didn't see this until now, but RGone nailed it.

The SSD for IRST is a temporary buffer that is able to be accessed faster than an HDD.
You only need to image the 1TB HDD

 

[Francis2]

Thanks for the reply, I fully understand your explanation(very well said as well). The issue I am afraid is how Windows sees the configuration or doesn't. I am planning on using Windows 7 to backup the system. During the restore process(system image) you need to use the repair disk. Testing this out windows does not see any operating system. I did some research and there problems getting this to backup and restore with this configuration. I was hoping to find someone who uses IRST with a caching SSD to see how they deal with backing up and restoring.

 

[EarthDog]

W7 is smart enough to figure out its enabled and how to work with/around/through it. Just back it up.

While it appears you want to speak solely of this subject alone... in the future, I would consider a more robust back up option... Acronis, Clonezilla, etc... The W7 backup and restore can be pretty limiting at times.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

I have zero experience with using Windows to image the system.
Try Clonezilla.