Lesson 3:Restoring Data | MCSE Training Kit(c) Microsoft Windows XP Professional (Exam 70-270 2001)

In this lesson you learn about restoring data. The ability to restore corrupt or lost data is critical to all corporations and is the goal of all backup jobs. To ensure that you can successfully restore data, you should follow certain guidelines, such as keeping thorough documentation on all of your backup jobs.

After this lesson, you will be able to

Restore data, whether an entire volume or a single file

Estimated lesson time: 30 minutes

Preparing to Restore Data

To restore data, you must select the backup sets, files, and folders to restore. You can also specify additional settings based on your restore requirements. The Backup or Restore Wizard helps you restore data.

When critical data is lost, you need to restore it quickly. Use the following guidelines to help prepare for restoring data:

Base your restore strategy on the backup type that you used for the backup. If time is critical when you are restoring data, your restore strategy must ensure that the backup types that you choose for backups expedite the restore process. For example, use normal and differential backups so that you only need to restore the last normal backup and the last differential backup.
Perform a trial restore periodically to verify that the Backup Utility is functioning correctly. A trial restore can uncover hardware problems that do not show up with software verifications. Restore the data to an alternate location, and then compare the restored data to the data on the original hard disk.
Keep documentation for each backup job. Create and print a detailed backup log for each backup job, containing a record of all files and folders that were backed up. By using the backup log, you can quickly locate which piece of media contains the files that you need to restore without having to load the catalogs. A catalog is an index of the files and folders from a backup job that Windows XP Professional automatically creates and stores with the backup job and on the computer running the Backup Utility.
Keep a record of multiple backup jobs in a calendar format that shows the days on which you perform the backup jobs. For each job, note the backup type and identify the storage that is used, such as a tape number or the name of the Iomega Zip disk. Then, if you need to restore data, you can easily review several weeks' worth of backup jobs to select which tape or disk to use.

Selecting Backup Sets, Files, and Folders to Restore

The first step in restoring data is to select the data to restore. You can select individual files and folders, an entire backup job, or a backup set, which is a collection of files or folders from one volume that you back up during a backup job. If you back up two volumes on a hard disk during a backup job, the job has two backup sets. You select the data to restore in the catalog.

To restore data, use the Restore Wizard, which you access through the Backup Utility, as follows:

In the Backup or Restore Wizard, in the Backup Or Restore page, select Restore Files And Settings and then click Next.
In the What To Restore page, expand the media type that contains the data that you want to restore. This can be either tape or file media.
Expand the appropriate media set until the data that you want to restore is visible. You can restore a backup set or specific files and folders.
Select the data that you want to restore, and then click Next.
The Backup or Restore Wizard displays the settings for the restore.
Do one of the following:
- Finish the restore process. If you choose to finish the restore job, during the restore, the Backup or Restore Wizard requests verification for the source of the restore media and then performs the restore. During the restore, the Backup or Restore Wizard displays status information about the restore.
- Specify advanced restore options.

Specifying Advanced Restore Settings

The advanced settings in the Backup or Restore Wizard vary, depending on the type of backup media from which you are restoring, such as a tape device or an Iomega Zip drive. Table 16.3 describes the advanced restore options.

Table 16.3 Advanced Restore Settings


Option	Description
Restore Files To	The target location for the data that you are restoring. The choices are as follows: Original Location. Replaces corrupted or lost data. Alternate Location. Restores an older version of a file or does a practice restore. Single Folder. Consolidates the files from a tree structure into a single folder. For example, use this option if you want copies of specific files but do not want to restore the hierarchical structure of the files. If you select either an alternate location or a single directory, you must provide the path.
When Restoring Files That Already Exist On Your Computer	Whether you want to overwrite existing files. The choices are as follows: Leave Existing Files (Recommended). Prevents accidental overwriting of existing data. This setting is the default. Replace Existing Files If They Are Older Than The Backup Files. Verifies that the most recent copy exists on the computer. Replace Existing Files. The Backup Utility does not provide a confirmation message if it encounters a duplicate filename during the restore operation.
Select The Options You Want To Use	Whether you want to restore security or special system files. The choices are as follows: Restore Security Settings. Applies the original permissions to files that you are restoring to a Windows NT file system (NTFS) volume. Security settings include access permissions, audit entries, and ownership. This option is only available if you have backed up data from an NTFS volume and are restoring to an NTFS volume. Restore Junction Points, But Not The Folders And File Data They Reference. Restores junction points on your hard disk as well as the data that the junction points refer to. If you have any mounted drives, and you want to restore the data that mounted drives point to, select this check box. If you do not select this check box, the junction point is restored but the data your junction point refers to might not be accessible. Preserve Existing Volume Mount Points. Prevents the operation from writing over any volume mount points you have created on the partition or volume to which you are restoring data. This option is primarily applicable when you are restoring data to an entire drive or partition.

After you have finished the Backup or Restore Wizard, the Backup Utility does the following:

Prompts you to verify your selection of the source media to use to restore data. After the verification, the Backup Utility starts the restore process.
Displays status information about the restore process. As with a backup process, you can choose to view the report (restore log) of the restore. It contains information about the restore, such as the number of files that have been restored and the duration of the restore process.

Practice: Restoring Files

In this practice, you restore a file that you backed up in Exercise 1 in Lesson 2 of this chapter.

To complete this practice, you must have completed the practice in the previous lesson, or you must have some files you have backed up using the Backup Utility that you can restore.

To restore files from a previous backup job

Log on as Fred or with an account that is a member of the Administrators group.
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.
In the Welcome To The Backup Or Restore Wizard page, click Next.
In the Backup Or Restore page, click Restore Files And Settings and then click Next.
The Backup or Restore Wizard displays the What To Restore page.
In the What To Restore box, expand the File node that you created.
Notice that Backup1 is listed.
Expand Backup1.
Notice that drive C appears under Backup1.
Expand drive C.
Select drive C and then click Next.
The Backup or Restore Wizard displays the Completing The Backup Or Restore Wizard page. Notice that the file is being restored to its original location and that the existing files are not to be replaced.
Click Advanced.
The Backup or Restore Wizard displays the Where To Restore page.
In the Restore Files To list, select Alternate Location.
The Backup or Restore Wizard displays the Alternate Location box.
In the Alternate Location text box, type C:\Restored data and then click Next.
The Backup or Restore Wizard displays the How To Restore page, prompting you to specify how to process duplicate files during the restore job.
Make sure that Leave Existing Files (Recommended) is selected, and then click Next.
In the Advanced Restore Options page, ensure that all check boxes are cleared and then click Next.
Review the options you specified in the Completing The Backup Or Restore Wizard page, and then click Finish to begin the restore process.
The Backup Utility displays the Check Backup File Location dialog box, prompting you to supply or verify the name of the backup file that contains the folders and files to be restored.
Make sure that the file BACKUP1.BKF is entered in the Please Verify This Is The Correct Location For The Backup text box, and then click OK.
The Backup Utility displays the Selection Information dialog box, indicating the estimated amount of data for, and the time to complete, the restore job. (This dialog box may appear very briefly, because you are restoring only a single file.)

The Backup Utility displays the Restore Progress dialog box, providing the status of the restore operation, statistics on estimated and actual amount of data that is being processed, the time that has elapsed, and the estimated time that remains for the restore operation.

To view the restore report

When the Restore Progress dialog box indicates that the restore is complete, click Report.
Notepad starts, displaying the report. Notice that the details about the restore operation are appended to the previous backup log. This provides a centralized location for viewing all status information for backup and restore operations.
Examine the report, and then exit Notepad.
In the Restore Progress dialog box, click Close.

To verify that the data was restored

Start Windows Explorer and expand drive C.
Open Windows Explorer and verify that the Restored data folder exists and contains AUTOEXEC.
Close Windows Explorer.

Lesson Review

The following questions will help you determine whether you have learned enough to move on to the next lesson. If you have difficulty answering these questions, review the material in this lesson before beginning the next lesson. The answers for these questions are in Appendix A, "Questions and Answers."

What is a trial restore and why is it important that you perform it?
A _____________ is an index of the files and folders from a backup job that Windows XP Professional automatically creates and stores with the backup job and on the computer running the Backup Utility.
What is a backup set?
If you back up two volumes on a hard disk during a backup job, how many backup sets are created for the job?
What are the three Advanced restore settings that allow you to specify how to restore files that already exist?
When do you use the Advanced restore setting Restore Security and when is it available?

Lesson Summary

The Backup or Restore Wizard helps you restore data as well as back up data.
The Backup Utility allows you to restore individual files and folders, an entire backup job, or a backup set.
The Backup Utility's advanced settings for restoring data vary depending on the type of backup media from which you are restoring.