What is Bare Metal Restore

Backup for Workgroups is designed to completely restore your computer, even if you have to start from scratch and do a “Bare Metal" restore.  No extra components to buy - just use your existing software and the Backup for Workgroups disaster recovery guide to complete the process!

1.  Bare Metal Restore - A Definition

The term “Bare Metal” refers to a computer that does not contain an operating system. When you purchase a brand new hard drive, it is completely empty, or it is nothing but "bare metal."  It does not have any files or even an operating system on it.

When you use the term "Bare Metal Restore," it refers to the process of restoring data to a "bare metal" component, like when you need to replace your hard drive.  The most common reasons for replacing a hard drive are because your drive either fails or becomes full and you want to upgrade to a larger drive.  Another situation that produces a bare drive is when you reformat your existing drive.  Sometimes computers become infected by a virus causing damage that is beyond repair, thus requiring the drive to be reformatted in order to get rid of the virus.

All of the above reasons end up with the same results: you have a blank hard drive and you need to restore your files to get back to where you were.

2.  How Other Backup Products Handle Bare Metal Restoration

Backup products traditionally provide two types of restoration processes:  user-involved and automatic.  Most backup programs support a user- involved restoration process with the base copy of their products, but, the automated version is usually sold as an add-on. These bare metal restore add-ons are usually expensive because to in order to fully automate the restoration, it needs to contain a copy the Windows operating system.  So, you end up paying for another copy of Windows.

Backup for Workgroups has a user-involved bare metal restoration feature in its base product, saving you the cost of purchasing any add-on component that includes the second license of Windows included with other "hands-off bare metal restoration products."

3.  How Backup for Workgroups Makes Bare Metal Restoration Easy

Backup for Workgroups gives you all the tools you need to successfully perform a bare metal restoration - without purchasing any additional components.

Items You Need to Get Started

 A backup program capable of backing up your computer including your Windows Registry and at least one complete backup of your computer.

Backup for Workgroups will automatically backup your entire computer, including all of your files and the Windows Registry, right after you install it.

 A copy of your original Windows operating system.

Make sure you have the program CD and the product key or serial number.

The Backup for Workgroups Disaster Recovery Guide

Performing a "user-driven bare metal restore" with Backup for Workgroups is straight forward, because Backup for Workgroups generates a disaster recovery report that is customized for each user.  This report walks you through every step you need to perform to go from an empty hard disk to the restoration of all of your files so you have your computer back to where it was at the time of the last backup.

The first section walks you through the process for formatting and partitioning your new hard drive, then it helps you install a temporary copy of Windows from your own operating system CD.  After helping you verify your network card settings, all you have to do is install Backup for Workgroups and choose the disaster recovery option.

You can do it!  Backup for Workgroups provides you with the information you need to recover from data disaster!