Vista Ultimate + bootcamp Mac + MS Complete PC Backup = kerfuffle

Hey folks,

 

I’m sure most of you can appreciate wanting to make a disc image backup of Windows. It feels like it takes 2 years to install all the service packs and updates, let alone 3 party software (I have the 1st gen of Vista Ultimate so there are updates galore!).

 

Vista Ultimate has a PC Backup and Restore utility which lets you do incremental backups but also has a Complete PC Backup which is basically a clone of the harddrive. I’ve used it to backup my Vista installation post updates to a blank DVD. The issue here is that I’m running this Vista partition on a Macbook Pro. It’s a full retail version of WIndows, not some OEM. The only way to log into the Complete PC Restore is to boot off the Vista DVD. Once I get to the restore area I’m hooped. I have a slot loading DVD drive and there is no way to eject the Vista disk to insert the backup disk. 

 

Does anyone know of a way around this so I can access my DVD backup without using a external optical drive? I might have to go buy an external drive for this but I’d rather not.

 

Before griping about the fact that I’m using a Mac, keep in mind that Dell and some other PC brands have slot loading optical drives and could easily be facing this same issue.

 

Cheers, thanks a lot,