Using Rescue and Recovery to make backups from 3 different machines

Question

Hello, I have three Thinkpad laptops, T400, X61 and R61i. I want to back up them using one external HD. The HD is divided into three partitions, the smallest for X61, the medium for R61i and the largest - for T400. I backed up all my laptops into the proper partitions (base backups), but now, then I want  to make partial backups, they all are going to the largest partition (intended for T400). Is it possible (and how) to cause R&R to always use the same partition for each laptop while backing up it?
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Answer 1

Please read the following post:
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkVantage-Technologies/Rescue-and-Recovery-backup-partition-second-ha...
From this post:
(1) Learn how to change security/options to peak inside the RRbackups folder
(2) The conclusion
outside of an existing RNR folder, For a NEW create RRbackups folder, it will choose the partition with the MOST FREE space.
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I will offer some commentary and match it to what you are seeing.
(1) What release of RNR are on the 3 machines? same release? The newer RNR  (been like this for a while), uses the UUID to separate backups within the SAME backup folder.
(2) for the C drive hdd, you CAN select another  partition on the C drive hdd to hold the rrbackups folder, from the Advanced menu parms. This option is NOT available for second HDD.
(3) You will always have a RRbackups folder on the C drive.  If you uninstall RNR, the C drive RRbackups is deleted.  ***** Any RRbackups on external hdd will remain***
(4) What you want to do will not work. RNR is expecting one RNR backups folder on the external hdd, thus implying only one backups folder. From RNR windows, view backups will ONLY show backups that match the UUID of the machine RNR is running on. If you run RNR standalone, you can go to the restore panel and check the "show all backups from all machines" options. This should show all 3 of your machines backups. There is no advantage to have 3 partitiions for 3 backup folder.  Sounds nice, wont work.
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I will walk you thru a basic how it works on your end.  Correct me if you see something else.
(1) external HDD
part 1. small.
part 2. medium
part 3. large
All new partitions. All empty.  Back up large machine, it will chose part 3, create RNR backups folder, Take a FULL base backup. It will store the backup location in the C \RRbackups and the registry. This entry in the folder is named 0.  It should be roughly 1/2 the size of the Large machine C drive. Lets say 39 GB.  Run the next run.  This is an incremental backup (your term = partial).  This entry is named 1, and will be 2 GB., etc.
You uninstall RNR. Reinstall, change location to Second. Run a backup.  This will be an incremental backup (2) and will continue where it left off. (ie, it should find the old folder with uuid inside).
(2) the mess
You backup medium computer. It will find the part3 RNR backups but no matching UUID. humm.. Will it use folder on part3 or choose a largest free space partition, like part 2.    You will have to test.  I would vote for part 3.
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In summary:
I believe RNR is designed for only 1 rrbackups folder on an external HDD, regardless of the number of partitions. You seem to indicate you have 3 RRbackups folders on 3 partitions. Look inside each folder.  It might be just using part3 for all your backups and you just dont see it. (ie, were you using part 1 for small machine, took a backup, then added part 2 and part 3, etc). This might work.  Small machine is locked in on small part 1.  Large is locked in on part3. But if you uninstall RNR on small machine, reinstall, take backup.  hum.  It will probably switch over to part 3.  or find part 1.
This is risk and time you do not need to take.  You want a solid plan that works. Based on this mess, I think RNR folks decided to design only 1 RNR backups folder on external.