Backups

[don-tucker]

What is the best backup software?I have tried a couple but they seem to take forever,maybe thats how it is,what I would like is something that backs up only new files after the initial backup,is this poss.please,one I have tried is fbackup.
Don

 

[mklotz]

Have you checked to see if your software has an incremental or differential backup mode?

If you don't understand those terms, here's what Windows Help has to say about them...


Normal backup

A normal backup copies all selected files and marks each file as having been backed up (in other words, the archive attribute is cleared). With normal backups, you need only the most recent copy of the backup file or tape to restore all of the files. You usually perform a normal backup the first time you create a backup set.

Incremental backup

An incremental backup backs up only those files created or changed since the last normal or incremental backup. It marks files as having been backed up (in other words, the archive attribute is cleared). If you use a combination of normal and incremental backups, you will need to have the last normal backup set as well as all incremental backup sets in order to restore your data.

Differential backup

A differential backup copies files created or changed since the last normal or incremental backup. It does not mark files as having been backed up (in other words, the archive attribute is not cleared). If you are performing a combination of normal and differential backups, restoring files and folders requires that you have the last normal as well as the last differential backup.

 

[Troutsqueezer]

What are you backing up to? An external HD? Try Clickfree. Set it up once, forget about it.

 

[idahoan]

I use Acronis True Image both at home and work; it has saved my butt more than once.

Dave

 

[don-tucker]

Thanks Guys,I shall sort something out from your kind replies.
Don

 

[itowbig]

i just use an external hard drive and send what ever files i need to it no software for back up and if that file is in there it give the option to either keep both files or replace simple no extra crapola

 

[don-tucker]

itowbig,That is what i have been doing but I thought there was a better way.The acronis home looks good.
don

 

[black85vette]

I have been using Acronis for years and love it. It does full and incremental backups to external drives or DVD.

Also can do an image of your hard disc. Anytime I buy a new computer I load my basic software including Windows office and then make an image of the hard drive. At any time I can restore the image and my system is back to new, software is loaded and registered just like I started with it. All this with no install, config or re-registering of individual programs. All of your default settings are there just the way you like them.

I know Windows 7 has a similar feature to re-image, however, everyone I have talked to tells me it will only restore to the "new from store" condition. It does not include programs and settings you did after you got home.

Also; I find it helpful to run a second drive on my PC for data only. Primary drive is operating system and software. Second drive is data. Makes it even easier to re-image the primary drive.

 

[itowbig]

there is a program called ghost that does that too an image of your drive . me i just dont like extra software that i really dont need it starts getting in the way

 

[shred]

If you have an old PC lying about and several PCs to back up Microsoft's Home Server is a neat product-- it does automatic nightly backups of changed files on each PC and also provides a redundant file share on your network (if you've got more than one hard drive attached to the server, one can die and the data will be OK).

 

[idahoan]

MY brother's system drive crashed this week due to a firmware bug; it is a Seagate drive and there have been quite a few occurrences of this type of failure. I ordered a new Western Digital drive from New Egg and it arrived today. I went over and put the new drive in the computer that afternoon and booted up with an Acronis boot CD, broused to the disk image which I had made on the second drive and literally in less than 15 minutes the image was restored and the computer booted up and looked just as it did when I made the image. This is so much better than rebuilding a system from scratch. If all you have is your data backed up you will have many hours of work loading and configuring software before that backed up data can be used.

Ghost it the same type of program just form a different manufacture (Norton).

I also use a program called Syncback that I have configured to backup daily to a different drive; my PST file, itunes library, and all my data. That way if it has been a month or more since I last did an image all the important stuff is backed up.

Dave