Managing my PC

[black85vette]

I know Bogs is feeling some heartburn over losing some data so I just want to say that this post in no way is poking at him! It did make me think that some of what I do might be useful to someone else. Figured it would be best to start another thread. I have two PC's and one laptop that I use at work and one PC on Win 7, one PC on Linux and a Win 7 laptop at home.

Here is my standard set up; My C: drive is operating system ONLY. No data. Then I have a larger drive for D: that is data only and I set each program to put its files there. This provides 2 benefits; 1. The c: is very easy to "image" because it is not cluttered with data. It is also very easy to restore from an image making recovery from any crash, virus, or operator error very easy. I am going to assume that not everyone knows what an image is. If you do skip the next paragraph. 2. The D: is easy to back up because it does not have all the system files on it.

An image is an exact copy of everything on a hard drive inlcuding its location on the drive. Sort of a snapshot of the entire file system rather than a file by file copy. To restore a lost drive you re-image it and it will be exactly like it was. Much quicker than rebuilding a drive where you have to: load the OS, load the programs, register the programs, reset all preferences and options, then reload all backed up data files. Making an image of the C: is the first thing I do when I get a new PC so I can always take it back to that point. Some PCs come with an image that will take you back to the condition it came from the factory, but that does not include any programs you may have loaded after you got it. An image will restore the OS and any applications installed at the time. I keep an image of my C: on the D: for quick restore.
Then I have a large USB connected external hard drive that I use for every machine I own. I keep an image of each C: on it and also back up every D: to folders on it.

Finally I make DVD discs of key folders / data for photos, videos, music, etc. These can be stored off site so that even fire or tornado (I'm in Oklahoma) cannot destroy my files. Everything I have is in 3 places. It may be overkill but it works for me. Some people like to back up files on line. That works fine too, I just prefer to keep control of my files.

Disclaimer; I am sure there are other or better ways to do this. Everyone has their own approach and favorite programs to accomplish the task. This is just the way I do it. So rather than correct me, just post how YOU do it if it is different.

 

[ref1ection]

Very good info. I didn't realise how vulnerable my info was until my Iphone died. Something that simple caused me trips to the Apple store and countless hours on the phone and online because I hadn't bothered to back it up properly. :wall:

Ray

 

[rkepler]

I run my system with 2 drives running in a RAID 1 configuration. That means that the drives are essentially copies of each other - anything written to one is written to the other as well. The additional time this takes is usually made up by scattering reads between the drives. It works well enough that I had a drive fail completely and I didn't notice for quite a while (weeks).

 

[bearcar1]

I do not have enormous caches of data stored on my laptop but I have a personal folder on the desktop that I use to 'stage' files that I am currently working on or viewing regularly. As the 'new' wears off of these files, or I no longer have a need to use them, I put them on a flash, thumb drive. And this device is mirrored to a much larger flash, thumb drive, which is then backed up to CD every 4-6 months. All of my files are in essence kept on three separate media devices. The first thumb drive acts as a daily or session device. The larger one is utilized as a backup to that along with other additional files, photograph folders, etc. and this then is backed up to disc as mentioned and the 'last' disc is kept in reserve until the time a new one is burnt. In essence, I always have at least two copies of data available at any one time. Of course one has to stick to a strict regimen for this method to work but it becomes a routine and is not a bother.

BC1
Jim

 

[rkepler]

Of course one has to stick to a strict regimen for this method to work but it becomes a routine and is not a bother.

That's the real problem with most schemes. I used to backup the complete system once a month and archive written files weekly, but even that became a chore when the size of the backup go so large with tape swaps and such..

Now with the RAID I simply pull a drive swap it with one in the safe, the system updates the old RAID drive using the working drive and I have a complete backup in a safe place. Total time on my part about 10 minutes. I could do it more often but since I'm not being paid to do so...

 

[Blogwitch]

Actually the problem was with myself, upgrading my system to prevent data loss.

I had skinned down my main drive by transfering all my data onto a 1TB internal data drive. That is when things went wrong.

I was going to use a 120GB SSD (solid state drive) for my first drive, so I thought I would reinstall everything onto my original 1TB main drive, including the operating system, then transfer the whole lot onto the SSD, leaving me with a spare 1TB drive.

For some unknown reason, my computer selected my data drive to format and instal the operating system onto, and being tired, I didn't notice until it was too late.

So it wasn't actually me being lax about data loss, but a genuine accident.

Now the good news. By using a program called "iCare Data Recovery Professional".

http://www.icare-recovery.com/

I think I have managed to recover every byte of my data, if not, at least everything that I care about. This was started at about 7am this morning and completed the search and data extraction by 4pm this evening. I am now transfering all the data back onto my main data disk, so not a fast process. The lucky part that allowed this was that I did a quick format, so it only wrote to a small part of the disk.

I would like to thank everyone who replied to my call for help. I did that just in case I couldn't get the data back, and at least if they returned the data I had sent them, I would have something to work with. It now looks like I will now be able to carry on giving information out as I normally do. It will take another few days to resort it back into the correct data folders.

Over the years, I have had a few hard drive failures, but by using some old tricks of the trade that I picked up (I used to work in a plant that made Maxtor drives under licence), and a bit of good software, I have always managed to get my data back.


John

 

[mklotz]

John,

Considering the value of this data to the model engineering community, I want to encourage you to make copies to DVDs every three months. Store the most recent disk(s) at your home in a safe place separated from your computer. Pass the disks the most recent replace along to your nearby friends and let them hang onto them just in case.

 

[Blogwitch]

Unfortunately Marv, well over 300GB of data is not a thing you can back up to DVD's easily. DVD's aren't all that reliable either. I have found that at least 10% of what I have burned have failed after about two years, even slowly burned and in good storage holders. Mind you, again with the right software, I can normally recover the data off them when needed.

I was setting up my machine with a SSD instead of a main disk drive, of which, was going to be used as another external drive for backing up my data disk to (I already have two other 1TB drives hanging off the back just for backup of non engineering data).

I have tried Raid arrays for backing up, and found that I couldn't get on with them very well.

I am not into spending lotsa cash any more on my computer systems, so I try to keep them as simple as possible.

John

 

[mu38&Bg#]

I'm at a point where I have to reconsider my data management. My small 160Gb HD is nearly full and I have a second in the PC that I back up to. My USB HD is dying. It won't write files. I'm not sure what the issue is it just quits. I sort of like the RAID idea with switching drives, so maybe buying three identical drives is the easiest solution. I'm unsure if I can just switch to RAID without reinstalling OS though. I'm thinking about going to W7 so maybe all at the same time.

 

[bearcar1]

I'm very glad to hear that you were successful in recovering all of your lost data John. The total file space that I require/us is I'm certain just a drop-in-the-bucket compared to the files that you probably own. Gees, I can only imagine the files that you have compiled over the course of years. My methods are crude by comparison, but the cost factor is minimal, and as I said, it works for me quite well. TallyHo!!

BC1
Jim

 

[Troutsqueezer]

I automatically back up to a large USB drive. Data only. I don't worry about the OS because truth be told, after a couple of years or so, I prefer a fresh operating system with the latest drivers, clean registry, etc. I also prefer a fresh hard drive in about the same time frame.

 

[lordedmond]

I use a drobo self contained storage device.

not cheap , not fast but the HDD are hot swappable and you add them as required if one drive fails it will warn you and you only have to swap out that drive and leave it to rebuild the storage , note it does not need the computer to be on to do this

I have 8 tb of drives in the drobo and a 1 TB in the iMac with a ssd for the OS so space is not a problem , as others have said I do back up to good DVD's twice for the important stuff


Stuart

 

[Smifffy]

I have three laptops in the house connected via a Wireless router to my home network. Also connected to the network is a ReadyNAS Duo. This is a Network Storage device with two 500G drives in a RAID configuration. Connected to this is another 500G drive for back up.

I also keep all of my data on one of my laptops.

With so much data I cannot even contemplate losing it!

Smifffy