Hello, and looking into the mysteries of backup

Hiya I am a partly-techified Boomer. Meaning my first computer was a Commodore 64, but I may call a halt at getting a Superphone…. Been to the Hijack forum for help a couple times (thank you!). Hoping to do some upgrades, but the very first issue is making coherent and regular backups. Lookee here….I don't understand backups that make Images and Snapshots. I understand the Windows Explorer file tree, and I would like my backups to be the same thing. What I would really like, had I my druthers, is a plain old copy of my hard drive. External and usually unplugged, so the same lightning surge through the phone wire does not zap both copies. Next time my hard drive goes down for whatever reason, I just want to install the backup and pick up where I left off. All programs and favorites and files intact. I read about tantalizing things like this. Also backups that just go through the hard drive and copy modifications and additions. So far what I see in reality are these "backup files" which I would have to go through some (to me arcane) ritual to restore a crashed computer. And some discussion that the incremental or whatever copies add new backup files upon backup files that have to be restored in reverse order or something. I've got an 80GB Western Digital, bought used; but it came without the installation disc for the backup system. I've tried just dragging files into it from Windows Explorer, but it doesn't always work. Also stops the process when it comes to the virtual memory, which it says it can't copy because it is in use. And so forth. Y'all know of some one-button backup system I could run whenever I wanted to, which would keep an updated copy of my complete hard drive, externally? There's a starting point. I'll get around to asking if someone can recommend a system by what-you-want-to-do-with-it. Used to be straightforward choosing a CPU, but now there seem to be 25 variants to (try to) understand. Looking for someone to speak some Dick-and-Jane with me. You can look Dick and Jane up on the web. It predated virtual reality gaming……. Greetings, Denno www.ShakespeareInTheAlley.com

Lookee here….I don't understand backups that make Images and Snapshots.

What I would really like, had I my druthers, is a plain old copy of my hard drive. External and usually unplugged, so the same lightning surge through the phone wire does not zap both copies. Next time my hard drive goes down for whatever reason, I just want to install the backup and pick up where I left off. All programs and favorites and files intact.

I read about tantalizing things like this. Also backups that just go through the hard drive and copy modifications and additions.

Y'all know of some one-button backup system I could run whenever I wanted to, which would keep an updated copy of my complete hard drive, externally?

Hi Denno,

I run both Nortons Ghost 10 (in my case) for my PC..marvellous image backup software. One image each Sunday mornng with incremental backups when over 500MB is installed. A Seagate 160GB internal removable HD takes care of that. I unlock it from my tower if I go away and put it in my safe.

For the Laptop I run Acronis 10 without incremental backups but imaged to a Seagate external HD in a caddy that I also lock away when I go away. It sits by the Laptop for the weekly backup.

So I am familiar with both, neither are free, but a lost HD is not free either! So if you would like more detail, just ask the questions and I will attempt to answer you with pleasure.

kind regards,

Hi Tallin Lemme see if I can ask a couple generic questions without being too compulsive…..since you are talking images =shudder= When you store an image, it doesn't seem you can look into it and see if the files, etc., are actually there. Izzat right? But you, of course, are confident they are. Question B, these incremental backups, are they a separate file of the new material, or are they integrated as updates to the last image, all-in-one? In any event, even I could learn the techniques of restoring? (I sure don't get it so far!) Thanks for your anticipated patience… Denno

Hi Tallin
Lemme see if I can ask a couple generic questions without being too compulsive…..since you are talking images =shudder=

When you store an image, it doesn't seem you can look into it and see if the files, etc., are actually there. Izzat right? But you, of course, are confident they are.
Question B, these incremental backups, are they a separate file of the new material, or are they integrated as updates to the last image, all-in-one?
In any event, even I could learn the techniques of restoring? (I sure don't get it so far!)

Thanks for your anticipated patience…

Denno

Hi Denno,

To answer your two questions:

1) After running the image as I do once a week (auto scheduled) it is also verified if you choose that option when setting your preferences.

2) Both really, you can choose how you want your incremental backups set, separate or intricately merged into the original image for that week.

The best way for me to help you is for you to go to the following sites and read about Norton's Ghost.

http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/ov…mp;pvid=ghost12

Below is the Radfield Forum that has loads of reading on it along with complete guidance and information for you.

http://ghost.radified.com/

Here are reviews on both Ghost and Acronis

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/122246/syma…n-ghost-12.html

http://downloads.zdnet.co.uk/0,1000000375,39199880s,00.htm

Let me know if you would like more help please.

kind regards,

OK—I will go to school and get back to you! Thanks so much. Denno

OK—I will go to school and get back to you! Thanks so much.
Denno

Good idea, read all you can, make your own decisions but for me Ghost is as good as Acronis and I could not say that I am disappointed in either. Certainly gives one a good feeling to know that I am as safe as I can be with both my backup image software.

Lets know how you get on and if you choose to go with either on your computer.

kind regards,

Here's what we do for backups on all three of our computers.

We use two programs. Acronis True Image 10 and Argentum Backup.

About once per month or so we capture a system image to an external hard drive using Acronis. The goal here is to protect against total system failure (hard drive packs it in, etc.) and be able to get up an running again quickly. Having a complete system image allows you to restore everything to a point in time so you don't have to reload all your programs, etc.

We use Argentum Backup for daily backups to an external hard drive attached to our network. We use Argentum because it is simple, effective, and cheap. The files get stored in standard Windows format and are not in some proprietary format. You can zip them if you want. Every day when it runs it compares to the old files and only backs up what has changed. Periodically we want to get a file from our backup and we just use Windows Explorer to get it. Couldn't be simpler.

So in the event of a total system failure we would restore our image and then use Windows Explorer to copy and paste the most recent versions of our files from Argentum backup over top of the files from the image (which could be up to one month old.) You can read about Argentum here: http://www.argentuma.com/backup.html

Cheers.

Well, that sounds pretty nice. I'll read up on all of these aps and report back. Thanks so much for your info.
By-the-bye, any comments on the efficacy of the modest and already present Windows Backup? Just for yucks?
Don't want to be overlooking the obvious.

Denno

Well, that sounds pretty nice. I'll read up on all of these aps and report back. Thanks so much for your info.
By-the-bye, any comments on the efficacy of the modest and already present Windows Backup? Just for yucks?
Don't want to be overlooking the obvious.

Denno

I do not have any experience with Windows Backup however there is some reading for you about it.

Lots to read and digest about all the backup programs, but myself I prefer image backup. With it you can be up and running in 10 minutes including all software installations!

Well, that sounds pretty nice. I'll read up on all of these aps and report back. Thanks so much for your info.
By-the-bye, any comments on the efficacy of the modest and already present Windows Backup? Just for yucks?
Don't want to be overlooking the obvious.

Denno

Hi denno,

I happened to come across yet another form of backup for you to peruse when you have time.

Post back with what you decide to do regarding backing up your system.

kind regards,

Let me toss my oar in here to confuse the issue

I use DriveImage XML, a free backup program on my 3 computers. I use to use Ghost (7.0 or 8.0, don't remember which) but had problems so stopped using it. All my backups are full backups.

HP Desktop is my everyday system. I backup to a 2nd internal HD every month or so, depending on activity.
Dell Webserver runs our family web site. I backup to an external 250GB USB drive as needed, usually monthly
Dell Laptop I take on repair calls and trips. Backup to same external 250GB USB drive as needed, at least once every 3 months.

I like DIXML because I can browse the backups exactly like I do when using Windows Explorer. Easy to extract a single file or folder or do a full restore. To do a full restore I use UBCD4WIN (Ultimate Boot CD for Windows) which has DIXML included as one of the tools.

The one drawback, if you can call it that, is that it WILL NOT backup directly to a CD or DVD. You have to stage it to a hard drive first then burn to the media of your choice. I don't do this so to me it imposes no hardship.

Aarrgghh, another option……. Thanks

OK—getting back to the issue with my usual alacrity….. About the Acronis/Argentum system, couple questions: I see on eBay versions 8 thru 11 of Acronis. Any thoughts as to going the cheap route (8 or 9) or going the newer-is-best (11)? And will Acronis do the differential backup as well as the whole image? In other words, why do you use the second program for that? Thanks again, Denno

Hi again, For my part (Ztruker will come by to reply to you also) If you can manage it go for Acronis 11, software outdates quite quickly, (I have Acronis 10) I think and only installed it onto my Laptop not a year ago. Ebay and I are not friends, although I have never sold or bought anything on there, a close friend did………… well you wouldn't want to hear that story! Yes, Acronis does the incremental backups on the Laptop and Ghost does it on the PC if that is what you are meaning…….. I think that last question is for Ztruker to answer when he comes by? In this case yes newer is best believe me……. best regards,