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Me too. Once a month ..or if I do any installations.
What do you all use for Backing up PC?
- Thread starter Gary Allan
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Me too...
I bought a 400GB external Seagate USB/Firewire drive. I reformatted as NTFS file system (the default it FAT32/64). And do a manual copying.
Copy your entire MY Documents folder to a folder (named with the date that you're doing the backup job) on the USB drive.
For a full backup it gets more complex, but easily doable. PM me if you want those directions.
Copy your entire MY Documents folder to a folder (named with the date that you're doing the backup job) on the USB drive.
For a full backup it gets more complex, but easily doable. PM me if you want those directions.
I back up to a second hard drive running Powerquest V2i. It back up automatically within Windows and can restore a whole system in a few minutes. It's the automatic part that is KEY.
I used to backup manually but would get lazy/forget. The more time that passes, the bigger the backup gap would be.
This product works so good that Symantec bought out Powerquest and replaced their Ghost software with this program, now called LiveState.
Maybe you could find V2i used. I have version 2 and it works flawlessly with Windows 2000 and XP. I think I payed $70 New.
I used to backup manually but would get lazy/forget. The more time that passes, the bigger the backup gap would be.
This product works so good that Symantec bought out Powerquest and replaced their Ghost software with this program, now called LiveState.
Maybe you could find V2i used. I have version 2 and it works flawlessly with Windows 2000 and XP. I think I payed $70 New.
External drive here as well, which also used as general storage. Plus a second external drive backing that one up.
I'm gonna have to look into smugmug.com...sounds like a good deal.
I'm gonna have to look into smugmug.com...sounds like a good deal.
Hi with my 5 month old our harddrive is full of her pics (camera happy wife w/Digital SLR and Art Photography college minor). I do not want to lose these pics.
DVD/CD backup is cheap however involves you performing on a regular basis and multiple media to track. I am not good at that.
I am considering trying an on-line service for $4/month (startup in MA) for unlimited storage space on their servers. Basically a client runs in the background when your PC is idle for >10 mins pushing data files back.
However I am a bit leary of where the data is going and security at its destination with the online service. However nothing to do on your end except use the machine and leave on to maintain a backup.
What do you all do? Would online back up leave you with a comfortable feeling or not? I am on the fence.
DVD/CD backup is cheap however involves you performing on a regular basis and multiple media to track. I am not good at that.
I am considering trying an on-line service for $4/month (startup in MA) for unlimited storage space on their servers. Basically a client runs in the background when your PC is idle for >10 mins pushing data files back.
However I am a bit leary of where the data is going and security at its destination with the online service. However nothing to do on your end except use the machine and leave on to maintain a backup.
What do you all do? Would online back up leave you with a comfortable feeling or not? I am on the fence.
You cite valid issues with backing up, trusting yourself, etc.
One of the most important questions to answer is how to restore.
If you are backing up to some on-line service, how do you get your data back?
What happens if this start-up service goes under?
Personally, I burn CD's of just the data. I know I can re-install the O/S and applications. So quicken data, e-mail, correspondence and photos are burnt to CD's periodically AND stored in my safe depost box for off-site storage.
I also store data on-site on a mirrored volume on another server, and that can be done "hands off"
If I had just one PC and was really worried about my data, I would get one of those removable drive bays and buy two extra drives about the same size as your current drive or larger.
I'd keep one in, and one out, and set up automatic copies from your boot drive to your back-up drive and swap them weekly, monthly, or whatever.
I just wouldn't trust another party with my data, certainly not a startup.
One of the most important questions to answer is how to restore.
If you are backing up to some on-line service, how do you get your data back?
What happens if this start-up service goes under?
Personally, I burn CD's of just the data. I know I can re-install the O/S and applications. So quicken data, e-mail, correspondence and photos are burnt to CD's periodically AND stored in my safe depost box for off-site storage.
I also store data on-site on a mirrored volume on another server, and that can be done "hands off"
If I had just one PC and was really worried about my data, I would get one of those removable drive bays and buy two extra drives about the same size as your current drive or larger.
I'd keep one in, and one out, and set up automatic copies from your boot drive to your back-up drive and swap them weekly, monthly, or whatever.
I just wouldn't trust another party with my data, certainly not a startup.
External hard drive with a USB interface.
2nd hard drive using utility Xclone.
I use a USB drive for data and pictures. However, I pay $30 a year for smugmug.com for offsite hosting and storage of pictures. I have unlimited storage and some ridiculous amount of bandwidth(I've got 8GB of pictures - over 4200 pics). They have no ads and the site is fast. They will mail you a DVD backup (for a price) if you ever need it. Best of all, your friends don't have to "sign up" to view your pics. I have 3 different "sharegroups" that allow me to share different albums to different friends. They have a permalink that always works and they can check it occasionally to see updates. They also make it easy to create links outside links for forums such as this one. PCMag Editors choice 2005.
I highly reccommend them.
I highly reccommend them.
I put duplicate copies of my stuff on multiple PCs that I own, so not only do I have backup, I have access everywhere I go.
I have Norton Ghost running on my important machine, and it dumps the entire contents of the machine to another (networked) machine overnight, every night.
I will probably be putting the 'other' machine into the shed in the back soon, and linking them up with wireless, so at least if this place burns down, the backup machine won't burn along with it.
I will probably be putting the 'other' machine into the shed in the back soon, and linking them up with wireless, so at least if this place burns down, the backup machine won't burn along with it.
If you're lazy, try a raid array. If one drive bites it, you replace it and the raid controller will automatically format the replacement drive back into the array.
JHZR2
Staff member
I back stuff up by having a second HD... Either internal or external, depends on what system Ive had/have at the time.
HD failures are what cause me to have issues... Ive never had an issue that has required immediate reinstallation of windows since 1998.
But I have had HDs from various manufacturers act funny, devellop bad sectors, and need to be replaced.
By having the information on a second HD, I can just reinstall the OS and software, without having to ever worry about the more important files (and some software that I can keep in archive).
When I outgrow the backup HD, its usually about time to get a new computer anyway... Not an issue anymore however, as Im currently only needing about 18GB, including 4000MP3s, lots of pictures, and all of my college (engineering) files. So, that said, the 160 GB external I currently have is A-OK.
JMH
HD failures are what cause me to have issues... Ive never had an issue that has required immediate reinstallation of windows since 1998.
But I have had HDs from various manufacturers act funny, devellop bad sectors, and need to be replaced.
By having the information on a second HD, I can just reinstall the OS and software, without having to ever worry about the more important files (and some software that I can keep in archive).
When I outgrow the backup HD, its usually about time to get a new computer anyway... Not an issue anymore however, as Im currently only needing about 18GB, including 4000MP3s, lots of pictures, and all of my college (engineering) files. So, that said, the 160 GB external I currently have is A-OK.
JMH
Me four.
USB interface for external hard drive mounted in a nifty case.
Will get around to installing a second hard drive in the case....... redundancy..... two back-up hard drives.
However, no really crucial data to back-up.
Use this freebie at times. Intuitive, easy to set up. Basic and reliable. Been around awhile and never had a problem with it:
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp
"Automatically backup files, directories, even entire drives! Karen's Replicator copies selected files from one drive/folder to another. Source and Destination folders can reside anywhere on your network.
Options include repeated copies at intervals as short as a few minutes, or as long as several months, copy only files that have changed, and the replication of file deletions.
New features allow you to specify which files should not be copied, and also which days a file should be skipped!"
All of you that rely exclusively on a USB hard drive-what happens if have a fire? If your house gets struck by lightning and fries everything that's plugged in? Tornado? Theft?
I not only back up to an external hard drive, but once a month I use Acronis to image my system to DVDs and take them to the safety deposit box at our bank. I also make a backup using Windows backup (it's included with every copy of Windows including XP Home) and it's a simple, reliable method to restore files from. Those also go to the bank once a month.
I keep about 3-4 months worth at the bank. Older DVDs are brought back home and shredded.
Should there be a catastrophe and I lose everything (external hard drive included) I can have things back to semi-normal as soon as I have a replacement computer and make a stop at the bank. Backing up just documents as well as an entire system image gives me the ability to restore only system documents or the entire system image. A copy of my Acronis software is included at the bank vault in case the catastrophe at home causes me to lose that as well.
I don't worry too much about my test systems since they don't contain any real data.
External drives are nice, but since they sit right next to the computer, anything that physically affects the computer will probably affect the external drive.
I not only back up to an external hard drive, but once a month I use Acronis to image my system to DVDs and take them to the safety deposit box at our bank. I also make a backup using Windows backup (it's included with every copy of Windows including XP Home) and it's a simple, reliable method to restore files from. Those also go to the bank once a month.
I keep about 3-4 months worth at the bank. Older DVDs are brought back home and shredded.
Should there be a catastrophe and I lose everything (external hard drive included) I can have things back to semi-normal as soon as I have a replacement computer and make a stop at the bank. Backing up just documents as well as an entire system image gives me the ability to restore only system documents or the entire system image. A copy of my Acronis software is included at the bank vault in case the catastrophe at home causes me to lose that as well.
I don't worry too much about my test systems since they don't contain any real data.
External drives are nice, but since they sit right next to the computer, anything that physically affects the computer will probably affect the external drive.
I starting using RAID 1 arrays a long time ago and never looked back. If one disk dies, keep on working, swap out the dead one at your leisure and the redundancy is restored. Lost one 200G Maxtor a few months back. No biggie, bought another and rebuilt the RAID 1 array.
Backups can have another purpose, such as keeping a slightly older copy of the computer state. Then if you badly screw something up, you can restore the older copy and resume from there. RAID won't help with that and you can use a traditional backup software to storage of your choice.
I also copy important stuff to an offsite server in case the house burns down.
Backups can have another purpose, such as keeping a slightly older copy of the computer state. Then if you badly screw something up, you can restore the older copy and resume from there. RAID won't help with that and you can use a traditional backup software to storage of your choice.
I also copy important stuff to an offsite server in case the house burns down.
Since Rjundi is only looking to backup digital images, i wouldnt worry about this. Although i do understand your point. All id say is to get a usb flash drive for your very important stuff, and you can always toss that into a fire safe box. I got my 2 gig flash memory model for $70, and im sure the prices will keep on dropping. I think i've seen mini HD models with even greater capacity for the same price, although they arent as compact as the flash models, but still quite small.
I'll put my vote in for USB Flash drives or DVD disks. Both are really cheap and are small enough to put in a safe place (such as sxg6 said - a fire safe box).
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