Re: Backup Software?

From: Al Dykes (adykes_at_panix.com)
Date: 01/27/05 

Date: 27 Jan 2005 10:07:08 -0500

In article <uUtDUZEBFHA.2112@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl>,
Daniel Rudy <nospam@die.spammer.die> wrote:
>
>"Al Dykes" <adykes@panix.com> wrote in message
>news:ct8q7m$no2$1@panix5.panix.com...
>> In article <uRnWi84AFHA.3368@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl>,
>> Daniel Rudy <nospam@die.spammer.die> wrote:
>>>What backup software is recommended for WinXP Pro? The Microsoft
>>>provided software is so brain-dead as to be virtually useless. I have
>>>about 200GB of programs and data to backup. The target media is a
>>>400GB
>>>harddisk in the hot-swap bay. I want something that will compress the
>>>data. Any suggestions?
>>>
>>>Thanks.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> ntbackup.exe is fine. I've used it for years. It will backup
>> disk-to-disk and if the target disk has compression property set
>> (NTFS, which you've got to use) you will get a compressed saveset.
>
>Really? Why do I have to compress the target disk to compress the data
>when the program should have an option for it internally without relying
>on the compression functions of the operating system?
>
>> NTbackup will do a full image backup of a running nt system.
>
>No it won't, and I can prove it. Show me where in WinXP Pro SP2 that it
>does images.
>

I can use ntbackup to backup a running server and resotore it after a
disk crash in a production environment. Done it a bunch of times.

Image ? if you mean a block-for-block duplicate of of a disk, no it
doesn't work that way. ntbackup works fine as a filesystem backup.

>> Restore
>> is a bit of a PITA if you've never done it. It also won't write to
>> CDR/DVD media or break a saveset into chunks that match your
>> media. Since I don;t trust CD/DVD for important backups. this doesn;t
>> bother me.
>
>Breaking the backup set into smaller chunks is not exactly a
>requirement, but media spanning should be an option in any backup
>software worth it's salt, which ntbackup.exe isn't.
>

I don't say ntbackup was convient, or claim it replaced all the other
software out there.

>> A major plus is that backups done with ntbackup will be readable in
>> future versions of windows.
>
>No they aren't. Backup sets from Win98 will not restore on WinXP. I
>know, I've tried it. It doesn't work. And there is no garuntee that
>Microsoft will not break backwards compatibility in the future again.

I never said anything about w/98. I said ntbackup.

>
>> That's (IMO) a major shortcomming of lots
>> of the low-end consumer backup software. If the company goes bust
>> you're SOL. The same can be said about cheap tape drive formats.
>
>At least the low end backup software can be installed on just about any
>OS from Win95 to Win Server 2003 and work just fine. Because it's the
>same program, it will restore just fine. Where as with ntbackup, you
>are stuck with the version that was installed with the operating system,
>and the file formats tend to change between OS versions.
>

Are you claiming that a ntbackup saveset made in nt3.51 can't be read
in XP ? 

-- 
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m 
Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.

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