Re: Suggestions for workable backup


"Antares 531" <gordonlrATswbell.net> wrote in message
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"Anna" <myname@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"Antares 531" <gordonlrATswbell.net> wrote in message
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I recently experienced a failure of two hard drives within a week. I lost
some of my valuable files, although I had the folders copied onto the
second hard drive.
(snip)>

Gordon:
I think you're on the right track (if I correctly understand you) in
terms of creating & establishing a comprehensive backup system that you
could routinely use to backup your day-to-day working HDD including the
operating system, all programs & applications, and all user-created
data - in short *everything* that's on your "source" HDD.

Anna, this is right. All I want to do is move all the work fils from my
computer's hard drive onto a backup hard drive that can be stored apart
from the computer, for safe keeping. I wouild like to transfer these files
in the same format that they are in on the computer's hard drive, not as a
compressed ZIP format, or some such.

I believe that you would be best served by using a disk-cloning or
disk-imaging program for this purpose. The Acronis True Image program
recommended by a number of responders to your query is a sound program
and you should try it out since a trial version is available at
http://www.acronis.com. (I'm not familiar with the SyncBack SE program.

I think this acronis software may be about the same thing as SyncBack.
I'll look into this and make a decision.

The beauty of a disk-to-disk cloning program is that the "destination"
disk, in your case an external HDD (USB? SATA-to-SATA?), the recipient of
the "clone" would be (for all practical purposes) a copy of your "source"
disk. All the data on that destination HDD following the disk-cloning
operation would be accessible without any recovery or restoration
process. Assuming it's a USB external HDD, that device would not be
ordinarily bootable in an XP environment, however, should your source HDD
fail or be otherwise unbootable you would clone the contents of the
USBEHD back to a non-defective internal HDD or, should the HDD in the
external enclosure be removable it could be installed as the internal HDD
and be immediately bootable & functional. (BTW, if your external SATA HDD
was connected SATA-to-SATA and not through the USB interface, that device
*would* be bootable. In that connection see my P. S. below.)

This is exactly what I want to achieve. My external hard drive is a
SATA-to-SATA. It connects to the comtuer with a standard SATA cable, and
provides a very high speed datea transfer.

The disk-cloning program that we now strongly prefer is the Casper 4.0
program (http://www.fssdev.com/products/casper/trial/). It's extremely
simple to use even for an inexperienced user, reasonably quick in
operation, and quite effective. There's virtually no learning curve in
undertaking the disk cloning process as one navigates through the few
easy-to-understand screens with a final mouse-click on the button on the
screen which will trigger the disk-cloning process. After undertaking one
or two disk-cloning operations it should take the user no more than 20
seconds or so to get to
that point.

Will this cloning software consistently update any files that have been
changed on the computer's hard drive and make sure all the filse on the
backup hard drive are up to date? That is, will it have to copy all files,
even those that have not been changed, each time I do a backup?

The significant advantage of the Casper 4.0 disk cloning program compared
with other disk cloning programs that we're familiar with, e.g., Acronis
True Image or Symantec's Norton Ghost, is its ability to create
*incremental* disk clones following the creation of the original (first)
disk clone. Employing what Casper calls its "SmartClone" technology the
program can create subsequent disk clones of the source HDD usually at a
fraction of the time it takes to create a "full" disk clone. This results
in a decided incentive for the user to undertake frequent complete
backups of his or her system knowing that they can create "incremental"
disk clones in a relatively short period of time.

I'm not sure I understand what Incremental clones means. Are you saying it
will udpate just those files that have been modified at a later date than
is shown on the backup copies, or are you saying it can work with just one
folder without having to snoop through all the folders, if that is what I
want it to do?

The Casper 4.0 program is also capable of scheduling the disk-cloning
process on a daily, weekly, or other time period selected by the user so
that you could arrange for automatic backups at pre-determined times.

I like the idea of scheduiling the backup process, but I don't see any way
to do this without leaving my backup hard drive attached and running. I
had hoped to be able to remove the backup hard drive and store it in
another building, such that it would survive a fire or other such
catastrophe. I would bring this backup hard drive to the computer and do a
backup maybe once a week or more often if I had done a lot of important
changes to the files on the computer.

There's a trial version available (see above link) although it's somewhat
crippled but it will give you a good idea as to how the program works.
And I can provide further details about using the program should you be
interested.

The downside to the Casper 4 program as compared with the Acronis and
most other disk-cloning programs is the cost of the program which comes
to $49.95 for the program + $9.95 for the "Casper Startup Disk" (the
program to create the bootable CD containing the Casper program). So it's
more expensive than the others. But in our view, well worth the
additional cost. AFAIK, the program is available only through download
from the developer.

This cost is meager compared to a loss of cirtical data. I've spent the
better part of the past two weeks trying to recover some files that I lost
when my last hard drive failed. I was able to recover some of the lost
files but I have given up on two folders that had some very important
image files on them.

All of the above is predicated on the basis that you're seeking a
reliable program to backup your *entire* day-to-day booting HDD,
including the XP OS, all your programs & applications, and your
user-created data. And you want a simple-to-use program to do this on a
systematic routine basis reasonably quickly & effectively. To that end
we've found this Casper 4.0 program really fills the bill. So take a look
at it.
Anna

I'm not sure just what I'm seeking. It all depends on what is reasonably
prudent and within range. I would like, of course, to back up my
computer's files every evening, but that would mean keeping the backup
hard drive here in the room with the comptuer. Maybe I should get a second
backup hard drive in another caddy and just swap them back and forth,
keeping one of these backup hard drives in a separate building, where it
wouldn't go up in smoke if the house burned or got wiped out by a tornado,
or some such.

P.S.
In your original post you mentioned that your "backup hard drive"
connects through a SATA PCI card. I assume you're referring to a SATA or
eSATA adapter that you've installed on the backplane of your desktop
case. Is that it? If so then you do have SATA-to-SATA connectivity and
the external SATA HDD so connected is treated by the system as an
*internal* HDD with the decided advantage of "bootability". All the more
reason for you to consider a disk-cloning program.
This is right. This backup hard drive in its caddy functions just as if it
were installed inside the computer on a SATA hook-up.

Anna, thaks for your help. I will study your suggestions and try to make
up my mind as quickly as I can. In the meanwhile I will just do a manual
transfer/clone of files that I have worked on. I surely don't want to get
caught by another hard drive or other computer failure without all my work
files securely backed up.

I do wish I could get some additional information on the SyncBack SE
software.

Gordon
This was taken from www.cheqsoft.com .. have a look and see if it does what
you want.

Backup Script

This is a VBS script that anyone can use to backup their documents and data.
It only copies files that have changed since the last backup so after the
first backup, the rest are very fast. It is fully customizable so you
decide what to backup and where to back it up to. Simply double click it
whenever you think you need to run a backup. No experience with scripts
required - instructions included.
Download Backup Script (30 KB) NB Please be aware this software is provided
freely on an as is where is basis, however any support or customization can
only be done on a commercial basis.


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