How do you backup your PC?

Privateer · Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:18 pm Post subject: How do you backup your PC?

Last week, my PC’s hard drive failed and I lost all of my data. I had to have a brand new hard drive fitted and the Operating System installed from scratch. I’m in the process of installing all of the programs that I use. I am also investigating avenues for possible data recovery of my old hard drive. One of the most annoying things is that I’ve lost my Microsoft Outlook data (email, contact list, etc).

How would you recommend that I back up my laptop in the future? Apart from Outlook which uses different folders, I save everything to sub-folders hanging off the C:\DATA folder. Would an external USB connected hard drive and batch scripts do the job? I’d like two sorts of back up done by the batch scripts:

1. Full back up: I.e. All of the separate little MS Outlook files that are placed all over the place and all data from C:\Data folder.

2. Partial backup: I.e. All of the separate little MS Outlook files that are placed all over the place and all data from C:\Data folder, with the exception of large subfolders like C:\Data\My Pictures, C:\Data\My Music, and C:\Data\Backup

The idea is that both Full and Partial backups contain MS Outlook and MS Word etc files but only the full backups contain the large and relatively static files like photographs, music, and backups.

If anybody has experience of using batch scripts for backups would they post up examples (especially include and exclude statements) here?

Should I back up anything else?

Regards,
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Darren · Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject:

At a minimum you want to invest in an external HDD and use backup software to copy your important files to it on a schedule. Vista comes with a backup utility that whilst basic is sufficient for most purposes.

I'll bet there are many users with irreplaceable family photos and other important data for which no other copies exist all sat on a PC with no backup.
Backups are one of those things few of us think about or practice until its too late. If you're not backing up then you need to be!
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Darren Griffin

aj2052 · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 2:22 am Post subject:

I am having the same problem, one program that seems to be well recommended is Good sync, and is available has as free trial,It appears to support both Sync and Backup for multiple computers, havnt had time to try yet but seems versatile.
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Mullet · Frequent Visitor Joined: Dec 12, 2005 Posts: 1051

I feel for you. Been there, done that, ripped the hair out.

The solution is in two parts as I see it.

1. For the worse case scenario solution. I use Norton save and restore on my Vista. Its an evolution of Ghost if you are familiar.

Save a complete image snapsot of your entire system to external media, including OS, applications, drivers, configurations and files plus the all important boot disc. This goes way beyond the MS offering.

Everyone makes a backup image (or should) using the in built application before using the new laptop, this is just an extension of that process that can save many hours of re building.

I spent a fair bit of time doing this at the start when installing and configuring my system. Meaning if need be, I can restore my entire base configuration then add the data.

keep this base image safe, and make further images occasionally.

If doomsday happens, within a few hours my entire setup (plus incremental backups) can be restored from MY day one image.

2. Incremental data backup is the easy part.

For bomb proof Outlook backup, go to file and use the import export wizard to export contacts etc to file ( I prefer excel) which can then be imported again later if necessary or even swapped between PCs. Or emails can simply be dragged and dropped back and forth between Outlook and a new folder to any media.

For images, docs, favourites or I whatever, keep a copy on external HD. Good old copy and paste (my preference) or use the built in MS backup utility.

External HDs are cheap as owt these days.

Darren · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 8:59 am Post subject:

For me, it's the data that is crucial, especially business documentation, images and emails so I take a weekly snapshot using an imaging application and save the last four. I also have hourly incremental's which overwrite each other as space allows. I can easily restore a single file or folder from these if I delete by mistake or wish to revert to a previous version etc.

At the end of the day the solutions are many and various but the crucial factor is you MUST backup! If you don't AND you have data you can't live without then sure as eggs are eggs you will one day regret not doing so.
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Darren Griffin

PaulB2005 · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:13 am Post subject:

Personally i use Acronis True Image on an (almost) daily basis to create an image of my PC which is stored on a second (D) hard drive in the PC.

I also backup my data from the C Drive to the D Drive using a program called EzBackItUp to run the backup. Once the files and folders are specified you can save it as a job and make a simple icon to double click to start the backup. The first run backs up everything, subsequent runs only backup new files and changed files, saving time. You can also tell it delete files from the backup that have been deleted from the source. No compression or password protection but then less to go wrong / lock you out of your files.

Works great with XP - doesn't work on some Vista PCs though.

Also have a backup set up to run the backup to a USB External Hard Drive which is normally kept in a safe place (not plugged into he PC all the time) and a second PC on my network. Oh and finally just to copy my work files onto a USB Pen Drive.

Privateer · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:48 am Post subject:

Hi All,

Many thanks for your responses.

Darren · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:29 am Post subject:

PaulB2005 · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:43 am Post subject:

Mullet · Frequent Visitor Joined: Dec 12, 2005 Posts: 1051

Oldboy · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 12:17 pm Post subject:

kartracer · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:07 pm Post subject:

Privateer,

Any of the products suggested above should handle the task.

I would just add 2 important things for you to remember:
1) You should set up the process so that it operates automatically and regularly. Otherwise, unless you are superhuman, you WILL forget to trigger it manually yourself nearly as often as you should
2) Do not overwrite a backup until you have first created a fresh one.

The products I relied upon myself until quite recently were Acronis True Image for backup, plus Allway Sync and Robocopy for mirroring data to other PCs or media servers. I have recently built myself a Windows Home Server (you can also buy them off-the-shelf with Server software pre-installed) which does a superb job of backing up and restoring all of the desktop and laptop computers we have in our house. I still use Allway Sync and Robocopy. I suspect Home Server may be overkill for you though.

Oldboy,

XCOPY is still provided with Vista, but it has been superceded by RoboCopy (a free download from Microsoft).
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PaulB2005 · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:40 pm Post subject:

Mullet · Frequent Visitor Joined: Dec 12, 2005 Posts: 1051

kartracer · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:34 pm Post subject:

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