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Storage: A quick question about PC Backup.
A quick question about PC Backup.
by TallMike101 - 2/19/08 5:48 PMAlright, so I bought a Western Digital 750GB MyBook, I've already put everything I normally backup and burn to DVDs on it, it took about an hour, which beats burning 20 DVDs of data which takes a whole day for me.
My question is that I know these things fail sometimes, but it's really a waste of time for me to have to cut all my data to one dvd after another, do any of you know of a program that I can use which I can drag in my information and then it'll automatically tell me how many DVDs, and I just insert one after another until it's done? It doesn't have to be a free program either, I'm willing to pay for it if it's a good program. Thanks in advance!
Remember it's still a hard disk.
by R. Proffitt
- 2/19/08 7:24 PM
In reply to: A quick question about PC Backup. by TallMike101
This forum is full of people asking how to recover from external drive failures.
1. There is no write protect switch.
A virus, pest, worm, mistake wipes it out.
2. It has the same failure mode as the internal hard disk.
3. It is only one copy. Where's the other?
I think you could skip on the DVD creation until you can't lose something...
Bob
Umm..
by TallMike101 - 2/19/08 7:42 PM In reply to: Remember it's still a hard disk. by R. Proffitt
To be honest, that wasn't helpful at all. I didn't ask how to recover from anything, I'm asking a question about a program that I can use, since I already know these things can fail..
I use simple.
by R. Proffitt - 2/20/08 5:30 AM
In reply to: Umm.. by TallMike101
I can copy My Documents to the external. I can nab other things with SYNCBACK.
And I still have 4 copies between multiple devices and DVD media.
Bob
(NT) Acronis
by samkh - 2/19/08 8:51 PM In reply to: A quick question about PC Backup. by TallMike101Online backup
by forkboy - 2/29/08 8:45 PM In reply to: A quick question about PC Backup. by TallMike101I myself grew rather tired of burning DVDs (and dual layer are still to expensive in my opinion) so I purchased an external hard drive for the purposes of backing up files, as have you.
I don't know of any software of the sort for which you are asking, but have you considered an online backup option? Mozy is one that comes to mind and I recently saw another that had no limits (in either amount of storage or in limits on uploads/downloads each month). I don't remember the name, but you may try looking around for articles on CNET.
DVDs aren't the answer
by Loraneb - 3/1/08 7:45 AM In reply to: A quick question about PC Backup. by TallMike101Your DVD backup system sounds just too labor intensive and because of this I am afraid you won't do it enough. For a backup to really work well, it should be seamless and involve little to no user intervention to have the backup occur. I lost my entire dental office to a fire some years ago and I have spent quite some time investing and thinking about backups in general. At home I use Mozy (paid for version) which does an online backup every night - I don't do a thing - just schedule what and when to backup and it just does it for me. I also use a portable USB drive to backup the entire drive. At my office, I use 6 removable USB drives and 8 Rev drives (using the grandfather backup rotation). This is not automatic, but I have an alarm to do this at
lunchtime every day.
For the USB drives, I use encryption software TrueCrypt and backup/synchronization software SyncBack. Both are freeware, but Syncback has a paid-for version which I own (I like to support the software writers if I use their products.)
The last, most crucial, aspect of backup is this: Do NOT keep your backups in the same physical location as the thing you are backing up! Disasters do happen (I'm an example). Keep your home backup at your place of work, a relative's house, the safe deposit box. Keep your office backups at your house (I keep them in my car during the week and at home on the weekend). That's why I like the online backup - it's probably going to be in another city or part of the country.
HTH,
Lorane
USB hard disks are not the answer for one reason.
by R. Proffitt - 3/1/08 8:19 AM
In reply to: DVDs aren't the answer by Loraneb
No write protection. The day they add this is when it will move from a nice copy to a possible backup system.
Bob
Lorane's Note
by sgg - 3/1/08 9:42 AM In reply to: DVDs aren't the answer by LoranebKeep nothing in a car.
1.Heat destroys or damages most recording mediums.
2.At some point,cold can destroy or damage recording medium.
3.Cars get stolen.
If you are from Missouri(Show me State), I lost photos to heat, CD's and Camera condition to cold and my car, theoretically unstealable -ha!-to a gang that was stripping better cars for parts.
Growin$$
Cars OK for Me
by Loraneb - 3/1/08 12:44 PM In reply to: Lorane's Note by sggFortunately, I live in So Cal where it is never too cold. That would be a consideration in other parts of the country. I would probably adjust my strategy and bring my backup bag into the house at night.
It does get hot in Los Angeles, but backups are with me in the office in the day and go home (to a garage) at night. If they get stolen out of my car, I won't worry - they are all encrypted. As to the cost, the office will pay for that.
FWIW, I had backup tapes in my SAFE in the office that burned - I couldn't get them for 3 weeks due the police having the safe - and when I got it, there was WATER in the safe. So if any of you guys use a safe, make sure you use a waterproof container in the safe or buy the more expensive waterproof safes for data. I still wouldn't trust a safe for sensitive data stuff though. Because if it can get too hot in a *CAR* for data, then a safe in the middle of a raging inferno probably will fare worse.
Cars OK for me fire safe
by ebjo - 3/2/08 5:47 AM In reply to: Cars OK for Me by LoranebA good fire rated safe will handle 1500 degrees for 1 hour with no damage or discoloration to paper. These safes are good for storing backup discs and hard drives. I was a safe salesman.
safes
by anna3333 - 3/2/08 12:56 PM In reply to: Cars OK for me fire safe by ebjoor... just get a bank safety deposit box or trade backups with a friend or neighbor so it's offsite.
Backing up to DVDs
by anna3333 - 3/2/08 12:51 PM In reply to: A quick question about PC Backup. by TallMike101I'm not sure what you're doing to need 20 DVDs. I have 2 internal drives.
I have my system & programs on Disk1, partition1 "C" (6GB of data on a 25GB partition). I use Acronis True Image to generate an image file of C, which is always compresses to less than 3GB and fits on 1 DVD (which I make from time to time).
I have my data (including application data folders that the app allows to be moved - ie. Outlook Express data, Office data, Roboform data, etc.) on Disk1, partition 2 "D" (25GB of actual data on a 90GB partition). I use SecondCopy to maintain an exact uncompressed duplicate of my data on my backup drive (partition "E" (125GB) for backups, partition "F" (175GB) for images).
If I want to compress this, I can do so with Acronis (or 2ndCopy, or WinZip) as a "files & folders backup" and copy the results to DVD (or do it directly to DVD). Compression cuts the file size down 20% to 60%, depending on the types of files. I usually compress chosen folders (Downloads - 2.86GB) (Support - 800MB) (FinRecords - 1.21GB) etc. into separate backups (I try to keep it at about 2GB or less per compressed file after compression) & then stack them on DVDs however they fit best. It wouldn't take anywhere near 20, and I think I have a lot of data. The stuff that is really important would go on 2 DVDs, tops.
The Really nice thing about these compression methods is that I can view and/or restore individual or groups of files/folders as well as entire backups. Acronis backups can be mounted as a virtual drive.
How do you find the speed on the Western Digital external? I started to get one, but I was afraid it would be slow. What do you think of it?
drag & drop to DVD
by anna3333 - 3/2/08 12:54 PM In reply to: A quick question about PC Backup. by TallMike101Sorry, I rattled on and didn't answer your question. I use an old Roxio program Roxio CD Creator 6 Basic Edition (you can probably get it on ebay - or maybe even find it free somewhere) that does just what you want.
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