Topic: OT -- Recommended Backup Software? (Read 4127 times)

Jakester · « **on:** July 12, 2004, 12:24:37 pm »

I just added a Lacie BigDisk to my system for backups. I am now searching for good backup software for Windows XP.

I simply want to mirror a few files and directories on my two internal drives onto the BigDisk. No need for history data (incremental type backups) - I simply want to mirror the data. As I add/modify/delete media files on my internal drives I want to be able to manually run software (or have it run via a schedule, but not necessary) that updates the corresponding directory on the BigDisk, including deleting files that are no longer in the source directory. And I don't want to use compression or wind up with .zip files - the data on the BigDisk should be uncompressed and in the same directory structure as the source. (Then I can take the BigDisk to another machine and easily access the data if so desired).

I don't need advanced capabilties here. The simpler the better. Freeware would be great, but definitely willing to pay for something that works well.

Any suggestions?

hit_ny · « **Reply #1 on:** July 12, 2004, 12:39:24 pm »

i use norton/symantec ghost and just clone the drive or partition to the backup drive, that is removed from the system once the backup is complete.

For free, i read that UNISON was quite good.

Wintings · « **Reply #2 on:** July 12, 2004, 01:02:45 pm »

I use Powerquest Drive Image 7 for my imaging. It's pretty intuitive and works a treat and you can use it from within Windows (unless you want to image your C drive, in which case a reboot is required). But it's not free.

LonWar · « **Reply #3 on:** July 12, 2004, 01:08:27 pm »

I use both Norton Ghost and Retrospect by Dantz.

Both very good programs.

cisilay · « **Reply #4 on:** July 12, 2004, 01:11:51 pm »

I recommend "MirrorFolder" for a RealTime mirroring or synchronize 2 or more drives etc.
The address is : http://www.techsoftpl.com/backup/index.htm?retail

Cengiz

paulr · « **Reply #5 on:** July 12, 2004, 01:28:20 pm »

Karenware's Replicator is a great tool and is free.

http://www.karenware.com/powertools.asp

Many MC users are using this tool.

TimB · « **Reply #6 on:** July 12, 2004, 02:20:17 pm »

Quote from: paulr on July 12, 2004, 01:28:20 pm

Karenware's Replicator is a great tool and is free.

http://www.karenware.com/powertools.asp

Many MC users are using this tool.

Yup, I'm one. Learned about it here.

VERY reliable, easy to use, worked over my network (when I backed up that way).

Big ups for Replicator!

-=Tim=-

hit_ny · « **Reply #7 on:** July 12, 2004, 03:30:48 pm »

Quote from: Wintings on July 12, 2004, 01:02:45 pm

I use Powerquest Drive Image 7 for my imaging. It's pretty intuitive and works a treat and you can use it from within Windows (unless you want to image your C drive, in which case a reboot is required). But it's not free.

was curious whether Powerquest Drive Image 7 allows you to clone partitions to separate drives.

lalittle · « **Reply #8 on:** July 12, 2004, 04:00:19 pm »

What you're looking for is generally called "synching" software -- many "backup" apps do not give you the synching capability you're describing. I tried about a dozen synching apps a little while back and ended up choosing Smartsync Pro. It has a lot of very useful features that other apps don't offer, yet it's uses a straight forward approach.

I'd recommend trying out a few of these apps and see which one suits your specific needs and taste. Personally, I didn't realize how much I'd like some of the features of SSP before I tried it -- now I consider some of these features mandatory since they really speed up the day to day process of managing my synching needs (i.e. things like the ability to create desktop icons which run specific sync routines, etc.)

Larry

jleerigby · « **Reply #9 on:** July 12, 2004, 04:12:26 pm »

Quote from: hit_ny on July 12, 2004, 03:30:48 pm

Quote from: Wintings on July 12, 2004, 01:02:45 pm
I use Powerquest Drive Image 7 for my imaging. It's pretty intuitive and works a treat and you can use it from within Windows (unless you want to image your C drive, in which case a reboot is required). But it's not free.

was curious whether Powerquest Drive Image 7 allows you to clone partitions to separate drives.

I use Drive Image which is one of the few software packages I've paid for. I thought it would be worth the money as it has to do such an important job. I was dead right.

Quote

was curious whether Powerquest Drive Image 7 allows you to clone partitions to separate drives.

Absolutely. I bought an new larger HDD which was to be partitioned and replace my old drive. I used drive image to copy my C partition from my old drive to the newly created c partition on my new 250GB drive. Worked a treat in just a few minutes and saved me loads of time reinstalling everything. For this task alone it was worth the small price I had to pay for it.

Jaguu · « **Reply #10 on:** July 12, 2004, 04:14:20 pm »

Quote from: hit_ny on July 12, 2004, 03:30:48 pm

Quote from: Wintings on July 12, 2004, 01:02:45 pm
I use Powerquest Drive Image 7 for my imaging. It's pretty intuitive and works a treat and you can use it from within Windows (unless you want to image your C drive, in which case a reboot is required). But it's not free.

was curious whether Powerquest Drive Image 7 allows you to clone partitions to separate drives.

If you want to run a partition on a new drive with another drive letter, you need Partition Magic from Powerquest to move files around. Otherwise entries in the registry do not point to the new drive. Of course, if you are a crack, you could change all registry entries by hand, but I wouldn't dare doing it.

Drive Image only makes bit by bit copies of a partition to a backup medium or another drive. Only in the case you use the same drive letter, it would work that way.

Example: You copy drive D: to drive E:. After copying is finished, rename D: to F: and E: to D:

Jakester · « **Reply #11 on:** July 12, 2004, 05:34:37 pm »

Wow! Thanks a ton everyone. Never expected such great response so quickly (shouldn't you all be doing work instead?

)

Anyone using "Robocopy"? IT guy at work suggested it. Apparently it's a free Windows utility, but the brief time I spent on Microsoft's website it does not seem to support XP.

I've got the kids by myself tonight and tomorrow - wife's working late at the hospital. I hope to try a package or two later in the week. Again, many thanks!!!

loraan · « **Reply #12 on:** July 12, 2004, 07:31:00 pm »

Quote from: Jakester on July 12, 2004, 05:34:37 pm

Wow! Thanks a ton everyone. Never expected such great response so quickly (shouldn't you all be doing work instead? )

Anyone using "Robocopy"? IT guy at work suggested it. Apparently it's a free Windows utility, but the brief time I spent on Microsoft's website it does not seem to support XP.

I use Robocopy all the time. It definitely works under XP and 2k.

DWAnderson · « **Reply #13 on:** July 12, 2004, 09:48:27 pm »

I'm happy with AIS Backup.

Robert Taylor · « **Reply #14 on:** July 13, 2004, 12:55:05 am »

I use a groovy little FREE tool under WindowsXP called SyncBack.

www.2BrightSparks.com

Seems to work quite well so far...

hit_ny · « **Reply #15 on:** July 13, 2004, 01:02:25 am »

Quote

I used drive image to copy my C partition from my old drive to the newly created c partition on my new 250GB drive. Worked a treat in just a few minutes and saved me loads of time reinstalling everything.

Quote

If you want to run a partition on a new drive with another drive letter, you need Partition Magic from Powerquest to move files around. Otherwise entries in the registry do not point to the new drive. Of course, if you are a crack, you could change all registry entries by hand, but I wouldn't dare doing it.

Drive Image only makes bit by bit copies of a partition to a backup medium or another drive. Only in the case you use the same drive letter, it would work that way.

Example: You copy drive D: to drive E:. After copying is finished, rename D: to F: and E: to D:

Good to know, but maybe i should explain a bit more.

i currently use ghost for cloning partitons, it works fine. The problem was when i wanted to clone more than one partition at the same time. Usually i just clone disk-to-disk, this works provided the source & destination are the same size.

But i have 2 drives that are unequal in size (source 160 Gb, destination 120Gb)
However i used partition magic to make sure the parititions created are exactly the same size. So i wanted to take 3 of the partions that were on the 160GB and copy them to the 120Gb. The remaining one would get put onto another drive.

Now with ghost i can only clone one partition at a time. TO do more requires writing a ghost script file which for some reason won't work. Complains that the destination partition is not the same size, (partition magic says they are identical) but if the same operation is issued form windows it works albeit only one partition at a time.

I was wondering whether driveimage allows me to clone several paritions at once so i can let the clone process work uninterrupted. The clones are to a backup drive that is removed from the system so drive mapping is not an issue.

darkAngelChild · « **Reply #16 on:** July 13, 2004, 02:41:58 am »

I have one of those Lacie big disks. I have the d2. It just mysteriously packed up on me and now says "the file or directory is corrupted and unreadable" whenever I try access the drive and I have lost all the data on it out of the blue. the drive is less than one month old. Lacie has no direct support for the drive and so all I can do is return it to supplier who will give me a new one. Absolutely no help at all with trying to fix it or recover data.

just thought i'd give a heads up on it to remind - do backups! dont rely on the drive as a permenant portable storage solution.

Cmagic · « **Reply #17 on:** July 13, 2004, 03:21:56 am »

Hi,

More suggestions in this thread -> http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=21885;start=msg152760#msg152760

C.

Robert Taylor · « **Reply #18 on:** July 13, 2004, 04:45:27 am »

I think we've talked about big external drives before.

I have a 120Gb WD in an external enclosure which supports 1394 (Firewire) and USB2.

If I run the drive using 1394, and try to copy lots of files to it, Windows XP takes a big poop, loses sight of the drive, and says that "the directory is corrupted", until I reboot and/or power down the external drive.

It has no such problems with USB2 interface, though.

Apparently there's some known problem in the 1394 drivers under XP which have yet to be fixed (as far as my investigations have revealed...)

jleerigby · « **Reply #19 on:** July 13, 2004, 06:38:56 am »

Hit_ny - I only ever tried restoring one at a time but different size partitions was not an issue. As long as the new empty partition is big enough to cope with the image you can use it.

TimB · « **Reply #20 on:** July 13, 2004, 05:24:14 pm »

Recent storage (hardware not software) discussion here:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=22301

-=Tim=-

INTERACT FORUM

Author Topic: OT -- Recommended Backup Software? (Read 4127 times)

jleerigby

jleerigby