For 2009, resolve to back up your computer files, and do it

The new year has brought new resolutions, including a question from a reader who asked my recommendation for the best ways to back up a PC.
My real recommendation is that you actually do it.
I was doing some renovations in my house over the holidays and moved my main computer from one floor to my new home office on another floor and when I turned it back on I got a flurry of blue screens of death.
(Apple users, commence snickering.)



For 2009, resolve to back up your computer files, and do it : Tech : Ventura County Star



Do you back up your files/computer?

 

[sassofalco]

For 2009, resolve to back up your computer files, and do it : Tech : Ventura County Star
Do you back up your files/computer?

I totally agree Airbot, without hesitation!!:D

I don't know how many pleas for help that I have read on this Forum in the last few days, that haven't also included the phrases, either 'I don't want to lose......', or 'but if I do that I'm going to lose.......', or ' I'm afraid I have lost.......'

Please Folks, DON"T BECOME A LOSER!! It is such a simple thing to do in creating a back-up of all YOUR important Folders and Files. Remember that they are yours, and yours alone, and only YOU CAN REPLACE THEM! Conversely, without a back-up, they are also YOUR responsibility if you LOSE THEM.

Lost programs and software are easily reinstalled, lost personal Folders and Files, remain lost Folders and Files.

And while you are here, why not click on to Airbot's 'My System Specs'.....kinda looks like the "Declaration of Independance" doesn't it? The thing is that it is all there, for others to see, if he ever needs any help. Checkout my paltry "My System Specs"......they may look a bit like a 'Toys 'R Us' shopping list, but they also serve the same purpose......they provide information to the helper, if ever I ask for help.

For further information, check the link at the bottom of my page.

Cheers to all........so, when are you going to do your backup?? Oh! After you've
updated your 'My System Specs'....Great.:D

 

[Joan Archer]

I haven't got around to installing Acronis on this Vista machine yet but I do keep backups of my data.

Whenever I put photo's into the Pictures folder they get burnt to CD before going into their appropriate folder, my Excel work starts in a cash book then each month is printed off and filed.

The Documents folder gets burnt to CD on a regular basis and if there's any emails I want to keep I'll print them.

The only thing I haven't done on this machine is do an image of the whole thing with Acronis

 

[Airbot]

I just use windows backup, works perfect for me. :D

 

[Joan Archer]

Still haven't got around to exploring that yet either Airbot

 

[skylab2000]

I back up all my raw photos strait from the card before I do any processing on them. Any downloads, updates and patches for games.
Anything else I want to keep.
All go on a external usb 500gb hard drive.

 

[patio]

I back up weekly with Acronis.
Once a month i burn the latest image to DVD and store it and delete the old ones.
Worst case scenario i am 3 weeks away from my last restore.

Works for me.

 

[Submarine]

I use the Vista backup for my files once a week and for the entire computer once a month. I have thought about Acronis or Norton ditto, but I am not sure of what benefits that would bring. You who use it could perhaps explain?

Other issue is malware. If you suddenly find you have a bad malware infection, your backup would certainly be affected too. It may be bad enough to make you format the HDD. What do you do then and how do you best protect yourself against that?

 

[cyclo]

Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate has the built-in "Complete PC Backup" option which backs up the OS (and Data) as an image file. No need to use a 3rd party software like Acronis.

I recently upgraded my hard drives and restored the images made by "Complete PC Backup" to the new drives... no problems at all, I had my desktop and all applications up and running on the new drives in less than 2 hours.

For those using Vista Home Premium without the complete PC Backup option, check out Clonezilla, an open source disk imaging software based on a Linux Live CD.

 

[cyclo]

I use the Vista backup for my files once a week and for the entire computer once a month. I have thought about Acronis or Norton ditto, but I am not sure of what benefits that would bring. You who use it could perhaps explain?

Other issue is malware. If you suddenly find you have a bad malware infection, your backup would certainly be affected too. It may be bad enough to make you format the HDD. What do you do then and how do you best protect yourself against that?

If you were creating incremental images, say on a monthly basis, you could just restore the image from an earlier date before you got infected by malware. If you also have backups of your files on a weekly basis, you could then restore the individual files/directories from the files backup.

The advantage of having image backups is that it also protects when your drive breaks down. You could easily restore the images to a new hard drive.

 

[sassofalco]

I back up all my raw photos strait from the card before I do any processing on them. Any downloads, updates and patches for games.
Anything else I want to keep.
All go on a external usb 500gb hard drive.

Hey that's a great tip skylab2000. I'll start backing up to an Archive CD/DVD from now on as an added precaution.

I do a Windows Live OneCare, Performance Plus Tune-up [Malware/Spyware full scan, Tune up and Back-up and Restore] automatically set to run every 14 days. The Back-up is set to incremental changes and is saved to an external 120GB HD....that is it's sole purpose in life....nothing else goes on to that HD.

I also have my entire system [All Drives, Documents Folders and Files etc] backed-up to the Maxtor One Touch4 500GB External HD. This is USB connected to my Laptop, only as and when I need it. That way, if I do happen upon any nasties, their influence is basically effected and isolated within my Laptop system, where I can then deal to them before re-connecting the Maxtor HD again.

 

[sassofalco]

I recently upgraded my hard drives and restored the images made by "Complete PC Backup" to the new drives... no problems at all, I had my desktop and all applications up and running on the new drives in less than 2 hours.

Maxtor [Seagate Tech] claim to be able to do the full restore in 20 minutes flat.

Although I have yet to try this theory [xxxxx fingers], I will soon put it to the test, as I will soon be [well an IT Tech will be] installing a new 320GB HDD into the Laptop. He wants to test the Acronis Software by reinstalling my system from the Maxtor....after taking other safeguards of course.

 

[Submarine]

Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate has the built-in "Complete PC Backup" option which backs up the OS (and Data) as an image file. No need to use a 3rd party software like Acronis.

I recently upgraded my hard drives and restored the images made by "Complete PC Backup" to the new drives... no problems at all, I had my desktop and all applications up and running on the new drives in less than 2 hours.

For those using Vista Home Premium without the complete PC Backup option, check out Clonezilla, an open source disk imaging software based on a Linux Live CD.

If you were creating incremental images, say on a monthly basis, you could just restore the image from an earlier date before you got infected by malware. If you also have backups of your files on a weekly basis, you could then restore the individual files/directories from the files backup.

The advantage of having image backups is that it also protects when your drive breaks down. You could easily restore the images to a new hard drive.

Thanks. I'll stick with my Vista backup. I would be a bit scared, restoring from an infected backup, but you can of course try. Modern malware is nasty and you never know what creeps back. You could perhaps reinstall your OS from original disk, turn off autorun and scan the backup disk first. Not 100% bullet proof but at least some protection.

 

[asautt]

What a timely news tip. I had already made the resolution and was trying to get my hands around backups and restore points. I am (was) one of the majority who never backed up anything except some very important text files. Since I have Vista Home Premium and want to fully backup system files, program files, and data I am off to the Acronis site to investigate further.
Thanks
Alan

 

[patio]

All my malware scans are ran prior to imaging with Acronis so hopefully carrying over an infection is minimal at best.
I used the Vista backup after my first install and it balked on me because i had changed the partition size ( yes it was larger not smaller ). That took me right back to Acronis.

 

[SCSIraidGURU]

I have used tape drives at home and in the corporate server rooms for 20+ years. I have two Exabyte VXA320 drives and an HP LTO3 400 GB. I backup twice a week. It is an expensive way to backup. When I go on vacation, one set goes to the office fireproof safe and one to my friends house. In storms, I can grab the last set and keep them with me. My workstation is on the second floor.

Just because you run malware and anti-virus does not mean your backup is not infected. I usually just restore the data. I reinstall the OS and applications so I start clean. Then, recover just the data. Many of the new trojans can trigger months after infection and can't be detected. So I usually hope the new AV updates can stop them.

I backup twice a week at home at least. At work, full backups nightly. first tape of each month is retired and removed from the rotation.

 

[patio]

FIY

Just got another Seagate 500G HDD because the Holiday pricing was too good to pass up.
It now ships with Disk Director which is basically Acronis.
Only thing it won't do is scheduled and incremental backups.
Great for cloning though and Free.

 

[SIW2]

Hi Patio,

Is that similar to the Seagate DiskWizard ? Can't complain as it's free, but I found it was not able to mount images.

SIW2

 

[Everlong]

I usually just shove important stuff on to my 2nd hard drive. Not ideal, I know, for if the second hard drive died, but hey. It's saved me a few times when Windows has decided to die on me and I need to re-format.

I don't understand how to restore from a Vista backup, though. I tried it once when I was reinstalling Vista, and it said I can't restore a 64 bit version from a 32 bit version, which I guess means the Vista pre-installed environment?

 

[patio]

Hi Patio,

Is that similar to the Seagate DiskWizard ? Can't complain as it's free, but I found it was not able to mount images.

SIW2

Oooops i got the name wrong...it is Disc Wizard.
If you click the first window on the top left after it's open which is Manage the options are to Explore; Mount; Dis-mount and error checking.
I just tested it and was able to extract and use 2 file folders from an image i created last week so yes that option is there...
Hope this helps.