Vista home basic back ups

[Kathy K]

There is only 3 back up dates and the catalog files.. so deleting the whole middle back up won't do anything? providing of course it will let me do it...then go back and do a restore point? but it sounds like you've had enough too..lol I am good with learning things and would love to be able to be comfortable doing these things.. but its hard when it doesn't work like it should and I don't know why ..

 

[richc46]

One problem with the written word is that the true meaning does not come through at time. I did not have enough, I just wanted you to know that because, I am not at the computer 24/7, others may offer help to. I actually enjoy helping you. You seem to be very appreciative and that makes the volunteers, here, at the forum feel good.
Try deleting the back up dates. That may give you enough room; it depends on how much space you have already. You should have at least one SR in case of problems. If you cannot delte enough. I will give your free software that you can back up the entire hard drive on an external hard drive. If you back that up once a month, you will be protected.

 

[richc46]

Try method 2, should work for Vista
System Protection Restore Points - Delete - Windows 7 Forums

 

[Kathy K]

Yes .. that is so true.. am sorry I jumped to that conclusion.. think it might be from asking my son for help..lol...I do so appreciate your help and love understanding what I am doing.. I have a restore point deleting one file.. but think I may have to delete more in order to make a back up on disc..and the drive now says there is room on it..I have to go out for abit.. will check on it and see if I can do a back up when I get back.. if not will delete another file.. I had left the first one and the newest one.. being nervous and all you know..lol...sound like that is the good thing to do?
Thanks.. cya later..

 

[Kathy K]

well I am making a cd back up.am thinking maybe should have used dvd's... it looks like something screwed up on disc 3 as it wasn't full on the bar but asked for another disc.. how many does this usually take? I am on 6 already and according to the progress bar.. only half way there.. somehow this seems like alot of discs.....lol
Thanks

 

[richc46]

What are you backing up, the OS?
If so you should put that on an external hard drive.

 

[Kathy K]

lol I don't know.. am doing a file back up..what is OS? I just went to the "back up my files" and set it to do them on the cd/dvd drive.. disc 9 in there now..I don't have an external hard drive yet..

 

[richc46]

OS is the operating system, it sounds like that is what you are doing with 7 DVD.
You can back up the entire OS on about 5 or 6 dvds
OS=Vista=Operating System
or you may be backing up the entire HD. Hard Drive
If you need 14 CD

 

[Kathy K]

ok.. duh.. should have known that..lol well after 9 cd's switched to a dvd.. I am using approx 36 GB of 103 GB..this is good.. there hasn't been a back up made except to the D drive since I had it reformatted.. this would definitely be easier to an external hard drive.. am hoping he will pick it up soon for me..

 

[Kathy K]

this is the second time that after I reply there is more to your last msg.. shouldn't be a problem switching to dvd's with it right?.. how would I know which one I am backing up?

 

[richc46]

Why not start over, you can erase those CD. and rewrite.

You want to back up your stuff, right? Tell me what kind of stuff.

 

[Kathy K]

ok probably a good idea.. seeing as there is still 398 GB left on that DVD and it's asking for another disc.. basically all files.. pics everything.. I thought that you needed to back everything up though so you could use the back up to restart it if you had problems and have everything the way it is at this moment.. and this is definitely a problem computer... so am I doing this wrong by going to back up your files and asking it to do a back up? Is this not necessary? Can't remember if both c & d were checked.. but I think I unchecked d.. seemed kinda silly to have a back up of a back up...lol...I have never done a back up on this computer.. only burned files to disc etc.. as it always had an error msg right from the beginning..( and yes I talked to the it where I bought it and he said it wasn't important..lol and taking it in there was another nightmare story..) my last discs that I burnt before the reformat show up as empty on here now though so have lost half a year of pics etc.. I really never want that to happen again...
anyways.. probably more info that you needed..lol what do you recommend here?

 

[richc46]

Yes, you turn off SR (you are without protection now) to remove all the shadow copies that were made.

Boot the computer

Now turn it back on and make a new point, so you will be protected, again.
You have protection, but the shadow copies will begin to accumulate, again. That is one of the limitations of Home Basic.

You can use the drive in the way it was intended and make SR points, which can really help when problems arise, but will also make shadow copies.
In lieu of that method, you can turn SR off (lose that protection) and have use of the backup drive for whatever purpose that you need.

An alternate plan is that you can make a new partiton and use that for your backups.



However, in the next step, I can lead you to software, that you can use to make backups and have it on an external dirive.

I know you are anxious and want to get this done, but the last advice that came from me was the above. If you follow that you can put your back up on the hard drive. I do not recommend CD's. I dont think they will be reliable if needed.
Take your time, lets discuss each step and do it right. If you are concerned about my time, do not be. I will stay as long as it take.s

 

[Kathy K]

HI..sorry.. went to make/eat supper.. ok I think I totally misunderstood .. I thought I had to make an external back up copy of my stuff in order to have it for problems. ok the turning off of the SR did not remove the shadow copies.. and I only removed one of the 3 back ups.. so I should have been doing a new back up to D instead of the cd's and remove all the back ups in D? not sure about doing the new partition thing though. Question though.. does a new restore point make a back up or is that separate? am confused.. can you tell? lol

 

[richc46]

There are 3 kinds of backups.

There is a back up of just your stuff, which is very easy to make. If you want to back up a folder. You put a $15.00 finger drive in the port and then you go to the folder right click and then send to (whatever drive the finger drive is in)
If you ever hav a computer problem your stuff will not be lost. You may have pics of your son, back them up on a finger drive.

Then there are restore points. They are pictures of your Operating System. Something goes wrong with the OS, you can repair it quickly with the restore point.

Then there is a backup of your hard drive. You get a bad virus and you have to format the entire hard drive and then you have to reinstall the OS, no problem you have the back up. You just copy the image to your formatted drive and you are set to go. You do not have to validate with a key, or put your programs back, you are all set.

Lets go one step at a time. Get a finger drive or one of those CD's and back up your stuff, those pics etc.

When that is done we go to step 2, we will get those SR points some how.

You do not want the new partition, that is fine, the final decsion is always yours.

 

[Kathy K]

ok.. will do..thanks.. have a good night..