Is there a good simple backup program?

[ebcz]

Hi,

I used to use Ghost (DOS floppy, up until 2003) back in the day to do full
backup images
(full drives and/or partitions, Windows, Linux, etc) to an external USB HDD.

Basically, I'm looking to do same thing (for a laptop):

- Don't have to install anything.
(Except, maybe to just make bootable CD/DVD, then can uninstall "main"
program.)

- Able to boot the backup program from a CD/DVD, external of any OS.

- Make manual backup images of drives and/or partitions to an external USB
HDD.

- Backup images of complete HDD are exactly that, complete (i.e., including
the MBR)

- Able to backup Win7/Vista/XP and Linux ext2/3 partitions.

- Able to backup any "unknown file system" partition in RAW (sector) mode
such as FreeBSD.

- I have no need for any "incremental" or "scheduled" backups or any other
automated BS.
(That is just more BS that can wrong, if you ask me.)

- None of this new fangled "hidden recovery partition", "messing up your
MBR", etc, etc that
all these new backup programs seem to enjoy having.

Nice and simple, just stick the CD in, boot to it, and then manually backup
anything to an external USB HDD without
any of the BS. Laptops I want to backup have HDD's with multiple OS's on
them: Vista (Win7 soon), XP, Linux, etc.
All that Windowy "System Restore / Restore Points" BS is turned off in
Vista/XP. (Waste of disk space.)

Just wondering what the best animal is these days. Too much confusion out
there. Things used to be simple.
From reviews of current Norton Ghost, wouldn't let it (or anything Symantec)
anywhere near my computers.

Looked at "Acronis True Image 2010," but it seems like it tries to do too
much, which usually translates into
nothing being completetly reliable. Plus, responses on their support forum
don't look too promising.

Made a boot CD with "Macrium Reflect" (free) and it may be ok unless there
is something better out there.
I'll pay $ for reliablity. For some reason, "Macrium Reflect" just isn't
"feeling safe" for me.

"FarStone DriveClone Express". Anyone use this animal? It seems like the
perfect answer, but there not
being a large user base is worrisome. Its $40 and there is no free trial.

Thanks

 

[Richard Urban]

Hi,

I used to use Ghost (DOS floppy, up until 2003) back in the day to do full
backup images
(full drives and/or partitions, Windows, Linux, etc) to an external USB
HDD.

Basically, I'm looking to do same thing (for a laptop):

- Don't have to install anything.
(Except, maybe to just make bootable CD/DVD, then can uninstall "main"
program.)

- Able to boot the backup program from a CD/DVD, external of any OS.

- Make manual backup images of drives and/or partitions to an external USB
HDD.

- Backup images of complete HDD are exactly that, complete (i.e.,
including the MBR)

- Able to backup Win7/Vista/XP and Linux ext2/3 partitions.

- Able to backup any "unknown file system" partition in RAW (sector) mode
such as FreeBSD.

- I have no need for any "incremental" or "scheduled" backups or any other
automated BS.
(That is just more BS that can wrong, if you ask me.)

- None of this new fangled "hidden recovery partition", "messing up your
MBR", etc, etc that
all these new backup programs seem to enjoy having.

Nice and simple, just stick the CD in, boot to it, and then manually
backup anything to an external USB HDD without
any of the BS. Laptops I want to backup have HDD's with multiple OS's on
them: Vista (Win7 soon), XP, Linux, etc.
All that Windowy "System Restore / Restore Points" BS is turned off in
Vista/XP. (Waste of disk space.)

Just wondering what the best animal is these days. Too much confusion out
there. Things used to be simple.
From reviews of current Norton Ghost, wouldn't let it (or anything
Symantec) anywhere near my computers.

Looked at "Acronis True Image 2010," but it seems like it tries to do too
much, which usually translates into
nothing being completetly reliable. Plus, responses on their support
forum don't look too promising.

Made a boot CD with "Macrium Reflect" (free) and it may be ok unless
there is something better out there.
I'll pay $ for reliablity. For some reason, "Macrium Reflect" just isn't
"feeling safe" for me.

"FarStone DriveClone Express". Anyone use this animal? It seems like the
perfect answer, but there not
being a large user base is worrisome. Its $40 and there is no free trial.

Thanks

I just purchased Acronis TrueImage Home 2010 after have used their previous
versions for about 6 years. The first thing I did was to create the Acronis
Recovery boot CD. I then created the same as an .iso file so I could
duplicate the CD if it gets damaged. I then uninstalled TrueImage Home from
my computer.

I work entirely from the CD for my own purposes. I create an image (on an
external hard drive) of every computer I work on "prior" to diving into any
repairs. Then I can revert if something blows up.

I have seen too many instances, over the years, where a person gets his
computer back from a repair shop - large or small - with the story "Sorry,
we lost everything and we can't get it back! Sorry! That will be $129.00
please."

 

[Canuck57]

Hi,

I used to use Ghost (DOS floppy, up until 2003) back in the day to do
full backup images
(full drives and/or partitions, Windows, Linux, etc) to an external USB
HDD.

Basically, I'm looking to do same thing (for a laptop):

- Don't have to install anything.
(Except, maybe to just make bootable CD/DVD, then can uninstall "main"
program.)

- Able to boot the backup program from a CD/DVD, external of any OS.

- Make manual backup images of drives and/or partitions to an external
USB HDD.

- Backup images of complete HDD are exactly that, complete (i.e.,
including the MBR)

- Able to backup Win7/Vista/XP and Linux ext2/3 partitions.

- Able to backup any "unknown file system" partition in RAW (sector)
mode such as FreeBSD.

- I have no need for any "incremental" or "scheduled" backups or any
other automated BS.
(That is just more BS that can wrong, if you ask me.)

- None of this new fangled "hidden recovery partition", "messing up your
MBR", etc, etc that
all these new backup programs seem to enjoy having.

Nice and simple, just stick the CD in, boot to it, and then manually
backup anything to an external USB HDD without
any of the BS. Laptops I want to backup have HDD's with multiple OS's
on them: Vista (Win7 soon), XP, Linux, etc.
All that Windowy "System Restore / Restore Points" BS is turned off in
Vista/XP. (Waste of disk space.)

Just wondering what the best animal is these days. Too much confusion
out there. Things used to be simple.
From reviews of current Norton Ghost, wouldn't let it (or anything
Symantec) anywhere near my computers.

Looked at "Acronis True Image 2010," but it seems like it tries to do
too much, which usually translates into
nothing being completetly reliable. Plus, responses on their support
forum don't look too promising.

Made a boot CD with "Macrium Reflect" (free) and it may be ok unless
there is something better out there.
I'll pay $ for reliablity. For some reason, "Macrium Reflect" just
isn't "feeling safe" for me.

"FarStone DriveClone Express". Anyone use this animal? It seems like
the perfect answer, but there not
being a large user base is worrisome. Its $40 and there is no free trial.

Thanks

Short answer is no. Long answer is that there are programs you can buy
to fully backup and recover a PC. Nothing in the OS is capable of a
full abck and a full restor without a lot of registry hacking and
re-installs. This is an systemic problem with Microsoft Windows.

For this reason, the best practices are to backup your data regularily,
keep your data and applications in different directories and test the
recovey occasionally. Me, I copy out my data to a Linux and Solaris
system every month. Including the SW install binaries. For super
critical data, I also burn it to DVD once a quarter.

Call me paranoid, but experience has taught me it isn't a mater of if a
PC will fail in SW or HW, it is a mater of when this will occur. Make
sure your data is backed up to DVD or USB or something.