Backing up 101

[Brett]

I have a small network with these machines

- XP (one 80GB drive - OS/program files and data are on the same drive)
- Vista (two 300GB drives - OS/program files on one drive and data on the
other)
- network attached storage (120 GB)

Everything goes through a router. I'd like to take a full image of the XP
machine. It has a lot of software and if it ever crashed, I would be
installing/configuring for weeks to get everything back to its current
state.

What can I use to do an image? Since the OS has to be loaded, how does the
image/backup software work with files in use? What happens if something
such as IIS has data files locked or some other service that I'm not aware
is running and has locked certain data?

Once I get use to the software and the XP machine is backed up, I'd like to
image both drives on the Vista machine as well.

As for a backup plan, does this sound reasonable:
- create a restore point and do an image before any major install
- I use SecondCopy to basically copy data files to the NAS. It runs
once/day.
Any better ways to go?

I have an MSDN account. Does MS make something for this type of backup or
should I buy from another vendor?

Thanks,
Brett

 

[Jan Wagner]

Hi,

I have a small network with these machines

- XP (one 80GB drive - OS/program files and data are on the same drive)
- Vista (two 300GB drives - OS/program files on one drive and data on the
other)
- network attached storage (120 GB)

Depends on your Vista version but there is:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/completepcbackup.mspx

For both XP & Vista, Acronis TrueImage is quite nice. TrueImage 10
Home + Vista update/fix for it.

TrueImage can for example make disk images from within a running
Windows. There are a lot of other features, too, some quite handy
and some a bit "unnecessary" IMO.

Everything goes through a router. I'd like to take a full image of the XP
machine. It has a lot of software and if it ever crashed, I would be
installing/configuring for weeks to get everything back to its current
state.

How fast is the NAS? Lousy slow ~4MB/sec like most?

You could get faster throughput via USB or Firewire connecting the
NAS (i.e. forget about the "network" in "NAS") and then just share
the disk to the network from the PC.

OTOH if you backup over night when the PCs aren't in use then it
might work fine to back up disk images onto the NAS.

What can I use to do an image? Since the OS has to be loaded, how does the
image/backup software work with files in use?

Works fine. The Volume Shadow Copy or Volume Snapshot
features/services in Windows or other OS's ensure this works.

As for a backup plan, does this sound reasonable:
- create a restore point and do an image before any major install

Differential or incremental image is also ok. Saves some space.

- I use SecondCopy to basically copy data files to the NAS. It runs
once/day.

Sounds good, especially if you want to remotely keep in sync two or
more PCs to contain same "My Documents" and whatnot.

- Jan

 

[Brett]

Hi,


Depends on your Vista version but there is:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/completepcbackup.mspx

I have Ultimate. Do you know the main differences in "Back up files" and
"Back up computer"? Back up files does the registry, device drivers, data
files, Windows itself. That sounds more or less like an image.

Thanks about Acronis TrueImage. Even if I like Vista's backup, I guess I'll
need Acronis for the XP machine. I'm sure Acronis will be much better than
the Vista backup anyway.

 

[Ron Miller]

I have Ultimate. Do you know the main differences in "Back up files" and
"Back up computer"? Back up files does the registry, device drivers, data
files, Windows itself. That sounds more or less like an image.

Thanks about Acronis TrueImage. Even if I like Vista's backup, I guess I'll
need Acronis for the XP machine. I'm sure Acronis will be much better than
the Vista backup anyway.

Sure it will. Acronis will do differential and incremental imaging
backups. I don't see any option for that in Vista's built-in imaging
applet.

 

[Brett]

Sure it will. Acronis will do differential and incremental imaging

backups. I don't see any option for that in Vista's built-in imaging
applet.

I just installed their trial. They have four types of backups - OS,
Application settings, data, email. I'm guessing app settings and data will
be the ones I run most. Just wondering how much synchronizing I'll have to
do with four different backup types. For example, if I backup app settings
and a week later apply several app updates but forget to backup data, I may
have problems restoring one or the other. If I restore new data but the
associated app settings are old, I may not be able to access certain. Is
that really a concern or how is it handled?

Guess you could always backup data and app settings together. Is it
necessary to do a system image before each major install of an app?

Thanks,
Brett

 

[gls858]

I have a small network with these machines

- XP (one 80GB drive - OS/program files and data are on the same drive)
- Vista (two 300GB drives - OS/program files on one drive and data on the
other)
- network attached storage (120 GB)

Everything goes through a router. I'd like to take a full image of the XP
machine. It has a lot of software and if it ever crashed, I would be
installing/configuring for weeks to get everything back to its current
state.

What can I use to do an image? Since the OS has to be loaded, how does the
image/backup software work with files in use? What happens if something
such as IIS has data files locked or some other service that I'm not aware
is running and has locked certain data?

Once I get use to the software and the XP machine is backed up, I'd like to
image both drives on the Vista machine as well.

As for a backup plan, does this sound reasonable:
- create a restore point and do an image before any major install
- I use SecondCopy to basically copy data files to the NAS. It runs
once/day.
Any better ways to go?

I have an MSDN account. Does MS make something for this type of backup or
should I buy from another vendor?

Thanks,
Brett

Don't know what your budet is but I ue a product called Lockstep. I back
up 4 servers to a 500 gig USB drive which in turn mirrors the backup
info to a second drive. Been usisng it for months now and it;s great.
Restores are simple abd fast. You can even do a bare bones recovery.

Someone else here suggested Acronis. I can attest to it's functionality
also. Just used it during my upgrade to Vista. As a trial I took an
image of my hard drive then loaded Vista. Took another image then
restored my first one with XP. Worked perfectly. I then restored the
Vista image. Took about 40 minutes to restore 75 gig.

gls858