Backup Utility

[Nichole]

Running Windows XP Home Edition with the backup utility
installed. I have a Western Digital external HDD
connected via USB. I can setup the backup job through
the utility to run daily at a specific time and it never
runs. However, if I go in manually and tell the job to
start, it runs for about a minute and then stops with a
job did not complete properly error. HELP!

 

[Malke]

Running Windows XP Home Edition with the backup utility
installed. I have a Western Digital external HDD
connected via USB. I can setup the backup job through
the utility to run daily at a specific time and it never
runs. However, if I go in manually and tell the job to
start, it runs for about a minute and then stops with a
job did not complete properly error. HELP!

I don't think the native NTBackup utility will work with an external
hard drive. Some good third-party backup solutions are Nero Backup
(I've used this one), Dantz Retrospect, and BackUpMyPC.

Malke

 

[Bill T]

i use "123Backup" with xp scheduler. do a google search for it.

 

[Mark Petersen]

Running Windows XP Home Edition with the backup utility
installed. I have a Western Digital external HDD
connected via USB. I can setup the backup job through
the utility to run daily at a specific time and it never
runs. However, if I go in manually and tell the job to
start, it runs for about a minute and then stops with a
job did not complete properly error. HELP!

"Backup" for some is not "backup" for others . . .

What are you backing up? Full system? (The works. Everything.) Or just
essential data?

If it's the full system, I recommend a partition imaging program. TrueImage is
fantastic; others work, too. Windows itself has no comparable software.

If it's selected data that you do on the fly every now and then, I recommend an
*excellent* freeware program called Xxcopy. http://www.xxcopy.com/#toc

This is completely free for individual use, and allows you backup selected
files, or folders, or folders and all subfolders (all up to you) *very*
quickly. Works perfectly with a USB external drive, too. You would write a
small batch file (.cmd) telling it what to backup, then you could execute this
manually via a shortcut, or set up the Windows scheduler to do it periodically.

 

[Blair]

"Backup" for some is not "backup" for others . . .

What are you backing up? Full system? (The works. Everything.) Or just
essential data?

If it's the full system, I recommend a partition imaging program. TrueImage is
fantastic; others work, too. Windows itself has no comparable software.

If it's selected data that you do on the fly every now and then, I recommend an
*excellent* freeware program called Xxcopy. http://www.xxcopy.com/#toc

This is completely free for individual use, and allows you backup selected
files, or folders, or folders and all subfolders (all up to you) *very*
quickly. Works perfectly with a USB external drive, too. You would write a
small batch file (.cmd) telling it what to backup, then you could execute this
manually via a shortcut, or set up the Windows scheduler to do it

periodically.

I have been using XP backup programme and having to save the backup file to
a different partition and then burning the CD for a separate copy.
Unfortunately as far as I can see I cannot add a differential backup to that
CD so I have to do a full backup every time.
I have looked at the spec for XXcopy and it is not clear if it would allow a
differential backup direct to the CD?
Regards
Blair

 

[Sofland Team]

You might consider using this one, Backup4all,
http://www.backup4all.com/download.php it allows 4 types of backup,
including full and differential backup and also allows this to be done
directly on the cd or dvd. I consider it very easy to use.

 

[Mark Petersen]

periodically.

I have been using XP backup programme and having to save the backup file to
a different partition and then burning the CD for a separate copy.
Unfortunately as far as I can see I cannot add a differential backup to that
CD so I have to do a full backup every time.
I have looked at the spec for XXcopy and it is not clear if it would allow a
differential backup direct to the CD?
Regards
Blair

No, it won't back up to a CD, and neither would I. Just my simple daily
emergency backup of critical files is about 10 gigs or more. I'm way past CD
shuffling. In fact, I was never there. <g>

 

[Alex Nichol]

I don't think the native NTBackup utility will work with an external
hard drive

More specifically it will not work with any device that is seen a
'removable', other than Tape drives (for which it was written) and
floppies (and much good that does). For CDs you can use a 'packet
writing' subsystem like InCD, which will let it be used - but not
'spanned' over more than one disk