I'm looking for a backup solution

[bikini browser]

Hi!

I am looking for a total (everything in the same box) backup solution that
will allow me to make an image of my disk so I can restore my entire
operating system AND the programs AND the files. I tried Maxtor OneTouch
but presales said they don't backup the OS and programs. They only backup
My Documents folders.

It seems I have to buy Norton GHOST and an external drive to get what I
want.. Any body have any other ideas?

Dale

 

[JS]

Norton's Ghost or as a number of people recommend ... True Image.
With either utility the image file (Backup file) they create must be stored
where it not going to be lost if your main hard drive fails.

JS

 

[Dave]

Hi!

I am looking for a total (everything in the same box) backup solution that
will allow me to make an image of my disk so I can restore my entire
operating system AND the programs AND the files. I tried Maxtor OneTouch
but presales said they don't backup the OS and programs. They only backup
My Documents folders.

It seems I have to buy Norton GHOST and an external drive to get what I
want.. Any body have any other ideas?

Dale

The basic idea of imaging an XP partition to an external drive is sound. It
works, as long as the restoration portion can properly access the external
drive for restoration from the hard drive. Access should be checked using
the boot media restoration program upon completion of saving an image
file(s) to an external hard drive. If the imaging program has a feature to
check the integrity of the image file(s), certainly use that as part of
imaging. Exporting an image file to another hard drive should be done with
an export feature in the program, or a program installed in tandem with the
imaging program.

Another method is cloning. Preferred target would be on a removable tray
(if ide). Some programs only copy single partitions, some the entire hard
drive (if more than one partition). Once the copy is done, the backup on
removable tray should be removed from the PC. This will not work if the
primary master boot drive is a Western Digital without changing jumper
settings. The WD models have jumper settings for master alone, and master
w/slave. This is very inconvenient for making a clone. Using cable select
for both hard drives is the only viable option here. Am assuming one is
using the removable tray hard drive as slave here to the WD master on the
same ide ribbon cable.

 

[Anna]

Dave:
Here are the two posts you sent in to this newsgroup with different
subject-headings. Both posts seem to involve the identical query. I see
you've received a number of responses to your posts. Do you now have a
reasonably clear idea of a practical approach re your objective, or do you
want to pursue further?

If so, do you actually have that Maxtor device or are you simply considering
purchasing it or perhaps a similar external HDD?

And should you want to pursue further, it would be helpful if you would tell
us something about your system - motherboard, types of HDD or HDDs
installed, any disk cloning/disk imaging programs you already have, etc.
Anna

 

[bikini browser]

Anna:

Are you talking to Dave or to me? (Dale)

 

[Mike G]

Having both image and clone soft ware, I prefer the clone method. I am back
up and running as soon as the cloned HDD is power up. ( I am using a
removable HDD tray)

 

[HEMI-Powered]

Today, bikini browser made these interesting comments ...

Hi!

I am looking for a total (everything in the same box) backup
solution that will allow me to make an image of my disk so I
can restore my entire operating system AND the programs AND
the files. I tried Maxtor OneTouch but presales said they
don't backup the OS and programs. They only backup My
Documents folders.

It seems I have to buy Norton GHOST and an external drive to
get what I want.. Any body have any other ideas?

Last year, I evaluated both Norton Ghost and Acronis True Image
9.0 (now 10.0) and asked for comments several places on Usenet.
The cons were about equal between the two but the pros were about
10:1 in favor of True Image, so I bought that. Seems to work
fine, fast, efficient, can write to HD, external HD or optical,
can create boot floppies or CD, and has variable compression
rates. It can backup an entire partition as an image, what I
bought it for, or a set of files in an incremental or full backup
scenario. I use it to back u p my C:\ about once a month. I
tested that the program can boot from the floppies and CD but
thankfully have not had to actually need it.

As to where to backup to, you should have at least one external
HD for day-to-day work-in-progress backups and that is clearly
the place to back up your partitions in the event your internal
HD takes a powder. In my case, I bought an additional 2 200 gig
externals and rotate them into my bank's safety deposit box so
that I am protected in event of a fire, natural disaster, etc.
The other one is on a shelf off the floor in my basement. I swap
the 2 in the safety deposit box once a month or so when I do my
backups. BTW, I do FULL malware scans before backing up my files
and imaging C:\, no sense backing up an infected system.

 

[Dave]

She's talking to you, Dale. I asked no questions. You did.