Individual backup software. Any recommendations?

[Guest]

I'm looking for the best backup software for individual home users. I've
tried NovaStore and of course the built in to Windows, Backup.exe. Most
recently, I've used "Backup My PC" by StompSoft a.k.a. Sonic & VERITAS.

At work, we use IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM). What I like about TSM
that these $60 packages do not have is:
o An interface to display multiple versions of a file.
o Ability to purge old versions as new ones come in. Example, keep a max of
5 versions on hand and therefore doesn't allow the backup space to grow
endlessly.
o Can backup to the hard drive AND keep mulitple versions of file objects
there. The $60 programs overwrite the backup on the hard drive. (They will
append to CD-Rom however).

Any thoughts on what you feel is the best backup s/w for individual home
users?

 

[Guest]

I have found that Symantec's Ghost 10.0 is the best. One can back up to DVD,
CDRW, USB external HD, internal HD with an exact copy of the entire HD if one
wishes. Western Digital HD come with Retrospect which is also good for
incremental backups.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Just been looking at Comodo (www.comodo.com) and they offer several free
tools, including firewall, anti-virus and free backup software. Will check
them out in detail later this week-end.

 

[Ron Martell]

I'm looking for the best backup software for individual home users. I've
tried NovaStore and of course the built in to Windows, Backup.exe. Most
recently, I've used "Backup My PC" by StompSoft a.k.a. Sonic & VERITAS.

At work, we use IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM). What I like about TSM
that these $60 packages do not have is:
o An interface to display multiple versions of a file.
o Ability to purge old versions as new ones come in. Example, keep a max of
5 versions on hand and therefore doesn't allow the backup space to grow
endlessly.
o Can backup to the hard drive AND keep mulitple versions of file objects
there. The $60 programs overwrite the backup on the hard drive. (They will
append to CD-Rom however).

Any thoughts on what you feel is the best backup s/w for individual home
users?

There is no simple "one size fits all" type backup software because
different users have different backup requirements.

Some of the different backup requirements that users might have
include:

- the ability to completely recover everything after a catastrophic
incident (theft of the computer, house burns down, etc.)
- the ability to completely recover everything after a major failure,
especially the hard drive.
- the ability to recover selected files and folders because of data
corruption, accidental deletion, etc.
- the ability to recover specific files and folders as they existed at
a specific date and time in the past.

Once you have defined your backup requirements then it is a matter of
choosing several different backup programs and methods, each of which
will meet one or two of your requirements; or of acquiring a more
sophisticated (= expensive) comprehensive backup solution that will do
everything.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Bob:

o An interface to display multiple versions of a file.

My version of Retrospect has this.

Retrospect's UI, IMHO, is rather poor - but one can learn to live with it.

Also, Retrospect's publishers don't issue bug fix releases. You're stuck with
whatever bugs your version has until you pony up for a new version - then you're
stuck with *it's* bugs.

I live with Retrospect....but I have no love for it. But it *does* do multiple
versions of a file... albeit somewhat arcane.

 

[Ken Zhao [MSFT]]

Hello,

Thanks for all kindly suggestions and information.

Hi Bob, you may refer to our other peers' great suggestions and information
above.

Thanks & Regards,

Ken Zhao

Microsoft Online Partner Support
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

=====================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
=====================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.





--------------------
| Thread-Topic: Individual backup software. Any recommendations?
| thread-index: Acbec3Cz8GQN2vZgQU+lsfl3ZjDB/Q==
| X-WBNR-Posting-Host: 24.151.103.35
| From: =?Utf-8?B?Qm9i?= <[email protected]>
| Subject: Individual backup software. Any recommendations?
| Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:18:02 -0700
| Lines: 18
| Message-ID: <[email protected]>
| MIME-Version: 1.0
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| NNTP-Posting-Host: TK2MSFTNGXA01.phx.gbl 10.40.2.250
| X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
|
| I'm looking for the best backup software for individual home users. I've
| tried NovaStore and of course the built in to Windows, Backup.exe. Most
| recently, I've used "Backup My PC" by StompSoft a.k.a. Sonic & VERITAS.
|
| At work, we use IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM). What I like about TSM
| that these $60 packages do not have is:
| o An interface to display multiple versions of a file.
| o Ability to purge old versions as new ones come in. Example, keep a max
of
| 5 versions on hand and therefore doesn't allow the backup space to grow
| endlessly.
| o Can backup to the hard drive AND keep mulitple versions of file objects
| there. The $60 programs overwrite the backup on the hard drive. (They
will
| append to CD-Rom however).
|
| Any thoughts on what you feel is the best backup s/w for individual home
| users?
| --
| Bob
|

 

[Guest]

Well I guess it is pretty much as I suspected. There doesn't seem to be any
$60 backup programs that can do the couple of things that I want (and which
the $1K TSM backup product does).

I suspect the reason is: TSM is a database driven backup solution and
therefore the TSM database knows tons of information about its backups. The
$60 programs just don't have the level of sophistication to keep track of all
the backup metadata (which I guess is required to display mutiple versions of
backups and automatically purge older backup data).

Maybe Retrospect can do one of them, but without any decent support, I don't
know.

Thanks for all your input!

 

[Ken Zhao [MSFT]]

Hi Bob,

Also you may search in the internet. You will find more sinilar utilities
from third party providers to achieve your goal.

Thanks & Regards,

Ken Zhao

Microsoft Online Partner Support
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

=====================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
=====================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.




--------------------
| Thread-Topic: Individual backup software. Any recommendations?
| thread-index: AcbhfSS6lhvLtxtnRMOxvaskglkpPg==
| X-WBNR-Posting-Host: 24.151.103.35
| From: =?Utf-8?B?Qm9i?= <[email protected]>
| References: <[email protected]>
| Subject: RE: Individual backup software. Any recommendations?
| Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 08:05:03 -0700
| Lines: 16
| Message-ID: <[email protected]>
| MIME-Version: 1.0
| Content-Type: text/plain;
| charset="Utf-8"
| Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
| X-Newsreader: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000
| Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
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| Priority: normal
| X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.1830
| Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
| Path: TK2MSFTNGXA01.phx.gbl
| Xref: TK2MSFTNGXA01.phx.gbl microsoft.public.windowsxp.general:1575490
| NNTP-Posting-Host: TK2MSFTNGXA01.phx.gbl 10.40.2.250
| X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
|
| Well I guess it is pretty much as I suspected. There doesn't seem to be
any
| $60 backup programs that can do the couple of things that I want (and
which
| the $1K TSM backup product does).
|
| I suspect the reason is: TSM is a database driven backup solution and
| therefore the TSM database knows tons of information about its backups.
The
| $60 programs just don't have the level of sophistication to keep track of
all
| the backup metadata (which I guess is required to display mutiple
versions of
| backups and automatically purge older backup data).
|
| Maybe Retrospect can do one of them, but without any decent support, I
don't
| know.
|
| Thanks for all your input!
| --
| Bob
|

 

[Linux Luser]

I'm looking for the best backup software for individual home users.
I've tried NovaStore and of course the built in to Windows,
Backup.exe. Most recently, I've used "Backup My PC" by StompSoft
a.k.a. Sonic & VERITAS.

At work, we use IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM). What I like about
TSM that these $60 packages do not have is:
o An interface to display multiple versions of a file.
o Ability to purge old versions as new ones come in. Example, keep a
max of 5 versions on hand and therefore doesn't allow the backup
space to grow endlessly.
o Can backup to the hard drive AND keep mulitple versions of file
objects there. The $60 programs overwrite the backup on the hard
drive. (They will append to CD-Rom however).

Any thoughts on what you feel is the best backup s/w for individual
home users?

http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATICW/