D.Currie said:
This is the only part that I disagree with you on, and it may just be that
we have a different concept of what the "average user" is, perhaps because
I make a living fixing other people's computers. Those people, for the
most part, would have great difficulty in even getting the hard drive out
of the laptop, much less setting up the cloning software and using it. Or
they have a fear of working on the computer.
And there are a number of people who could do the work, but have
absolutely no interest in doing it and would rather pay someone else. Much
like other services we pay someone else to do. I *could* change the oil in
my car, but I choose not to -- it's simple easier to go to an oil-change
place when it needs it.
And while cloning a drive is a fine way to back things up, many people
don't need to do that. Some are good about backing up important files to
CDs or network drives, or they don't have anything they care about losing
if the drive crashes.
Some people think working on computers is fun. There's nothing wrong with
that. Some would find this a good learning experience, for future backups,
or just because they want to know more about the computer. Nothing wrong
with that, either. But for someone who finds working on the computer a
terrible chore, there's nothing wrong with paying someone to do the work.
A good technician could get the job done in a short period of time, so
depending on what he/she charges, it could be cheaper than buying the
software, cables, etc. if it's not going to be used later.
D. Currie:
Let us be clear about what we are discussing...
We're discussing a poster's query as to how he can transfer the contents of
a (presumably) failing laptop drive to another drive for backup purposes and
then after receiving another poster's recommendation that he consider a disk
imaging program to accomplish this, the OP muses over the possibility of
also using such an approach to backup his "other PCs".
I recommended that employing a disk imaging program such as the ones
mentioned to "clone" the contents of the laptop's drive to a USB/Firewire
external hard drive would be, in my view, an ideal way to achieve his
objective. And that furthermore, he would be well-served by using those
programs in a routine manner to establish & maintain a systematic backup
system for *all* of his PCs.
Contrary to your statements, the programs mentioned are relatively simple to
use and not beyond the skill of most personal computer users. Indeed, I have
taught 10 year olds how to effectively use the Ghost 2003 program to clone
hard drives in not much more time than their age in years. Is it helpful for
inexperienced users to have some guidance in this area? Of course.
Hopefully, that's the kind of help forums like this will provide. As a
matter of fact I indicated in a previous posting that if anyone desires or
is interested in step-by-step instructions in using the Ghost 2003 program,
I would be pleased to post them.
We are not talking about users repairing automobiles or undertaking auto
lubrication jobs where (in most cases) vehicle owners find it necessary or
more practical to let an "expert" perform the work. I state again - there is
simply no need for most PC users to engage the services of a computer
technician to perform a disk-to-disk copying function such as the one we're
discussing here.And surely the cost of having such work done every time a
user decided to backup his/her system would be outside the economic reach of
virtually every user, no?
You mention in a negative sense the additional cost a user would need to
spend for the software/hardware involved in this disk cloning process. For
the disk imaging software, external hard drive (or additional internal HD),
we're probably talking about an expenditure of about $100 - $150 and
possibly considerably less. Not a trivial amount, to be sure, but certainly
not outside the finances of most PC users I would think. And this
"equipment" would be used time & time again for routine backup operations.
It's certainly more economically feasible than continually purchasing the
services of a computer technician, would you not agree?
By creating a "clone" of one's day-to-day working HD, the user has at hand
an exact
copy of his/her operating system, registry settings, all their programs &
data -- in short *everything* that's on their source drive. What better
backup system can one have? And an added crucial advantage is where the
recipient of one's clone is another internal HD, that drive will be
bootable. (The USBEHD is not bootable in an
XP environment).
Now, are there many computer users for whom this disk cloning process is
"overkill"? Of course. We are certainly aware that there are many, many
computer users who use their PCs for the most mundane & trivial tasks
(albeit important to them!) and have little or no interest in maintaining a
backup system. Obviously we're not trying to reach such persons. Just the
ones who seek knowledge in this area or raise plaintive calls for help on
newsgroups such as this one, as Mr. Starin did.
My advice still stands - for a practical, near-failsafe backup system that's
relatively easy to use and effective in its results, users should consider
employing a disk imaging program for disk-to-disk cloning of their hard
drives.
Anna
