Vista backup of recorded tv (dvr-ms files)

[KumbiaKid]

I'm new to Vista and VMC. I'm trying to do the right thing and back up my
documents using Vista backup. I thought I was going along smoothly until I
checked the backups and was shocked to see that my recorded TV shows were not
included in the backup. I haven't been able to find much on this issue with
either Google or searching these forums. Can anyone tell me how to get these
files included in the backup?

Vista Home Premium SP1, patched to date. Plenty of HD space.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I'm new to Vista and VMC. I'm trying to do the right thing and back up my
documents using Vista backup.

I can't answer the question you ask below, but let me point out that
there are many third-party backup programs available, and almost every
one of them is considerably better and more easily customizable than
the built-in Vista one. So when you say that backing up your documents
*using Vista backup* is the right thing, I disagree. I recommend using
Acronis True Image (my personal favorite, but there are other good
choices too) instead.

You might like to read this article on backup I wrote recently: "Back
Up Your Computer Regularly and Reliably" at
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=314

 

[KumbiaKid]

Thanks Ken,

I've been in the IT field as a BI consultant for many (too many!) years and
am very much in agreement with everything you say in your web page on backup.
When I said "do the right thing . . ." I didn't really mean that "doing the
right thing" was with Vista backup -- I just meant backing up in general (and
I do it like you do with two external drives and two USB drives). I'm fully
aware of the myriad backup options, but the backup in WinXP suited my needs
just fine, so I expected as much from Vista -- silly me! My external drives
came with Nero BackItUp Essentials, but I don't like it much (it seems to me
that the whole Nero Essentials suite is very invasive and intrusive in the
system. It runs services and starts programs that I'm not likely to use and
it provides no way to prevent them from loading other than uninstalling them
(including bits that I am likely to use). I even tried to block some with
msconfig and it simply started another instance. I'll have a look at Acronis,
per your suggestion.

I'm still mystified that Vista backup doesn't seem to allow backup of the
dvr-ms files that WMC creates. I'd still like to know how to do that.

Thanks again,
KumbiaKid

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks Ken,

I've been in the IT field as a BI consultant for many (too many!) years and
am very much in agreement with everything you say in your web page on backup.

Good, and thank you.

When I said "do the right thing . . ." I didn't really mean that "doing the
right thing" was with Vista backup -- I just meant backing up in general (and

Good again. Glad to hear that.