Which back-up software for an external hard drive?

[chris]

I've just bought a 160gig external hard drive from Aldi for backing up My
Docs, OE address book and messages, plus other files and folders. As I want
a grief-free life, can anyone suggest any EASY-T0-USE cheap software that
will automate the backup chore?
(I'm running a spare computer which uses ME and a main computer using XP).
Any advice appreciated. Chris.

 

[Wislu Plethora]

-----Original Message-----
I've just bought a 160gig external hard drive from Aldi for backing up My
Docs, OE address book and messages, plus other files and folders. As I want
a grief-free life, can anyone suggest any EASY-T0-USE cheap software that
will automate the backup chore?
(I'm running a spare computer which uses ME and a main computer using XP).
Any advice appreciated. Chris.

You bought your hard drive from a grocery store? Why not
try a gas station for the software? Or maybe a plumbing
supply house?

 

[Rock]

I've just bought a 160gig external hard drive from Aldi for backing up My
Docs, OE address book and messages, plus other files and folders. As I want
a grief-free life, can anyone suggest any EASY-T0-USE cheap software that
will automate the backup chore?
(I'm running a spare computer which uses ME and a main computer using XP).
Any advice appreciated. Chris.

Chris, there are two basic ways to go. One is a disk imaging program.
The other is a more traditional backup program. I use and recommend the
disk imaging solution. Such a program creates a compressed image of the
complete partition which you save on the external drive. They are fast,
easy and reliable. Restores can be done of the whole partition or on a
file/folder basis. Programs in this category include:

Drive Image (Symantec)
Norton Ghost (Symantec)
BootIt NG
Acronis True Image

I use Drive Image and backup to an external USB 2.0 drive.

Stomp, Inc's Backup MyPC is one of the best traditional backup programs.
There are others though such as from Novastor.

Whatever option you choose make sure you test it out thoroughly to make
sure it will and you know how to do a system restore before you actually
have to use it to recover from data loss.

 

[Blair]

Chris, there are two basic ways to go. One is a disk imaging program.
The other is a more traditional backup program. I use and recommend the
disk imaging solution. Such a program creates a compressed image of the
complete partition which you save on the external drive. They are fast,
easy and reliable. Restores can be done of the whole partition or on a
file/folder basis. Programs in this category include:

Drive Image (Symantec)
Norton Ghost (Symantec)
BootIt NG
Acronis True Image

I use Drive Image and backup to an external USB 2.0 drive.

Stomp, Inc's Backup MyPC is one of the best traditional backup programs.
There are others though such as from Novastor.

Whatever option you choose make sure you test it out thoroughly to make
sure it will and you know how to do a system restore before you actually
have to use it to recover from data loss.

I would strongly recomend Acronis True Image as the easaiest to use system
and I believe it is the best
Blair

 

[CS]

I've just bought a 160gig external hard drive from Aldi for backing up My
Docs, OE address book and messages, plus other files and folders. As I want
a grief-free life, can anyone suggest any EASY-T0-USE cheap software that
will automate the backup chore?
(I'm running a spare computer which uses ME and a main computer using XP).
Any advice appreciated. Chris.

I agree with Blair. Acronis True Image is the easiest to use and in
my experience supports a wider range of external hardware than either
Ghost or Drive Image.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Drive Image (Symantec)
Norton Ghost (Symantec)
BootIt NG
Acronis True Image

I use Drive Image and backup to an external USB 2.0 drive.

Stomp, Inc's Backup MyPC is one of the best traditional backup programs.
There are others though such as from Novastor.

Whatever option you choose make sure you test it out thoroughly to make
sure it will and you know how to do a system restore before you actually
have to use it to recover from data loss.

Add - And in particular make sure you have a means of accessing it
without needing any system installed on the Hard drive, which largely
defeats the object. That will start by ensuring the device can be seen
in BIOS

 

[Edward W. Thompson]

Add - And in particular make sure you have a means of accessing it
without needing any system installed on the Hard drive, which largely
defeats the object. That will start by ensuring the device can be seen
in BIOS

If the OP is using Drive Image, presumeably, and this is an asumption, by
using the boot disks created by drive image, access to all types of drive
the program allows for backup purposes (CD and USB HDD) will be enabled. If
that is not the case then there seems to be something fundementally wrong
with the program. Nevertheless I suppose it is not difficult to add dos usb
drivers and cd drivers to the boot disks.

 

[Rock]

If the OP is using Drive Image, presumeably, and this is an asumption, by
using the boot disks created by drive image, access to all types of drive
the program allows for backup purposes (CD and USB HDD) will be enabled. If
that is not the case then there seems to be something fundementally wrong
with the program. Nevertheless I suppose it is not difficult to add dos usb
drivers and cd drivers to the boot disks.

In Drive Image 7 the installation CD is also the boot CD that starts
what they call the Power Quest Recovery Environment. Restores can be
done from there.