XP backup drive

[Guest]

I use XP Home Edition and intend to install an imaging program for backup
purposes, following the advise given in many threads on several newsgroups.

There is one nagging question implicit from all those threads on which I'd
like some advice.

I currently use a secondary internal harddrive for back up but nearly all
the posts I've read suggest using an external HD for backup. It just seems to
me that either type is equally corruptible and either should be recoverable
after a crash. So why not use the secondary internal HD?

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

I use XP Home Edition and intend to install an imaging program for
backup purposes, following the advise given in many threads on
several newsgroups.

There is one nagging question implicit from all those threads on
which I'd like some advice.

I currently use a secondary internal harddrive for back up but nearly
all the posts I've read suggest using an external HD for backup. It
just seems to me that either type is equally corruptible and either
should be recoverable after a crash. So why not use the secondary
internal HD?

It makes no difference realy, a couple of advantages of the external drive
is that you can use it on a number of computers and you can store it in some
other place for security.

 

[Guest]

If you are really doing a backup so as to ensure being able to have a good
backup, you definitely need an external hard drive or other media that can be
removed from the computer. You not only concerned with corrupting the files
on the backup. A good backup procedure means that you take the backup to
another physical location, ie your work site, safety deposit box, friends
house. This saves your data in case, God forbid, you house burns down, the
computer is stolen, or other physical damage occurs. You now have you backup
right in with the computers hard drive and that just isn't a good backup.
There is also the possibility that both hard drives could be damaged by a
virus or some other electronic event.

Good luck!

George

 

[Guest]

Thank you, Greenie. With a laptop for the BW (barefoot wife) in the near
future, you make an excellent point.

 

[Guest]

Thanks much, George, for expressing those concerns. I think I'm waay too lazy
to be shuffling the drive off to the bank, and work site? I'm 71; this is it,
buddy. As for the friend, God should ever be so good to me (puts me in mind
of the story about forgetting to leave the key to the chastity belt.)

In all seriousness though, and I sure don't want to be arguementative here,
but I guess it's my limited experience that limits my imagination about an
event that wouldn't affect both drives

Thanks again
..

 

[DL]

An electrical spike can affect all components that are mains connected

 

[peter]

Its just an extra safety precaution....an electrical surge could put both
internal drives out of commission.An External Drive with a large enough
capacity could be used for more than 1 system image.Some Imaging Programs
even allow you to image to a DVD...or 2 ..by spanning the image across
multiple DVD's.
Use whatever you feel comfortable and safe with......its your system
peter

 

[Guest]

Thanks DL, That's a very good point.

 

[Guest]

Great points, Peter! Thanks much.
--
befuddled

Its just an extra safety precaution....an electrical surge could put both
internal drives out of commission.An External Drive with a large enough
capacity could be used for more than 1 system image.Some Imaging Programs
even allow you to image to a DVD...or 2 ..by spanning the image across
multiple DVD's.
Use whatever you feel comfortable and safe with......its your system
peter