Looking for strategies/equipment for BACKUP

I've been using an external USB hard drive to back up my HP laptop
system - backing up EVERYTHING incrementally on the drive (including
the OS). If I ever had a serious problem, I could rebuild my system
without having to reinstall all my software. Recently, my backup hard
drive crashed - DEAD!! Before I buy another external hard drive, I
would like to get some opinions on other backup strategies. I used to
clone my "C" drive (about once a week) in addition to the external hard
drive. But I no longer have an extra 2 1/2" drive large enough to back
up to. The cost of additional drives for backup is not an issue. I
would just like to get other opinions so I can choose one that works
for me. Suggestions for drive models and types are also welcome as
well as software. Currently, I use software from Aquarius I.S.
Consultancy for sequential backup and I cloned my "C" drive with
Acronis True Image.

On Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:05:12 -0600, pip22
<> wrote:

>
>I'm sorry your backup drive bit the dust but I still maintain it's
>currently the most reliable backup medium, statistically speaking, even
>though from your perspective you may not agree.
>
>My backup strategy is to create a disk image of my system drive on no
>less than 3 separate disks (2 x external plus 1 x internal) as, from
>personal experience, I no longer believe that one backup is sufficient
>insurance, especially when it contains almost 10GB of treasured and
>irreplaceable digital images of family & friends.
>
>So my advice to you would be to continue using a hard disk for system
>and data backup, but duplicate it to a second backup disk so they both
>contain exactly the same data.
>
>My system drive contains none of my own data. I create a disk image and
>copy that image to two other separate disks. For my own data, I save it
>to a second internal drive on a file-by-file basis (not a disk image) so
>any file is immediately accessible, then copy those files to two
>external drives. I update all three drives with new files on a regular
>basis.
>
>Call it 'overkill' if you wish, but it does give me peace of mind, and
>hard disks these days are very affordable, so why rely on just one?
>

Thank you for your detailed response - well appreciated. What
brand/size do you recommend for the hard drives? Also, I used to
create a clone of my 'C' drive about once a week in addition to my one
hard drive backup of every file (including the operating system). I
guess this equates to the drive images you create. I don't know how to
impose an image on a hard drive onto a failed 'C' drive. If the
operating system is gone, how do you do this? This would save me from
having to create a clone drive (but, I admit, having a clone drive is
very reassuring to have). All I have to do is swap it out for the
failed 'C' drive and update any data from the hard drive backup which I
maintain every day. Any advice or instructions you may give me are
much appreciated. BTW, I was considering a LaCie 1TB hard drive for
backups - even though I used to use a 500MB drive. I intend to get
into video editing and will probably need the extra space.

@Fruit2O

Since you are looking to backup a HDD for a laptop, you are kind
forced to use an external drive to do the back up. As far as what brand
from personal experience over the years, I now only use Seagate, as ha
many problems with WD, and Seagate gives you either a 3 or 5 y
warranty, depending on model. Also will no longer ever buy recertifie
as it was repaired at some point and have experienced dead driv
recently on daughters computer. Drive was only a year old

Since you have Acronis, which version? you can use it to do a ful
backup every so often, maybe once a month to the external drive then i
ever needed install to the new internal HDD. Make sure that at som
point you create a bootable disc and store away some where, which i
included feature with Acronis. You can go as big as you need on the har
drive, but personally I keep all the video on seperate HDDs to reduc
wear and tear on the hdd that the OS uses and programs that I use on
regular basis. That is one of the tradeoffs with a laptop versuses
desktop. What I look at is the big picture for backup, instead o
convience. If you want to use a bigger drive and clone everything from
smaller drive onto it, you can use Seagate disc wizard availible fro
their site

--
cwl7454

On Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:17:29 -0600, cwl7454 <>
wrote:

>
>@Fruit2O,
>
>Since you are looking to backup a HDD for a laptop, you are kinda
>forced to use an external drive to do the back up. As far as what brand,
>from personal experience over the years, I now only use Seagate, as had
>many problems with WD, and Seagate gives you either a 3 or 5 yr
>warranty, depending on model. Also will no longer ever buy recertified
>as it was repaired at some point and have experienced dead drive
>recently on daughters computer. Drive was only a year old.
>
>Since you have Acronis, which version?

Acronis True Image 2010

you can use it to do a full
>backup every so often, maybe once a month to the external drive then if
>ever needed install to the new internal HDD. Make sure that at some
>point you create a bootable disc and store away some where, which is
>included feature with Acronis.

Thanks, I didn't know that it was a feature of Acronis.

You can go as big as you need on the hard
>drive, but personally I keep all the video on seperate HDDs to reduce
>wear and tear on the hdd that the OS uses and programs that I use on a
>regular basis.

I was considering placing all my photos and videoa on the external hard
drive I am going to use for my differential backups. Is that
advisable?

That is one of the tradeoffs with a laptop versuses a
>desktop. What I look at is the big picture for backup, instead of
>convience. If you want to use a bigger drive and clone everything from a
>smaller drive onto it, you can use Seagate disc wizard availible from
>their site.

Thanks. If my 'C' drive fails and my 'C' drive image is on the
external hard drive, what is the procedure for restoring the 'C' drive
(assuming it's restorable)? If I have to get a new 'C' drive, I assume
the restore process (placing the image from the hard drive to the new 2
1/2" drive) is the same - but I have never done that. Sounds like I
would use the bootable disk - but then what?

Thanks for your help.......

@Fruit2O

I use True Image Home 2009; Under back up and restore ou hav
options to create an image of the entire disk or partition; specif
files, system state, etc. This is also where you schedule your backup
to occur or can do an unscheduled backup. Just yesterday I had to g
back to a restore point on the 6th because I was unable to uninstall
downloaded 3rd party app. Did lose a couple of word documents but bac
to running normally
Under manage and restore you can select the backup to restore. In you
case you will be restoring "C" drive which is on "D" drive to the ne
"C" drive.
Under manage tasks and logs you can see both your scheduled an
unscheduled backups and to see if they were succesful
Under protection state you can see if you have created a bootabl
rescue disc and startup recovery manager. Under Protection tools, I
when you are booting up you will see the screen hesitate and advising t
press F11 if you want to go into recovery. Also is where you can vie
the secure zone; a hidden partition for storing backups.
Try and decide is if you want to try an app before doing a permanen
install. Bootable disk allows you to as the name implies boot. then yo
can restore the image to the new "C" drive
As far as using the external drive for video or what not, no problem
but unless you have usb 3.0 it will be slower than an internal unit
What I am saying is that to directly view video from external thr
computer could result in hestitation. But storing it would be absolutle
no problem. Advantages are able to take with you and able to connect t
another computer or media center, easily. Lose your computer, stil
have the video

--
cwl7454

On Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:10:24 -0600, cwl7454 <>
wrote:

>
>@Fruit2O,
>
>I use True Image Home 2009; Under back up and restore ou have
>options to create an image of the entire disk or partition; specify
>files, system state, etc. This is also where you schedule your backups
>to occur or can do an unscheduled backup. Just yesterday I had to go
>back to a restore point on the 6th because I was unable to uninstall a
>downloaded 3rd party app. Did lose a couple of word documents but back
>to running normally.
>Under manage and restore you can select the backup to restore. In your
>case you will be restoring "C" drive which is on "D" drive to the new
>"C" drive.
>Under manage tasks and logs you can see both your scheduled and
>unscheduled backups and to see if they were succesful.
>Under protection state you can see if you have created a bootable
>rescue disc and startup recovery manager. Under Protection tools, If
>when you are booting up you will see the screen hesitate and advising to
>press F11 if you want to go into recovery. Also is where you can view
>the secure zone; a hidden partition for storing backups.
>Try and decide is if you want to try an app before doing a permanent
>install. Bootable disk allows you to as the name implies boot. then you
>can restore the image to the new "C" drive.
>As far as using the external drive for video or what not, no problem,
>but unless you have usb 3.0 it will be slower than an internal unit.
>What I am saying is that to directly view video from external thru
>computer could result in hestitation. But storing it would be absolutley
>no problem. Advantages are able to take with you and able to connect to
>another computer or media center, easily. Lose your computer, still
>have the video.

Thanks again. BTW, I am waiting for USB3 to come out before I get into
video. Seems like we're on the same page.