Backup, backup, backup!!!

paulw37 · 29-03-2008, 15:48

I have just lost a 250Gb harddrive after about 2 years of use. It had all of my files on including about 5000 digital photo's and all of my email, not to mention all of the accounts for the church I attend.

All I can say is thank goodness for Acronis True Image 10. In recent months I have taken to doing a full image of my computer at the end of each month and a weekly backup of the My Documents folders and email - all to an external Hard Drive.

With this I was able to just get a new blank HDD installed and then restore the image of the original HDD. I must admit to being very relieved when this worked as I hadn't actually restored a HDD before.

For those of you that do not do backups. Please consider what you would lose if your HDD failed. Believe me it is definitely worth the expense of getting some good backup software and an external hard drive.

29-03-2008, 15:56

Well said mate - and good advice!

I backup my stuff to a second hard drive in the PC and also to a external NAS drive.

And I'm currently using the same backup application to FTP the very important data (photos!) to an FTP server on the web.

Delta Whiskey · 29-03-2008, 19:38

I backup to DVD and an external hard drive. You cannot be too careful with irreplaceable data like photo's and video's.

AbyssUnderground · 29-03-2008, 20:09

I too can't stress this enough. Last night one of my 250gb drives failed. Thankfully, it was the backup that failed so I'm going to get a new drive as soon as I can afford it. Until then I'm using another drive as my backup drive for the important things.

Callumpy · 29-03-2008, 20:10

I have the Windows Home Server backups, but it didnt work last time my PC got a BSOD

m.massey · 29-03-2008, 21:38

i use the bt backup work ok for me , for photos and my files on my pc and my laptop

Stephen · 29-03-2008, 23:15

I always keep a spare HDD with a copy of everything and I also use Apple's Time Machine.

bw41101 · 29-03-2008, 23:30

I have found Norton Ghost a very good way of backing up. So much so, that when my drive gets cluttered with accumulated dross and Windows does it's revert to treacle and molasses act. I'm quite happy to re-format the drive and install the image of my system etc, from DVD.

Saves a lot of hassle.

Si thee

Halcyon · 30-03-2008, 03:11

Definately good advice !

A backup is vital these days where data is the most important thing.

I'm going to be making an image very soon and will keep it on my external drive.

30-03-2008, 03:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by bw41101

I have found Norton Ghost a very good way of backing up. So much so, that when my drive gets cluttered with accumulated dross and Windows does it's revert to treacle and molasses act. I'm quite happy to re-format the drive and install the image of my system etc, from DVD.

Saves a lot of hassle.

Si thee

Ive used Ghost for 5 years im on version 12 now which im happy with but version 14 can back up to ftp or remote sites . But will take bloody ages lol

AndyCambs · 30-03-2008, 09:01

Generally you only realise the advantages of backing up when it's too late..

I also keep valuable photos on CDs, but these degraded so I lost some. Now I put photos and documents on an external drive (means it can be shared on the network), back photos up to CD as well, and also have current ones on the computer HDD - and back up the computer to another external drive.

bw41101 · 30-03-2008, 14:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

Ive used Ghost for 5 years im on version 12 now which im happy with but version 14 can back up to ftp or remote sites . But will take bloody ages lol

Aye I know. The server on Mars can be a little slow, especially with that cold dusty weather they're having at the moment.

Si thee

Skatoony · 30-03-2008, 18:08

I use 4 HDDs which different things are spread about the drives. I've also got an external 40GB HDD I use for backups and sometimes I burn backups to DVD+RW.

Still got a 40GB HDD that's been spinning for 4 years straight now

31-03-2008, 14:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Callumpy

I have the Windows Home Server backups, but it didnt work last time my PC got a BSOD

...and then WHS ate his data - btw - have they fixed that nice bug yet???

Rob7865 · 31-03-2008, 14:24

Hi

I think having a small NAS box, set up in a RAID 1 mirror is essential with how we run our lives digitally now.... A friend of mine recently lost a hard drive and all the photo's of their first born with it.... For very little money a simple 2 drive NAS and folder redirection could have helped get back those pictures...

I also think that the on-line backups are very good too. This seems very good (http://www.humyo.com) Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£30 per year doesn't seem much to know that all your info is secure.

Rob