thoughts on backup software?

[Rick in PA]

For a year plus I've been using a Seagate Replica backup system. I like the concept, but the execution is not the best (it's a little buggy).

I'd like a relatively simple backup setup where the disk image would be stored on a portable hard drive. Then once a week or so, I'd plug in the hard drive and update the backup (without making a full disk image, just the changes). It would be nice to be able to see what files were backed up and extract them or folders of them from the backup. To restore, use a boot-able CD that operates outside the Windows environment. That's a basic description of the Seagate Replica system and what I'm looking for but a little more robust and reliable.

Just something simple. It's for a Windows 7 machine. I also have an extra hard disk for the computer that I can use to test the the backup system and make sure the disk image is good.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

 

[maz3]

Check out macrium reflect free edition, and easeus todo backup free edition. My company uses these for image based backups and have restored several computers with much success. I believe one of these also allows for backup over network.

 

[Quest]

When I prepare a new computer, I typically have all the necessary softwares, drivers, etc. installed and configured properly before I take a snapshot for futher restoration.

Myself, I typically use software like Allway Sync, etc. to duplicate important files (personal files, etc.) to my NAS and I don't really care about taking a snapshot as a restore point. If something happens, I'd rather install a fresh new OS image and then copy the files back instead.

Q.

 

[Colt45ws]

Ive been using Macrium reflect. All the other computers backup across the network to my RAID array once a week, automatically. Then at the end of the week, I backup the RAID array on a pair of 2TB disks which I use in rotation. The free edition wont do incremental or differential images, though.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Quest
When I prepare a new computer, I typically have all the necessary softwares, drivers, etc. installed and configured properly before I take a snapshot for futher restoration.

Myself, I typically use software like Allway Sync, etc. to duplicate important files (personal files, etc.) to my NAS and I don't really care about taking a snapshot as a restore point. If something happens, I'd rather install a fresh new OS image and then copy the files back instead.

Q.


Agreed. This can introduce corruption and issues that were present in the OS/SW at snapshot time. Preferable to sync all the files elsewhere in case the HD fails, which is the most common issue, and then use the image of the OS with key stuff installed from when it was fresh...

 

[SrDriver]

My vote goes for Paragon Backup and Recovery.

Link To Web Site

Free for personal use.

Requires free registration.

Well worth buying for business use too.

More features than you can shake a stick at.

 

[Rand]

first it was ghost.. then acronis now both are flake.

macrim has some issues and limitations I dont like. Perhaps the paid one doesnt.

for now I'm still using acronis 9 boot cd..

the main thing I dont like about macrim is that if you backup a 2tb hdd.. and it has 50gb of data on it.. you cant restore to a hdd smaller than 2tb.. regardless of the fact that there was only 50gb on it.

I backed up a 1.5tb raid array with it.. there was 200gb of data on it.

one of the raid drives went bad (was a test system so didnt really care)

I had a 1tb I could have restored it to
or just changed it to a 2 drive raid 0
but it wasnt supported. something acronis does easily.

 

[Quattro Pete]

How about Paragon? Anyone uses it?

EDIT: Nevermind. I just noticed SrDriver already mentioned it above.

 

[buickman50401]

If you have two computers on a network and are chiefly concerned with backing up your data (as opposed to the entire OS) Microsoft SyncToy is great.

I've got my personal data (photos, music, video, documents) mirrored across 2 laptops and my desktop.

 

[tmorris1]

Originally Posted By: buickman50401
If you have two computers on a network and are chiefly concerned with backing up your data (as opposed to the entire OS) Microsoft SyncToy is great.

I've got my personal data (photos, music, video, documents) mirrored across 2 laptops and my desktop.

That is still different than a backup. A Sync of bad data will corrupt all three copies. That may work, but a separate offline copy should compliment that.