backup software

[TeleFragger]

Ok so since i lost my machine... now rebuilding..
I am planning on creating backups on other machines..

what is the best way to automatically backup files from one machine to another?
I was using robocopy but that is soooo archaic!!!!

just certain directories from one computer to a spare drive in another...

[mwaite]

I have been using Second Copy (http://www.centered.com/) for years. Very flexible. I still do full system backups, as this won't cover an OS restore, however for all files (inc. HS) this is all I need.

[nojstevens]

Take a look at Windows Home Server too for full backups, will do all the PCs in the house

Jon

[Rupp]

There are litterally hunders of backup solutions from the free BackeRupp to the paid Acronis. I would recommend a daily backup of your HS folder structure and a week drive image using software like Acronis.

[TeleFragger]

Take a look at Windows Home Server too for full backups, will do all the PCs in the house

Jon

was gonna run home server... but didnt have what I wanted... didnt like the feel and it felt buggy.... i had only 3 days for a trail so tried banging it up for a few days and wasnt happy with it.. the backup portion did look cool though...

There are litterally hunders of backup solutions from the free BackeRupp to the paid Acronis. I would recommend a daily backup of your HS folder structure and a week drive image using software like Acronis.

i remembered googling acronis a while back... and went to a website..
next i knew a guy showed up at my desk and told me I had a virus (checking it out for work... back when we were deciding around ghost and driveimage..... so i diched the acronis idea then.. maybe look back into it i guess....

[Stuart]

was just looking at this. Seems to run very fast.

Drive SnapShot 1.3
http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/


Stuart

[dschoppe]

Acronis has saved my butt at least once or twice over the years.

Now I'm using Shadow Protect Desktop and so far it is my favorite:
http://www.storagecraft.com/products...rotectDesktop/

Don

[TeleFragger]

just bought myself a new machine (waiting for it to come in)
and it supports sata raid... gonna mirror my drives.... so that will work nice.... including gonna run vmware.. so off to post over there... so search vmware and see what i have to say...

[gfs]

back up hs

i have hp media smart home server and i want to add my pro 100 data drive to the auto back up. anyone have experience with that? i think i nhave to load the WHS software on the drive in order for the server to see it, right?

also want to try acroinis or some kind of image system. i cant afford to lose my data!

[TeleFragger]

well i was going to download some of the trials and install... but instead I have a different way for the moment..

windows 7 backup.... google it... really nice and it is up and running...

I have all my stuff on a 1tb drive and backing up important stuff to 500gb drive....

i know that isnt alot of data.. but works..

[cerjzc]

I use Acronis as well and have for several years. Those interested may want to check out the deal going on over at newegg right now:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc..._-NA-_-NA-_-NA


Jeff

[buvens]

WHS has saved us many times and so far am happy with it.
Only issue I have is, wonder if I could run two WHS's and have the second backup the first. As far as the machines in the house, the WHS does a good job so far.
Mines not that large either as it has 4T worth of spave and about 60% used.

[buvens]

Just a simple explination of WHS. It is a modified Windows 2003 server that uses a different file system than the regular 2003 boxes.
It is designed to be run from a remote console and not the local console. Although remember it is using the basic 2003 engine so has a lot of the same functions as the regular 2003 box. Microrsoft doesn't recommend that you get under the covers with it so to speak but you can and use the features if you want to take the chance.
It has a built in web server that is setup to allow sharing photos, music, videos etc. I ran HS on mine for a short time when I first got it but my old GV800 wouldn't work in it so I put the HS back on a XP box.
Anyhow you load a WHS client on each machine you want to back up and set what directories to include or exclude and it will do the backups for you each night. One feature it has is it doesn't make duplicate backups of each file. If two machines are running XP it will save one copy and keep track of what differences there are on each machine so it doesn't take so much space.
A couple of people make the boxes ready to run, HP is one but in my case I like to tinker so bought the software from New Egg and built my own.
One advantage of running it as a standalone box is, in the unfortunate case of loosing the WHS box, you still have your original machines except for the shared directories on the WHS box. There are utilities to handle backing up those shared folders also plus they are duplicated across drives if that feature is turnd on in WHS.
The latest power pack added some multimedia sharing to the XBox and some of the others windows machines.
I have used it with XP, Vista and Windows 7 with good results.
Disclamer, I don't work for Microsoft nor sell any of this. Personally an old OS/2 person and we were doing things with OS/2 in 93 that Windows still doesn't do. Or at least I haven't seen it do.
Hope that helps a little...

[rmasonjr]

I came home the other night and my main PC (non-HS) had the dreaded blue screen of death displayed due to an unbootable device. I panicked. I do nightly backups of iTunes music and photos, but I didnt have an image. I started up XP's recovery console, ran a chkdsk and got it to boot. I immediately went and bought Acronis and created an image of my bootable C: drive. I then ordered a new hard drive which should be here this week.

My C: drive is a partitioned 20G drive, a 5G D: drive for swap only and E: and F: are for program files and my documents. I figure if i have an image of my 20G C: drive, I should be covered for a bootable drive, I would just have to reload any program files.

With the decrease in cost for external drives, it just makes sense to have an image for disaster/recovery.

[danielbo]

Lost my Phonebook

I use backup4all3 and it works great. But here is a problem. My phone book is missing and I do not have any idea on what file to restore. Could someone please tell me. I dont know how it came up missing but it is. I rotate between three backups which is great, but yesterday I did some changes on my devices and dont want to have to redo them. So I am needing to know what file to restore for my phone book. I hope someone could help me soon, where I use it a lot. I have a family member that is really sick and all my numbers are listed in the phonebook. I should write them down and will next time, but I hope I never have to make these calls again. I will be watching the board or could email me at dan@danielbo.com. Thanks to all that would tell me what file the phone book is.
Danielbo