Best software for OS backup?

[ShyGuy91284]

I'm using WinXP and a DVD burner, and I would like to back up a semi-bare Windows XP image onto a CD for restoration if needed. Anyone have any suggestions for an easy to use program that will allow me to backup Windows XP (NTFS) to a DVD, and easily pop it into a DVD-ROM at startup to restore the OS? I've heard Windows backup tool can be problematic.

 

[Twista]

norton ghost

 

[xSauronx]

the newest version of ghost should do this easily, its even graphical

you can get a copy with norton systemworks, itll cost about 60 bucks in a store, but you should be able to get it for 15 or less shipped online at a handful of places, and $15 is worth it for everything in the package anyway

 

[AgentZap]

Ghost sucks. I bought it to do backups directly to my DVDr's and all it does it make coasters. Norton's support site has no information on how to fix it and I am not wasting money to pay for support.

 

[thunderhorse]

I have Ghost 2000 and I've never had a problem. Does everything it says it will do. I pay a small fee every year for support and it's worth every penny. I have several Norton programs and I am totally satificed with them. Good luck.

Happy Holidays
Mike

 

[grrl]

Have never used Ghost, but I like Drive Image by PowerQuest.

 

[grrl]

Have never used Ghost, but I like Drive Image by PowerQuest.

Double post.

 

[kungtribe]

another vote for Drive Image

 

[ntrights]

Another vote for Ghost.

 

[Socio]

I use Ghost 2004 verson no problems here.

 

[Sideswipe001]

Another happy Ghost user.

 

[corkyg]

I've tried Ghost, and have DriveImage through ver. 7 - but still the fastest and easiest to clone a drive to another drive (beats hell out of a CD because you simply switch - no restore) is PowerQuest's Drive Copy 4.0

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: grrl
Have never used Ghost, but I like Drive Image by PowerQuest.

FYI, we recently purchased PowerQuest, so it's actually Drive Image by Symantec

Bill

 

[Doh!]

lGhost, DriveImage or TrueImage by Acronis. I've tried/used all three in the past & they all get the job done. Currently, using the Acronis (chepest w/ a coupon).

 

[robisc]

I second the previous post, I have tried all of them as well and now use Acronis exclusively, and have never had problems with it like I did the other two.

 

[ShyGuy91284]

I see. I'm leaning in the direction of Norton Ghost. But does Ghost (or any other ones if ghost doesn't work) make a backup that you can just pop in the drive on startup and it will restore? I'm looking for something that I can use to get my system running quckly in case it fails when I need it

 

[BS911]

with ghost you can typically have your system up and running on a new drive within 10-15min!

 

[Doh!]

All three will do that. If you want to restore the OS, you can either run it from the windows or from a rescue disk (i.e., floppy, cd).

 

[ShyGuy91284]

Another quick question. If my entire system (I'm thinking of making more then a simple bare-bones restore for this question) is over the size of a single DVD, which, if any backup software supports a backup spanning multiple CDs/DVDs?

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: ShyGuy91284
Another quick question. If my entire system (I'm thinking of making more then a simple bare-bones restore for this question) is over the size of a single DVD, which, if any backup software supports a backup spanning multiple CDs/DVDs?

Ghost and DriveImage both support spanning.
Bill

 

[SearchMaster]

I've always used Ghost, and I like it a lot, but I would like to have the ability to skip directories in an NTFS partition. Can the newest version do this? If not, can DriveImage do it?

 

[Swampster]

ShyGuy,

The suggestion by Corky might not have struck you for its total usefullness, so I will elaborate a bit . . .

What he was talking about is having a removable HDD tray in one of your front bays. This will allow you to turn the secondary HDD on and off as needed. Once you have a completely loaded and tweaked system, you go to full power OFF, turn the key on the removable HDD and then fire the system back up using Drive Copy 4 (or above) in its bootable floppy form. This boots to its own operating sysyem and doesn't care what format your HDD is in.

Once booted, you have the option (among other things) to make a complete mirror copy of your entire HDD. This, of course, is presuming that you use the same size drive as your primary HDD. You then turn the system off (power OFF), unlock the drive to keep it from being on when you reboot, then reboot the system as normal.

You now have a complete copy of your current configuration and all that would be necessary to get back into operation in case of a failure or corruption on your primary HDD is boot from the DC4 floppy as outlined above and this time copy drive two to drive one. 10 to 20 minutes later, depending on the size and speed of your drives, you are back up and running with a complete OS plus all your programs and settings and data intact.

The obvious entension of this is that you make a fresh copy to your "backup" drive on a regular basis and you have spent far less time with the actual backups . . . they are complete including all data and settings current to that date, plus in case of an actual hardware failure on the primary HDD you can be back in operation in the time it takes to phylically swap your drives.