What options are there for backing up data besides RAID and synchronization software?

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: Navid

Originally posted by: archcommus
Of course it is. It will only make that change when I tell it to. So if I accidentally delete a file, I can go get it back before I sync again.

If you don't backup in this manner how else do you do it? And I mean an efficient way, not just making DVDs every now and then.

As I said, I am not familiar with that software.

You are saying that you have to tell it to sync. Instead of doing that, I make a backup using the XP backup utility and store it on my second internal hard drive. I also copy the backup file on a DVD/RW.
For the OS, I make an image of my C drive, which only contains the OS, using Drive Image and store that on my second internal hard drive.

This is good enough for me. It may not be for you.

Basically, it just mirrors the folder at the click of a button. So I plug in and turn on my external drive, run the project, it syncs it up, and I'm done and turn off the drive.

Doesn't the Windows Backup utility make a proprietary all-in-one file? To me, it seems better to have an exact copy of the folders and files, not some compressed backup file with everything in it.

 

[mechBgon]

Doesn't the Windows Backup utility make a proprietary all-in-one file? To me, it seems better to have an exact copy of the folders and files, not some compressed backup file with everything in it.

You're right, it would be dreadfully difficult to find another Windows computer to recover the data with. But your own method sounds good. If it ain't broke...

 

[xtknight]

The problem with RAID is if you have a virus, it will wipe both your RAID drives (obviously). So RAID only protects you against drive failures, not deleted files. Just FYI.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Doesn't the Windows Backup utility make a proprietary all-in-one file? To me, it seems better to have an exact copy of the folders and files, not some compressed backup file with everything in it.

You're right, it would be dreadfully difficult to find another Windows computer to recover the data with. But your own method sounds good. If it ain't broke...

Yeah I like how I do it. But I'm still interested to hear how others do it.

- Making periodical CDs or DVDs is time-consuming and hard to edit later.
- RAID does not provide a backup if a file is deleted, as has been mentioned.
- Then there's how I do it.

I know pretty much everyone here backs up their stuff but I don't know how many people do it my way, how else can you do it efficiently?

 

[Carl Uman]

Happy to see you know the difference between raid and backup now.

I have two hard drives. I use a rsync script which is kicked off every night via cron job (linux). I switch drives once a month or so. The problem with mirroring has already been talked about (what happens to one happens to both except in the case of drive failer). A similar problem can happen with just backing up to the same external drive. It just gives you more time to discover you have a problem. The backup drive not being used in stored in a safe.

If you have Win XP/2000 Pro then you can use the backup software that comes with it and schedule it as well.

For me this works well and I'm comfortable with it. If I was going to change it I would add a third drive to the rotation (nightly / weekly / monthly) and keep the monthly drive off site and the weekly drive in the safe.

 

[archcommus]

How do those Windows Backup files work? Can you extract individual files from them or must you restore an entire file to a directory or drive?

 

[archcommus]

Bringing this to the top, I'm interested how the Windows utility works.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: archcommus
How do those Windows Backup files work? Can you extract individual files from them or must you restore an entire file to a directory or drive?

You can extract individual files, multiple files or all of the contents. You can restore to the original location, or you can restore to a new location.

 

[archcommus]

Doesn't sound any better than just having a copy of the folder.