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Thread ID: 47403 2004-07-25 03:19:00 Data backup program heni72847 (1166) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
255257 2004-07-25 03:19:00 can anyone suggest a free simple reliable backup program that i can use for backing up data only my removable hd
i currently use datakeeper but i'm not very satisfy with it
its backup seem to get bigger and bigger
and my ext hd jz runs out of room

i only backup the contents of my documents
i don't see why the size of the backup slows gets bigger overtime


the computer i run my backup on is running window 2000
heni72847 (1166)
255258 2004-07-25 04:07:00 A backup programme will normally manipulate the "Archive" attribute so it backs up only files which have been changed since the last archive . If you are making a new archive each time, it might be doing something silly like adding changed files to a copy of the previous backup .

The traditional backup procedure was to make a full backup once a week, then do "incremental" backups (of files chnaged that day) each day .

Have you room for a set of files called something like: "LastWeekFull", PreviousWeekFull", "Monday", "Tuesday", etc . It's important to never remove the previous full backup until the new one has been completed . In the old system it was automatic because you used at least three sets of tapes . Just rename the last weeks full backup before making the new one .

You could probably make a batch file which will do the whole thing . Look at the options for XCOPY . I think it's "/m" which will copy only files with the archive bit set, then clear the bit .
Graham L (2)
255259 2004-07-25 05:19:00 This is one line from my DOS backup batch file, it runs under XP.

xcopy c:\data\*.* e:\*.* /y/d/s

It copies to e: (a separate HDD) only those files in the "data" directory or subdirectories that have a file date and time that has changed relative to the ones already backed up.

That routine is run at the end of every day.

e: is a removeable HDD which also gets rotated around a set of 4.
The files get copied to a DVD every month.

It works, I have had to restore data several times.
godfather (25)
255260 2004-07-25 06:57:00 As a matter of interest where do those Flashh do dads come in on this sort of thing? Old Tom (5871)
255261 2004-07-26 04:44:00 You could do it quite well with a few of them, like GF's method of multiple removable disk drives . The cost might be a bit higher, though they are a more convenient size .

The convenient size means you would want a secure lockable place for them, as well as following the rule of storing the backups away from the computer . There have been a number of cases of computers and the backups being stolen together . :_|
Graham L (2)
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