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Thread ID: 112279 2010-08-30 11:14:00 Media for backups - options. timmy5953 (6846) Press F1
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1133120 2010-08-30 11:14:00 I’ve sorted out a free backup program – Paragon Backup & Restore - and set out to do the initial backup. Part way thru, the program tells me the space required at destination is about 40 Gb. So if I use DVD or USB flash drives, it will require a few of them to accommodate the entire backup (assuming 8Gb USB flash is max size to keep price within reason)

Is it a sensible alternative to buy a stand alone hard drive for backup? Price for say 100-Gb drive probably works out abt the same as DVDs or flash drives . But the advantage is that data is all in one place & the single unit is 2 or 3 times bigger capacity, allowing backup file size to grow.

Am i on the right track? Any issues transferring data from my laptop to a hard drive (using USB cable?)

my setup is Toshiba L500 laptop, Duo CPU @ 2.00GHz, HDD 225Gb (180Gb free space), 4Gb Ram, Windows 7 Prof.
timmy5953 (6846)
1133121 2010-08-30 11:16:00 get an external hard drive GameJunkie (72)
1133122 2010-08-30 11:33:00 Just a bit of a warning/ Advice Just be careful with the Paragon Backup & Restore. Several people including myself have had problems with it. Sometimes it works, other times it fails, usually just when you need it.

There are better programs available to do backups that are more reliable.

One of the three that I use these days that has never failed yet is Active@ Disk Image (http://www.disk-image.net/) - not free, but it is worth it.

As GameJunkie posted -- External Drive is the way to go.
wainuitech (129)
1133123 2010-08-30 19:36:00 Just a bit of a warning/ Advice Just be careful with the Paragon Backup & Restore. Several people including myself have had problems with it. Sometimes it works, other times it fails, usually just when you need it.

There are better programs available to do backups that are more reliable.

One of the three that I use these days that has never failed yet is Active@ Disk Image (http://www.disk-image.net/) - not free, but it is worth it.

As GameJunkie posted -- External Drive is the way to go.

That Active disk image is currently around $52NZ. I was one of the people that had trouble with Paragon it crashed Win7 so badly that I had to completely re install
gary67 (56)
1133124 2010-08-30 21:03:00 Yes hard drives make great backup units these days.

But don't forget to take one off site in case of fire or theft etc.

I've been buying those Adata drives the ones in the plastic shock proof, waterprooof case.

You never know when I may go scuba diving.

(Boy I used to hate backing up to Floppy Disk drives - they were slow and they never worked half the time.)
Digby (677)
1133125 2010-08-30 21:15:00 I’ve sorted out a free backup program – Paragon Backup & Restore - and set out to do the initial backup .

Is it a sensible alternative to buy a stand alone hard drive for backup? .

Absolutely .

MAke an image but also regularly back up your personal stuff .
Don't MOVE it to the external drive, copy it - that way, one drive may die, but the chances of both (internal and external) dying at the same time are slim .

So you don't lose anything .
And never leave the external plugged in permanently, unplug it and put it away when not using it .
pctek (84)
1133126 2010-08-30 21:24:00 I’ve sorted out a free backup program – Paragon Backup & Restore - and set out to do the initial backup. Part way thru, the program tells me the space required at destination is about 40 Gb. So if I use DVD or USB flash drives, it will require a few of them to accommodate the entire backup (assuming 8Gb USB flash is max size to keep price within reason)

Is it a sensible alternative to buy a stand alone hard drive for backup? Price for say 100-Gb drive probably works out abt the same as DVDs or flash drives . But the advantage is that data is all in one place & the single unit is 2 or 3 times bigger capacity, allowing backup file size to grow.

Am i on the right track? Any issues transferring data from my laptop to a hard drive (using USB cable?)

my setup is Toshiba L500 laptop, Duo CPU @ 2.00GHz, HDD 225Gb (180Gb free space), 4Gb Ram, Windows 7 Prof.

HDD is probably the most convenient media and affordable. Im just curious as to why you are using 3rd party backup when Windows 7 has a great image and data backup application built in?
SolMiester (139)
1133127 2010-08-30 22:35:00 You may want to optimize your system before back up, such as defragging, cleaning with ccleaner, etc. Also to back up regularly, and to back up what's really required. For example, I now get younger family members to back up family photo's, software, installers, documents, etc, rather than just myself. kahawai chaser (3545)
1133128 2010-08-30 22:44:00 You will be lucky to find a 100gb drive these days.
However you can get a 1tb (1000gb) drive for about $100
DeSade (984)
1133129 2010-08-30 22:55:00 Absolutely.

MAke an image but also regularly back up your personal stuff.
Don't MOVE it to the external drive, copy it - that way, one drive may die, but the chances of both (internal and external) dying at the same time are slim.

So you don't lose anything.
And never leave the external plugged in permanently, unplug it and put it away when not using it.

That's the best advice if you get an external drive.
Just had a client in last week who had an external HDD and thought they were doing the right thing by saving everything to it. :horrified
They dropped the drive and now it doesn't spin up so they had to send it to a data recovery place which is gonna cost them at least $900 to get the data back!
CYaBro (73)
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