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Thread ID: 98488 2009-03-26 20:33:00 Backup for SWMBO sarel (2490) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
759894 2009-03-26 20:33:00 Yesterday SWMBO's lappie decided to pack it in, and by all accounts the HD conked out. So the first question I asked "Did you backup your stuff as I told you" was met with silence. I did not say what I wanted to say ("At last I've been proven right"). Lots of tears though, because she had a lot of important school stuff on it. The Techie at school said he may recover some of it, although I have to see it to believe it. So I offered to manage the backups for her, once she receives the lappie back.

I am thinking of getting an external HD, say 500G, divided into two partitions. I will then backup her stuff say on a weekly basis to one partition, with one of the better packages around (that I will pay for if I need to). The other partition I will use for backup for the home PC. Looking at all the posts in this regard it would seem as if I need:

A Maxtor HD
Acronis True Image or Paragon or perhaps DriveImgXML (although I have yet to get the last one to work).


I once helped a mate to get an external HD going and if I remember correctly, it had it's own backup program on it? This kind of backup program any good?

Your views?

sarel
sarel (2490)
759895 2009-03-26 21:16:00 Could just use Mozbackup & Synctoy then BUP to DVD - would be cheaper, based on BUP of data assuming you've got Win system backups and can rebuild/reinstall prg's. Ofthesea (14129)
759896 2009-03-26 21:42:00 As I understood it, some of the graphics type of programs she uses are enormous, but I will ask. Knowing SWMBO she may not like such an easy solution.

sarel
sarel (2490)
759897 2009-03-26 22:09:00 I just back up data.

Don't care about programs - they can always be reinstalled (so long as I can find the disk or licence keys!).

One or two of the programs I use actually enable the export of an INI file, so that if this is done (and backed up) it is relatively easy to re-customise the application when I re-install it by importing the INI file.

Don't know why more applications don't do this.
johcar (6283)
759898 2009-03-27 00:15:00 programs I use actually enable the export of an INI file

This is greek to me so I wouldn't have a clue. A stupid *rs*h*l* like me usually do things the long way round due to stupidity

sarel
sarel (2490)
759899 2009-03-27 00:37:00 An INI file can hold configuration info, so if you customised an app to have, say, a blue background and Calibri as default font and "minimise to tray" (and multiple other wee tweaks, for instance), this info could be held (and exported for a backup) in the INI file, ready to be re-imported after a disaster... Saves time trying to remember exactly how you had the app set up before the disaster. johcar (6283)
759900 2009-03-27 01:31:00 I suggest you use SyncBack (www.2brightsparks.com) to backup the Data, then image it once a month with DriveImageXML.

Here's a guide to get you started
lifehacker.com

You can do it from a BARTPE too if you have one, as DriveIMageXML has a BARTPE version.

Blam
Blam (54)
759901 2009-03-27 03:46:00 If there's one thing I don't want to do it is getting SWMBO's back up.
Silly? - - quite often, but not suicidal.
R2x1 (4628)
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