My solution for 100% sure-fire bootable back up is a completely separate back up harddrive.
In my desktops I just keep a second hard drive which is a cloned copy of my main hard drive OS included. Since both drives have my OS and software in the event one fails I just put the other in as primary and boot. Now and then I up date the application folders on the backup HDD so little will be lost in the event of a failure.
Same with laptops. I keep a second hard drive with OS and programs. In the event of a HD failure I remove the failed drive and pop in the backup and boot.
This may seem cumbersome to some but it is pretty much foolproof and keeps OS and all programs safe.
JimAndCat wrote: My solution for 100% sure-fire bootable back up is a completely separate back up harddrive.
In my desktops I just keep a second hard drive which is a cloned copy of my main hard drive OS included. Since both drives have my OS and software in the event one fails I just put the other in as primary and boot. Now and then I up date the application folders on the backup HDD so little will be lost in the event of a failure.
Same with laptops. I keep a second hard drive with OS and programs. In the event of a HD failure I remove the failed drive and pop in the backup and boot.
This may seem cumbersome to some but it is pretty much foolproof and keeps OS and all programs safe.
I do a backup nightly, full backup and verify 45 minutes, and it’s done while we have dinner. I do 6 separate dailies, and one weekly no incremental. I can restore and only loose the data that’s been entered since the prior night.
I know its overkill but I was director of support of a software company that had one of the top backup software packages in the HP3000 mini main frame market. Old habits are hard to break.
I like your idea of the hard drive and it will work but the data can be days or weeks old. So would question the 100%. Most users will not keep the data completely up-to-date.
I want a complete backup system and as I said its overkill for most home users, but the cost is only the software and an usb drive, and it does work. I have the Acronis’s backup job send an email each time to tell me that it completed and the status of the verification.
In addition to being a backup it has come in handy, more than once, after I deleted something and a few days later decided I needed it back (I run CCleaner almost daily & my recycle bin is almost always empty). I have up to a week to get any deleted file restored.
Or you could buy another computer and install Widows Home Server on it and it will back up 5 computers every nite , or when every you set it up to. It operates headless so no need for another monitor or keyboard hooked to it after in initial install. It has worked well for me .
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I plan on living forever , so far , so good
I do a backup nightly, full backup and verify 45 minutes, and it’s done while we have dinner. I do 6 separate dailies, and one weekly no incremental. I can restore and only loose the data that’s been entered since the prior night.
I would like to do that too, but I do not see how I can copy and verify a terabyte of data in 45 minutes. You must have a smaller system than I do.
Realistically, I only need to backup the C: partition frequently. My other partitions are user data, which has a much lower rate of change.
I hope that some day they add more drive letters. What comes after z I'm only down to around t: so far.
Wayne in San Jose
TV1:2002 Chevy 1500HD 4wd Crew Cab,Valley Odyssey brake ctlr,McKesh mirrors
TV2:2008 GMC 2500HD long bed 4wd Crew Cab,GMC brake ctlr,GMC mirrors
TT:Trailmanor 2720
Honda 2000
Yamaha WR250R,Polaris Sportsman 700 X2,Polaris Scrambler 500
Your right, I have about 40 GB of data. I should have stated that when I gave the time for the backup and verify. It also allows me to have the 7 different backup copies as a larger amount would increase the backup size and would require a larger usb drive or maybe multi usb drives. Luckily, most of the RV users I come across do not have your requirement for space.
Your right, I have about 40 GB of data. I should have stated that when I gave the time for the backup and verify. It also allows me to have the 7 different backup copies as a larger amount would increase the backup size and would require a larger usb drive or maybe multi usb drives. Luckily, most of the RV users I come across do not have your requirement for space.
45 minutes makes sense, about a gig a minute. So to copy my terabyte would be 1,000 minutes or about 16 hours.
Now you might comprehend why I run so darn many partitions. Many of my partitions have stuff that I never need to back up. Like my downloaded software.
A 40 gig HD would not even hold my photos. I like keeping them online. I run a http server, so I can access any photo from anywhere that can run a browser.
HD space these days is less than a quarter per gig. I don't offload anything. It is all online.
PopBeavers wrote: ... I don't offload anything. It is all online.
I also have all "my stuff" stored online, as I don't like the idea of losing "my stuff" because of some kind of disaster like fire, flood, tornado, etc. However, I also don't like the idea of having to have Web access in order to retrieve "my stuff". What if my computer's HD craps out and, for whatever reason, I don't have Web access and won't be able to get it for awhile? That would mean, of course, that no matter how bad I might need access to "my stuff", I'm out of luck during that period of time!
At least for me, the above kind of scenario is simply unacceptable, and is why I keep a copy of my stuff in three places:
1)my computer
2)online, on two different servers
3)an external USB drive that is an exact clone of my computer's HD and which I have the ability to restore onto any computer with any size HD
I also have all "my stuff" stored online, as I don't like the idea of losing "my stuff" because of some kind of disaster like fire, flood, tornado, etc. However, I also don't like the idea of having to have Web access in order to retrieve "my stuff". What if my computer's HD craps out and, for whatever reason, I don't have Web access and won't be able to get it for awhile? That would mean, of course, that no matter how bad I might need access to "my stuff", I'm out of luck during that period of time!
I think you misunderstood me.
When I am at home all of my data is online on my desktop computer. Because I run a web server (http), if I am away from the house I still have read access to most, but not all, of my data. My computer at home is the server, running Win/XP Pro.
I have the hard drive. If the computer fails, I just move the HD to one of my other 7 computers.
Web access is seconday. Primary access is just using the computer at home.
This may be another option for you: Ministack
It's made for a Mac which will boot from the firewire side but it also has usb ports as well.
It can be formatted for a PC.
Good Luck,
Arborist
"If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves." - Lane Kirkland
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I'm only down to around t: so far.
