System Backup

I have also used K Replicator for many years but as you know it is not really a disk backup solution.

Have you looked at these.

Easeus Todo Backup - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

Paragon Backup & Recovery Free Edition (32 bit) - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

When I bought the twin 500GB Cavair Black's they allowed me to download the Acronis True Image WD Edition.

Works great,,
am yet to test the data reload function,,

not sure I want to---:o

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Originally Posted by garrycol

I ended up using Kerry's Replicator on both my laptop and PC - is easy to do and works well - except as I have just found out does not do a restore when there is an issue. At the moment I am busily loading files and programs back onto my PC from the backup docs. It will take about 2 days with a lot of programs having to be re-loaded and of course I cannot find some of the disks.

Is there a free backup program that back ups entire disks/drives and then when required (after an OS has been reloaded and the backup software reloaded) will fully restore the drive in its entirety so I do not have to reload stuff.

The MS product does not seem to work for me - was using it but never managed to recover backup files etc and lost them. Also used Acronis but again when it was asked to put files back (in particular Windows files) it never succeeded.

Garry

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Cant help you with FREE software, but I use Acronis LOTS at work and find it very good. Generally I dont install it on the PC itself, simply boot from the CD and go through the wizard to backup the entire disk/partition as required - usually to an external USB hard drive.

If you already have Acronis I'd try something along the following lines to backup and test that it works OK:
1. Install Acronis on the PC
2. Shut down the PC
3. Boot from the Acronis CD.
4. Make a backup of your whole disk/partition to an external disk
5. Once thats finished, boot the PC normally, find the backup image you've created on the exernal disk and you should be able to open it with Acronis and browse the files etc.
Copy a few files from the backup to a different location and make sure they are OK.

If you have to restore a whole disk from scratch - you just shut down the PC, plug in the external disk, boot from the Acronis CD, choose the backup image off the disk and restore it. No need to install the OS and backup program first.

Acronis should do the same type of backup from within Windows while its running, but I haven't used that much. We use the above method to make backups of PC's and notebooks before wiping the disks and re-allocating the PC to a different user. I've never had a problem restoring whole disk or individual files doing it that way.

Whatever backup software you use you HAVE to regularly test that you can restore from your backups. It might be a hassle, but causes many less tears than eg losing all your family photos (or all the boss's email).
And dont overwrite your last backup with a new one - keep a few backups in case one turns out to be a dud for some reason (usually when you need it for real).

I agree - MS product (ntbackup) is rubbish. No way you can restore a whole computer with it. They've actually removed it from Windows7 - probably because so many people have been caught out.

Sorry the post has turned out so long - hopefully its useful.

Steve

I use syncback by 2brightsparks

2BrightSparks | Downloads

Free home use, excellent app, you can back up as much or as little as you like, can set up jobs and groups and can run off a schedule.

Dave

Thanks for the suggestions - going to give Paragon a go and hope all works well.

Cheers

Garry

Gary you could always use Clonezilla does a great job not perfect but boot from a USB key and copy your drive to an external drive within 20 minutes.

if you have two disks installed just copy/paste - KISS ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by garrycol

Thanks for the suggestions - going to give Paragon a go and hope all works well.

Cheers

Garry

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Looks like a nice product. Let us know how it goes.

Steve

I've tried both Ocster and GFI, both with enough problems that I wouldn't trust them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HangOver

if you have two disks installed just copy/paste - KISS ;)

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That works well for documents or a folder of photos, but its not going to help get all your programs back on if you have a hard disk die or you get a nasty virus and need to start from scratch.

Also, unless you muck around and copy individual folders from your profile, you'll find that you don't have a backup of your email and internet favourites etc.
Generally you cant copy your whole profile while you are using the PC as windows will be using some of the files and wont let them be copied so it rapidly becomes a fiddly selection of individual folders etc and is anything but KISS.

A good image style backup program will back up EVERYTHING from your hard disk, and allow you to have a PC completely restored in about an hour.

Steve