What backup program should I use?

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Hi Leo.
I am looking for a backup software that can make a different daily backup of some selected data for a week and start after to overwrite the first once again. So that I could go a little back in the backup in case I lost some data. Could you advice me a product? Thanks a lot! Christian ;)

In reading this series of comments, I went to check my own software, PCCloneEx, since I had never really tried to restore anything with it. The program seems to work, but when it restores files it leaves them in a zipped format. I know I can simply unzip it, but are there back-up programs that will restore the file in its native format?

Thanks,

HG

I have backed up my Windows XP and Office on a 16GB Flash Drive. If my hard drive fails, can I just boot from the Flash Drive, then copy all the backed-up files to the replacement drive? Or, will I need some interim step?

Acronis only restores to the backed up computer. I want backup software that will backup to a new computer. If mine crashes I will purchase a new computer. What program should I use? Thanks. Jay

Restoring to a new computer seems to be like doing illegal copies of your OS.
But what if your hard disk crashes? I had to deal with that problem: I had a 80GB hd and it crashes. Hd I could buy was 200GB. Backup programs simply made a first partition but I loose 120GB. I had to reinstall all to be able to use the whole disk.
Is there a backup program able to do this tasks?

I recently bought Acronis, because of recommendations here, to use on my wife's laptop, Vista OS, and the program comes back with a failure window every way we have tried to make a drive image whether onto a USB external drive, networked computer, or network drive. Acronis will make backups of e-mails and docs but it is very slow. Their support is not only slow but has been unable to provide a workable answer for image making failure and a password problem getting onto the network drive. They suggested using router password for the later.
I think I am going to trash Acronis and buy new Ghost program which (Version 9)has worked for years on my desktop computer. I do regular backups of data but want regular full drive images in case of drive failures, of wich I've had only three in twenty five years of computers. I probably should consider myself very lucky.

If I back up everything then am I not risking backing up, and then restoring, the bad stuff? Not just something catastrophic like a virus but all the registry crud that might be slowing me down?

(If I'm worried about a hard drive crash, or a fire, I would want to restore to everything exactly as it was.)

I suppose I should buy the program and try out the settings. Besides my data (and I can copy that easily enough) I'll want various applications, and also various settings (I've got my start menu and my desktop just the way I like them.) How do I back up and restore the good while leaving the bad?

I don't think Leo mentioned that often many external hard drives come with a backup function as well. Such as my mybook I got (by western digital) came with.

Leo, I am not real bright when it comes to computers.But, I do know that my computer XP has a virus that anit virus programs will not touch. And I also know that I have lots of stuff on my computer that is very important to my business. I also know that '10 Quick Steps' is not working.
Do you recommend any off site storage businesses?? I need to save MS Office and its files. HELP, and thanks for your time.

Because of a failing hard drive, I backed up my system using both Macrium Reflect and the backup tool in Windows XP Home onto a separate external hard drive.
My plan is to replace my laptop hard drive and use the (external) backup to restore the system back to it's current state.

My question is, once I install the new blank hard drive, how do I get the system going again? That is, do I simply hook up the external HD with the backup on it, and hope the computer finds the backup files automatically?

Or do I need to install windows or something on the new internal HD first?

The problem here is that windows was preinstalled on my dell laptop, so i have no windows CD to work with.

Many thanks!

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