Can't I just copy everything instead of using a backup program?

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Leo,

Any suggestions for free/ low cost backup software? I know you "get what you pay for" much of the time, but as a recently married grad student, software can be a hit to the budget. At the same time, having to do a full reinstall mid-semester, the week before a paper is due, is daunting at best (and before you ask, my data files are safe and regularly backed up).

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Not really, perhaps other readers will chime in with some ideas.

My default answer would be the backup utility that's included in Windows. It's
gotten a bad rap in past years, but I also understand that it's improved
somewhat as well.

Leo

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I started using SyncBackup from 2BrightSparks. Have been very happy with it after struggling with Retrospect for some time. There is a simple mode and an advanced mode. If you use the advanced, the configuration options can be a bit complex. It is not exactly intuitive. Must complement them however on support. They sorted out a problem I had backing up to an external hard disk and response time was within 24 hours to requests. Cost from memory was around US$45 for a 5 user license. You can trial the software for 30 days so suggest you give it a go.

I was looking for a larger HD and noticed Aconis True Image was bundled with the HD which is a good idea. I think it was on Google.

I use Genie Backup Manager - and it is the only one that I can recommend to my customers.

First, it will keep your files in their original format - or zip. Most programs put them into oddball proprie-tary formats. You don’t really know if the files are any good or not. I always keep them original.

Second, it can backup directly to CD or DVD, - a lot of progs. don't do that.

Thirdly, very simple to use. It puts an icon on your desktop for quick access to a backup profile. Just click it, and your backup starts in 10 seconds. You don’t have to hunt for the backup program, then the profile, then launch the process.

Also, I use the older Ghost 2003 for my full image-type backups. Paragon and Acronis look very simple to use. They say they can backup a live system, but I would still bootup to a CD and do it from there. There are a lot of horror stories out there on the new Ghost and Acronis.

Ron N.

I use Genie Backup Manager - and it is the only one that I can recommend to my customers.

First, it will keep your files in their original format - or zip. Most programs put them into oddball proprie-tary formats. You don’t really know if the files are any good or not. I always keep them original.

Second, it can backup directly to CD or DVD, - a lot of progs. don't do that.

Thirdly, very simple to use. It puts an icon on your desktop for quick access to a backup profile. Just click it, and your backup starts in 10 seconds. You don’t have to hunt for the backup program, then the profile, then launch the process.

Also, I use the older Ghost 2003 for my full image-type backups. Paragon and Acronis look very simple to use. They say they can backup a live system, but I would still bootup to a CD and do it from there. There are a lot of horror stories out there on the new Ghost and Acronis.

Ron N.

I agree about the new ghost software. Its completely different to the 2003 version and hard to do a complete image backup of your c: drive. I find ghost is the best (and fastest) way of doing a complete backup of your system and its fast to restore from too.

I'm sorry to be a 'What about me' on this subject, but I've been trying to find a product that I believe was recommended in a recent (within the last 3 months) Leo newsletter. It had to do with back-up solutions for small servers. I though it was an HP product. But HP is not answering my emails about it. I've tried to find the newsletter and haven't been able to. We have a 75GB server and I'd like daily back ups.
Thanks...

I've used Acronis for years, every week I do a complete image backup and if I've ever had a problem, picked up a virus, anything at all I'm back up and running in about a half hour. It's always worked flawlessly for me. I recommend it highly.

As I recd. nil response last time, please can I request an opinion to the following which hasn't been covered before as far as I am aware -
My DELL 9300 laptop has 3 partitions (all different format - FAT16.32 and NTFS) for 'DELL utilities', 'Shipping condition' recovery using Ctl/F11 and the C: partition (NTFS). The HDD also has the 'special' DELL boot sector to enable the shipping recovery action - see(www.goodells.net/dellrestore/recover.htm)
Can you advise if its possible to copy whole HDD to my ext.250Gb USB drive please and then do incremental updates of the C: partition - to cover possibility of HDD failure?
Rgds. G (an oldie UK fan)

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