Best Backup program

[[email protected]]

Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my current
system
running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and data.

The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.

While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
incremental basis
would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
reinstall a working
system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive just
stopped working.

Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and any
pros cons.

TIA

Brian

[DL[_3_]]

I use Acronis TI

> wrote in message
...
> Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my current
> system
> running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and data.
>
> The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.
>
> While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
> incremental basis
> would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
> reinstall a working
> system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive just
> stopped working.
>
> Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and any
> pros cons.
>
> TIA
>
> Brian

[Unknown]

Go to www.cmsproducts.com and read. You decide.
> wrote in message
...
> Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my current
> system
> running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and data.
>
> The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.
>
> While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
> incremental basis
> would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
> reinstall a working
> system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive just
> stopped working.
>
> Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and any
> pros cons.
>
> TIA
>
> Brian

[Thip]

> wrote in message
...
> Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my current
> system
> running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and data.
>
> The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.
>
> While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
> incremental basis
> would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
> reinstall a working
> system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive just
> stopped working.
>
> Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and any
> pros cons.
>
> TIA
>
> Brian

You can get Acronis TrueImage free from the Maxtor/Seagate Web page. It's
very good.

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:48:57 -0500, "Thip" > wrote:

>
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
> > Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my current
> > system
> > running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and data.
> >
> > The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.
> >
> > While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
> > incremental basis
> > would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
> > reinstall a working
> > system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive just
> > stopped working.
> >
> > Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and any
> > pros cons.
> >
> > TIA
> >
> > Brian
>
> You can get Acronis TrueImage free from the Maxtor/Seagate Web page.


Not as far as I know (unless that's something new for them). And I
couldn't find it on their web site. Please provide a link to the
specific web page there where you can download it for free.


> It's very good.


Yes, it is.


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Anna]

> wrote in message
...
> Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my current
> system
> running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and data.
>
> The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.
>
> While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
> incremental basis
> would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
> reinstall a working
> system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive just
> stopped working.
>
> Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and any
> pros cons.
>
> TIA
>
> Brian


Brian:
I'm sure you understand that in this business whenever one asks "What's the
best hard drive?" or "What's the best monitor?", or "What's the best
printer?", or even "What's the best backup program?", you can be certain of
only one thing. And that is there's no simple answer to questions of that
sort; there's "no one size fits all" so to speak. So take that into
consideration when you receive responses to your query. Many of these
backup-type programs have demo or trial versions available and you should
avail yourself of the opportunity of working with as many as is practical
for you to determine based upon your own needs what program best suits those
needs.

Anyway, here is my recommendation for your consideration...

Working with thousands of PC users over the years it has been abundantly
clear to us that there is a crucial need for a substantial number (if not a
vast majority) of these users who would be well-served by establishing &
maintaining a comprehensive backup program - a program that would not only
back up their personal data, but one that would also back up their OS and
all programs & applications - in effect, a program that would create a
precise copy of their day-to-day working HDD(s). So that if & when that day
comes that their system becomes dysfunctional because of a corrupt OS
resulting in an unbootable HDD or the HDD itself becomes defective, the user
would have the means to effectively & reasonably quickly restore their
system(s) to a bootable, functional state.

In our view a disk-to-disk cloning program is an effective tool in meeting
that objective. We've continually searched for a program that was effective
(it did what it was supposed to do), straightforward in design, and
easy-to-use even for an inexperienced user. We've used & experimented with a
variety of such programs over the years and found the Casper 5 program met
those objectives. Together with its "SmartClone" technology - which I'll
describe in more detail below - we've found this program superior to others
we've used over the years.

When one peruses this newsgroup and similar ones dealing with users'
problems, how many times a day, a week, do we see these types of plaintive
pleas for help?...

"Helllllp! My hard drive apparently died. How do I get my data back?", or,
"I just installed SP3 and now my computer doesn't even boot", or,
"I made that registry change (XXX) suggested and now I'm getting weird
messages from Windows", or,
"I installed the latest update from Microsoft and now my anti-spyware
program has been trashed", or,
"I installed that new (Super-Duper Anti-Malware) program and now all I get
is a black screen", or,
"All of a sudden I'm getting that dreaded BSOD and my system won't boot. How
can I save my precious photos?", or,
"After I just installed that beta copy of Windows 7 I get this funny message
from Windows that I have to close down my system and now nothing works", or,
"My hard drive was making funny noises and now nothing happens when I push
the power button on my 'puter"...
"After installing internet explorer 8.0 my computer went wonky. I couldn't
get online."

The list goes on & on, does it not? Does an hour, a day, a week pass where
we don't come across the above "cries of distress" and similar pleas for
help?

In so many cases the problem would have been a non-problem had the user made
a precise copy of his or her then-functional system *prior* to installing a
major program on their machine or making some major configuration change in
their otherwise perfectly-working system. This can be relatively easily
achieved through the use of a disk-cloning program such as the Casper 5
program which we prefer. So that in the event of a catastrophe - minor or
major - the system can be easily restored to its previous functional state.
When all is said & done, that is the sum & substance of the value of a
disk-cloning program.

Simply stated, a *desirable* disk-cloning program will allow the user to
restore his or her system easily & quickly when their system fails because
of a defective HDD or the system has become unbootable & dysfunctional
because of data corruption from malware, unwise configurations, or other
causes.

But as I previously indicated, the chief reason we prefer the Casper 5
disk-cloning program (aside from its simplicity of operation and general
effectiveness in carrying out the disk (partition)-cloning operation) is
because of its rather extroardinary ability to *speedily* clone the contents
of one drive (or partition) to another drive (or partition) when the program
is used on a frequent basis. As I mentioned, Casper incorporates what it
calls its "SmartClone" feature. The program has the happy capability of
automatically detecting *incremental* changes in the source drive's data
since the *previous* disk-cloning operation. By so doing and then taking
only those incremental data changes into account, the amount of time the
program needs to complete subsequent disk-cloning operations is
significantly shortened (as compared with other disk-cloning programs). Keep
in mind that the resultant clone is a *complete* clone of the contents of
the source HDD; it is *not* merely an incremental "file".

As a result of this feature there is an enormous incentive for users to
backup their systems on a more-or-less current basis knowing that the
expenditure of time in doing so will be relatively slight. Heretofore this
has been a major problem with disk-cloning programs (in terms of *routinely*
using the program as a comprehensive backup system) because each time the
disk-cloning operation was undertaken it was considered by the program to be
a "fresh" operation and therefore took a considerable amount of time to
complete the cloning operation. So many, if not most, users would balk at
using the disk-cloning program on a frequent basis because of that
expenditure of time to undertake the disk-cloning operation.

Obviously there are different approaches one can take with respect to
selecting a backup program (or programs) depending on one's interests. In
many cases the user is unconcerned with backing up their OS and programs &
applications. Their only interest is backing up personal data. Or many users
prefer the disk-imaging process rather than the disk-cloning process, such
as you find in programs such as Acronis True Image or Symantec's Norton
Ghost, etc., as a comprehensive backup tool. As previously indicated we
encourage users to experiment with various backup programs & approaches to
determine which ones will best serve their needs. Especially when trial/demo
versions of these programs are available.

In your case where you're using a USB external HDD (I'm assuming it's a USB
device), that device would serve as your "destination" HDD, i.e., the
recipient of the cloned contents of your day-to-day working HDD. Hopefully
you would undertake the disk-cloning process on a routine, frequent basis -
perhaps not less than once a week. Because of Casper's "SmartClone"
technology described above, the amount of time needed to complete the
comprehensive backup operation would come close to being trifling. Again,
this assumes you would be undertaking (or scheduling) the process on a
frequent basis.

So that you would have at hand a precise copy of your "source" HDD
containing the *complete* contents of that drive, including the OS, all
programs & applications, and all your personal data. Everything. So that in
the event your source HDD fails or becomes dysfunctional you could simply
clone the contents of the external HDD back to the source HDD (assuming the
latter was not defective) or a new internal HDD. The process would be simple
& straightforward. What better comprehensive backup system can one have?

The downside to the Casper 5 program is that it is not particularly
inexpensive. Single licenses cost $49.95 + $9.95 for the "Startup Disk"
(program to create a bootable CD containing the program - a necessary
adjunct to the program). A trial version (32-bit) of the program is
available so let me suggest you give it a try -
http://www.fssdev.com/products/casper/trial/. The trial version is slightly
crippled but should give you an idea of whether it meets your needs. AFAIK
the program is available only through the developer and not from any online
vendors or retail outlets. In any event in our view the program is so
superior as a comprehensive backup program that it is well worth the
additional cost as compared to other similar programs.
Anna

[SC Tom[_3_]]

"Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:48:57 -0500, "Thip" > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my
>> > current
>> > system
>> > running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and
>> > data.
>> >
>> > The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.
>> >
>> > While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
>> > incremental basis
>> > would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
>> > reinstall a working
>> > system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive
>> > just
>> > stopped working.
>> >
>> > Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and
>> > any
>> > pros cons.
>> >
>> > TIA
>> >
>> > Brian
>>
>> You can get Acronis TrueImage free from the Maxtor/Seagate Web page.
>
>
> Not as far as I know (unless that's something new for them). And I
> couldn't find it on their web site. Please provide a link to the
> specific web page there where you can download it for free.
>
>
>> It's very good.
>
>
> Yes, it is.
>
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup

It's still being called DiscWizard, but it is supposedly ATI free, similar
to the Western Digital version that I use and like very much.

http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard

SC Tom

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:28:58 -0500, "SC Tom" > wrote:

>
>
> "Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
> ...

> > On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:48:57 -0500, "Thip" > wrote:

> >> You can get Acronis TrueImage free from the Maxtor/Seagate Web page.
> >
> >
> > Not as far as I know (unless that's something new for them). And I
> > couldn't find it on their web site. Please provide a link to the
> > specific web page there where you can download it for free.

> It's still being called DiscWizard, but it is supposedly ATI free, similar
> to the Western Digital version that I use and like very much.
>
> http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard
>
> SC Tom


Thanks very much. That's not at all what Thip said, of course, and
without his (or someone else, like you) supplying that information,
nobody going to the site could find it.

You say it is "supposedly ATI free." That "supposedly" worries me. How
do you (or anyone else) know that's correct?

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[SC Tom[_3_]]

"Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:28:58 -0500, "SC Tom" > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> "Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
>> ...
>
>> > On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:48:57 -0500, "Thip" > wrote:
>
>> >> You can get Acronis TrueImage free from the Maxtor/Seagate Web page.
>> >
>> >
>> > Not as far as I know (unless that's something new for them). And I
>> > couldn't find it on their web site. Please provide a link to the
>> > specific web page there where you can download it for free.
>
>> It's still being called DiscWizard, but it is supposedly ATI free,
>> similar
>> to the Western Digital version that I use and like very much.
>>
>> http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard
>>
>> SC Tom
>
>
> Thanks very much. That's not at all what Thip said, of course, and
> without his (or someone else, like you) supplying that information,
> nobody going to the site could find it.
>
> You say it is "supposedly ATI free." That "supposedly" worries me. How
> do you (or anyone else) know that's correct?
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup

There was a post in one of the groups (might even be this one) about the
time that I got the WD version (which is called "Acronis True Image WD
Edition"
http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&type=download&wdc_lang=en
). One of the posters had downloaded and installed the web version of
DiscWizard and said it was made by Acronis, and that the interface and
features were similar to his old edition of True Image Home. Like the WD
version I have, it doesn't do scheduled back-ups, and a few other things
that the full version of ATI does. I can't vouch for that, never having
owned a full version, but the WD edition does everything I need it to do.

SC Tom

[[email protected]]

Many thanks to everyone who replied to my post.

I look forward to many "happy" hours trying out the various options.

Brian

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:17:05 -0500, "SC Tom" > wrote:

>
>
> "Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:28:58 -0500, "SC Tom" > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> "Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >
> >> > On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:48:57 -0500, "Thip" > wrote:
> >
> >> >> You can get Acronis TrueImage free from the Maxtor/Seagate Web page.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Not as far as I know (unless that's something new for them). And I
> >> > couldn't find it on their web site. Please provide a link to the
> >> > specific web page there where you can download it for free.
> >
> >> It's still being called DiscWizard, but it is supposedly ATI free,
> >> similar
> >> to the Western Digital version that I use and like very much.
> >>
> >> http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard
> >>
> >> SC Tom
> >
> >
> > Thanks very much. That's not at all what Thip said, of course, and
> > without his (or someone else, like you) supplying that information,
> > nobody going to the site could find it.
> >
> > You say it is "supposedly ATI free." That "supposedly" worries me. How
> > do you (or anyone else) know that's correct?
> >
> > --
> > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
> > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>
> There was a post in one of the groups (might even be this one) about the
> time that I got the WD version (which is called "Acronis True Image WD
> Edition"
> http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&type=download&wdc_lang=en
> ). One of the posters had downloaded and installed the web version of
> DiscWizard and said it was made by Acronis, and that the interface and
> features were similar to his old edition of True Image Home. Like the WD
> version I have, it doesn't do scheduled back-ups, and a few other things
> that the full version of ATI does. I can't vouch for that, never having
> owned a full version, but the WD edition does everything I need it to do.


Thanks again.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Thip]

Many, many apologies for posting misinformation. It's Western Digital
drives.

<crawls back into corner to hide>

"Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:48:57 -0500, "Thip" > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my
>> > current
>> > system
>> > running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and
>> > data.
>> >
>> > The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.
>> >
>> > While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
>> > incremental basis
>> > would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
>> > reinstall a working
>> > system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive
>> > just
>> > stopped working.
>> >
>> > Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and
>> > any
>> > pros cons.
>> >
>> > TIA
>> >
>> > Brian
>>
>> You can get Acronis TrueImage free from the Maxtor/Seagate Web page.
>
>
> Not as far as I know (unless that's something new for them). And I
> couldn't find it on their web site. Please provide a link to the
> specific web page there where you can download it for free.
>
>
>> It's very good.
>
>
> Yes, it is.
>
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Roy Smith[_8_]]

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:28:58 -0500, "SC Tom" > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> "Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
>> ...
>
>>> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:48:57 -0500, "Thip" > wrote:
>
>>>> You can get Acronis TrueImage free from the Maxtor/Seagate Web page.
>>>
>>>
>>> Not as far as I know (unless that's something new for them). And I
>>> couldn't find it on their web site. Please provide a link to the
>>> specific web page there where you can download it for free.
>
>> It's still being called DiscWizard, but it is supposedly ATI free, similar
>> to the Western Digital version that I use and like very much.
>>
>> http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard
>>
>> SC Tom
>
>
> Thanks very much. That's not at all what Thip said, of course, and
> without his (or someone else, like you) supplying that information,
> nobody going to the site could find it.
>
> You say it is "supposedly ATI free." That "supposedly" worries me. How
> do you (or anyone else) know that's correct?


It is a stripped down version of Acronis True Image. It lacks the
scheduling capabilities and a few other features of the commercial
version. I use it on my other PC that the kids use.

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:56:26 -0600, Roy Smith >
wrote:

> Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
> > On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:28:58 -0500, "SC Tom" > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> "Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >
> >>> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:48:57 -0500, "Thip" > wrote:
> >
> >>>> You can get Acronis TrueImage free from the Maxtor/Seagate Web page.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Not as far as I know (unless that's something new for them). And I
> >>> couldn't find it on their web site. Please provide a link to the
> >>> specific web page there where you can download it for free.
> >
> >> It's still being called DiscWizard, but it is supposedly ATI free, similar
> >> to the Western Digital version that I use and like very much.
> >>
> >> http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard
> >>
> >> SC Tom
> >
> >
> > Thanks very much. That's not at all what Thip said, of course, and
> > without his (or someone else, like you) supplying that information,
> > nobody going to the site could find it.
> >
> > You say it is "supposedly ATI free." That "supposedly" worries me. How
> > do you (or anyone else) know that's correct?
>
>
> It is a stripped down version of Acronis True Image. It lacks the
> scheduling capabilities and a few other features of the commercial
> version. I use it on my other PC that the kids use.


Thank you.


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Jerry]

"Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:28:58 -0500, "SC Tom" > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> "Ken Blake, MVP" > wrote in message
>> ...
>
>> > On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:48:57 -0500, "Thip" > wrote:
>
>> >> You can get Acronis TrueImage free from the Maxtor/Seagate Web page.
>> >
>> >
>> > Not as far as I know (unless that's something new for them). And I
>> > couldn't find it on their web site. Please provide a link to the
>> > specific web page there where you can download it for free.
>
>> It's still being called DiscWizard, but it is supposedly ATI free,
>> similar
>> to the Western Digital version that I use and like very much.
>>
>> http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard
>>
>> SC Tom
>
>
> Thanks very much. That's not at all what Thip said, of course, and
> without his (or someone else, like you) supplying that information,
> nobody going to the site could find it.
>
> You say it is "supposedly ATI free." That "supposedly" worries me. How
> do you (or anyone else) know that's correct?
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup

I had no problems finding it serveral days ago when I was looking for a
means of installing a larger WD drive in a friends computer and moving
everything from the old to new disk.

[DavidM]

On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:25:07 -0500, "Anna" > wrote:

snip
>But as I previously indicated, the chief reason we prefer the Casper 5
>disk-cloning program (aside from its simplicity of operation and general
>effectiveness in carrying out the disk (partition)-cloning operation) is
>because of its rather extroardinary ability to *speedily* clone the contents
>of one drive (or partition) to another drive (or partition) when the program
>is used on a frequent basis.
snip

Anna, are you sure about this statement? Other reviews I've read say
that Casper 5 requires a dedicated hard drive for storing cloned
image, not just a partition on anther drive. The idea is that you then
just swop the new drive in, rather than restore the image to the
existing drive.

(eg see here
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5207&review=Casper+5.0+Review
)

Of course reviews like this aren't always (often) done by people who
really understand the software, so they may have got it wrong, but
it's important so worth clarifiyng.

[Anna]

> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:25:07 -0500, "Anna" > wrote:
> snip
>>But as I previously indicated, the chief reason we prefer the Casper 5
>>disk-cloning program (aside from its simplicity of operation and general
>>effectiveness in carrying out the disk (partition)-cloning operation) is
>>because of its rather extroardinary ability to *speedily* clone the
>>contents
>>of one drive (or partition) to another drive (or partition) when the
>>program
>>is used on a frequent basis.
> snip


"DavidM" > wrote in message
...
> Anna, are you sure about this statement? Other reviews I've read say
> that Casper 5 requires a dedicated hard drive for storing cloned
> image, not just a partition on anther drive. The idea is that you then
> just swop the new drive in, rather than restore the image to the
> existing drive.
>
> (eg see here
> http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5207&review=Casper+5.0+Review
> )
>
> Of course reviews like this aren't always (often) done by people who
> really understand the software, so they may have got it wrong, but
> it's important so worth clarifiyng.


David:
At least based upon my experience over the years with thousands of PC
users...

The great majority of them *will* utilize the entire disk space of another
HDD as their "destination" drive to store the contents of their "source"
HDD, i.e., their day-to-day working HDD. However, this is not an absolute
requirement as I will explain.

For example...

Let's say the user's source HDD is a 320 GB HDD which contains 150 GB of
data (OS, all programs/applications, personal data, etc., i.e., the complete
contents of that 320 GB HDD).

The user's destination HDD is a 500 GB HDD. Should the user not desire to
use the entire disk space of that destination HDD to house the cloned
contents of his/her source HDD, he or she has the option of creating
whatever size partition he or she desires on that destination HDD - the only
limitation being that it be large enough to contain the cloned contents, in
this example 150 GB. Thus the user could utilize the remaining disk space of
that destination HDD as he or she wishes.

So in our example...
1. The user could create a partition on the destination HDD only sufficient
in size to contain the cloned contents of the source HDD, or,
2. Could create any size partition he/she desired on the destination HDD,
again, as long as it was sufficient in size to contain the entire cloned
contents, or,
3. Utilize the entire disk-space of the destination HDD to contain the
cloned contents if so desired.

Any one of those above options is easily undertaken through Casper's
disk-cloning process.

As to the "restoration" process...

Let's say the time comes when the user's source HDD becomes dysfunctional
for one reason or another, i.e., the OS has become corrupted and system is
unbootable. (In this example the HDD involved is not defective).

The user would simply clone the contents of his/her destination HDD back to
the source HDD. There would be no "swapping" of hard drives unless the user
desired to do so. There is really no "restoration/recovery" process that
needs to be undertaken as in the case of disk-images - it's a simple
disk-cloning process that would return the internal source HDD to a
functional state.

In the event that the user's source HDD became defective
(physically/electronically) then the user would have the option of using the
destination HDD as his/her internal HDD (at which time it would be
immediately bootable/functional), or,

He/she could install a new HDD as the internal HDD and the user would simply
clone the contents of the destination HDD to the new disk. No
partitioning/formatting or any other manipulation of the new HDD would be
necessary. All would be automatically undertaken by the cloned destination
HDD.

As I've tried to emphasize in my previous posts re the Casper 5 program its
truly outstanding quality is its ability to speedily undertake the
disk-cloning operation when the program is used on a routine & frequent
basis so that the user always or nearly always has an up-to-date
comprehensive backup of their system. Hopefully, in the largest number of
cases the user will be using the program on no less than a weekly basis -
perhaps even more frequently. When used in that way the disk-cloning
operation in terms of the amount of time it takes to complete that
comprehensive backup operation becomes nearly trifling.

I would encourage you (and others) to at least use the trial version of the
program to determine if it meets your needs.
Anna

[DavidM]

On Tue, 1 Dec 2009 11:42:47 -0500, "Anna" > wrote:

>> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:25:07 -0500, "Anna" > wrote:
>> snip
>>>But as I previously indicated, the chief reason we prefer the Casper 5
>>>disk-cloning program (aside from its simplicity of operation and general
>>>effectiveness in carrying out the disk (partition)-cloning operation) is
>>>because of its rather extroardinary ability to *speedily* clone the
>>>contents
>>>of one drive (or partition) to another drive (or partition) when the
>>>program
>>>is used on a frequent basis.
>> snip
>
>
>"DavidM" > wrote in message
...
>> Anna, are you sure about this statement? Other reviews I've read say
>> that Casper 5 requires a dedicated hard drive for storing cloned
>> image, not just a partition on anther drive. The idea is that you then
>> just swop the new drive in, rather than restore the image to the
>> existing drive.
>>
>> (eg see here
>> http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5207&review=Casper+5.0+Review
>> )
>>
>> Of course reviews like this aren't always (often) done by people who
>> really understand the software, so they may have got it wrong, but
>> it's important so worth clarifiyng.
>
>
>David:
>At least based upon my experience over the years with thousands of PC
>users...
>
>The great majority of them *will* utilize the entire disk space of another
>HDD as their "destination" drive to store the contents of their "source"
>HDD, i.e., their day-to-day working HDD. However, this is not an absolute
>requirement as I will explain.
>
>For example...
>
>Let's say the user's source HDD is a 320 GB HDD which contains 150 GB of
>data (OS, all programs/applications, personal data, etc., i.e., the complete
>contents of that 320 GB HDD).
>
>The user's destination HDD is a 500 GB HDD. Should the user not desire to
>use the entire disk space of that destination HDD to house the cloned
>contents of his/her source HDD, he or she has the option of creating
>whatever size partition he or she desires on that destination HDD - the only
>limitation being that it be large enough to contain the cloned contents, in
>this example 150 GB. Thus the user could utilize the remaining disk space of
>that destination HDD as he or she wishes.
>
>So in our example...
>1. The user could create a partition on the destination HDD only sufficient
>in size to contain the cloned contents of the source HDD, or,
>2. Could create any size partition he/she desired on the destination HDD,
>again, as long as it was sufficient in size to contain the entire cloned
>contents, or,
>3. Utilize the entire disk-space of the destination HDD to contain the
>cloned contents if so desired.
>
>Any one of those above options is easily undertaken through Casper's
>disk-cloning process.
>
>As to the "restoration" process...
>
>Let's say the time comes when the user's source HDD becomes dysfunctional
>for one reason or another, i.e., the OS has become corrupted and system is
>unbootable. (In this example the HDD involved is not defective).
>
>The user would simply clone the contents of his/her destination HDD back to
>the source HDD. There would be no "swapping" of hard drives unless the user
>desired to do so. There is really no "restoration/recovery" process that
>needs to be undertaken as in the case of disk-images - it's a simple
>disk-cloning process that would return the internal source HDD to a
>functional state.
>
>In the event that the user's source HDD became defective
>(physically/electronically) then the user would have the option of using the
>destination HDD as his/her internal HDD (at which time it would be
>immediately bootable/functional), or,
>
>He/she could install a new HDD as the internal HDD and the user would simply
>clone the contents of the destination HDD to the new disk. No
>partitioning/formatting or any other manipulation of the new HDD would be
>necessary. All would be automatically undertaken by the cloned destination
>HDD.
>
>As I've tried to emphasize in my previous posts re the Casper 5 program its
>truly outstanding quality is its ability to speedily undertake the
>disk-cloning operation when the program is used on a routine & frequent
>basis so that the user always or nearly always has an up-to-date
>comprehensive backup of their system. Hopefully, in the largest number of
>cases the user will be using the program on no less than a weekly basis -
>perhaps even more frequently. When used in that way the disk-cloning
>operation in terms of the amount of time it takes to complete that
>comprehensive backup operation becomes nearly trifling.
>
>I would encourage you (and others) to at least use the trial version of the
>program to determine if it meets your needs.
>Anna
>
Thanks for that clarification Anna.
David

[FiOS-Dave]

Instead of buying a backup program, buy a copy
of Windows 7 instead!
It has the capability of doing both regular backups AND full image copies.

Dave

> wrote in message
...
> Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my current
> system
> running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and data.
>
> The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.
>
> While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
> incremental basis
> would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
> reinstall a working
> system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive just
> stopped working.
>
> Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and any
> pros cons.
>
> TIA
>
> Brian

[Zilbandy]

On Wed, 2 Dec 2009 03:46:57 -0500, "FiOS-Dave"
> wrote:

>Instead of buying a backup program, buy a copy
>of Windows 7 instead!
>It has the capability of doing both regular backups AND full image copies.

I would think that a copy of Acronis True Image would cost less than
an upgrade to Windows 7 and possibly new hardware to run it.

--
Zilbandy

[FiOS-Dave]

"Zilbandy" > wrote in message
...
>
> On Wed, 2 Dec 2009 03:46:57 -0500, "FiOS-Dave"
> > wrote:
>
>>Instead of buying a backup program, buy a copy
>>of Windows 7 instead!
>>It has the capability of doing both regular backups AND full image copies.
>
> I would think that a copy of Acronis True Image would cost less than
> an upgrade to Windows 7 and possibly new hardware to run it.
>
> --
> Zilbandy

You can get a copy of Windows 7 for as little as $30.
I've installed it on a 5 year old Gateway with 1GB RAM and it
ran extremely well. No Aero, since the video card can't handle it,
but if I can find an inexpensive, low-profile PCI card, that would also
work. Acronis, Ghost, Casper, Symantec Backup Exec and others
work well, but it is just adding more overhead to the system.
Even if the upgrade costs $50-$75 more than a standalone
solution, you will be getting SO much more...

Dave

[DavidM]

On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:09:10 GMT, wrote:

>Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my current
>system
>running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and data.
>
>The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.
>
>While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
>incremental basis
>would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
>reinstall a working
>system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive just
>stopped working.
>
>Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and any
>pros cons.
>
>TIA
>
>Brian
Might be worth having a look at Clonezilla Live at
http://clonezilla.org/
plus a slightly more friendly explanation of how to use it here
http://www.mindworkshop.info/windows/windows-adjustments-back-up-your-windows-installation/

It's an image creation and restore tool, but Unix based and runs off a
CD (or USB stick) so is fast and doesn't use any part of Windows, or
anything else on your hard drive, while it's creating the image.

The interface is command line, and a bit "agricultural", but
instuctions are easy enough to follow. Plus it's free.

David

[Robert Johnson[_2_]]

ok this is off topic a slight bit however I thought I would share this since
I'm kind of on it also right now if your bored out of your mind or trying to
fight falling asleep while at work as I am doing so now then try this site
out http://www.funtropia.com its got a lot of fun and funny flash games etc
and no this isn't an advertisement either just something I thought that
would help kill time and boredom for people who need something right now.

;)
Rob

"DavidM" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:09:10 GMT, wrote:
>
>>Have just bought a 750GB Maxstor external hard drive to back up my current
>>system
>>running XP MCE SP3, which contains about 230GB of system files and data.
>>
>>The latter is mostly MP3 files and some TV recordings.
>>
>>While the software that came with the drive is backing up data on an
>>incremental basis
>>would like to take a system snapshot on a regular basis to be able to
>>reinstall a working
>>system should I have a hardware major failure, my previous hard drive just
>>stopped working.
>>
>>Would appreciate any views on the best "backup" package available and any
>>pros cons.
>>
>>TIA
>>
>>Brian
> Might be worth having a look at Clonezilla Live at
> http://clonezilla.org/
> plus a slightly more friendly explanation of how to use it here
> http://www.mindworkshop.info/windows/windows-adjustments-back-up-your-windows-installation/
>
> It's an image creation and restore tool, but Unix based and runs off a
> CD (or USB stick) so is fast and doesn't use any part of Windows, or
> anything else on your hard drive, while it's creating the image.
>
> The interface is command line, and a bit "agricultural", but
> instuctions are easy enough to follow. Plus it's free.
>
> David