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BackUp for HD Replacement
Sooner or later, hopefully much later, my spinning HD will need
replacement with another or a whole new PC. Is there a way to back up, the current substantial HD apps and data material, to facilitate this inevitability ? I don't want to ever be faced with the daunting, if not impossible task, of reinstalling everything with data. Probably involve the cloud or other storage device. Good advice most welcome and thanks. |
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#2
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BackUp for HD Replacement
schreef in bericht
... Sooner or later, hopefully much later, my spinning HD will need replacement with another or a whole new PC. Is there a way to back up, the current substantial HD apps and data material, to facilitate this inevitability ? I don't want to ever be faced with the daunting, if not impossible task, of reinstalling everything with data. Probably involve the cloud or other storage device. Good advice most welcome and thanks. I used Macrium Reflect in the past to clone and recover my Windows 7 hd successfully.to a new hd. -- |\ /| | \/ |@rk \../ \/os |
#3
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BackUp for HD Replacement
wrote
| Is there a way to back up, the current substantial HD apps and data | material, to facilitate this inevitability ? | There are different options. I use two disks that are mostly redundant. So if one dies suddenly I'm covered. In combination with that, I have disk image backups of the OS with software installed. Data is on separate partitions. I back up data to DVDs, USB sticks, and old hard disks. Current data like email gets written to DVD periodically. If you just have C drive and keep all of your data on the Windows partition then it's much more awkward. One bad update and you lose everything. And it's so big that you'll need another disk in order to back it up. Backing up Windows as an element of backup is very wasteful these days because it's so big. You end up backing up 10-60 GB of system files for no reason. I've seen a few cases where friends have hired a tech support person and that person just sets them up with Carbonite. You pay a fee, everything gets backed up to their servers, and if your computer fails you can get it all back. If you want to trust them with your data and don't mind paying then that might be an easy solution. Here's a sample of what's available: https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2288745,00.asp I've never tried any of them. I don't know why Carbonite is popular vs other services. I also don't know anything about specifics. For instance, how do you get it all back after you put in a new disk? how does it work if you have to buy a new computer and just want to download the data backup? I don't know. My impression is that tech support people are doing it because it's easy and relatively secure. It may not cover the case of neding to get a new computer. |
#4
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BackUp for HD Replacement
wrote:
Sooner or later, hopefully much later, my spinning HD will need replacement with another or a whole new PC. Is there a way to back up, the current substantial HD apps and data material, to facilitate this inevitability ? I don't want to ever be faced with the daunting, if not impossible task, of reinstalling everything with data. Probably involve the cloud or other storage device. Good advice most welcome and thanks. So you're telling us, you've *never* *ever* made a backup ? Despite the group being filled with dead disk horror stories ? The first thing you need is a disk. If this is a desktop, you can add an internal drive to the PC temporarily, to accept the backup. The backup takes less time, if done at disk speed. 4TB for $99 (backup drive, not OS drive) https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...82E16822235011 4TB for $160 (backup drive or OS drive) https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...82E16822179129 If it's a laptop, you might need a USB enclosure disk. These need a lot of research to get a good one. This has a USB3 connector, which would be backward compatible with USB2 computer ports (like on my laptop). USB2 goes 30MB/sec so don't expect miracle backup rates in such a case. 4TB for $157 (backup drive, might not even be usable outside the casing) https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...82E16822510044 ******* Then, a copy of Macrium Reflect Free. https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree ******* You also have to decide whether you're a member of the "xcopy crowd" or the "whole disk backup crowd". People will disagree on what constitutes a backup. The above is for people who want a whole disk captured, so that recovery is "mostly seamless", instead of a mixture of bailing wire and binder twine. If the source is a 2TB drive with 200GB of files, a 4TB drive will hold 20 full backups. Or some number of "full+incremental". The full+incremental method is the most efficient in terms of storage space, and allows restoration to a "point in time". But the version of Macrium to get that function, would cost money. Whereas doing "full" backups, while inefficient, is also do-able with the free version of Macrium. You'll also need to make an emergency boot CD, the first time you open the Macrium program. Using the CD, you can restore C: when you need to, as the CD is its own WinPE boot OS and is just enough to do the restore with. But get yourself a drive to start. Paul |
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BackUp for HD Replacement
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#6
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BackUp for HD Replacement
Thanks all for great info.
I went with Macrim Reflect to a USB flash drive. I had been doing backups of critical data to CD, but wanted something easy to cover the whole PC. |
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BackUp for HD Replacement
God, is he always this obnoxious ?!
Probably voted for Trump, too. Sheesh ! |
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BackUp for HD Replacement
Only a complete fool would tout for years on a Windows 7 NG,
all that BS about millions using 10 . |
#9
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BackUp for HD Replacement
On Wed, 21 Nov 2018 09:31:59 -0500, wrote:
Sooner or later, hopefully much later, my spinning HD will need replacement with another or a whole new PC. Is there a way to back up, the current substantial HD apps and data material, to facilitate this inevitability ? I don't want to ever be faced with the daunting, if not impossible task, of reinstalling everything with data. Probably involve the cloud or other storage device. Good advice most welcome and thanks. Aomei Backupper Free has always worked for me. https://www.backup-utility.com/changelog.html Choose "standard". And you'll need a new disk. []'s -- Don't be evil - Google 2004 We have a new policy - Google 2012 |
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BackUp for HD Replacement
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#11
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BackUp for HD Replacement
For me, I back up both types. My important datas often. Full C: drive
image once a month before MS updates or whatever critical changes that could make my C (unboo/uns)table. Drive image is a quick way to recover though. pjp wrote: Backing up your data (e.g files you yourself have created or somehow else put on the computer) is easy if you keep them in any kind of organized order on hard disk. Simply copy the files to an external hard disk big enough to hold them. Mail, passowrds etc. you can export out of the app to some usable format and then copy tyhose file(s) in similar manner. Your installed programs can be a more difficult option to "just" back them up. In general you can't as they are installed into the operating system with often many of the required files placed in "Windows" sub- folders and not simply the the apps installed folder. They usually don't provide any listing of what those files are. On top of that many apps get installed to a specific OS, e.g. XP, Vista, 7 or 10 and will install differnt support files depending upon the os involved. That means any "restore" must be to the same OS, e,g XP to XP. "portable" apps are about the only ones can easily just copy and paste into another system. Given the difficulties mentioned in proceeding paragraph, it's best to back up both the OS and it's installed apps. There's numerous means of doing this, Windows itself even allows you to create a "image" of the hard disk for later "restoring". Others will offer advice I'm sure -- Quote of the Week: "This isn't a war. It never was a war, any more than there's war between man and ants." --artilleryman from H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly. /\___/\Ant(Dude) @ http://antfarm.home.dhs.org / http://antfarm.ma.cx / /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail privately. If credit- | |o o| | ing, then please kindly use Ant nickname and URL/link. \ _ / ( ) |
#13
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BackUp for HD Replacement
On Wed, 21 Nov 2018 19:23:18 -0400, pjp
wrote: In article , says... Sooner or later, hopefully much later, my spinning HD will need replacement with another or a whole new PC. Is there a way to back up, the current substantial HD apps and data material, to facilitate this inevitability ? I don't want to ever be faced with the daunting, if not impossible task, of reinstalling everything with data. Probably involve the cloud or other storage device. Good advice most welcome and thanks. Backing up your data (e.g files you yourself have created or somehow else put on the computer) is easy if you keep them in any kind of organized order on hard disk. Simply copy the files to an external hard disk big enough to hold them. Mail, passowrds etc. you can export out of the app to some usable format and then copy tyhose file(s) in similar manner. Your installed programs can be a more difficult option to "just" back them up. In general you can't as they are installed into the operating system with often many of the required files placed in "Windows" sub- folders and not simply the the apps installed folder. They usually don't provide any listing of what those files are. On top of that many apps get installed to a specific OS, e.g. XP, Vista, 7 or 10 and will install differnt support files depending upon the os involved. That means any "restore" must be to the same OS, e,g XP to XP. "portable" apps are about the only ones can easily just copy and paste into another system. I agree with everything you say except for "a more difficult option." In general it's not more difficult, it's impossible. Most programs have many associated files and entries within \Windows, in the registry and elsewhere. Yes, there's an occasional exception that can be backed up, but they are few and far between. So it safest to assume that all your programs can not be backed up, and make other plans for getting them back should they be lost. |
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BackUp for HD Replacement
Paul wrote:
wrote: Thanks all for great info. I went with Macrim Reflect to a USB flash drive. I had been doing backups of critical data to CD, but wanted something easy to cover the whole PC. The "easiest" one I tested so far, was a trial version of Acronis. Where someone really worked at reducing the number of steps. The beauty of Macrium Reflect, is the Free version. That's the part we like the best, the Free part. Part of the price of free, is you'll be scratching your head once in a while. If you lack for amusement, I have some filmstrips you can look at, for inspiration. The Macrium manual would do more good. I didn't make these all the same day, they were made months apart. https://postimg.cc/image/f664kgrzh/ # Macrium6_Backup https://postimg.cc/image/soq5qlgrx/ # Clone_Disk https://postimg.cc/image/458x0anpn/ # Macrium_Restore_CD Paul Seconded. I think life is too short for the "scratching your head thing", and Acronis is a good way to go, especially (I feel) with some older versions. Like most things, it's gotten more and more bloated over the years. I'm still religiously using an older version, and you can sometimes find them on Amazon or eBay. And it's sure come in handy sometimes. But I also think the OP also needs to determine if he wants to make a clone OR an image backup, and that's another question for him to ponder, as each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I think it's best to have both. |
#15
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BackUp for HD Replacement
In message ,
writes: Thanks all for great info. I went with Macrim Reflect to a USB flash drive. I had been doing backups of critical data to CD, but wanted something easy to cover the whole PC. It's a lot quicker (making an image that is) if you keep your data separate from your OS-and-installed-software, either on a separate partition or a separate drive. (You don't need to include the data partition/drive in an _image_ [though still back it up of course, by whatever means you like]). -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf Have you ever heard about a petition, disagreed with it, but been frustrated that there's no way you can *show* that you disagree? If so, have a look at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/232770 - and please pass it on if you agree, especially to twitter, facebook, gransnet/mumsnet, or any such forum. If you carry on hating, you're the one who's damaged. - Sir Harold Atcherley, sent to the Burma/Siam railway in April 1943 |
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