Backing Up All Files and Data

Hi-

I am worried about disk failures and broken down hard drives.

I have heard of online backup services, but that's not what I am looking for.

I have heard of traditional backup programs, such as Dantz's Retrospect
Proffesional. Will it work best on a second hard drive? Or, do you know a
better program instead?

So, therefore, I am looking for an easy way to backup copies of all my
files, including all data. I have one 80GB hard drive. Will I need a second
hard drive with a 120 GB (as an example) for the transfer?

Or, please, give some additional ideas on how I can backup all my files
without using a second hard drive.

Note: I have one internal DVD +RW/-RW and one internal combo CD-RW DVD-ROM.
How can I use those 2 drives for backing up all my files and data? The say
if I am backing up my entire PC to CDs or DVDs, the process may take several
discs.

Anyway, I don't know where to begin before I start a backup. Please let me
know what I must do first, and so forth.

Thanks for your help and assistance.

-Oscarina

You actually have many different options, but I am going to suggest
these two. First, you can try using a program such as Norton Ghost
which will make an image of your hard drive. This image can be burned
to DVD (or multiple DVD's depending on how much data you actually have
on the drive). This will be the most expensive method, but probably the
easiest. The second option I will offer is to manually select the data
you want to save and burn it to DVD. This method will be less
expensive, but will also take you the most time and effort.

There are other options such as getting a RAID 1 Card and a second HD,
but this is expensive. You could get an external drive and backup to
that, but that is also expensive. Personally, I would just backup the
data you want to save to CD or DVD and save the money.

----
Nathan McNulty


Oscarina wrote:
Hi-

I am worried about disk failures and broken down hard drives.

I have heard of online backup services, but that's not what I am looking for.

I have heard of traditional backup programs, such as Dantz's Retrospect
Proffesional. Will it work best on a second hard drive? Or, do you know a
better program instead?

So, therefore, I am looking for an easy way to backup copies of all my
files, including all data. I have one 80GB hard drive. Will I need a second
hard drive with a 120 GB (as an example) for the transfer?

Or, please, give some additional ideas on how I can backup all my files
without using a second hard drive.

Note: I have one internal DVD +RW/-RW and one internal combo CD-RW DVD-ROM.
How can I use those 2 drives for backing up all my files and data? The say
if I am backing up my entire PC to CDs or DVDs, the process may take several
discs.

Anyway, I don't know where to begin before I start a backup. Please let me
know what I must do first, and so forth.

Thanks for your help and assistance.

-Oscarina

If you have a used computer, install a larger hard drive and copy the
files you want to save in that used computer. If you don't have a
spare computer, you can always go to a used computer store. Network
the two computer so you can copy those files to the other one. Turn
on the backup computer when you need to backup something, and turn it
off when you're done.


"Oscarina" wrote in message ...
Hi-

I am worried about disk failures and broken down hard drives.

I have heard of online backup services, but that's not what I am looking for.

I have heard of traditional backup programs, such as Dantz's Retrospect
Proffesional. Will it work best on a second hard drive? Or, do you know a
better program instead?

So, therefore, I am looking for an easy way to backup copies of all my
files, including all data. I have one 80GB hard drive. Will I need a second
hard drive with a 120 GB (as an example) for the transfer?

Or, please, give some additional ideas on how I can backup all my files
without using a second hard drive.

Note: I have one internal DVD +RW/-RW and one internal combo CD-RW DVD-ROM.
How can I use those 2 drives for backing up all my files and data? The say
if I am backing up my entire PC to CDs or DVDs, the process may take several
discs.

Anyway, I don't know where to begin before I start a backup. Please let me
know what I must do first, and so forth.

Thanks for your help and assistance.

-Oscarina