Backups

I'm not proudly saying that I've used computers
since the first TRS80 (with input and output only as binary
and only via a cassette tape!)but I've never made backups.
Now, the question: my wife has a HP win 8 computer. It
has on it lots of stuff, (mainly dozens and dozens of family
photos), which is not replaceable.
Is there a way to make backups which that don't include
involve system stuff? (I know I could manually look for files
and save them but I'm looking for an easier way).

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On 3/10/2015 8:47 AM, Stormin' Norman wrote:
On Tue, 10 Mar 2015 08:20:11 -0500, Pfsszxt wrote:

I'm not proudly saying that I've used computers
since the first TRS80 (with input and output only as binary
and only via a cassette tape!)but I've never made backups.
Now, the question: my wife has a HP win 8 computer. It
has on it lots of stuff, (mainly dozens and dozens of family
photos), which is not replaceable.
Is there a way to make backups which that don't include
involve system stuff? (I know I could manually look for files
and save them but I'm looking for an easier way).


You initiated a thread about this a few days ago, "How to initiate backup".
There were a number of on-topic replies, did they not address your question
adequately? If not, would you explain how the solutions were lacking?

Also, what do you mean by "Is there a way to make backups which that don't
include involve system stuff"?

All the replies described a long and difficult process which
included, as I read them, to include large parts or all of the OS.
I want only files I've created or installed.




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Pfsszxt wrote on 3/10/2015 1:16 PM:


All the replies described a long and difficult process which
included, as I read them, to include large parts or all of the OS.
I want only files I've created or installed.


I use XXCOPY and a script that copies files and directories that I specify.

Pfsszxt wrote in :

Stormin' Norman wrote:

You initiated a thread about this a few days ago, "How to initiate
backup". There were a number of on-topic replies, did they not
address your question adequately? If not, would you explain how the
solutions were lacking?

Also, what do you mean by "Is there a way to make backups which that
don't include involve system stuff"?

All the replies described a long and difficult process which
included, as I read them, to include large parts or all of the OS. I
want only files I've created or installed.

That suggests a lack of understanding about how computer stuff works.
Copy and paste is your friend. The way to avoid a long and difficult
process is in fact by using Macrium Reflect to backup the entire
Windows' drive. You do not let hardware capacity or processing time
dictate what you do. The best and most complete solution is preferable
regardless of how much space it consumes and how long it takes. As a
veteran computer user, you learn how to find something else to do after
initiating an operation that might take a while.

Besides the confusion about "system stuff", you might also want to
explain what you mean by "files I've created or installed". How can you
know what files you've installed? Files are installed all over the place
in Windows.

On Tue, 10 Mar 2015 13:47:35 +0000, Stormin' Norman wrote:

You initiated a thread about this a few days ago, "How to initiate backup".
There were a number of on-topic replies, did they not address your question
adequately? If not, would you explain how the solutions were lacking?

He's done the same in the past. Good chance he's a troll, so maybe best
to ignore him.

--
s|b

On 3/10/2015 9:20 AM, Pfsszxt wrote:
I'm not proudly saying that I've used computers
since the first TRS80 (with input and output only as binary
and only via a cassette tape!)but I've never made backups.
Now, the question: my wife has a HP win 8 computer. It
has on it lots of stuff, (mainly dozens and dozens of family
photos), which is not replaceable.
Is there a way to make backups which that don't include
involve system stuff? (I know I could manually look for files
and save them but I'm looking for an easier way).

You can burn the pictures to CDs/DVDs. You could copy then to a flash
drive or external HDD. You could also upload them to OneDrive.

Pfsszxt wrote on 3/10/2015 1:16 PM:

On 3/10/2015 8:47 AM, Stormin' Norman wrote:
On Tue, 10 Mar 2015 08:20:11 -0500, Pfsszxt wrote:

I'm not proudly saying that I've used computers
since the first TRS80 (with input and output only as binary
and only via a cassette tape!)but I've never made backups.
Now, the question: my wife has a HP win 8 computer. It
has on it lots of stuff, (mainly dozens and dozens of family
photos), which is not replaceable.
Is there a way to make backups which that don't include
involve system stuff? (I know I could manually look for files
and save them but I'm looking for an easier way).


You initiated a thread about this a few days ago, "How to initiate backup".
There were a number of on-topic replies, did they not address your question
adequately? If not, would you explain how the solutions were lacking?

Also, what do you mean by "Is there a way to make backups which that don't
include involve system stuff"?

All the replies described a long and difficult process which
included, as I read them, to include large parts or all of the OS.
I want only files I've created or installed.




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This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com


If you were organized and put your photos in your "photos" folder and made sub folders for different things like 2014,
2015, baby pics, etc, then you could just drag and drop the 'photos' folder to a backup drive.
Scattering files all over the place is stupid or if not stupid less constructive.
Microsoft made those music,photos,docs,video folders for a reason.

I still like the idea others have said to use Macrium Reflect Free and just backup the whole thing. If the drive fails
and you have saved just your photos, what else have you lost? Email? Settings? It takes me 11 minutes for Macrium to
backup my 45Gigs of OS & files to a USB 3.0 HD (spinning disc not SSD). 11 Minutes and I'm sure I have everything!

And I backup the day before the 2nd Tuesday, patch tuesday.

On Tue, 10 Mar 2015 12:16:11 -0500, Pfsszxt wrote:


On 3/10/2015 8:47 AM, Stormin' Norman wrote:
On Tue, 10 Mar 2015 08:20:11 -0500, Pfsszxt wrote:

I'm not proudly saying that I've used computers
since the first TRS80 (with input and output only as binary
and only via a cassette tape!)but I've never made backups.
Now, the question: my wife has a HP win 8 computer. It
has on it lots of stuff, (mainly dozens and dozens of family
photos), which is not replaceable.
Is there a way to make backups which that don't include
involve system stuff? (I know I could manually look for files
and save them but I'm looking for an easier way).


You initiated a thread about this a few days ago, "How to initiate backup".
There were a number of on-topic replies, did they not address your question
adequately? If not, would you explain how the solutions were lacking?

Also, what do you mean by "Is there a way to make backups which that don't
include involve system stuff"?

All the replies described a long and difficult process which
included, as I read them, to include large parts or all of the OS.
I want only files I've created or installed.


If you are unhappy with a reply, reply to the reply and explain why it
doesn't meet your needs. Do *not* start a new thread.

On 10 Mar 2015, Pfsszxt wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-8:

All the replies described a long and difficult process which
included, as I read them, to include large parts or all of the OS.

People took great care to answer the question you asked in great
detail. You chose to ignore them.

I want only files I've created or installed.

What means "files I've ... installed"? Programs generally can't be
backed up without backing up parts of the OS.

Just copy any data files you want backed up to your backup medium.
There are plenty of built-in and third part tools (copy, xcopy,
robocopy, xxcopy, etc.) depending on your setup and what you want to
do. So far, you seem to prefer to be unspecific, which allows you to
move the goalposts with every suggestion.

Is there something wrong with a simple batch file that calls COPY or
another of the utilities I mention above?

On 3/10/2015 2:28 PM, Big_Al wrote:
Pfsszxt wrote on 3/10/2015 1:16 PM:


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If you were organized and put your photos in your "photos" folder and made sub folders for different things like 2014,
2015, baby pics, etc, then you could just drag and drop the 'photos' folder to a backup drive.
Scattering files all over the place is stupid or if not stupid less constructive.
Microsoft made those music,photos,docs,video folders for a reason.

I still like the idea others have said to use Macrium Reflect Free and just backup the whole thing. If the drive fails
and you have saved just your photos, what else have you lost? Email? Settings? It takes me 11 minutes for Macrium to
backup my 45Gigs of OS & files to a USB 3.0 HD (spinning disc not SSD). 11 Minutes and I'm sure I have everything!

And I backup the day before the 2nd Tuesday, patch tuesday.


To follow up on the above Idea, I have used this system for years and it
works for me. It was suggested that photo be placed in folders ie
2014, 2015, etc.

I have expanded the idea as follows

2013 03 Mar, 2013 05 May, 2014 01 Jan, 2014 12 Dec, etc

This gives you a consistent folder name and when alphabetized they will
be in chronological order. With the first three character of the month
name you read it as 2013 May, with out converting 05 to May.

If we would go to Florida in May of 2013, then in the folder 2013 05
May I would create a sub folder called Florida and put all the pictures
from the May 2013 visit to Florida in that sub folder.

My extended family uses the free version of SyncBackfree
http://www.2brightsparks.com/downloads.html#freeware

I have used it for years as it is easy to uses and and is reliable.

Pfsszxt wrote:
I'm not proudly saying that I've used computers
since the first TRS80 (with input and output only as binary
and only via a cassette tape!)but I've never made backups.
Now, the question: my wife has a HP win 8 computer. It
has on it lots of stuff, (mainly dozens and dozens of family
photos), which is not replaceable.
Is there a way to make backups which that don't include
involve system stuff? (I know I could manually look for files
and save them but I'm looking for an easier way).

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com


Windows 8 still has File History. It's described here.

http://www.howtogeek.com/189452/8-ba...ndows-7-and-8/

You can see a picture of it here, and it appears to be
storing files on an external drive.

http://cdn5.howtogeek.com/wp-content...Qn9-VOuk9w.png

I don't know anything about it, since I don't want to manage
my files that way.

*******

The last time I worked with file level backup, was with
two copies of Retrospect. On the Macintosh that had 20 partitions
on it, it took two days of scripting and testing, to get it set up.
And I had problems with 2 out of the 20 partitions (some
backup attempts would fail on those two partitions).

I also set that up for someone on a PC (the Windows version of
Retrospect). It's just a lot of work to automate
the selection of a small subset of directories,
then store them somewhere for later.

If you buy a copy of Macrium or Acronis, you're bound
to get the function you want. But I don't review
commercial software - not interested in testing
stuff with "trials" and so on.

Paul

Pfsszxt wrote:
I'm not proudly saying that I've used computers
since the first TRS80 (with input and output only as binary
and only via a cassette tape!)but I've never made backups.
Now, the question: my wife has a HP win 8 computer. It
has on it lots of stuff, (mainly dozens and dozens of family
photos), which is not replaceable.
Is there a way to make backups which that don't include
involve system stuff? (I know I could manually look for files
and save them but I'm looking for an easier way).

Easy...put all in one directory, copy that directory to whatever.

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Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On Tue, 10 Mar 2015 18:29:04 +0000, Stormin' Norman wrote:

He's done the same in the past. Good chance he's a troll, so maybe best
to ignore him.

Thanks. You might be correct or he might just be elderly and or confused.

This is what he claimed to be, but it's possibly a way to create
sympathy. He keeps on starting new threads and ignoring solutions that
people offer. Very frustrating.

If
he follows-up in this thread, I will try to help. If it appears he is just
yanking everyone's chain he will go to the bit-bucket.

I kill-filed him earlier, but it's either in another newsgroup, or he
changed his nick, or the filter has expired (after a period of
inactivity).

--
s|b