Hard Drive

I currently have XP and I want to plan toward the day when I get a new PC
with Vista.

I have been thinking of getting an external hard drive to back-up my files
as an insurance against a failure of the existing PC (happened to me once).
However, I am wondering if an additional internal will be better and
cheaper. If I get a new PC I could swap it over.

Any views? Also is there a suitable back-up program which automatically
detects changes and overwrites the back-up

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:08:15 GMT from John
:
I have been thinking of getting an external hard drive to back-up my files
as an insurance against a failure of the existing PC (happened to me once).
However, I am wondering if an additional internal will be better and
cheaper. If I get a new PC I could swap it over.

Any views? Also is there a suitable back-up program which automatically
detects changes and overwrites the back-up

The purpose of a backup is to guard against your computer being virus
infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen. If any of those
happens, it will most likely affect an internal hard drive as well.

For safety, have an external hard drive that you plug in to the
electrical outlet to your computer only when actually making a
backup. Theoretically, you should store the drive off site, but
that's pretty inconvenient. I compromise by burning a backup to DVD
once a month and storing *that* off site.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
A: Maybe because some people are too annoyed by top posting.
Q: Why do I not get an answer to my question(s)?
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top posting such a bad thing?

You can have both
you can buy an external HD case.......and a separate HD which you can
install in the case or remove and install in the soon to be new machine.
something like this
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...s&promoid=1058

peter

--
DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)


"John" wrote in message
...
I currently have XP and I want to plan toward the day when I get a new PC
with Vista.

I have been thinking of getting an external hard drive to back-up my files
as an insurance against a failure of the existing PC (happened to me
once). However, I am wondering if an additional internal will be better
and cheaper. If I get a new PC I could swap it over.

Any views? Also is there a suitable back-up program which automatically
detects changes and overwrites the back-up

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:08:15 GMT from John
:
I have been thinking of getting an external hard drive to back-up my files
as an insurance against a failure of the existing PC (happened to me once).
However, I am wondering if an additional internal will be better and
cheaper. If I get a new PC I could swap it over.

Any views? Also is there a suitable back-up program which automatically
detects changes and overwrites the back-up

The purpose of a backup is to guard against your computer being virus
infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen. If any of those
happens, it will most likely affect an internal hard drive as well.

I'm not aware of any backup utility, application or procedure that will stop, guard
or protect against any of the issues you mention. Could you please provide any/all
proven information, documentation and links so those among us who are unaware of this
new technology can help others with it.


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

"John" wrote in message
...
I currently have XP and I want to plan toward the day when I get a new PC with
Vista.

I have been thinking of getting an external hard drive to back-up my files as an
insurance against a failure of the existing PC (happened to me once). However, I am
wondering if an additional internal will be better and cheaper. If I get a new PC I
could swap it over.

You could go with either or both, it's a users choice.
If your thought is to create an image backup or clone of the XP machine on the new
extra drive, then in the future move it to a new system which has Vista installed, it
should be a non issue as long as you set the jumper configuration for the proper
Master/Slave/CS setting the drive will be insatalled at.


Any views? Also is there a suitable back-up program which automatically detects
changes and overwrites the back-up

The top two backup imaging applications recommended are Norton Ghost and Acronis
TrueImage. Both applications have the ability to perform a cloning a drive, creating
a backup image, the option to perform incremental or differential backups, network
backups and more
Norton Ghost:
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/

Acronis TrueImage:
http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/pr...ose-trueimage/



--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:08:15 GMT, "John"
wrote:

I currently have XP and I want to plan toward the day when I get a new PC
with Vista.

I have been thinking of getting an external hard drive to back-up my files
as an insurance against a failure of the existing PC (happened to me once).


Good plan!


However, I am wondering if an additional internal will be better and
cheaper.


It may be very slightly cheaper, but it is not better. In fact it is
much worse.

Putting backups on a second internal drive is better than no backup at
all, but just barely. It is always possible that a user error, sever
power glitch, nearby lightning strike, virus attack, even theft of the
computer, can cause the loss of everything at once.

In my view, secure backup needs to be on removable media, and not kept
in the computer. For really secure backup (needed, for example, if the
life of your business depends on your data) you should have multiple
generations of backup, and at least one of those generations should be
stored off-site. Backup to an external drive, one that you connect
only when performing a backup, is fine.

Here's an article I wrote recently that will give general guidance on
backing up: http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=314

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:33:27 -0600 from Brian A.
gonefish'n@afarawaylake:
"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
The purpose of a backup is to guard against your computer being virus
infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen. If any of those
happens, it will most likely affect an internal hard drive as well.

I'm not aware of any backup utility, application or procedure that
will stop, guard or protect against any of the issues you mention.
Could you please provide any/all proven information, documentation
and links so those among us who are unaware of this new technology
can help others with it.

Good grief, what are you on about? Maybe the selective quoting was
the problem; here's the part you chose to delete.

If you truly can't understand how a backup to external hard drive
protects against all those perils .... Well, words fail me.

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:03:52 -0500 from Stan Brown
:
For safety, have an external hard drive that you plug in to the
electrical outlet to your computer only when actually making a
backup. Theoretically, you should store the drive off site, but
that's pretty inconvenient. I compromise by burning a backup to DVD
once a month and storing *that* off site.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
A: Maybe because some people are too annoyed by top posting.
Q: Why do I not get an answer to my question(s)?
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top posting such a bad thing?

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:33:27 -0600 from Brian A.
gonefish'n@afarawaylake:
"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
The purpose of a backup is to guard against your computer being virus
infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen. If any of those
happens, it will most likely affect an internal hard drive as well.

I'm not aware of any backup utility, application or procedure that
will stop, guard or protect against any of the issues you mention.
Could you please provide any/all proven information, documentation
and links so those among us who are unaware of this new technology
can help others with it.

Good grief, what are you on about? Maybe the selective quoting was
the problem;

Not at all, it's your context.

here's the part you chose to delete.

Which doesn't apply.


If you truly can't understand how a backup to external hard drive
protects against all those perils .... Well, words fail me.

That's unfortunate because I would like to know.


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

"Brian A." gonefish'n@afarawaylake wrote in message
...
"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:08:15 GMT from John
:
I have been thinking of getting an external hard drive to back-up my
files
as an insurance against a failure of the existing PC (happened to me
once).
However, I am wondering if an additional internal will be better and
cheaper. If I get a new PC I could swap it over.

Any views? Also is there a suitable back-up program which automatically
detects changes and overwrites the back-up

The purpose of a backup is to guard against your computer being virus
infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen. If any of those
happens, it will most likely affect an internal hard drive as well.

I'm not aware of any backup utility, application or procedure that will
stop, guard or protect against any of the issues you mention. Could you
please provide any/all proven information, documentation and links so
those among us who are unaware of this new technology can help others with
it.


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/


Brian try asking your question in one of the private MVP groups. You look
like an idiot asking it in a public forum. (ever hear of Acronis TrueImage,
BootIt NG, Ghost?)

--

Xandros

"Xandros" wrote in message
...

"Brian A." gonefish'n@afarawaylake wrote in message
...
"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:08:15 GMT from John
:
I have been thinking of getting an external hard drive to back-up my files
as an insurance against a failure of the existing PC (happened to me once).
However, I am wondering if an additional internal will be better and
cheaper. If I get a new PC I could swap it over.

Any views? Also is there a suitable back-up program which automatically
detects changes and overwrites the back-up

The purpose of a backup is to guard against your computer being virus
infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen. If any of those
happens, it will most likely affect an internal hard drive as well.

I'm not aware of any backup utility, application or procedure that will stop,
guard or protect against any of the issues you mention. Could you please provide
any/all proven information, documentation and links so those among us who are
unaware of this new technology can help others with it.


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/


Brian try asking your question in one of the private MVP groups. You look like an
idiot asking it in a public forum.

You have your opinion and I have mine.
Backups on internal or external media do not guard against being virus infected,
electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen.

The system could unknowingly already be infected and any backup would include that
infection. Restoring that backup would restore the infection as well.
Although external media is safeguarded from an electrical spike, an electrical spike
can happen any time the external media is /connected used.
External media can be destroyed or stolen from anywhere at any time unless it's
locked away in a vault.

(ever hear of Acronis TrueImage,
BootIt NG, Ghost?)

Ever read my response to the OP?


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

snip
Entire conversation archived indefinitely:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...7115ff1d1ee255



Stan Brown wrote:
snip
The purpose of a backup is to guard against your computer being
virus infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen. If any
of those happens, it will most likely affect an internal hard
drive as well.
snip

Brian A. wrote:
I'm not aware of any backup utility, application or procedure that
will stop, guard or protect against any of the issues you mention. Could
you please provide any/all proven information, documentation
and links so those among us who are unaware of this new technology
can help others with it.

Taken 100% literally - Brian A. is correct. Semantics. I think if there
was a slight rephrasing...

"[One of] the purpose[s] of a[n external] backup is to [help] guard against
[loss of data if] your computer [becomes] virus infected, electrically
zapped, destroyed or stolen[, for example]."

.... there may have been little question about the correctness of the reply
in reference to the given post. ;-)

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

"Shenan Stanley" wrote in message
...
snip
Entire conversation archived indefinitely:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...7115ff1d1ee255



Stan Brown wrote:
snip
The purpose of a backup is to guard against your computer being
virus infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen. If any
of those happens, it will most likely affect an internal hard
drive as well.
snip

Brian A. wrote:
I'm not aware of any backup utility, application or procedure that
will stop, guard or protect against any of the issues you mention. Could you
please provide any/all proven information, documentation
and links so those among us who are unaware of this new technology
can help others with it.

Taken 100% literally - Brian A. is correct. Semantics. I think if there was a
slight rephrasing...

"[One of] the purpose[s] of a[n external] backup is to [help] guard against [loss
of data if] your computer [becomes] virus infected, electrically zapped, destroyed
or stolen[, for example]."

... there may have been little question about the correctness of the reply in
reference to the given post. ;-)

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


You sir, are correct on my intended response. It has brought to my attention,
which I thank you for, my failure as well to validate or better explain my response
which is in question to myself. Although there are those that say "Sheesh
semantics", I believe that contextual content can and does play a major role in the
way readers take in that content. Sure, there are many which take it as intended,
yet there are many others that may, can or will take it as it is written. I believe
that to be an injustice to those who take it as written and may, can or do act upon
that information (mis-information) without realization that it was not intended for
use in the way it was written.


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

"Brian A." gonefish'n@afarawaylake wrote in message
...
"Xandros" wrote in message
...

"Brian A." gonefish'n@afarawaylake wrote in message
...
"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:08:15 GMT from John
:
I have been thinking of getting an external hard drive to back-up my
files
as an insurance against a failure of the existing PC (happened to me
once).
However, I am wondering if an additional internal will be better and
cheaper. If I get a new PC I could swap it over.

Any views? Also is there a suitable back-up program which
automatically
detects changes and overwrites the back-up

The purpose of a backup is to guard against your computer being virus
infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen. If any of those
happens, it will most likely affect an internal hard drive as well.

I'm not aware of any backup utility, application or procedure that will
stop, guard or protect against any of the issues you mention. Could you
please provide any/all proven information, documentation and links so
those among us who are unaware of this new technology can help others
with it.


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/


Brian try asking your question in one of the private MVP groups. You look
like an idiot asking it in a public forum.

You have your opinion and I have mine.
Backups on internal or external media do not guard against being virus
infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen.

The system could unknowingly already be infected and any backup would
include that infection. Restoring that backup would restore the infection
as well.
Although external media is safeguarded from an electrical spike, an
electrical spike can happen any time the external media is /connected
used.
External media can be destroyed or stolen from anywhere at any time unless
it's locked away in a vault.

(ever hear of Acronis TrueImage,
BootIt NG, Ghost?)

Ever read my response to the OP?


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

OK but I got lost in your petty bickering with Stan. Stan was the first
person to respond to the OP. His reply was fine. However you jump on Stan
BEFORE you bother responding to the OP. You bait him by being sarcastic. You
say, "provide any/all proven information, documentation and links so those
among us who are unaware of this new technology"...... blah, blah. Because
your comment is rude Stan reacts, as most people would. I felt quite annoyed
when I read your asinine response to him. I felt even more annoyed when
Shennan came to your rescue by side tracking and "pretending" that the issue
has to do with semantics. Get a life both of you and be helpful. If you
choose to place your coveted MVP rank in your sig line then act like a Most
Valuable Professional. Otherwise you look like fools.

--

Xandros

snip
Entire conversation archived indefinitely:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...7115ff1d1ee255



Xandros wrote:
OK but I got lost in your petty bickering with Stan. Stan was the
first person to respond to the OP. His reply was fine. However you
jump on Stan BEFORE you bother responding to the OP. You bait him
by being sarcastic. You say, "provide any/all proven information,
documentation and links so those among us who are unaware of this
new technology"...... blah, blah. Because your comment is rude Stan
reacts, as most people would. I felt quite annoyed when I read your
asinine response to him. I felt even more annoyed when Shennan came
to your rescue by side tracking and "pretending" that the issue has
to do with semantics. Get a life both of you and be helpful. If you
choose to place your coveted MVP rank in your sig line then act
like a Most Valuable Professional. Otherwise you look like fools.

First - my attention was *not* to rescue anyone. I did what I have always
done. I read and analyzed what I was reading and commented on it to clarify
(as much to myself as to point out the alternatives to others) what I had
read and analyzed. I only quoted (although giving the link to the entire
conversation for courtesy's sake) what I was responding to.

If you think I responded to 'rescue' anyone or if you think I was
"pretending" on what my interpretation of the conversation was - you are
mistaken. I responded because it seemed to me - whether or not "Brian A."
and "Stan Brown" were being rude, crude and ignoring the topic asked about -
that there was a misunderstanding. One person seemed to take or expect
things in a more literal sense, the other seemed to be more interpretative
and both thought the other should see it their way. Not going to happen
(more than likely) - but I felt like commenting on that part and i did
comment on that part.

If you are thinking that because I have the awarded title MVP - that gave me
the reason to respond (because one of the other responders shares that
awarded title) - then you are also mistaken. I've said it before, I guess I
will have to repeat it more often than I thought I would, but I posted here
long before I was offered the title MVP, I will post here (or where ever I
can help or give an opinion freely) long after I either am not an MVP or
Microsoft no longer exists. It's nothing but something to do that helps
others in my mind. Here, someplace else, Microsoft products, something
else - makes me no difference.

Lastly - yes - I don't agree with the WAY the response "Brian A." originally
made came out. It does come out harsh sounding in my interpretation -
sarcastic. However - I read it a few times and I even started to respond -
but after reading and even writing a response (I almost always react to such
things by writing up the post, not sending it and letting it simmer for a
few hours - re-reading and deciding whether to send it as is, change it or
let it go) - I decided to let it go. I had interpretted that "Brian A."
might have a valid point and my initial interpretation was not the only one
that could be made. The way "Stan Brown" had phrased things could leave
what they meant up to a couple of interpretations. One was not true, one
was true.

When I first read "Stan Brown's" response - I did interpret is as what I
wrote:

"[One of] the purpose[s] of a[n external] backup is to [help] guard against
[loss of data if] your computer [becomes] virus infected, electrically
zapped, destroyed or stolen[, for example]."

(Remove all the bracketed words/phrases, replace the one bracketed word
"becomes" with "being" for the exact wording.)

"Brian A" responded in a way that at first aggravated me, but then - I could
see how someone *could* read "Stan Brown's" answer in a completely (more
literal) way. Perhapos it is because I have dealt with people with Asperger
syndrome both here and outside of here - I find myself leaning towards
figuring out how things might be interpretted so as not to over-react or
under-react when something is said by someone.

Very seldom - in any case - does a 'reaction from the hip' ever result in a
good ending when it comes to conversations about another's attitude, wording
or spelling. ;-)

As for not helping the OP - I thought that Ken Blake had done a fine job and
thus - saw no need beyond making sure the entire post was linked to in my
response - in responding further since I had nothing to add for the OP.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

"Xandros" wrote in message
...
"Brian A." gonefish'n@afarawaylake wrote in message
...
"Xandros" wrote in message
...

"Brian A." gonefish'n@afarawaylake wrote in message
...
"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:08:15 GMT from John
:
I have been thinking of getting an external hard drive to back-up my files
as an insurance against a failure of the existing PC (happened to me once).
However, I am wondering if an additional internal will be better and
cheaper. If I get a new PC I could swap it over.

Any views? Also is there a suitable back-up program which automatically
detects changes and overwrites the back-up

The purpose of a backup is to guard against your computer being virus
infected, electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen. If any of those
happens, it will most likely affect an internal hard drive as well.

I'm not aware of any backup utility, application or procedure that will stop,
guard or protect against any of the issues you mention. Could you please
provide any/all proven information, documentation and links so those among us
who are unaware of this new technology can help others with it.


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/


Brian try asking your question in one of the private MVP groups. You look like an
idiot asking it in a public forum.

You have your opinion and I have mine.
Backups on internal or external media do not guard against being virus infected,
electrically zapped, destroyed, or stolen.

The system could unknowingly already be infected and any backup would include
that infection. Restoring that backup would restore the infection as well.
Although external media is safeguarded from an electrical spike, an electrical
spike can happen any time the external media is /connected used.
External media can be destroyed or stolen from anywhere at any time unless it's
locked away in a vault.

(ever hear of Acronis TrueImage,
BootIt NG, Ghost?)

Ever read my response to the OP?


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

OK but I got lost in your petty bickering with Stan. Stan was the first person to
respond to the OP. His reply was fine. However you jump on Stan BEFORE you bother
responding to the OP. You bait him by being sarcastic. You say, "provide any/all
proven information, documentation and links so those among us who are unaware of
this new technology"...... blah, blah. Because your comment is rude Stan reacts, as
most people would. I felt quite annoyed when I read your asinine response to him. I
felt even more annoyed when Shennan came to your rescue by side tracking and
"pretending" that the issue has to do with semantics. Get a life both of you and be
helpful. If you choose to place your coveted MVP rank in your sig line then act
like a Most Valuable Professional. Otherwise you look like fools.

--

Xandros



My intention wasn't and never is to sound or be rude, if that's how you took it I'm
sorry for that. I'm no more less human than everyone else and as in my response to
Shenan, which I didn't take as defending me, I thanked him for showing me the err in
my way, I thank you also.

--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375