Computer Backup Question

[Rickster71]

An HD backup question.
My HD failed last week, at the busiest time of the year.

What's the best way to backup / mirror (if that's the correct term) a drive?
My issue is, I don't want to have to reload everything, like my OS and years of updates.
Is there a software that does exact 100% copies?
I don't want cloud storage; we've found it to be very slow.
Internal or external drive is OK. I have USB3 and eSATA external plugs.
Thanks, any info appreciated!

 

[slipperybidness]

An HD backup question.
My HD failed last week, at the busiest time of the year.

What's the best way to backup / mirror (if that's the correct term) a drive?
My issue is, I don't want to have to reload everything, like my OS and years of updates.
Is there a software that does exact 100% copies?
I don't want cloud storage; we've found it to be very slow.
Internal or external drive is OK. I have USB3 and eSATA external plugs.
Thanks, any info appreciated!

I have been pretty satisfied with Acronis True Image Home

 

[lsiberian]

You should have several levels. Local and remote. Depending on the value of the data. For a general PC I suggest drop box for documents and then just reinstall the os on the new drive. You can create a default install disc that puts all the programs you want on it. I don't quite remember what we used for it at the old company though.

 

[Rickster71]

You should have several levels. Local and remote. Depending on the value of the data. For a general PC I suggest drop box for documents and then just reinstall the os on the new drive. You can create a default install disc that puts all the programs you want on it. I don't quite remember what we used for it at the old company though.

The big part of this is it's the busiest time of the year and I don't want to have to reload anything. It takes too long.
If the problem occurs again, I'd like to just go in and change my boot order and used my external backup drive until my new one comes or I find what I want locally.
So I guess I want a 100% mirror image that update daily changes as they're made.
Does something like that exist?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I say go with cloud backup - Crashplan.com - only $50-60/year and you'll have piece of mind. Do keep in mind that even your external drive could be damaged if located at same location.

For more advanced folks 'round here - you could install an engine to the nas/server (I used it on Qnap nas, i know other NAS boxes supported (unofficially) as well) and the client to desktop. Work from the file share and pay only for one computer license.

 

[Ponzio]

SyncBackFree
SyncBack Free - freeware version of the ultimate data backup software

I've been using it since 2008 without a hitch. I do a backup every day to three 2TB external hard drives and it works like a charm. I'm still traumatized from my first HD failure on a Dell PC in the late 90's. I was using Norton Ghost and thought everything would be hunky dory when I tried to load the backup discs to the Dell repaired PC and it failed miserably to take. Ha!!! Never again. Dell of course gave a thousand reasons why it wouldn't reload; none of them caused by them of course. Yes, reloading a new OS & applications can be time consuming but meanwhile I can connect my external drives to any of my laptops and carry on.

 

[Rickster71]

I say go with cloud backup - Crashplan.com - only $50-60/year and you'll have piece of mind. Do keep in mind that even your external drive could be damaged if located at same location....

We had Carbonite and it was painfully slow. I'm not completely sold on "The Cloud."
Too many years of yelling down the hall or phoning downstairs, "Hey is the server down?"
Now I get slow speed and no answer on the phone because they're in another time zone.

 

[Ponzio]

FWIW, to answer BoredSysAdmin's valid point about backing up your data to a remote location, SyncBackFree also works using Windows XP, 7 Pro & Ultimate, via Windows Remote Desktop app and can be scheduled as many times as needed. A friend of mine, a CPA, does this to a PC he setup at his parents home for just such a scenario, since he works out of his house.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

We had Carbonite and it was painfully slow. I'm not completely sold on "The Cloud."
Too many years of yelling down the hall or phoning downstairs, "Hey is the server down?"
Now I get slow speed and no answer on the phone because they're in another time zone.

One of my client has Crashplan on qnap has 30Gb of data and running scheduling backup (compressed deltas only) over a mere 768Kbps connection. Usually the backup completes within the night window... but ymmv... Initial sync will always take forever.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

SyncBackFree
SyncBack Free - freeware version of the ultimate data backup software

I've been using it since 2008 without a hitch. I do a backup every day to three 2TB external hard drives and it works like a charm. I'm still traumatized from my first HD failure on a Dell PC in the late 90's. I was using Norton Ghost and thought everything would be hunky dory when I tried to load the backup discs to the Dell repaired PC and it failed miserably to take. Ha!!! Never again. Dell of course gave a thousand reasons why it wouldn't reload; none of them caused by them of course. Yes, reloading a new OS & applications can be time consuming but meanwhile I can connect my external drives to any of my laptops and carry on.

Looks like SyncBackFree is only the software without the cloud storage.... Imo Crashplan software could the same for free

 

[avnetguy]

Check out the free version of macrium reflect.

 

[MidnightSensi2]

I use a combination.

In my opinion, if I was a home user, and didn't want to worry too much about it, I'd get an account at Dropbox.com

 

[gholt]

I use the free version of Macrium reflect. My neighbor told me about it. It lets you image, backup etc, without running a ghost program instead of Windows. I back up every month. I think it works great as a not IT person. Easy to use.