Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (
More info?)
>
> "Non-Offensive, Professional Sounding Name" <a@a.com> wrote in message
> news:%
>>
>> Anna is right on about the external harddrive and backup software.
>>
>> I have used an external (USB2) 120Gb harddrive and Norton Ghost for
>> several
>> months without one complication or disappointment. I backup up the three
>> (3) partitions (apps & files, OS, swap file) on my internal drive once a
>> month to the external drive and then disconnect that external drive. I
>> sleep better at night knowing that the external backup drive is turned
>> off,
>> disconnected, and secure.
>
"Slippery_one" <Slippery_one@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:e83kGZHQFHA.3544@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Doesn't always work. Most important thing to do is make sure you verify
> the image before having to rely on it. Problem is that you don't know
> until you need it. Then it's to late if it doesn't work. Seen it happen a
> few times. It is also only good for a last known good image restore where
> a Raid mirror will be good up to the time the drive failed. Ghosting and
> external drives okay for home systems but should not be relied alone for
> mission critical machines. It would give you a false sense of security.
Slippery_one and others:
Everything "doesn't always work" when you're talking about personal
computers. There's always a chance that this or that process, this or that
hardware, this or that software, this or that *anything*, will fail. All of
us who have worked on PCs know & accept that. I learned early on in working
with personal computers to purge words like "always" and "never" from my
vocabulary. S*** happens.
But for what it's worth, let me relate to you and others my experience using
the Ghost disk imaging program over more than four years time. During that
time I've used that program to clone one HD to another at least one thousand
times - probably considerably more. In doing so I've used
I-don't-know-how-many different makes & models of HDs, both internal &
external that I used within a host of different operating systems. The
computers involved ranged from home-based machines to small & medium sized
business machines. Perhaps they would not be what you referred to as
"mission critical machines", but they were certainly considered that to
their users let me assure you. Anyway, I would be hard-pressed to relate
more than a handful of instances where the Ghost program failed me because
of some inherent defect in the program.
When we did run into problems in cloning one drive to another using the
Ghost program, it was invariably due to one (or more) of the following:
1. The source disk contained corrupted system files (If you clone garbage,
garbage is what you'll get)
2. The source and/or destination disk was defective
mechanically/electronically.
3. Incorrect drive connections/configurations.
4. User error, e.g., confusing the source/destination disks.
Was the program infallible? Of course not. There was a time when Ghost had
problems with NTFS partitions. And a time when the program had problems
cloning to a USB external HD. Fortunately, Symantec rectified these problems
(and others) within a reasonable time. As I've remarked time & time again, I
wish every piece of software I work with was as simple & straightforward to
use and effective in what it does as the Norton Ghost program.
So Mike, my advice still holds. Seriously consider using a disk imaging
program such as Ghost or Acronis True Image to accomplish your objective of
a near-failsafe backup system. You won't regret it.
Anna