Whats best way to back up h/d

[BOB1901]

Main h/d is 1 TER divided into 2- 500 gig (seagate bar).Have second h/d of 1 ter gig (hitachi). What is best way to backup.Go with some sort of raid or use ghost to copy and do backups.If you use ghost will the MBR be on the backup h/d incase its needed to become primary.



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INTEL/C2D E8500 3.16G 775 45N,SS-650HT 650W ,
IT/ ST 7K 32M SATA2 ST31000340AS

 

[Outlander_04]

Acronis Migrate Easy for making an image of your hard drive . All partitions are preserved in the image . It would boot as the original would .Incremental back ups not possible . 15 day free trial .

or

Acronis® True Image Home 2009 if you need additional back up features as well as the functions of migrate easy .

IMO better than norton ghost

 

[croc]

Acronis true image is also cheaper, easier to use and far more versatile than ghost... At least that's my opinion.

 

[Devastator_uk]

RAID would keep both drives the same so if one dies you shouldn't lose any data even stuff you saved just minutes before, whareas Ghost/Acronis/Clonezilla if one dies you'll lose anything you did since the last backup.

Also with the RAID solution if a virus or hacker came along and say wipe tons of files off you hard drive then the RAID system will duplicate that on the other drive so data will be lost, whareas with Ghost/Acronis/Clonezilla if it happens after last backup you are fine.

So which one to chose depends on your needs and ideally implementing both would be best (but cost more), generally I would chose the backup system over the RAID if I had to chose just one.

 

[jamesgoddard]

I do both (hardware RAID 1 + backup to external disk)...

You have to ask how valuable the data you have is - for example I have all the pics of the kids and years worth of document / email archives... This is much more valuable to me than the cost of a couple of extra HDD's

 

[LoneEagle]

I do both (hardware RAID 1 + backup to external disk)...

You have to ask how valuable the data you have is - for example I have all the pics of the kids and years worth of document / email archives... This is much more valuable to me than the cost of a couple of extra HDD's

Do you also have an off-site backup? I also using IDrive plus my external.

I will say, the best is:

* RAID-1: Miror of the Main drive. If one fail, the other one will be used. MUST replace the failed one ASAP so the controller card can rebuild the image.
* External backup/other drive: A software that will backup important files
* Off-Site: In case you have: fire, stolen, or any disaster.

 

[huron]

Another +1 for Acronis. I have used it many times and love it.

 

[GhislainG]

Owners of Seagate disk can download the free Seagate Disk Wizard which is a crippled version of Acronis Home that installs only if you have at least one Seagate disk in your system. It can be used to take a complete disk copy while using the PC. A restoration CD should obviously be created just in case you ever need it.

 

[aevm]

The strategies you guys have mentioned are perfect for an IT person who has to backup somebody else's drive, without any knowledge of what's actually important or what's actually changed. However, if this is the OP's home computer, and he's the only one using it, and all he needs is to save his naughty downloads, why not just use DVD+R disks?

 

[zodiacfml]

depends on what and how important the files you want to backup.

 

[wickedsnow]

I have used many back-up/restore programs in the past, and i would have to say that Acronis can do it all. I agree with Croc and the gang, +1 for acronis.

Faster, easier, cheaper, and more options than any other back-up software i can find.

 

[geofelt]

The value of raid-1 for protecting data is that you can recover from a hard drive failure quickly.
It is for servers that can't afford any down time.
Recovery from a hard drive failure is just moments.
Fortunately hard drives do not fail often.
Mean time to failure is claimed to be on the order of 1,000,000 hours.(100 years)
Raid-1 does not protect you from other types of losses such as viruses,
software errors,raid controller failure, operator error, or fire...etc.
For that, you need EXTERNAL backup.
If you have external backup, and can afford some recovery time, then you don't need raid-1.

 

[jitpublisher]

^ Very, very good info right there. Everyone using or recommending RAID 1 needs to read that post, and read it again.
Never, ever for any reason think that RAID 1 is a form of a backup.
It is for redundacy, not for backing up.
RAID 1, you delete a file by accident, poof! It is gone off both drives.
RAID 1, you get a virus, poof! You have it on both drives.
RAID 1, EVERYTHING that happens on 1 drive, is mirrored exactly to other one, good and bad things equally!

 

[p05esto]

PISS ON RAID. Get an old computer as a "file server" and keep two HDs on it of the same size (plus OS drive). Map one as your "working" drive and have a little backup utility run nightly to copy the main disk contents over to the spare drive. Now once a month (or whenever) plug in a 4th drive that stays off-site.

That's my system, a thing of beauty really. Why keep your important file drive in the local workstation? It's so much nicer when it's in a NAS of some sort.

In the future I bought one of these BIG iron safes and I have a network jack nearby. I'm actually going to run my file server inside of the big safe. It's an old puter, hardly any heat....I think it will be OK. Now that will be some safe data

 

[BOB1901]

We'll from everything thats been said I'll pass on Raid.It's not just the files that is the reason I'm looking for a backup.After a year or two my computers start slowing down (start to load very slow or run just as slow)and I've found going back to a good copy is a lot easier than reloading everything again. For the important files I usually just copy the few directories to 8 gig USB drives. I guess I'll just copy my OS partition to the new drive (mark it hidden),this way I'll have a fairly clean OS to reload in 1-2 years or have a good copy if the 1st h/d goes to just get running. Will start making back up images every few weeks to other partitions on the second drive.Ghost (10) might not be the best but it's what I have on hand.

 

[groo]

set 1 partition ad data, 1 as programs.

programs don't need to be backed up, they can be reinstalled. data is the only stuff that is lost. Data doesn't need to be accessed quickly either.

I also like to use a HDD for a while before I put anything important on it, to make sure there is a manufacturing defect. free of "original sin" a HDD should last a long time.

does that have a matrix array option?
you might want to RAID 1 the OS/programs and manualy copy the data over every night or week. I think a matrix array can do that.

 

[PsyKhiqZero]

Well it depends on what he wants backed up. If we're only talking about work and media files then Nero Backit up works great for setting up scheduled back ups.

For backing up the entire system then Acronis True Image works wonders. I would highly recommend both. Have Acronis make an image of a clean install, then a differential w/ all your favorite programs installed. Afterward have Nero Back it Up monitor your favorite folders.

RAID 1 is NOT a backup solution. Redundancy allows the system to keep running after disk failure. While it would protect the files in the event that 1 of the drives bit the dust, it will not protect the files from corruption. Automated backup to a less often used media or HDD is a far better solution.