Do You Backup?

Copy the files on CD-ROM the best way

@Kader: Just manual copy to CD-ROM every so often or do you have an xcopy or robocopy script or some other automated thing setup?

I use Backupify for gmail and yahoo mail and for Google Docs. A flash drive and also burned to a CD for everything else.

@Doug: Backupify is really cool. So the other stuff is just a manual copy to flash drive/CD on a regular basis or do you have some other program that you use to do that automatically?

Been using Mozy Home backup for 1 year now. Works flawlessly. Restoring deleted documents within the 30 day window Mozy allows is easy (comes in very handy for fights with the girlfriend). I’ve only used half of my 2 Gigs of space Mozy gives. Now, with these on-line backup solutions that are free or very moderately priced plus very easy to use…there really isn’t any reason not to back up one’s critical, valuable documents, pictures and music anymore.

@Hawk44Gent: I’d still be using Mozy if I didn’t have over 100GB of documents and a few GB of music and video to backup. I loved them – very fast and reliable.

I use Microsoft’s briefcase utility. I keep the files synchronized between the desktop and my laptop. I also keep my outlook files backed up this way.

@Arlen Carlson: You’re not the first person I’ve heard of that uses Briefcase… which honestly I’ve never used. Ever. Does it work well as a true backup solution in your opinion?

I use a Western Digital passport to do my backups. I use Norton 360 V4.0 To do the program stuff. Works very well for me.

@Andy: Is Western Digital Passport something that will only work for you if you’re using their drive(s)? Are you worried about not being able to restore something in the future? Though as I write this, I suppose you could have the same concern for any program that doesn’t use an open standard.

windows backup is good enough to backup, and I have a lot of practical experiences on it. I feel win.backup is good and secure way if you can keep the backup medium safe.

I use a variety of methods:

1. On CD-ROM I store my latest financial files and the most critical of my current files and give them to one of my adult children to hold off-site in case of a disaster to me or my files.

2. I back-up to two high-capacity USB drives once a month, rotating them. This includes all files, system, program, whatever.

3. I started using Carbonite for my data and pictures as a continuously updated cloud back-up but that was a month ago and it’s STILL not done with the initial back-up. Can you say SLO-O-O-O-o-o-o-o-ow?

@94magma: Aside from the weird delays with Carbonite, you seem to have a really good plan – a lot like what some smaller business datacenters do.

I use syncback automated daily, weekly and monthly to back up my data to a NAS.

My backup solution of choice is Macrium Reflect. I simply image my system drives every month or so to either an internal drive on my desktops or external and/or network solutions for my portables.

@RA Hayter: Do you do any more frequent incremental backups? I used to backup my entire system about as often as you do but then I realized that I’d be in bad shape without the last 23 days (or whatever) of changes to an Excel spreadsheet I update all the time. I suppose if everything you have is web based and you’re mostly concerned about the system being available, your plan is a good one. There certainly isn’t one perfect backup solution for everyone.

Briefcase works well for me for the files that I access regularly. I also occasionally back up ALL my data files & pictures to another desktop I have on my network. I do it all manually which could be dangerous if you forget.

@Arlen Carlson: That’s what gets me in trouble: forgetting. That’s why I like the online backup services so much. Though the paranoid part of me, which I try to suppress as often as possible, worries about my data “floating out in the cloud” somewhere to be picked up and looked at. I know it’s all encrypted and I know that I have VERY LITTLE data that someone would find interesting and NONE that would be worth any effort, but it’s still a little creepy, I’ll admit.

I don’t like the concept of having my data somewhere else. I use an external hard drive and set up my Norton 360 software to backup there. With external drives relatively cheap, it works for me.

@Harry: I agree. I was just replying to @Arlen Carlson and mentioned something about not liking the general “idea” of my stuff being elsewhere. I’m the kind of person that buys insurance and walks away with a smile… I like the idea of having “my bases covered” so to speak. What if my house burns down with my external drives in there? You get the idea. Cloud backup is for the worrisome I guess.

We use Dropbox. My husband loves it so much he doesn’t keep anything on his hard drive any more.

@Carole: I hear good things about Dropbox… mainly about how easy it is to put and take stuff off and share files and such. But I suppose it would work well as a true backup solution too. Depends on what kinds of files you wanted backed up I think.

@94magma: When I changed to a new computer last year, I did a full backup on Carbonite, around 40GB. It completed in less than one day’s time. Did that you take up your extreme slowness problem with the Carbonite people? It appears that there’s something very wrong here.

Clonezilla (full system) to external USB drive once a month. Data only xcopy to different external USB drive weekly.

My backup solution of choice is Shadow Protect, absolutely most realiable and safe from flaws, bugs and errors.

I use Norton Ghost to clone my C-Drive to an external Hard Drive. Reasoning: when the C Drive fails, I can pick up immediately with the fully functional external drive, without having to re-install the OS to a new hard drive and then replace all the Data. I’ve had 2 HD crashes where I had to reinatall the OS, and it is a Pain in the Butt.

Also, I keep the backup drive in a separate location from the computer until I do backup (2x/week). That way, it is not vulnerable if something happens to the computer.

@Gersheps: I think that’s a very good plan. It makes recovery as easy as I can imagine anyone pulling off (aside from mirroring a hard drive 24×7) and if the frequency works for you, then great. Excellent backup plan I think.

I use WD My World Book 2 with the WD backup anywhere software. I like it because it it constantly monitoring and backing up as you go. I upgraded to the pro version which keeps versions of files. Fortunately I haven’t had to rely on it yet, but good to know it’s there. Only problem would if the house burnt down or was nicked in a burg along with my PC.

Newbie and trying to figure out the best way to go. Have Norton 360 5.0 and suspect I’ll use that. But just went to Best Buy looking for external hard drives. WD has portable and “book” . . . based on above chat, wondering if I can dodge the WD sync software and just use it as an external hard drive and then follow @Gersheps approach – clone my C drive to one portion of the WD and then backup using Norton 360 5.0 every month to another portion of the same WD. Then I can copy particular files and folders on a weekly basis to another portion of that WE or a seaprate starage device if and as appropriate. ???? Trying to minimize how many software packages or utilties I have in play . . .

@John: I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. Just document your work as you go.