Backups

I Want a Real Backup Program

June 21, 2011 By Terry Stockdale

Subscriber Mike Gallagher wrote recently to ask about backing up his computer:

Hi Terry,

I am confused about "backup" your computer. I see all sorts of ads and articles about backing up a computer. Most all of what I see is not a REAL backup. What I mean as a "real backup" is that if a hard drive crashes — even one with the operating system on it, full recovery can be made. This is true even if the disk crashes with sound, smell, and visual effects included — a head crash resulting is lots of nasty noise, circuit board shorts with sparks and nasty smelling smoke. O.K. you get my point.

If I have a REAL backup, I replace the hard drive, load the backup CD or DVD, boot and start loading all the necessary files onto the new hard drive, remove the backup media, re-boot and am right where I was, running, just before the excitement.

Does such a procedure really exist, or is "backup" just a save application programs, but without all the install and run info? It seems that this is what most backup programs do.

I am looking for a backup program, or whatever term you want to use, that allows me to create a CD / DVD, or set of them that I can recover as described above, without having to go find my original install disks for the operating system and the applications as well.

I am running windows 7, 64 bit, home premium.

Thanks,

Mike G.

Mike’s asking for it — and I’m already using it, as a number of Terry’s Computer Tips readers. The solution is an image backup program called Acronis True Image Home 2011.

Continue reading I Want a Real Backup Program

Acronis Releases New Acronis True Image Home 2009

January 21, 2009 By Terry Stockdale

Acronis has now released their latest version of their hard drive backup utility — Acronis True Image Home 2009. We had some hints that something was coming. The new version is here…but do we need it?

First, what’s an image backup and why should I use one?

Tech Tip
An “image backup” is effectively your own “recovery disk” or “recovery partition”, complete with all your installed programs and data files, too. You can back up onto DVD’s, to external hard drives, to other computers, to another partition on the same hard drive, or to another hard drive in the same computers. Of course, not all of these destinations provide the same level of reliability — if you back up to another partition on the same hard drive, it can save you from a “brain freeze” problem, but not from a hard drive failure!

Some image backup programs can work only with the entire partition, either backing up or restoring the whole partition. Other programs can back up entire partitions, and can also back up only the files that changed since the last full backup. Similarly, some can restore entire partitions, and are also able to restore individual files and folders of files from the backup file.

I’ve used disk imaging for system backups for my computers since about 1995, starting with DriveImage 2 from the former PowerQuest. Ultimately PowerQuest Corporation was purchased by Symantec in 2003, who used Drive Image 7 as the basis of its next Norton Ghost version.

Continue reading Acronis Releases New Acronis True Image Home 2009

If you don’t already have a copy of Acronis True Image, you can order a copy directly from Acronis, and can download it and even order a backup CD.
If you don’t already have a copy, you can buy two licenses for Acronis True Image Home 2009 for only $20 more than the price of one (this is not a choice on the web site, it’s available only via special links like this one
If you already have a copy of an earlier version, you can upgrade to Acronis True Image Home 2009 for 40%-off.

Filed Under: Backups, Hard Drive Recovery, Terry's Computer Tips, Vista, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Windows XP Screen Freezing

October 13, 2008 By Terry Stockdale

Reader Steve Sturgill wrote to ask about screen freeze problems he was having:

Mr. Stockdale, My OS is XP, my ISP is MSN and I connect through broadband. My problem is, any time I right click, as in attempting to access dropdown menus, my screen freezes. Also I am unable to click on any of the tools in the top, left corner of my screen – i.e. File, Edit, View, etc. This has been going on for several weeks! I have looked extensively for a solution online – to no avail. Several sites suggest using a program called ShellExView, which I downloaded and tried, several times, in vain. Nothing seems to work. Can you please advise me? Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much, in advance, Steve

I wrote back to Steve to suggest some actions to try to resolve his problems.

I’ve seen some strange effects like that before – not those exactly (except the apparent freezing on right-clicking for a context menu).

Continue reading Windows XP Screen Freezing

Filed Under: Backups, Bug Fixes, File system repair, Hard Drive Recovery, Hard Drives, Other, System, Terry's Computer Tips, Windows XP

Second Hard Drive failure with Windows XP Pro SP2

March 14, 2007 By Terry Stockdale

I hope it’s just coincidence, but I have just suffered my second hard drive failure with Window XP SP2 — in two months. Fortunately, I can avoid the cost of a hard drive recovery service, since I back up my data nightly across my network to my Linux box.

Both failures were internal hard drives. Both hard drives were installed in their respective computers.

The drives have been running XP Pro for at least 2.5 years, and Service Pack 2 since it became available. So, they didn’t fail within 2 months of starting use, but within 2 months of each other.

Filed Under: Backups, File system repair, Hard Drive Recovery, Hard Drives, Operating System, Terry's Computer Tips, Windows XP

The Cable Is Out!

October 13, 2006 By Terry Stockdale

Well, not really, but what worse problem could you have when you want to use access the Internet.

Of course, if you have DSL, you could have a similar problem — or your dialup ISP might have problems.

The best solution is to arrange a free dialup backup before you actually need it.

If you waited until you need it, then you have the proverbial “chicken and egg” problem! You need a dialup connection. You can’t get it without either going somewhere to find a “free” cdrom for a paid service.

If you plan ahead — apply some basic risk management — you can sign up for a free 10 hours per month dialup account at NetZero.

The price is right. You sign up, download a small setup application, test to make sure you can connect via dialup (although you can actually validate your account while you’re connected by cable or DSL) — and you’re all ready.

Get Free NetZero Internet Access for 10 hours per month

or

If you need a dialup solution for local use or when travelling routinely, Get NetZero Platinum today! Platinum gives you fast reliable internet access for as low as $6.95/month!

Filed Under: Backups, Communications

Backing Up My Data

October 11, 2006 By Terry Stockdale

Back in the days when I made backups of individual files on floppy diskettes, I had learned what I called Murphy’s Law of Backups. This was: “You will always need one more backup copy than you have.” This taught me the importance of backing up my computer.

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Sometimes that rule applied to backing up a drive onto a bunch of diskettes and running out of diskettes. Other times, it applied to actually using the backup diskette itself, instead of copying the data to the hard drive and then using the file. This was the guaranteed way to make the same dumb mistake with the backup copy ;).

In today’s world, there is one tool on which I rely for backing up individual files, and that’s Karen Kenworthy’s Replicator program. At my house, it backs up the data files that are on my notebook, my desktop, and my wife’s desktop to different machines. Most of these end up on my Linux computer that functions as a file backup site and a web development platform.

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve got your data scattered in folders all over your hard drive, or all stored in My Documents. Either way, if you haven’t backed up your data, you’re rolling the dice.

As a friend says, “there are two types of hard drives — those that have failed and those that haven’t failed yet.”