Excluding folders from a backup partition?

Hello guys. I just bought a Crucial SSD 240GB for my old laptop (Asus F3SG) and replaced internal HDD SATA, Seagate Momentus, 250GB. My initial thought was to make two partitions in my SSD, same as i had with my Seagate: 100GB Sysop and programs and 150GB for data (music, downloads, etc...). However, i'm tempted to left only a partition (240GB) and create folders for my data, because i get some advices to create only a partition for best performance.
However, i'm used to create an image of my C: when i've updated my system and installed most of my favourites programs. If there is something that doesn't run well, the perfomance is affected or simply i want to start from a fresh copy, it's always simple to restore with Acronis True Image the original backup. My question is: if i set only a partition, is there any backup solution that allow to exclude some folders from the backup of your C: partition? I tried Mcrium Reflect Professional, but i haven't seen this option.

Thanks for your support

Best regards

 

Macrium reflect has an option to ignore free space when doing an image.
It also ignores the pagefile.

Otherwise its not going to ignore anything else as it is an "image" backup.
You need a file backup program if you want to exclude folders etc.

 

I recommend a separate partition for data. Use an imaging program like Macrium Reflect Free (my personal choice) for the OS partition and a file-based backup program like Areca Backup (my personal choice) for the data partition.

 

Is there a exclude from compression by filetype in Areca backup?

I have struggled to find one that does this.
Takes time to compress a divx file which ends up with no gain.

The old amiga backup programs like abackup had these options but for some reason i cant find a Windows backup program that does this.

 

As of v7.2.1 (which works great for me, but is not the latest version) I think you can do it indirectly by using different backup sets (which are called "targets" in Areca Backup) for different file types using the Filter functionality. For example, one backup set could include just divx files, and another backup set could include everything except divx files.

Thread on Areca Backup: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/thr...ile-based-backup-program-areca-backup.263138/.

 

Thanks mate. I read that partition a SSD could degrade its performance and life. Is it real?

 

You're welcome .

Here are some links I found regarding your question:
http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8184
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2252180
http://lifehacker.com/5837769/make-...ned-for-optimal-solid-state-drive-performance

 

mimuweb,

I agree. It makes backing up more efficient. As MrBrian suggested, an imaging app for the OS partition and a data backup app for the data partition.

If you have an OS partition with X amount of data, imaging will take T minutes.

If you have an OS partition with 2X amount of data, imaging will take 2T minutes.

Using your suggested scenario, imaging will take T minutes and a differential backup of the data partition will take 10 seconds. In addition, the data backup will be in native format. You don't need a proprietary app to extract data.

No.

 

Thanks for your replies. Great forum!

 

It seems many users like to backup their own data files in their native format. Clearly that makes restore of individual files or folders very easy. I do, however, want to point out there is a serious danger with that. We already have seen a new generation of serious malware, a good example being CryptoLocker http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CryptoLocker Now the danger is, this malware can traverse a local PC via mapped drives, seek out it's target files by type, and effectively destroy them beyond recovery. Expect it to also be able to traverse attached server drives very soon.

In summary, your backup data is at much at risk as the original data unless you hide it, and a simple way to do that is to parcel it up in a drive image file. Another way would be to detach and attach your backup drive only when in use. I want to spread the awareness of this problem as widely as possible.

 

Good point.
But while current Cryptolocker versions leave backup archives alone, noone knows when the bad guys will start to include the archive extensions of commonly used backup software in their encryption list. Disconnecting the backup drive seems much safer, but of course this would prevent you from using automatic scheduled backups (like the hourly automatic snapshots in AX64).

Cheers
manolito

 

No automated data backups for me at home. I don't have constant changes going on.

I use separate data partitions. But they are on portable hard drives. 3 of them, 2 at my house and 1 off site. If Cryptolocker ever makes it through (or theft, or fire, or whatever), I'm in good shape.

 

Just a comment here... a lot of this discussion, especially as it concerns things like CryptoLocker and the new version of it (I can't remember the name) and on-line backups, etc., lead me to believe that COLD BACKUPS via CryptoLocker free WInPEs (or LINUX media) (and you favorite backup/imaging app) and external storage (removed after backup) is probably the safest way to go as far as file protection is concerned. I don't currently do this but am considering coming up with a scheme for it.

Of course the best way to avoid CryptoLocker (and the other baddies) is just to practice SAFE NET (kinda like sex just much more boring), which I always try and do.

 

I discussed some ways of dealing with CryptoLocker-type threats in this thread.