HD backup/ Cloning- what is ur choice?

[aigle]

HD cloning is popular and needed now a days, to save ur data in case ur hardware crashes. The most famous software I think is Acronis True Image. I am just very little informed in this subject and just want to know which software Wilder,s memebers are using and what are there experiences.

Especially I have read that there are some free software also available for this purpose, how reliable and user friendly these are as compared to paid ones?

Please write whick backup utility/ HD cloning software u use?

[Antarctica]

I'm using Image for Windows. No bells and whistles, very friendly user and
efficient.

At the time when I bought it I did not consider free product, but possibly there are some decent one too. Wait for the experts.

[JW Clements]

I use the V-Com product which packages Partition Commander and Copy Commander for $49.95USD, back in Dec. 2003. I copy about every month to alternate backup HDD. I used to copy every week, just before trying out new programs, which gave me two types of security, against HDD failure and against bad software. But I now have First Defense, I keep 'new' files on a USB stick and don't need to copy as often (to HDD). I only had to use the backup once, when a 5 month old drive failed, but I was able to switch drives and boot up in minutes. So I'm a firm believer in doing this, regardless of the actual copy software. But, do the copy and then remove the original and boot from the copy to make sure that the copy software works, preferably before you buy.
Jim

[Bethrezen]

hi

for data back up i would definatley recomend true image its simple sold easy to use and reliable

but hd cloning thats a difrent matter altogether because you have to remember that every compuer is goin to have a difrent hardware configuration and there is goin to require difrent drivers so an image made on one computer isnt goin to work for another computer due to this

[bigbuck]

Older version of Ghost (boots from floppy) to external HDD via Firewire. No bells and whistles or incremental options. Fairly slow (about an hour to clone 80Gb drive), but has been rock solid reliable so far.

[ErikAlbert]

Originally Posted by Bethrezen

hi

for data back up i would definatley recomend true image its simple sold easy to use and reliable

but hd cloning thats a difrent matter altogether because you have to remember that every compuer is goin to have a difrent hardware configuration and there is goin to require difrent drivers so an image made on one computer isnt goin to work for another computer due to this

Which means that image backup is better than cloning, because image backup will work on the same computer AND another computer ?

[Peter2150]

Originally Posted by ErikAlbert

Which means that image backup is better than cloning, because image backup will work on the same computer AND another computer ?

No that probably isn't true, unless the two computers where absolutely identical, and even then you would have problems. Imaging and cloning are two different things, and require different preparation.

[Bethrezen]

hi

i cant say i really know much about hd cloning its not somthing i've ever tryed but as i understand it hd cloning isnt possable unless both computers use excatley the same hardware

imho you would be better to just make a backup image for each indervidual computer that way you are ganinteed not to have problems well unless the image gets corrupted

the only consevable use i could see for hd cloning is if you where sticking a new hd in your excisting computer and you wanted to move your os installation from the old slower hd to the new faster one though this could be done just as easyley with a back up image all ya would need to do is install ya back up image on to the new hd and then wipe the old one

to be honist i think the whole idea of hd cloning is nothing more then a gimic to sell software

[dallen]

I know that there are a lot of Acronees (I don't know if this is the word that Acronis users call themselve, but it sounds nice) here in this forum. However, I have personally used Image for Windows/DOS and I love it. If someone just wants to create a reliable image, this is the way to go. On the other hand, if someone wants bells and wistles, then it sounds like Acronis offers a reliable solution. My experience with bells and wistles is that they can come at a price.

Image for DOS seems theoretically more reliable then Acronis from the standpoint that it does not try to create an image of Windows while it's functioning. By interupting the systerm prior to Windows booting, Image for DOS is able to get an image while Windows is idle.

Acronees, please don't take offense. I have never used Acronis and do not know that much about it other than that it works from within Windows.

[Rmus]

Originally Posted by aigle

Please write whick backup utility/ HD cloning software u use?

I do real-time backup. In MSWord, a file-copy macro saves documents to an external HD. When finished with other documents/files, a batch file copies them to both my laptop and the external HD. For photographs, they are copied to the external HD.

I also use ZipBackup utility to the external HD each week, then delete the real-time backup files from the external HD.

I don't image or clone.

[Peter2150]

I use both Acronis and Image for Windows. You can, if you don't mind the time difference, also Image with Acronis from their recovery CD.

Pete

[dallen]

Originally Posted by Peter2150

I use both Acronis and Image for Windows. You can, if you don't mind the time difference, also Image with Acronis from their recovery CD.

Then could you tell me the advantages / disadvantages to having one over the other.

[sukarof]

Nero Backitup.

[pvsurfer]

Originally Posted by dallen

Then could you tell me the advantages / disadvantages to having one over the other.

dallen~ They both pretty much accomplish the same thing, but I find TI's GUI allows you to do it more elegantly (of course that's purely a matter of taste). However one indisputable feature IFW has over TI is its native support of optical disks. Using TI to backup an HDD to DVDs is not a reliable process!

Casting my vote for this thread, I have to go with 2 imaging products:

- Acronis True Image for my desktop, where I backup to an external HDD.
- NTI Drive Backup for my laptop, as I often backup to DVD on the road and NTI works beautifully with optical disks.

~pv

[thebigdintx]

i use and recommend acronis true image 9. they offer a free trial, so you can try it and see if you like it(and also make sure it works ok on your particular system).

[WSFuser]

for file backups, i just save all my files onto my external drive. for hd imaging, i use acronis true image v8 rescue cd. its reliable (dont know about the v9 tho) and it offers good speed.

[aigle]

Originally Posted by Peter2150

No that probably isn't true, unless the two computers where absolutely identical, and even then you would have problems. Imaging and cloning are two different things, and require different preparation.

Can u please expalin it a bit? thanks

[emt]

Hard drive cloning has become more popular because the price of a harddrive is sooo cheap. If you have a desktop that will take two internal drives plugged into the motherboard, disk cloning allows you to make a perfect copy of the entire drives contents the two parts being operating system and other sectors. When you disk clone (I still have Ti-eight) chose to keep orig. drives contents in case you make a mistake. I have many kids and just cloned a 100gb drive with 6.7gb hp FAT 32 sector and about 10gb of other NTFS material onto another sata 250gb drive. It took 10-12 minutes with a sempron 3400+ which is not the fastest cat on the street. I then unplugged the 100gb (my backup) and and am now using the 250gb sytem to run the computer. Simple, fast, fool proof unless you make a mistake to delete your orig. drive contents. (no silly floppies, cds, dvds, etc. to insert in a particular order). I do not care if I loose a few days or weeks of data since I'm a home user. I now have os on other drive with contents ready to replug in and run the computer if needed. I can't beat 12 minutes for security and after rebates $60 for the drive. Two drives with 2 operating systems + NTFS contents etc..........................................Even if the motherboard burned up, you could still plug this drive into another computers sata 2nd slot and use it as a read drive and access the material on it, I believe someone earlier implied that you were sol to use it on another different computer - probably yes if you wanted that os to start another computer but definitely not as a readable acessable 2nd drive.

[emt]

I should have said the disk clone makes an exact copy of MBR/operating system + other NTFS files. Two drives with exact MBR and os with drivers etc. This is a wonderful thing to have as a spare. I was just reading some of the fiascos when MBR goes bad on a drive etc. Nice to have a spare.