Automated OS backup/snapshot tools.

Hi

I am going to be reinstalling Win XP with my slip streamed SP3.

What I want is a tool that will create backups to a separate physical drive, essentially to be a system restore replacement.

Now I want to take some kind of base image or snapshot and then back that up to DVDs, would it better to use ghost (as I currently do) and use a separate product for snapshots or is there a program that can do a base/image with off line restore AND do snapshots ?

Obviously free is better

 

Cool, reasonably priced, might consider it.

 

Hello,
You could try Partimage. Runs in Linux. Supports network backup.
In Windows, I like Acronis True Image. But it can also read ext and reiserfs partitions.
Mrk

 

I can vouch for Paragon Drive Backup. It does all those things, and it is on sale now for $30:
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/db-personal/

The free trial recovery CD may not see your USB drives, but the Recovery CD that comes with the purchased program does see my USB drives.

 

I installed the trail today (will try the evaluation when that runs out) and I like how Shadowprotect can do these continuous backups.

But, I am having performance issues backing up from one hdd to another I am only getting 2 or 3 mb/s - but only taking 19s to run per hour which is fine.

 

Can SP do that for specified partitions when your HDD has 2 or more partitions?

 

Agree with Pete re SP.

However if you are still considering a freebie,DriveImage XML is a good,simple backupper HERE

Review HERE

 

You can select multiple partitions for continuous backup in the wizard, I am assume it will create them are independent images, will test it tonight.

 

Yes, use Image Backup to do that kind of job, much safer and you can create as many images as you want. Forget about snapshots.

Image of an activated Windows
Image of an activated Windows + Drivers
Image of an activated Windows + Drivers + Applications
etc, etc, etc.

 

Please let us know what you find out re: SP's automatic incrementals and daily colapsing for multiple partitions - thanks!

 

Just to let you know, Its now running on my OS partition plus my data partition (both on same drive) which I am downloading via emule with, should be a good stress test.

 

Cannot image the 2nd partition, got this error, twice:

30-May-2008 21:38:39 sbvol 503 Fatal I/O error on \\?\STC_SnapShot_Volume_21_1 offset 22086e000 on read (-31 A device attached to the system is not functioning.)

I shall investigate tomorrow.

 

Good luck (and thanks for testing this)!