Basic Home Setup?

I am using the latest version to backup my laptop and have just installed the software and read through the help file. I most likely plan to backup to DVD RW but could, if needed, get an external HD.

There are so many optionsin the program and they are all explained well but what I'm looking for is advice on the basic setup that a home user should do.

For example, should I set up a Secure Zone on my C: drive, AND make a full backup to removable media, AND then start doing differential backups to removable media?

 

I'll get the ball rolling but your question should bring some diverse answers.

1. Use the external and even get another one for security and alternating usage. The external should not be attached 24/7. An electrical jolt can take out your laptop and your external. Have you backups additionally stored in another external drive for additional security

2. Avoid using DVD or CD as if they are a disaster waiting to occur--which they are for many of us. Their are troublesome, slow and un-dependable--IMHO.

3. You don't need the Secure zone. Store backup archive in folders on the external drive. Check the Useful Forum Link below and read more about the Secure zone before you try to setup or use. Should your hard drive fail, any backups in the Secure zone are gone bye-bye.

4. Differential backups a good idea but directed to external--not a good idea if directed to CD or DVD.

5. Spend some good reading times with my guides--link below.

 

I would highly recommend using an External USB drive.

Personally I would make a new full backup ever week (or however often) and keep 2 versions on the ext HD.

Don't worry about secure zone. If things go pear shaped, just use a new bootable Acronis disk and recover from the ext HD.

 

Starting from where you are with a laptop which presumably has only one internal hard drive I suggest you do the following :-

Create a secure zone on the internal drive but do not activate the start up recovery manager. Make the zone large enough to hold a least two full images.
Now set up a schedule to create a full backup image on say a weekly basis. This will then run with no further user input at a time of your choosing and will give you immediate backup coverage. As the zone fills up the oldest image will be overwritten and it manages the process itself.
Of course just having a secure zone is no protection from a hard drive failure so a second line of defense is advisable. To this end an external hard drive is probably the best bet. You would have to create a separate set of backup images to the ext. drive. This is an extra chore but it also brings extra security.

Having a spare laptop drive would round off you system perfectly. You would then be able to check things out with zero risk of failure.
I would test like this :- Remove the live drive, replace it with the spare, boot from the recovery CD with the external drive attached and recover the latest image. Recovery via the secure zone could also be tested in safety as a second step.

Xpilot

 

Hello lpa53,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Along with other Forum members suggestions and advices would also like to make some comments.

Note that you can store backups on almost any PC storage device: local hard drives, network drives or a variety of IDE, SCSI, FireWire (IEEE-1394), USB (1.0, 1.1 and 2.0) and PC Card (formerly called PCMCIA) removable media drives, as well as CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, magneto-optical, Iomega Zip and Jaz drives.

You are able to save backup archives to Acronis Secure Zone which is a special hidden partition for storing backups on the computer system itself. This is the solution for them who have the only one hard drive. Acronis Secure Zone is necessary for using Acronis Startup Recovery Manager and Acronis Snap Restore features. Acronis Secure Zone has automatic scheme for deleting backup archives. Check chapter 3.3 “Acronis Secure Zone” in the respective User's Guide.

Also Acronis True Image 10.0 Home allows you to back up you data direct to the DVD or CD discs. You can make this DVD or CD disc bootable by writing to it additional components. Thus, you will not need a separate rescue media (chapter 5.3.8 “Media components”).

You are able to use Acronis Backup Location which provides automatic backup archive naming and management function. You can organize one or more backup locations and set limitations to size/storage time for each (chapter 3.5 “Acronis Backup Locations”).

To achieve better protection from data failure I would recommend that you do the following:

- create the full backup of your system partition or of the whole hard disk drive;

- create the schedule task for creating incremental or differential backup archive alternate with the schedule task for creating full backup archive.

Remember, the farther you store the archive from the original data, the safer it will be in case of data damage. For example, saving the archive to another hard disk will protect your data if the primary disk is damaged.

I would recommend that you have a look at this thread and this post providing some examples of scheduled schemes.

If you have any further questions concerning Acronis software, please feel free to submit a request for technical support or post any of them on this forum. We will certainly try to help you in resolving any issues.

Thank you.
--
Michael Fedyulin