Which PC data backup device...?

[luca brazzi]

Had a really scary moment this evening when it seems the Master Boot Record corrupted and I thought I'd lost my c: drive.

Virtually needed new underwear, fearing I'd lost all my pictures (including BTaP 2004) and videos, plus my website backup. Most scary was that I thought I'd lost the first 6 months of photos and video from my wife's 1st grandchild.

Anyway, managed to recover it, and copy the files to another disk. Trouble is, there's over 100Gb of images....make it 200Gb as they're on a 2nd disk too.

Can someone recommend a suitable backup device (don't really fancy putting them onto cd/dvd although this is a possibility) that occupies a full size front slot, isn't too expensive (device and media), is simple to use and reliable.

Thanks peeps.....much appreciated.

LB (still copying files to another disk)

btw (Got about a Tb of data in total over 4 disks)

[Podie]

Hmm... first thought is another HDD... but there must be a better solution... even tapes are going to struggle with that sort of data.

Might be worth asking someone like JamieBeeston...

[FrenchTVR]

My sympathies, I lost my entire C drive about two months ago, 4 years worth of pictures and work stuff. Recovered some of it but not all.
Would personally recomend a second mirrored hard drive. I used to use Iomega Quiksync. You select which directories, or the entire drive and show it where to copy it too, then every time you modify or save a file in the selected directories it mirrors it to the second drive. Program costs about twenty quid I think and is downloadable from Iomega's web site.
Some of th eIT guys who look after big servers will probably hav better solutions.
I'm currently using DVD's but only have a small amount of info at the moment

[GregE240]

More hard disks I think Steve, unless you want to shell out for some LTO/AIT/S-DLT solution. Media ain't cheap though - disk is (comparitively)

Dunno what a second hand DLT7000/8000 goes for these days, but IME, AVOID.

I'd go for an IDE RAID solution.

[Podie]

GregE240 said:

I'd go for an IDE RAID solution.

Good idea

[luca brazzi]

Thanks guys. Luckily I found that I haven't lost any of my important stuff, although it seems all the system restore files have gone

Have got 4 disks in the machine alraedy, no more room for any more. The mobo a raid jobbie, but I simply don't understand it enough to go for it. Plus I presume it would give me less overall storage space?

Tempted by the idea of replacing one of the older and smaller disks (80Gb) with a big jobbie and using the Iomega Quiksync software that FRENCHTVR mentioned.

So it seems that tape backups are off the menu then. Do folks suggest an internal or external disk drive?

LB


---------------------

Just looked at the microdirect site, and saw what looked like cradles that slot into a cd/dvd drive bay and holds a hard disk, that presumably can be removed. Does this sound viable, as I have 2 full size bays free and 2 small bays free. This seems to be a good idea, so any thoughts on this angle would be great.

Thanks again peeps.


>> Edited by luca brazzi on Tuesday 9th November 09:42

[zumbruk]

luca brazzi said:

Just looked at the microdirect site, and saw what looked like cradles that slot into a cd/dvd drive bay and holds a hard disk, that presumably can be removed. Does this sound viable, as I have 2 full size bays free and 2 small bays free. This seems to be a good idea, so any thoughts on this angle would be great.

One of my colleagues uses these and thinks they're the bee's knees. I can get some details from him, if you want?

(I personally use a SCSI 8mm tape drive, but the backup from my server just ran over from 2 tapes to 3 and I'm thinking about going to DLT. And I really *must* start storing a backup off-site!)

[Plotloss]

DLT goes to 200Gb and its quite cheap really.

Next year blue laser DVD will be the kiddie...

[luca brazzi]

Just been out and bought another sata disk and put it into a caddy in a spare 5.25 drive bay....foramtting now. (fingers crossed it'll work ok).


That makes 5 disks

Now....anyone recommend some simple backup software that I can use to specify certain folders, on different disks, that make a backup when anything is changed or added to it?

Thanks guys for wise advice as usual

LB

[fish]

You can use an xcopy command in a batch file to "mirror" the drive to your new one and schedule it to run every night. You can even get it to do incremental files. Doesn't cost a bean and you'll start to learn about batch files. It will also display error codes.

Just do a search under help and Xcopy


I mirror my e-mail server across te network each night to the main backup server, it works fine.

[trevorw]

above will do the trick or for a free program you could give www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cbu6.htm ago

>> Edited by trevorw on Tuesday 9th November 15:07

[[K]ar|]

Fish,

Any chance you could post the Xcopy command to "mirror" the drive in it's entirety? Will it be an exact copy including open files like the swawpfile and system settings?

I was looking at a Maxtor OneTouch drive which comes with Dantz Retrospect. This can mirror the whole disk whilst running Windows, and includes everything.

My last attempt to do this was using Norton Ghost, which was very unfriendly and took ages.

[k]

[Muncher]

trevorw said:

above will do the trick or for a free program you could give <a href="http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cbu6.htm">www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cbu6.htm</a> ago >> Edited by trevorw on Tuesday 9th November 15:07

I was recommended this before in this forum and tried it, VERY good for shareware.

[fish]

Sorry I may have misguided it will mirror/copy files but I've never tried it for the system files and I imagine it will not copy open files. I use it to copy my data drives so the system isn't an issue.

Rather than post the one I use there is a brilliant tech net article which lists all the switches and is very useful.

[trevorw]

Muncher said:

trevorw said: above will do the trick or for a free program you could give <a href="http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cbu6.htm"><a href="http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cbu6.htm">www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cbu6.htm</a></a> ago >> Edited by trevorw on Tuesday 9th November 15:07 I was recommended this before in this forum and tried it, VERY good for shareware.

Yep twas me again, it been updated to version 6. www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=95&t=130321

[ErnestM]

I would do RAID (ADAPTEC have some really good AND fast SATA solutions with housings) plus back up your most important files (easiest to just back up My Documents if you have subscribed to the MS way of things) to, say, a 250GB external (SEAGATE makes a good one that is USB2.0/1394 and comes with some decent backup software...)

ErnestM

[GreenV8S]

Copying to a second drive is a good insurance against hardware failure. The mirrored drive approach doesn't protect you against finger trouble though, which may be more of a threat than hardware failure. An approach which works for me is to back the files up to a second disk. This gives you all the backup features (keeping generational copies etc) but still keeps it fairly fast and avoids expensive (and unreliable in my experience) tape drives. For extra insurance the backup drive is external and is physically disconnected when not in use.

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

You'll find that most of the pictures/videos don't change. I burn all mine onto DVD as I go. Ok, it's a bit of a pain to start with but if you keep on top of it, it's OK.

1.5TB of RAID 5 SATA storage is handy too.....

[Kinky]

Luca,

Which brand of PC have you got?

If it's an IBM one, then you should be able to run Rapid Restore - which I absolutely swear by on my 2 machines.

K

[luca brazzi]

I built my own, based around P4 3GHz, Abit mobo, Corsair 2GbRAM, 5 disks, and other bits and bobs.

Got the Iomega Automatic Backup software, works real simple.

Many, many thanks for all your wisdom guys.

LB