PC backups

[John Rumm]

That's the nice thing about this industry - if you don't like one of the suggested "standards" just wait a moment and there will be another half dozen come along!

[PoP]

:)

Well, it is supposed to be the DIY forum! Now if we had as many different ways of putting a light switch on a wall I think we'd end up with a myriad of designs!

PoP

[Jonathan G Campbell]

Keeping a tight grip on a large wooden desk ;-) Personally, I use Linux, and simply copy a compressed tar (Windows read Winzip) file of my home directory to a Zip100 drive. I have three or four Zip disks that I rotate.

I may have missed something on the complete thread, but am I not correct in thinking that the reliability of CD-RW is a bit hit and miss?

From R. Wallace, "MCSE Training Kit Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Press, 2000 (which I teach from, but haven't actually used in anger for backup):

- Normal Backup: all selected files and folders backed up; ... doesn't rely on markers ... anay existing markers cleared ... faster restore because doesn't need to go through multiple backups (see below);

- Copy: As Normal, but no effect on any markers;

- Incremental: backs up changes since last backup (Normal, Incremental);

- Differential: backs up changes since last Normal (my, jc's, interpretation);

- Daily: files and folders that changes during the day are backed up.

I think you'd have to be very confident in your procedures and media to trust Incremental.

Another point, especially wondering about the advisability of two disk drives in the PC. I think someone wondered about what happened if the PC was stolen or died some other horrible death. The question is, what risk are you using your backup to insure against? For me, the chief seem to be: (a) stealing; (b) a horrible death for the whole PC (like a lightning surge up its jacksy); (c) disk hardware failure; (d) serious software failure. I.e. a second disk unit may be susceptible to (c) and (d).

For similar reasons, I'd say also that you must have three or four backup media in rotation. Scenario: software caused crash; restore; that backup corrupted by the software, ... The more backups you have, the more likely you are to have one left after you have.

I know it's hard to arrange, but you must keep backup media somewhere separate. Even a car (assuming the burgular that steals the PC doesn't take the car as well).

Finally, I figure few backups are tested. IMHO, this is untrivial and risky unless you have a spare machine. (There was a famous line of machines that started in the late 1970s -- the Digital VAX series; reputedly, there was a bug in the initial version of the backup software, and it was only after a year of the machine being introduced that anyone had to use it in anger ... and anger was the operative word).

Best regards,

Jon C.

[Rod Hewitt]

[e-mail] (Jonathan G Campbell) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Not half as hit and miss as a Zip disk! Seen and heard too many 'Click of Death' drives to even bother with mine now. I would use CDR (rather than CDRW) and they are very reliable IME.

Rod

[geoff]

Isn't there a set up file you can copy which you can use when reinstalling windows which reinstalls the links and settings ?

[stefek.zaba]

Dream on. Yes, there's an initial setyp file which can record the settings for that tiny subset of the overall set of configuration data which the setup routine would otherwise require to to enter interactively: time zone, NT domain name, and a (good) few others. Not, though, your Net settings; or links to other net resources (say networked printers, other machines); not, of course, any application settings. MS have tried to add a "file and app migration tool" to XP, to make moving from one machine to another easier - possibly useful in a system restore. Of course, it only works for apps which follow a previously-nonexistent MS-proprietary config-data-registration scheme.

So in-a-word, use a real backup&restore strategy; reinstalling from scratch is a pain in the nether regions...

Stefek

[Huge]

[10 lines snipped]

I have no idea. So far as I am concerned, Windows is a fly-blown, festering heap of rotting entrails and I would very much like it to go away.

[Tony Hogarty]

So not a fan of windows then ;-) Linux?

[Huge]

You noticed.

I have no particular axe to grind, but I like Unix and its variants, yes. My home system(s) are Suns running Solaris.

[dave]

It'll be great when they get a gui to run on it :-) In the meantime lets roar ahead with ed vi sh tbl adb nroff troff boff sod etc

[Bob Eager]

Even 'ed' still has its place on slow lines. Mind, they sold out the day they increased the number of error messages from 2 to 3....

1) ? 2) TMP 3) ??