Backup success?

Backup success?

by EmiLee69 Nov 12, 2005 10:40AM PST

I'm sure the topic of backups has been discussed extensively, but here is my question: Who can recommend a backup program/regimen that is not only manageable to implement for regular backups but also has actually been used to successfully restore information to a computer?

I've never had to completely rebuild a computer using my backups. However, once (many years ago---don't even remember now how I was doing backups at that time) I did need to restore just one file that had been inadvertently deleted from the hard drive some months earlier and which I was unable to "undelete." I was so happy that I was able to find that one file in my backup and restore just it, nothing else.

A few years later I decided to put my latest method of backing up my hard drive to the test by trying to find and restore one file to my hard drive (it was not, thankfully, anything I really needed---I was just testing my system for backup). I was totally unable to figure out any way to extract just that one file. I stopped using that backup method immediately.

In recent years, I've basically just been copying critical data to CD's periodically, and that's it. With recent purchase of an external hard drive, I'd like to get more serious about this. I'd like to have a total backup of my hard drive, from time to time, along with regular, consistent backups of all data. I'd also like to be able to choose to restore EVERYTHING, if necessary, or just choose certain files to restore.

Here's my primary question ... who has used a system that can accomplish this and actually been able to successfully restore what they want to a hard drive without too much difficulty?

I guess what I'm saying is that there might be any number of simple strategies for backing up data, but I'd like to know what the track record is for it actually working?

Thanks.

Discussion is locked

net use f: \\quibusxp\cq
xcopy c:\kees f:\backup\compaq\kees /s /m
xcopy c:\oewint f:\backup\compaq\oewint /s /m
xcopy ''c:\my documents'' ''f:\backup\compaq\my documents'' /s /m
xcopy c:\windows\system.dat f:\backup\compaq\ /h
xcopy ''c:\windows\profiles\k.bakker\user.dat'' ''f:\backup\compaq\'' /h
xcopy ''C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\K.Bakker\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express\Mail'' ''f:\backup\compaq\WINDOWS\Profiles\K.Bakker\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express\Mail'' /s /m
xcopy ''C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\K.Bakker\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book'' ''f:\backup\compaq\WINDOWS\Profiles\K.Bakker\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book'' /s /m
net use f: /delete

It makes the network connection (not necessary with a external hard disk, which already has a driver letter assigned) and deletes it at the end.
In between it copies the changed files from a few folders, registry, all OE mail, address book to a good place on the share. Folders will be quite different if you have XP, and backup of the registry doesn't make any sense then, I think, so you're in for some customizing.

It doesn't take too long, so I sit and wait and look if everything goes OK.
But you can add error handling. I assume that xcopy returns error level 0 when there are no errors and > 0 when any error occurs. But I don't know of any documentation about it.

So then after each xcopy add
if errorlevel 1 go to error
and near the end add something like
go to ok
error:
echo ******************
echo AN ERROR OCCURRED!
echo ******************
pause
ok:
exit

Please note, however, it takes some special care when adding new folders not included in your old backup or renaming folders or big files on the source computer. Also, files you deleted on purpose will still be on the backup, so some cleaning might be appropiate a few times a year. But in 'normal' circumstances it's a fast and reliable backup.

Hope you get it working to your satisfaction. If you run into any problems, don't hesitate to post here.

Kees

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