Maxtor Onetouch II external hard drive to be partitioned

My XP hard drive is in NTFS, no partition. Are you saying that data from it will be able to backup into the FAT32 volume on the Ext HD?

Also is a system backup in FAT32 compatible, ie able to be restored to an NTFS drive?

I thought Defrag could only work in FAT volumes up to 127GB

I don't want to mislead anyone that such is "backup." It's a convienent copy and nothing more.

You claimed it was already partitioned to FAT32 so I take it now you are changing that statement?

Bob

It (EXT HD) comes as FAT32. I have 2 computers. One (the most important one) is in NTFS.

Id like it if you re-read my questions.

(I do appreciate your point that it falls short of a failsafe. This system is just to automate the process for the daily backup then weekly backup. A proper backup to DVD can then be done.)

Then attemting to restore from the ExtHD to the XP's hard drive

And don't care what filesystem they are on. A fine example is one of my source code pickup sites is on a linux box using the Reiser file system. No one can tell that from Windows. It could have been a Windows box with either fat32 or NTFS and the files could be copied there and out without affecting the files.

Hope this helps.

Bob

You can tell that I don't work IN computers, just need one to do my medical work.

I have learned from you and others to backup files and data only, and to forget the idea of restoring the system from a ghost or image or backup.

The restore idea appeals because it sounds like it will save time.

I would struggle with manually reloading all the programs, many are bought as online downloads, or have patches on patches. Just the fiddle of doing all that might take a dozen hours of attendance (always longer for the inexperienced, and then there's undoing mistakes..)

That means 3-5 days of my life because it has to be done after hours.

Do you not see a role for the system restore approach?

Look to other software like ACRONIS for image backup/restore.

So few backup, either to media that is a "backup", fewer to media they can restore from and the story gets progressively worse that I have to share... That just the simplest copy to removable media of the files you can't lose WINS everytime.

I've yet to find a person that does that backup on a weekly or monthly basis. It would not be a total disaster if you miss a few weeks of files. Most just lose it all.

-> And those that do backup because of prodding by others soon stops doing that since they don't see the benefit. It seems the lesson is burned in when it happens to them.

Bob

It 'says' it allows you to use Explorer on the backup to get at individual files and folders.

It offers you the choice of an automated scheduled service e.g. 4AM every Monday. you can backup a selection of files which it calls duplicates, and it looks to update these backedup duplicates at the scheduled time.

It lures people into a false sense of security about "backup." Hard disk external units are not "backups" but simple second copies without write protection, multiple copies (that means physical units) and more items that define what backup is.

This lesson is being re-learned as people lose it all due to a virus that wipes them out or an external drive failure they were storing items on.

Another failure point is such backup software may require their software to run under Windows, be licensed to read the backup and the list goes on. Simple copies of your stuff to said hard disk sidesteps that issue, as well as DVDRW.

In closing, it's YOUR STUFF. You decide if it's worth the effort.

Bob