Backing up PC's, laptops etc

[Mackka]

Question, when you use an external hard drive to backup your system, does it save everything on the main drive?
When you backup the second,third time etc just it just backup the new stuff of the whole thing again?
All help appreciated.
Thanks in anticipation
Mackka :Y:

 

[Simon_49]

It depends on what method you're using to do all your backing up, are you using a special app that does all your backing up for you?, most of the time I just copy all my wanted files and data onto the external hard drive manually.

 

[Mackka]

The PC has a thing in it that just says backup and where you want it to send the info to, stick or EHD. Well that's what I think it does as I have never checked the EHD to see if the info is actually there.
Mackka

 

[Mackka]

Just something else I thought of, I recently bought a stick especially designed to attach to an iPad but apple doesn't allow info to be taken off it, any ideas because I have heaps of books, music etc that don't want to lose.
Mackka

 

[Simon_49]

The PC has a thing in it that just says backup and where you want it to send the info to, stick or EHD. Well that's what I think it does as I have never checked the EHD to see if the info is actually there.
Mackka

I've found that the best way to do your backing up is to do it manually, I normally do that whenever I have to do a complete reformat of the computer's system hard drive before I do a complete clean-install of the operating system, this involves going through all my folders, such as Documents, Music, Videos, Desktop, etc, and copy all the wanted data and files to the external hard drive, I usually don't bother with program files unless there is data I want to keep.

What operating system are you running on your computer?, I'm mostly running Windows 10 64 Bit.

If you've got a Photos, or Pictures folder, back that up too.

 

[Mackka]

thanks Sim_49 great info. I will have a look at the system info later.
Cheers
Mackka

 

[Simon_49]

thanks Sim_49 great info. I will have a look at the system info later.
Cheers
Mackka

No worries, let me know how you go mate.

 

[Redfin]

I agree manual is best.
I tend to partition the hard drive.
Have the operating system alone on a small partition {C} and everything else on a 2nd hard drive, partitioned, one partition for photos, one for documents etc. on another.
I usually format the operating system every 6 months or so to optimise its efficiency, leaving.

 

[Simon_49]

I agree manual is best.
I tend to partition the hard drive.
Have the operating system alone on a small partition {C} and everything else on a 2nd hard drive, partitioned, one partition for photos, one for documents etc. on another.
I usually format the operating system every 6 months or so to optimise its efficiency, leaving.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/232/1545797140_pc.jpg

Yep, it is always a good idea to do a complete system hard drive re-format and clean-install of the operating system every 6 months to keep your computer running at it's best, I'm going to have to install a bigger SSD (Solid State Device) hard drive in my new Acer laptop soon, since I've only got about 20Gb of space left on it's current 250Gb SSD hard drive.

 

[Tathradj]

Depends on what you ask it to do.
Full backup is just that.
Every thing.
Incremental backup is where only if any thing new has
been added or happened since the last one.
I don't like win backup. It can have a tendency to make
a mess of things at times.

As said above, Keep every thing in directories and manually
copy them over.
Don't forget, Even backup drives fail.

 

[Mackka]

Great advice Doug yes I have heard that backing up to a third drive is a good idea and change your EHD every 12 months.
Mackka

 

[Solid Luck]

If you are using external drives or the drive on your device you need at least 2 backups. Drives fail all the time.
Backing up to the cloud is the best.

 

[Tathradj]

Any Time Makka,
Also, If you have any thing hyper critical like
photo's, Burn them to a DVD as standard data.
Same with documents.

Great advice Doug yes I have heard that backing up to a third drive is a good idea and change your EHD every 12 months.
Mackka

 

[Mackka]

Thanks HL.
I gave my wife a new IPhone for Christmas and a friend of hers told her NOT to use the cloud as she was advised to upload all her photos from her phone and she lost the lot.
Not sure that I want to do that as I dont trust clouds as a SAFE storage space.
Mackka

 

[AngerManagement]

I only ever do full images...

All to often that doc or pic that you wanted, was saved where you never even thought possible...

My system does a full image every 10 days and I try to keep at least 5 images in rotation and one from 12 months ago... And the images are split across different HDD's and the old archive on a USB. USB is also kept in a fire proof safe.

If I only want a file or some data, they application allows me to drill into teh image to get the file and recover..

The Cloud always sounds great until you are doing backups of a couple of hundred Gig or a Tera byte or 2...

Drop box or Google Drive for resent pics or docs that are needed on the fly..

 

[Mackka]

Thanks mate but you should be lookin after yourself rather than answering my questions. I pray you will be home soon mate.
Mackka

 

[AngerManagement]

Thanks mate but you should be lookin after yourself rather than answering my questions. I pray you will be home soon mate.
Mackka

Back home and just about to get my son to removed the stitches... Drs later this week to follow up as to long term prognosis.

PS. Application I / We used when doing IT was Acronis. The version I owned (11.7) is now just out of support, but was great. The later version seem to be OK but no first hand experience with the later versions.

An image is great for when the HDD dies... New HDD - re image and system is usually good to go... Hate spending days trying to reset up apps and programs and licence keys etc... So an image restore is a no brainier..

Stitches look a bit mean - every scare tells a life story LOL.

 

[goody2shoes]

Ouch that must hurt AngerManagement

Hope you get well soon and back to hunting the yellow,

Regards Goody

 

[StoneTheCrows]

Hey Macka

You would be amazed how many people back up their data and when it is time to restore either..

1. They do not know how
2. it doesn't work
3. the data they thought they had backed up is not there.

Every so often you should do a restore to make sure you have everything you need.

Neil

 

[Mackka]

Thanks Neil great advice mate.
Hey AM, that does look nasty however, I pray that all will be ok at your next Drs visit.
Thanks everyone for your contributions, great assistance and very much appreciated.
Cheers
Mackka :Y: :Y: :Y: :clap: :clap: :clap: