Looking For Home Backups Recommendations

[RexxSysProg]

There are many, many backup programs around and it is difficult (for me) to tell which really do the job best. I'd appreciate getting a few recommendations from people who have used them and are happy with them, or know about good ones.

I'd like to get something that is not too expensive as I have three machines (two are running 2K, one is running XP) . Though they are networked, many of these programs will not backup network disks and I will need a separate copy and license of the program for each machine.

I realize it depends on what is wanted to be done.
I want to do an image backup (DDR) once on each machine and then rarely again. I'll keep that for emergency and do regular, daily backups which will backup only files that have changed (after an initial full backup); that will backup all of the files including mail, favorites, and some files in Windows directory (e.g. fonts) and not tell me it won't backup from certain "Windows system" directories. And be relatively easy to configure and set up the backup jobs. Two examples of backup programs that I don't want, because they do not fit the "reliable" and "easy to configure" criteria are CMS Backup and the Maxtor Disk Backup, both of which are both are real pains and frustrating to use.

Thank you for any suggestions and recommendations.

 

[Davetoo]

Is there some reason why the built-in Backup program won't work for you? It's free.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[goombawaho]

You could certainly use the built-in backup program to backup your data files, but if you want an image of your whole installation, I would use something like Norton Ghost or similar to get a an image that you could restore to your computer if the hard drive dies.

You need some type of media to keep the image backups on, so think in terms of maybe an external USB 2.0 drive. Of course, you could also backup your files to that as well.

 

[RexxSysProg]

Davetoo: I've used the built-in backup program at work and was not impressed with it, neither its configurability nor its speed. Also had problems with it when it would simply fail writing to the server (where the backups are kept).

goombawaho: I know about Ghost but I've heard from a couple of friends that they had some issues with it and were themselves looking for something better. And I have had bad experiences with Norton products so I am not looking to use them.

I looked at Acronis - it will do an image backup but will not back up data on network disks. Then I looked at Genie but it appears to be the reverse. (I'm wondering if anyone has used these and has real experience with them)

I have Maxtor USB disk drives that I'm using for backups now but the Maxtor backup software is a pain to use because its configuration changes is very, very slow and it has cryptic error messages, so I don't reallyt know what is not getting backed up.

 

[Davetoo]

You have to be sure to be backing up to NTFS partitions or you'll run into the 4GB file limit.

Lot's of businesses use the built-in backup program and have no issues with it. You can set it up to run in the middle of the night so speed becomes irrelevant at that point.

If you want a full blown backup program, you can always look at Backup Exec...but it's not cheap.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[bracadar]

I have all my clients set up to backup with Handy Backup. It's easy to use and very flexible. I backup to Snap servers, DVD, FTP servers offsite, external USB drives. Works great for all of them. I use Acronis and Symantec Ghost for image backups. They work for me about 90% of the time. I've had a couple of instances where one wouldn't work but the other did so I'm always able to get a successful image created. Your best bet is to test everything you can and use what works for your situation. I have successfully restored Exchange, BES, 2003 server and workstations using these 3 pieces of software and a promise card out in the field.

 

[goombawaho]

I won't argue with you about Ghost, but I used it in a corporate environment in two different jobs and it worked flawlessly to image machines for faster rollout/reloading.

In terms of backing up to a network device, I would NOT necessarily try to do that directly as the backup is running. Instead, using a batch file, you could run and store the backup locally and then copy the resulting backup wherever your wanted it after completion.

 

[RexxSysProg]

goombawaho: sorry I wasn't clear. I didn't mean backing up to a network disk drive. I meant backing up data that is on a home network disk drive.