Data Backup Software

[tricktx]

Ive recently purchased myself a nice 300GB External hard disk to backup all my video data, Pics and documents from my normal C Drive. Ive copied all my docs onto the drive but when i want to add more i have to select the individual file and drag it into the appropriate box.. Is their any software which will only replace files that have either been modified or dont exist on the external drive.

For example..... My docs C drive is now on My Docs E Drive but when i want to backup again i have to copy the entire thing over (which takes ages - 200GB) because i cant remember which files are new because i use my pc for Vid and sound editing all the time.

Ive tried looking on Download.com for backup programs but non that will simply overlook files that are already their and put modified or new files onto the drive

any ideas... I'd prefer a free program but i dont mind paying as its such a time hog to have to replace the entire folder every time.

Richard

[Midknyte]

you can try synctoy

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/synctoy.mspx

[BipolarBill]

A Backup program has been included in every version of Windows released. In the case of XP Home, you must install it from the CD.

http://www.practicalpc.co.uk/computing/tips/020422.htm

Tips:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/bott_03july14.mspx

[tricktx]

cheers chaps... I'll try that one first (i have professional) but that sync thing also looks good, will d/l that too

:)

[G]

For the best feature rich backup program around at the price and a free upgrade to V7 in the next week go to my purchase link and receive a 20% discount for Genie Backup Manager Professional.

http://www.cheapshareware.co.uk/products/geniebackup/geniebackupmanager.php

NTBackup will not backup open files. This is a major shortcoming as you know Bill.

To backup open files you will need to purchase Genie's File Access Manager but I resell this at a 20% discount too. It's all very affordable and you get piece of mind.

PM me if you are interested.

I’m their software tester, forum moderator and technical writer. Bill has in his hand the first submission of 68,000 words of my “More Than Just A Glossary.” (Copyright 2006). I’m going to be in all the major computing magazines soon as their Executive Vice President is being interviewed about the new release which is going to be massive. It will be 200,000 words in 8 months but the next submission will be in 6 weeks and at 90,000 words. This has been over a year’s worth of hard graft freely given to Genie for its customers.

Ask Bill about it, if you like.

[BipolarBill]

Backing up open files is only an issue when you're backing up the entire OS. Most system backup software (Ghost, True Image) uses the Windows Volume Shadow Copy service to back up Windows files. In this case, he had very specific folders to back up. Because of this, open files are not a problem.

Gavin's "glossary" is quite a work, I can tell you.

[G]

Thanks for your kind words Bill but in this request and others, what will occur when open Word, Excel, Outlook ect files are open.

NTBackup will skip them.

Genie Backup Manager with File Access Manager will not and with do much more, e.g., schedules, compress and encrypt to AES 256-bit, simultaneous backups with integrity assured and so forth.

I cannot recommend it more than I have.

The cheap option is a free version like NTBackup which is ok but the smart approach is GBM and FAM working together.

A passive program such as True Image and Ghost will backup as mentioned by Bill but most of the time a user will be working with open files within Windows which will need backing up regularly. No previous passive backup from TI or Ghost is going to get the data back post the image. Date recovery is the only option or complete data loss due to lack of money or expertise in recovery the data. For the price of the software mentioned, is it worth the hassle – I don’t think so.

I can only advice; it is up to each and every one of you on Sysopt.com to have a sound and robust backup policy.

Download load it at:
GBM: http://www.genie-soft.com/download/GBMProV6_Setup.exe
FAM: http://www.genie-soft.com/download/FAM_setup.exe
Free Plug-ins: http://www.genie-soft.com/Scripting/ScriptSrch.aspx

Try them, you have nothing to lose at all. And if you do like them go here:

http://www.cheapshareware.co.uk/products/geniebackup/geniebackupmanager.php

If you would like FAM just email me and a 20% discount can be arranged – and this is a must have.

The RRP for both is $94.94. From me it is $74.96, a saving of $19.98 – not bad I would say

I hear time and time again about lost data and backup recovery. To me $74.96 is cheap.

The decision must be your and your alone.

[Ol'Tunzafun]

SynchBack is, by all accounts, the best freeware backup program out there. The pro version, SynchBack SE, will backup locked or open files ($25).
http://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/freeware-hub.html

[G]

Your suggestion may not be the best against the new Genie Backup Manager (GBM) I can assure you. It uses two backup engines in case one fails and the same for optical. Moreover you suggestion was stuck for many years without a single upgrade. I know because I use to check on it from time to time.

It has so many features and is so fast even compared to V6 of all versions. By the end of the month it will be released.

Try it; you have absolutely nothing to lose.

www.genie-soft.com

My 20% discount link is:
http://www.cheapshareware.co.uk/products/geniebackup/geniebackupmanager.php

Members here know I do not BS, and my recommendations I believe over the past have be sound and followed by many.

So again, I say, give GBM a go, if you buy though me you get a 20% discount, and then afterwards email me and I can get the same discount on the open file backup program called Genie File Access Manager (FAM). IF you buy V7, you get V8 absolutely free too on its release.

Both have been completely recoded. For this reason it has taken almost a year of hard graft.

You even get about 21 days to change your mind with a no quibble refund. What else can a company offer than that?

Blueharmonic has both GBM V6 Pro and FAM from me – I will ask him to post what he thinks.

[BipolarBill]

Ive recently purchased myself a nice 300GB External hard disk to backup all my video data, Pics and documents from my normal C Drive.

As fine as Genie is, G, all that Trickx requires is a simple backup program (free with Windows) or a cheap sync program. He doesn't need a $55+ program to do this rather small job. Why buy a Jaguar when all you need is a Mini?

I really doubt if he would try to back up open documents.

[G]

Yes but backing up can end up becoming more complex over time. At least with GBM there are the features ready when needed.

Moreover, when I wrote the post I’m not just writing for the benefit of the requester but to all members of Sysopt.com. I don’t like to here of members losing valuable and precious data.

Data lose is serious, and distressing.

“The cost of a recovery ranges from US$500 to US$2,500, depending on the filesystem (servers, RAID arrays (multi-hard disk drive storage subsystem), and UNIX are more expensive), the type of repair, the time required, the type of data to retrieve (text is easier to recover than a corrupted databases), and the probability of success and therefore payment costs. Some extreme cases, including those requiring onsite support, can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Worldwide, it is estimated that the market for data recovery in 2005 was over US$100 million.”

I also use the excellent Good Sync Pro, the developers of the excellent RoboForm. The Pro version cost but the non-pro version is free.

I recomend the free version only on the basis of the pro, as I haven’t tested or needed to use it. My data is important so I pay the money.

Free, Good Sync V4.5
http://www.goodsync.com/

[Blueharmonic]

HI Every one
Over the last few years I have looked and read about many back up systems, and I also know a lot of people who have used freebie back up systems, They thought all was well, and every thing was backed until one day crash and they lost every thing.

So I decided to pay for a back up system I could trust and was user friendly and I found this on sysopt.com and G. I have been using GBM and FAM now for a fair time and had no problems what so ever, in fact I will go as far to say it's the best software I purchased since I have been using a computer.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank G for all his help in this matter. believe me this Guy is spot on, I would have no worry buying GBM And FAM from him and he dose offer a very good discount, and far as I am concerned GBM and FAM its the best on the market for reliability and is user friendly.

Blueharmonic

[eguy]

I love Retrospect's backup software. Came with my Maxtor One Touch external drives. Very easy to set up an icon to back up from any one drive / directory to another...

[rmanet]

Hey G - you're bright guy and very helpful - right on about NT Backup - in my view it stinks. Unless all machines shut down, logged off, whatever, it will skip alot of files. We're migrating from GoldMine - which until about 90 days ago we never had a reliable backup for - to Outlook, but the issue is what it is.

I'm the informal IT guys but our IT source says to use Veritas. Haven't done anything yet. But because we ask others not to post software offers perhaps you could just suggest they PM you so we can be fair to others who get on and try to be as helpful with discounts or make software sale offers.

Most of the time we come down on them as adverts and they're toast in minutes. :t

[Colonel Casio]

I love Retrospect's backup software. Came with my Maxtor One Touch external drives. Very easy to set up an icon to back up from any one drive / directory to another...

I received the "express" version of Retrospect with my WD external HDD. I purchased the full version of the program & have beeen quite pleased with it so far. :cool:

[G]

rmanet, I won’t be mentioning my special offer of Genie Backup Manger again on Sysopt.com. I also understand your position.

In all the time I have been able to get this offer of a 20% discount I have had two members from Sysopt.com purchase Genie Backup Manager from me. With all the data that is loss and the offer I had, to me it was a no-brainer.

Either members here do not take my backup solution seriously, do not want to spend any money so use an alternative (and possibly inferior) solution or just want to buy elsewhere.

I spend my time proofreading for Genie Software nowadays, writing technical material, running their forum and testing their software for them.

I do not have the spare time as I use to, so post less.

With regards to Veritas, sure it is good, but considering Symantec have purchased it I personally would not touch it now.

There’s nothing wrong with less informed users purchasing Symantec programs but there are superior alternatives. The only program that they have not touched too much is PartitionMagic.

I’ve given up on their AV prog and use the super resource light NOD32.

So overtime I have found that Symantec’s programs are unreliable for me – I do not trust them. The market is so vast with alternatives there normally is something better about. This is the route I take.

[fancyf]

SynchBack is, by all accounts, the best freeware backup program out there. The pro version, SynchBack SE, will backup locked or open files ($25).
http://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/freeware-hub.html After backing up on another partition some of my personal files (the rar was > 2GB) just to get a corrupted file 1h20 later I remembered your post... boy I wish I had before doing it. SyncBack is perfect, took less than 20 secs in all (for ~4GB).

Thanks for that Ol'Tunzafun http://www.fancysplace.com/smileys/flowertiny.gif

[Dallas_Mike]

i like to backup data at DriveHQ.com. whenever where i go i can get my valuable data and it offers backup software.
so do you have a plan to try this method ?

[G]

Sound like it’s a good method, but like I said I still recommend Genie Backup Manager Pro V7 and you can backup to an online database and then restore directly from the online data files. I know you can do this with Drivehq.com too, which you are using, but how it differs from GBM I haven’t looked into. I can say the GBM online backup is based on the premise that it caters for commercial enterprises. End home office users etc get the same technology as a trickle down for nothing, so you cannot lose.

It's a clever idea and there is so much more GBM Pro V7 can do besides as a main backup solution.

It all depends what you want? Security etc.

What advice are you looking for when you say plan?

Now I’m looking at SyncBackSE

Its only advantage is that it can sync in the truest sense. This is a feature that I have suggested being included in GBM at some time.

Besides that GBM Pro V7 is superior and SyncBackSE has none of the online backup restore capabilities mentioned above.

I’ve tried to convince members on GBM and I have even offered a 20% discount but the message doesn’t get through.

Tell me where you will get a 100, 000 word More Than Just A Glossary that I’m about to release to Genie Software too, that is backup orientated and will answer all you questions and troubleshoot. It’s taken 2 years to complete through later nights. Version 2, which will bump it up to 200, 000 words relates to backup and networking etc. This will take about a year to do as I’m studying three degrees: Mathematical Science, Physical Science and Psychology, beside other things so I can only do the second part of the glossary when I can now.

More Than Just A Glossary, V1 will be released in about 2 week’s time I hope.

BPB has remarked on the 64, 000 non-proofread version. Since then only three additional entries have been added, SAN, NAS and Virtual Memory. The remaining words up to 100, 000 from 64, 000 is purely additional information to the entries covered – about 120 in total.

I will give a downloadable copy to Sysopt.com to all to use free of charge for non-commercial use only.

Remember I did this all for free, so help me out with the GBM purchases, if you please.

[Dallas_Mike]

great speech. but every software has its advantage and disadvantage. so you just choose what the product suit to you.

[G]

One tries to advice and then receives a cute reply.

In future I will ensure not to delivery any more speeches to your post requests, OK.

It is true that there are many alternatives; shame many members on Sysopt.com don’t have any and will not subscribe to advice on possible solutions.

[BipolarBill]

I just got a copy of EMC Retrospect Express from Western Digital as part of a legal settlement over drive space claims. It's very good, but not as complete as Geniesoft's - probably because it is the "lite" Express version. I like it though - it's more than sufficient for even advanced users.

[Gentle Giant]

http://allwaysync.com/

[G]

http://www.goodsync.com/

[Colonel Casio]

I just got a copy of EMC Retrospect Express from Western Digital as part of a legal settlement over drive space claims. It's very good, but not as complete as Geniesoft's - probably because it is the "lite" Express version. I like it though - it's more than sufficient for even advanced users.
Give the full version a try. As I said before, I'm happy with it.

I'm also looking to purchase an Imaging application. I'd love to hear some recommendations. THX

[BipolarBill]

Imaging is a huge umbrella. Care to narrow it down a bit?

[Ol'Tunzafun]

Besides that GBM Pro V7 is superior and SyncBackSE has none of the online backup restore capabilities mentioned above.

Somebody should have told me that a long time ago; I have had clients successfully backing up and restoring with the free SyncBack, to and from my FTP server for over two years now.
I'm sure that GBM Pro V7 is a wonderful product, but that doesn't mean that everything else is unworthy of consideration.

[G]

No need for sarcasm my friend.

Genie Backup Manager is a top backup program, #1 under many backup testing articles etc.

I offered a 20% discount on top of any discount that a prospective customer could have received.

For example, if a prospective customer had a purchased backup program, they were entitled to a 35% discount on top on mine, but I limit it to 50% in this case. Not a bad deal.

At the moment, with one day to go, I think, Genie has a 25% discount on all products, so add my 20% and there is a 45% discount possible. I can get this extended for myself though so the offer is still possible through me.

For the massive discount possible it is a no-brainer, and as I have said it goes beyond the software you recommend, although worthy of recommendation it is.

I sold 2 copies from Sysopt.com members, so I have given up on pushing it. I was trying to help, but some may have seen differently.

So the data recovery posts continue and the heart ache too that ensures from data loss that was not backed up.

If no one listens to me then fine.

I like your site incidentally, keep it up.


Colonel Casio
I would go with Acronis True Image Workstation
http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATICW/

Or the special:
TI Home V9 and Disk Director Suite 10 (you get a 20% discount)
http://shop.acronis.com/dr/v2/ec_Main.Entry17c?SID=44905&SP=10034&CID=200275&PID=&PN=1&V1=1415670&CUR=840

See image, as this is all you need.

[Ol'Tunzafun]

No need for sarcasm my friend.
Just having a little fun. I'm glad we're still friends. :)
I like your site incidentally, keep it up.
Thank-you, in reciprocity, I must say that I was sincerely impressed with the clean lines and cheerful colour scheme of your site.

[Colonel Casio]

Colonel Casio
I would go with Acronis True Image Workstation

I purchased the Home Edition 9.