Windows backup software
Anyone know of some good software that can automatically create system images? Tried Reflect, which seemed pretty good, but was going to take 24h to backup both partitions.. ideally it would be something I could sync up every night. Windows backup was pretty much exactly what I was looking for but never seems to work, and I doubt restoring an image from it would be very reliable. Thanks in advance.
Windows backup is a complete joke IMO
i purchased an external drive, with a scheduling feature in its settings.
I have been using these type for years.
Create an IMAGE of the drive… essentially it does the same thing
I use cobian - free and lots of options for backup types etc
I found Ancronis Trueimage to be the best of any I’ve tried when I was imaging multiple machines for deployment needed something super reliable that would not be machine specific.
I use Macrium Reflect. It takes 4½ minutes to create an image of my SSD!
And I use Cobian Backup to make a mirror image of my data drive to an external hard drive.
sounds like some good information here guys
ill have to look into some of these
maybe i can use them to create an image of the machine that controls the radio station
Yep, thee best.
Christ, why were they taking so long? USB 2.0 just slow? I tried Macrium and Cobian already.. will give it another shot and possibly try Acronis
Download the trial version and create the boot CD. I usually create and restore images from the boot CD.
Someone has a sense of humor
I think the backup is taking so long because you are creating a new image of the partitions every time you run the process. Typically, you would image the system drive with the OS, then backup the data drive with your files. Only create a new image after making changes to your system - installing new software or drivers for example.
I would suggest that you image the partition that has the Windows install. Then backup your data every night. Ideally, the software should support differential/incremental feature - only back-up files that have changed since the last backup.
I did a quick internet search and found Backup Maker. You might take a look at the product, it’s free for private use. I am sure there are other options, just google “free windows backup software incremental differential”. Good luck!
The system imaging in Windows 7 and 8 is fine. You can even mount the images if you need to retrieve individual files.
The regular file backup is not so good though, at least for my needs. I prefer to have an exact clone of my data drive - folder structure and all - and Windows backup doesn’t give you that.
I do exactly what homeboy33 said. I have an SSD that has Windows and all of my software (except games) on it. Once a month when I install the latest Windows updates, or if I install a bunch of new software, I make a new image of that. As I said in my previous post, it only takes 4½ minutes with Reflect, and that’s making a full image each time, not an incremental/differential image.
All of my personal data and games are stored on my HDD, so I use Cobian to back that up using differential backups and mirroring. That way it will only back up any data that’s new or that has changed since the last time the program ran and it never takes long to run. While mirroring is not a safe way to make backups (unless you use safe mirroring), I use it because if I delete something off my HDD, I want it to be deleted automatically from the mirrored drive as well.
For vital data that I absolutely cannot afford to lose, I also keep a backup in the cloud using SkyDrive. An off-site backup is essential really, if you’re taking backups seriously.
If you create a full backup it will take a while mate - once you have the 1st done then it is just an incremental backup, so only changed/new items get copied.
Right, will have to give it another shot.
I use AOMEI Data Backuper– Free backup and restore software for home and commercial use.